A Knowledge Management and Coordination Platform (KMCP), which is a digital single-source repository for information and knowledge sharing on development interventions and gaps in specific districts in the northern part of the country has been launched. The KMCP, launched as part of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project, is also to provide details on the interventions being carried out under the SOCO project and other partners as well as areas that require more attention. Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Minister of State at the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, who launched the KMCP at the SOCO Conference in Tamale on Wednesday, said the KMCP would help to break down silos within development partners' interventions, foster collaboration, and facilitate the exchange of ideas. The SOCO Conference was organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development in partnership with the World Bank, the six implementing Regional Coor dinating Councils and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and other stakeholders of the Ministry. It was under the theme: 'Leveraging Digital Tools for a Balanced and Coordinated Development in Northern Ghana', and focused on showcasing and deliberating on the project's progress. In the northern part of the country, various organisations and development partners have initiated projects to improve the social, political, economic, and physical well-being of communities. These initiatives aim to promote growth and development by providing social amenities and economic and livelihood empowerment activities. Despite these efforts, poverty continues to hinder the region's development, and it has been identified that the lack of coordination and information sharing between different actors involved has led to duplication of efforts and insufficient capacity to scale up and synergise for greater impact. Mr Amoah said, 'To address this, the SOCO project seeks to serve as a catalyst in promoting a coor dinated approach to development in the north and work together with partners to fill the development gaps, consolidate gains, and contribute more profoundly to sustainable impact' hence the launch of the KMCP. Mr Amoah, in addition, launched the SOCO project's baseline report, which covered the project's operational area to establish benchmarks for future measurement of changes in key project indicators, particularly on access to basic services, community participation, and satisfaction levels. The SOCO project is being implemented in 48 MMDAs in the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West and Oti Regions to reduce vulnerability to climate change, strengthen local institutions, improve economic opportunities, build public trust and strengthen regional dialogue and to prevent the spread of violence from the Sahel region to the northern parts of the country. It is a US$ 450 million multi-country project being implemented in Benin, Cote D' Ivoire, Togo, and Ghana with support from the World Ban k, and the Government of Ghana's allocation is a total of US$ 150 million credit facility. Mr Amoah said the baseline report would empower policymakers, project managers, and other stakeholders to ensure that subsequent actions, especially on the SOCO project, were tailored to the specific needs and challenges of the target population in areas such as infrastructure development, livelihood empowerment, sustainability, inclusion, and community-level development. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, urged the participants to explore the transformative power of digital tools in fostering balanced growth and coordination across various sectors in the north. He said, 'In our rapidly evolving world in which technology plays a crucial role, harnessing digital innovations is not just a choice but a necessity for propelling Northern Ghana towards prosperity.' Source: Ghana News Agency
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