History

Established in Ghana as one of WaterAid's country programmes in 1985, WaterAid Ghana has had four distinctive phases of development and has become one of Ghana's most distinguished and credible civil society organisations, particularly within the community water and sanitation sub-sector.

Overview of Ghana Programme

Phase 1: 1985 - 87
Though the initial phase was a period of experimentation, WaterAid was determined to establish firm roots in Ghana. The following points outline the programme's activities and emphasis during this period.

• Programme initially worked with church organisations in the Eastern Region
  
• Focus was on feasible technologies in the Afram Plains and Akuapem areas
  
• Activities later extended to the Upper East Region
  
• Expatriate staff provided technical support but did not directly control the project
  
• Emphasis on supply driven approach

Phase 2: 1988-1993
This period saw WaterAid adopting the technological options in water and sanitation delivery and establishing partnerships with local NGOs, as well as formalising its presence in Ghana.

• Programme confirmed that they would promote hand dug wells over other technological options
  
• The first Country Representative, Ron Bannerman, was recruited to manage the programme
  
• Gradual shift from supporting churches towards local NGOs (APDO, ACDEP, Rural Aid, WASHT, BACH, and ORAP became WaterAid partners)
  
• Formal relationships established with government organisations to give WaterAid legal status
  
• WaterAid starts as the sole donor to the Mole Conference Series (1989)
  
• Areas of work more clearly defined within WaterAid's ethos
  
• Positive moves initiated to build capacity of local NGOs with logistics and staff recruitment
  
• Emphasis still on supply driven approach

Phase 3: 1994 - 1997
This period witnessed the introduction of hygiene promotion and the change in the approach to water supply and sanitation service delivery.

• Reassessment of partner work
  
• ProNet and New Energy become WaterAid Ghana partners
  
• Focus on establishment of improved management systems
  
• Changing methodologies used at community level and introduction of hygiene promotion in programme activities
  
• Establishing closer links with local government authorities i.e. district assemblies
  
• Gradual move towards indigenisation of the programme
  
• Conscious involvement of partners in periodic review of programme and decision making
  
• Emphasis now placed on the demand driven approach

Phase 4: 1997 - 2003
Two key administrators handled this period: a Country Coordinator and a Country Representative. Participation of partners in decision-making was also given a boost, while the programme office was also fully established.

• Withdrawal of expatriate Country Representative
  
• Consolidation of partners' role in decision-making; the creation of the Partner Round Table (PRT)
  
• Delineation of responsibilities between PRT, ProNet and WaterAid
  
• Preparation of strategic plans by individual partners
  
• Move towards independence and autonomy of each partner
  
• Recruitment of a Country Coordinator, Suffo Ali Akpajiak
  
• WaterAid supporters visit Ghana twice (1999 and 2003)
  
• Appointment of the second Country Representative, Gordon Mumbo
  
• Establishment and development of departments in the programme office: Finance and Administration, Advocacy and Communications, and Programme Support
  
• Set up of a programme office and recruitment of programme staff
  
• Ravi Narayanan, WaterAid's Director visited to the Ghana programme twice
  
• WaterAid Ghana established partnership with the Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays Bank and Guinness Ghana