GHANA SOCO PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES 

Co-hosted by the World Bank’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD); National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Northern Development Authority, and World Bank’s Community and Local Development Global Solutions Group (CLD GSG)  

Session 1: How Can We Promote a Coordinated Development Approach in Northern Ghana? 

December 15, 2022 

2 pm -3:30 pm (Ghana time) | 9 am – 10:30 am (Washington DC time) 

Live interpretation will be provided in English and French

The lack of opportunities for youth, intercommunity tensions, and structural fragilities poses an increasing security challenge for the northern region of the Gulf of Guinea countries that face serious threats of southward transmission of the rapidly escalating Sahel conflict. Responding to such borderless threats calls for “thinking regionally and acting locally”—regionally coordinated solutions that effectively respond to local needs. 

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) with the support of the World Bank recently launched the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project. This is a US$150 million financing for Ghana out of the total $450 million financing from World Bank International Development Association for four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and CIV). The SOCO project is an important program aimed at proactively preventing the spread of conflict from the Sahel, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and strengthening local institutions, economic opportunities, and public trust in 48 districts in the North of Ghana. 

Various Development Partners have expressed interest in collaborating with the SOCO project to support a coordinated development approach in North of Ghana to maximize development finance and create large-scale transformative impacts in target districts.

This webinar will engage policymakers and development partners to discuss challenges and opportunities for promoting a coordinated development approach in Northern Ghana, especially in the 48 SOCO districts.

Opening Remarks:

Dhruva Sahai, Acting Country Director, World Bank Ghana CMU

Nicolas Perrin, Task Team Leader Regional SOCO Project, World Bank (TBC)

Moderator: 

Dr Sulemana Abdulai, Board Chair, Northern Development Authority (NDA) 

Brief Introduction of Ghana SOCO Project: 

• Ashutosh Raina, Task Team Leader, Ghana SOCO Project, World Bank 
• George Aidoo, Project Coordinator, Ghana SOCO Project, MLGDRD

Fireside Chat: 

• Samuel Seth Passah, Director, Local Governance and Decentralisation, MLGDRD 
• Dr Hypolyte Pul, Board Member, NDA 
• Angeline Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor, UN 
• Peter Aidoo, Development Coordination Officer, UN 

Closing Remarks: 

Marian W. A. Kpakpah, Chief Director, MLGDRD              

GHANA SOCO PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES 

Co-hosted by the World Bank’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD); National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Northern Development Authority, and World Bank’s Community and Local Development Global Solutions Group (CLD GSG)  

Session 1: How Can We Promote a Coordinated Development Approach in Northern Ghana? 

December 15, 2022 

2 pm -3:30 pm (Ghana time) | 9 am – 10:30 am (Washington DC time) 

The lack of opportunities for youth, intercommunity tensions, and structural fragilities poses an increasing security challenge for the northern region of the Gulf of Guinea countries that face serious threats of southward transmission of the rapidly escalating Sahel conflict. Responding to such borderless threats calls for “thinking regionally and acting locally”—regionally coordinated solutions that effectively respond to local needs. 

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) with the support of the World Bank recently launched the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project. This is a US$150 million financing for Ghana out of the total $450 million financing from World Bank International Development Association for four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and CIV). The SOCO project is an important program aimed at proactively preventing the spread of conflict from the Sahel, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and strengthening local institutions, economic opportunities, and public trust in 48 districts in the North of Ghana. 

Various Development Partners have expressed interest in collaborating with the SOCO project to support a coordinated development approach in North of Ghana to maximize development finance and create large-scale transformative impacts in target districts.

This webinar will engage policymakers and development partners to discuss challenges and opportunities for promoting a coordinated development approach in Northern Ghana, especially in the 48 SOCO districts.

Opening Remarks:

Dhruva Sahai, Acting Country Director, World Bank Ghana CMU

Moderator: 

Dr Sulemana Abdulai, Board Chair, Northern Development Authority (NDA) 

Brief Introduction of SOCO Project: 

·      Ashutosh Raina, Task Team Leader Ghana SOCO Project, World Bank 

·      George Aidoo, Project Coordinator, Ghana SOCO Project, MLGDRD

Fireside Chat: 

·      Samuel Seth Passah, Director, Local Governance and Decentralisation, MLGDRD 

·      Dr Hypolyte Pul, Board Member, NDA 

·      Dalia Haj-Omar, Deputy Country Representative, USAID 

·      Angeline Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor, UN 

·      Peter Aidoo, Development Coordination Officer, UN 

·      Kofi Ofori Amanfo, International Organization of Migration (IOM) 

Closing Remarks: 

Marian W. A. Kpakpah, Chief Director, MLGDRD                 

GHANA SOCO PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES 

Co-hosted by the World Bank’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD); National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Northern Development Authority, and World Bank’s Community and Local Development Global Solutions Group (CLD GSG)  

Session 1: How Can We Promote a Coordinated Development Approach in Northern Ghana? 

December 15, 2022 

2 pm -3:30 pm (Ghana time) | 9 am – 10:30 am (Washington DC time) 

Live interpretation will be provided in English and French

The lack of opportunities for youth, intercommunity tensions, and structural fragilities poses an increasing security challenge for the northern region of the Gulf of Guinea countries that face serious threats of southward transmission of the rapidly escalating Sahel conflict. Responding to such borderless threats calls for “thinking regionally and acting locally”—regionally coordinated solutions that effectively respond to local needs. 

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) with the support of the World Bank recently launched the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project. This is a US$150 million financing for Ghana out of the total $450 million financing from World Bank International Development Association for four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and CIV). The SOCO project is an important program aimed at proactively preventing the spread of conflict from the Sahel, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and strengthening local institutions, economic opportunities, and public trust in 48 districts in the North of Ghana. 

Various Development Partners have expressed interest in collaborating with the SOCO project to support a coordinated development approach in North of Ghana to maximize development finance and create large-scale transformative impacts in target districts.

This webinar will engage policymakers and development partners to discuss challenges and opportunities for promoting a coordinated development approach in Northern Ghana, especially in the 48 SOCO districts.

Opening Remarks:

Dhruva Sahai, Acting Country Director, World Bank Ghana CMU

Nicolas Perrin, Task Team Leader Regional SOCO Project, World Bank (TBC)

Moderator: 

Dr Sulemana Abdulai, Board Chair, Northern Development Authority (NDA) 

Brief Introduction of Ghana SOCO Project: 

• Ashutosh Raina, Task Team Leader, Ghana SOCO Project, World Bank 
• George Aidoo, Project Coordinator, Ghana SOCO Project, MLGDRD

Fireside Chat: 

• Samuel Seth Passah, Director, Local Governance and Decentralisation, MLGDRD 
• Dr Hypolyte Pul, Board Member, NDA 
• Angeline Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor, UN 
• Peter Aidoo, Development Coordination Officer, UN 

Closing Remarks: 

Marian W. A. Kpakpah, Chief Director, MLGDRD           

Recording  

Password: A=4q4u.W

GHANA SOCO PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES 

Co-hosted by the World Bank’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD); National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Northern Development Authority, and World Bank’s Community and Local Development Global Solutions Group (CLD GSG)  

Session 1: How Can We Promote a Coordinated Development Approach in Northern Ghana? 

December 15, 2022 

2 pm -3:30 pm (Ghana time) | 9 am – 10:30 am (Washington DC time) 

The limited economic and employment opportunities for youth, incidence of inter-community tensions, and structural fragilities, resulting from food insecurity and climate change, poses an increasing security challenge for the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries exposed to threats of southward transmission of the rapidly escalating Sahel conflict. A response to such borderless threats calls for “thinking regionally and acting locally”—regionally coordinated solutions that effectively respond to local needs.  

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) with the support of the World Bank recently designed and launched the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project. This is a US$150 million financing for Ghana out of the total $450 million financing from World Bank International Development Association to four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and CIV).  The SOCO project is an important program aimed at proactively preventing the spread of conflict from the Sahel, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and strengthen local institutions, economic opportunities, and public trust in 48 districts across six (6) regions in the northern part of Ghana.  

Various Development Partners have expressed interest to collaborate with the SOCO Project to support a coordinated development approach in North of Ghana to maximize the finance for development and to create large scale transformative impacts in the 48 beneficiary districts. 

Opening Remarks: 

 Pierre Laporte, Country Director, World Bank, Ghana CMU    

Session Moderator: 

 Dr Sulemana Abdulai, Board Chair, Northern Development Authority (NDA)  

Speakers: 

• Ashutosh Raina, TTL Ghana SOCO Project, World Bank  

• George Aidoo, Project Coordinator, Ghana SOCO Project, MLGDRD  

Fireside Chat                   

• Samuel Seth Passah, Director, Local Governance and Decentralisation, MLGDRD 

• Dr Hypolyte Pul, Board Member, NDA  

• Dalia Haj-Omar, Deputy Country Representative, USAID 

• Angeline Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor, United Nations 

• Anna Mukiibi-Bunnya, Deputy Country Director, World Food Program 

• Kofi Ofori Amanfo, International Organization of Migration (IOM) 

Closing Remarks:  

Marian W. A. Kpakpah, Chief Director, MLGDRD       

GHANA SOCO PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES 

Co-hosted by the World Bank’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD); National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Northern Development Authority, and World Bank’s Community and Local Development Global Solutions Group (CLD GSG)  

Session 1: How Can We Promote a Coordinated Development Approach in Northern Ghana? 

December 15, 2022 

2 pm -3:30 pm (Ghana time) | 9 am – 10:30 am (Washington DC time) 

Live interpretation will be provided in English and French

The lack of opportunities for youth, intercommunity tensions, and structural fragilities poses an increasing security challenge for the northern region of the Gulf of Guinea countries that face serious threats of southward transmission of the rapidly escalating Sahel conflict. Responding to such borderless threats calls for “thinking regionally and acting locally”—regionally coordinated solutions that effectively respond to local needs. 

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) with the support of the World Bank recently launched the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project. This is a US$150 million financing for Ghana out of the total $450 million financing from World Bank International Development Association for four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and CIV). The SOCO project is an important program aimed at proactively preventing the spread of conflict from the Sahel, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and strengthening local institutions, economic opportunities, and public trust in 48 districts in the North of Ghana. 

Various Development Partners have expressed interest in collaborating with the SOCO project to support a coordinated development approach in North of Ghana to maximize development finance and create large-scale transformative impacts in target districts.

This webinar will engage policymakers and development partners to discuss challenges and opportunities for promoting a coordinated development approach in Northern Ghana, especially in the 48 SOCO districts.

Opening Remarks:

Dhruva Sahai, Acting Country Director, World Bank Ghana CMU

Nicolas Perrin, Task Team Leader Regional SOCO Project, World Bank (TBC)

Moderator: 

Dr Sulemana Abdulai, Board Chair, Northern Development Authority (NDA) 

Brief Introduction of Ghana SOCO Project: 

• Ashutosh Raina, Task Team Leader, Ghana SOCO Project, World Bank 
• George Aidoo, Project Coordinator, Ghana SOCO Project, MLGDRD

Fireside Chat: 

• Samuel Seth Passah, Director, Local Governance and Decentralisation, MLGDRD 
• Dr Hypolyte Pul, Board Member, NDA 
• Angeline Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor, UN 
• Peter Aidoo, Development Coordination Officer, UN 

Closing Remarks: 

Marian W. A. Kpakpah, Chief Director, MLGDRD              

GHANA SOCO PROJECT WEBINAR SERIES 

Co-hosted by the World Bank’s Social Sustainability and Inclusion (SSI) Global Practice; Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD); National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Northern Development Authority, and World Bank’s Community and Local Development Global Solutions Group (CLD GSG)  

Session 1: How Can We Promote a Coordinated Development Approach in Northern Ghana? 

December 15, 2022 

2 pm -3:30 pm (Ghana time) | 9 am – 10:30 am (Washington DC time) 

The lack of opportunities for youth, intercommunity tensions, and structural fragilities poses an increasing security challenge for the northern region of the Gulf of Guinea countries that face serious threats of southward transmission of the rapidly escalating Sahel conflict. Responding to such borderless threats calls for “thinking regionally and acting locally”—regionally coordinated solutions that effectively respond to local needs. 

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) with the support of the World Bank recently launched the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project. This is a US$150 million financing for Ghana out of the total $450 million financing from World Bank International Development Association for four countries (Ghana, Togo, Benin, and CIV). The SOCO project is an important program aimed at proactively preventing the spread of conflict from the Sahel, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and strengthening local institutions, economic opportunities, and public trust in 48 districts in the North of Ghana. 

Various Development Partners have expressed interest in collaborating with the SOCO project to support a coordinated development approach in North of Ghana to maximize development finance and create large-scale transformative impacts in target districts.

This webinar will engage policymakers and development partners to discuss challenges and opportunities for promoting a coordinated development approach in Northern Ghana, especially in the 48 SOCO districts.

Opening Remarks:

Dhruva Sahai, Acting Country Director, World Bank Ghana CMU

Nicolas Perrin, Task Team Leader Regional SOCO Project, World Bank (TBC)

Moderator: 

Dr Sulemana Abdulai, Board Chair, Northern Development Authority (NDA) 

Brief Introduction of Ghana SOCO Project: 

• Ashutosh Raina, Task Team Leader, Ghana SOCO Project, World Bank 
• George Aidoo, Project Coordinator, Ghana SOCO Project, MLGDRD

Fireside Chat: 

• Samuel Seth Passah, Director, Local Governance and Decentralisation, MLGDRD 
• Dr Hypolyte Pul, Board Member, NDA 
• Angeline Nguedjeu, Peace and Development Advisor, UN 
• Peter Aidoo, Development Coordination Officer, UN 

Closing Remarks: 

Marian W. A. Kpakpah, Chief Director, MLGDRD              

Ashutosh Raina, Camila Linneman, Jana El-Horr, Parmesh Shah, and Susan Wong

Two years into the pandemic, growth in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) is projected to remain substantially below the pre-pandemic trend, as noted in the latest World Bank flagship report - Global Economic Prospects. And while national governments have significant work ahead, local and regional governments will be on the frontlines of supporting long-term local economic recovery due to their close proximity to their constituents. 

The pandemic has underscored the need to invest in local economic development (LED) while teaching us important lessons about how to proceed:

1. It is important to complement emergency social protection investments that mitigate immediate impacts with comprehensive support to transform local economies and drive longer-term economic recovery and job growth.
2. To build a more inclusive recovery moving forward, special assistance needs to be targeted towards especially marginalized groups. By supporting marginalized groups and lagging areas, we can help build more equitable systems and economies with greater opportunities for the poor and vulnerable.
3. Community-driven development and LED projects emphasizing community control over planning decisions and resources can be leveraged to create jobs and deliver income support to informal workers, the poor, and small and micro enterprises. Projects like the Development Responses to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) in Uganda scaled up support for savings groups and livelihood activities in host and refugee communities, supporting over 63,000 households across 1,212 villages as of May 2021.  
4. Donor financing alone is not enough to provide the necessary resources and partnerships, especially in rural, lagging, or conflict-affected areas. In contrast to metropolitan areas, these areas often have higher poverty and inequality rates, weaker economies, and fewer resources to respond to these challenges.
5. Non-traditional partners such as social and digital enterprises, foundations, impact investors, and financial institutions can play a powerful role in unleashing new financing and opportunities for underserved areas and populations. Under India’s National Rural Livelihoods Mission, partnering with commercial banks induced $40 billion in loans to women, 20 times more than World Bank-supported financing for the project.

How can we apply these lessons to support post-pandemic recovery?

Traditional LED interventions focus on strengthening local government and supporting value chains for different livelihoods to build an area’s economic capacity. Applying these lessons requires reimagining LED to be a more inclusive approach that mobilizes the power of partnerships and platforms to achieve long-term objectives. This involves broadening the network of actors working collaboratively to strengthen local economies, including non-traditional partners like digital enterprises, private sector actors, social enterprises, and financial institutions. Engaging a broader range of stakeholders can mobilize greater resources and technical expertise, create new economic opportunities, and facilitate last-mile service delivery. By supporting platforms where these stakeholders can engage with and learn from one another, this reimagined approach is expected to encourage faster recovery and catalyze greater impact by creating synergies and leveraging the strengths and resources of these stakeholders. 

To operationalize this vision, the World Bank is piloting LED platforms at the local and regional government levels in East Africa. Under the leadership of the local government, platforms will bring together committed stakeholders, both traditional and non-traditional, to increase the intensity and density of support to communities and local economies.

These platforms can be instrumental in maximizing development finance and enabling working at scale by facilitating coordination and collaboration among identified partners. This collaboration mobilizes more resources and expertise and facilitates the more efficient use of existing resources by avoiding duplication and identifying opportunities for complementary interventions. This approach prioritizes building on existing community institutions and investing in digital technologies and complementary productive infrastructure to deliver comprehensive and sustainable support in the form of financing and technical assistance. Importantly, by tackling economic recovery with a collaborative ecosystem of actors, local governments can take a longer-term and more holistic approach to local economic development, mitigating the siloed and shorter-term outcomes focus of traditional interventions. 

Building a community committed to green, resilient, and inclusive local economic recovery

In January 2021, the World Bank launched the LED Knowledge Silo Breaker (KSB) to develop and promote this reimagined approach. This community connects peers, thought leaders, and practitioners across governments, agencies, and academia to share their ideas and experiences related to LED. With the collective power of an expanded community of partners, we believe this inclusive approach to LED can be transformational in delivering green, resilient and inclusive local economic growth and accelerating COVID-19 recovery. 

RELATED:

-         Local Economic Development Resource Page

-         Community-Driven Development Overview

-         Community-Driven Development Community of Practice

Ashutosh Raina, Camila Linneman, Jana El-Horr, Parmesh Shah, and Susan Wong

Two years into the pandemic, growth in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) is projected to remain substantially below the pre-pandemic trend, as noted in the latest World Bank flagship report - Global Economic Prospects. And while national governments have significant work ahead, local and regional governments will be on the frontlines of supporting long-term local economic recovery due to their close proximity to their constituents. 

The pandemic has underscored the need to invest in local economic development (LED) while teaching us important lessons about how to proceed:

1. It is important to complement emergency social protection investments that mitigate immediate impacts with comprehensive support to transform local economies and drive longer-term economic recovery and job growth.
2. To build a more inclusive recovery moving forward, special assistance needs to be targeted towards especially marginalized groups. By supporting marginalized groups and lagging areas, we can help build more equitable systems and economies with greater opportunities for the poor and vulnerable.
3. Community-driven development and LED projects emphasizing community control over planning decisions and resources can be leveraged to create jobs and deliver income support to informal workers, the poor, and small and micro enterprises. Projects like the Development Responses to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) in Uganda scaled up support for savings groups and livelihood activities in host and refugee communities, supporting over 63,000 households across 1,212 villages as of May 2021.  
4. Donor financing alone is not enough to provide the necessary resources and partnerships, especially in rural, lagging, or conflict-affected areas. In contrast to metropolitan areas, these areas often have higher poverty and inequality rates, weaker economies, and fewer resources to respond to these challenges.
5. Non-traditional partners such as social and digital enterprises, foundations, impact investors, and financial institutions can play a powerful role in unleashing new financing and opportunities for underserved areas and populations. Under India’s National Rural Livelihoods Mission, partnering with commercial banks induced $40 billion in loans to women, 20 times more than World Bank-supported financing for the project.

How can we apply these lessons to support post-pandemic recovery?

Traditional LED interventions focus on strengthening local government and supporting value chains for different livelihoods to build an area’s economic capacity. Applying these lessons requires reimagining LED to be a more inclusive approach that mobilizes the power of partnerships and platforms to achieve long-term objectives. This involves broadening the network of actors working collaboratively to strengthen local economies, including non-traditional partners like digital enterprises, private sector actors, social enterprises, and financial institutions. Engaging a broader range of stakeholders can mobilize greater resources and technical expertise, create new economic opportunities, and facilitate last-mile service delivery. By supporting platforms where these stakeholders can engage with and learn from one another, this reimagined approach is expected to encourage faster recovery and catalyze greater impact by creating synergies and leveraging the strengths and resources of these stakeholders. 

To operationalize this vision, the World Bank is piloting LED platforms at the local and regional government levels in East Africa. Under the leadership of the local government, platforms will bring together committed stakeholders, both traditional and non-traditional, to increase the intensity and density of support to communities and local economies.

These platforms can be instrumental in maximizing development finance and enabling working at scale by facilitating coordination and collaboration among identified partners. This collaboration mobilizes more resources and expertise and facilitates the more efficient use of existing resources by avoiding duplication and identifying opportunities for complementary interventions. This approach prioritizes building on existing community institutions and investing in digital technologies and complementary productive infrastructure to deliver comprehensive and sustainable support in the form of financing and technical assistance. Importantly, by tackling economic recovery with a collaborative ecosystem of actors, local governments can take a longer-term and more holistic approach to local economic development, mitigating the siloed and shorter-term outcomes focus of traditional interventions. 

Building a community committed to green, resilient, and inclusive local economic recovery

In January 2021, the World Bank launched the LED Knowledge Silo Breaker (KSB) to develop and promote this reimagined approach. This community connects peers, thought leaders, and practitioners across governments, agencies, and academia to share their ideas and experiences related to LED. With the collective power of an expanded community of partners, we believe this inclusive approach to LED can be transformational in delivering green, resilient and inclusive local economic growth and accelerating COVID-19 recovery. 

RELATED:

-         Local Economic Development Resource Page

-         Community-Driven Development Overview

-         Community-Driven Development Community of Practice