WaterAid Ghana, Partners Launch Phase Two of SIDA CLIMB Project with Strategic Planning Workshop in Tamale

By: Samuel Asamoah 

WaterAid Ghana and its implementing partners have commenced a three-day strategic planning workshop in Tamale to officially kick-start the second phase of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)-funded Civil Society Leadership Mobilizing for better WASH (CLIMB) programme, with a renewed focus on strengthening climate resilience, accountability and collaboration among partner organizations.

The programme brings together WaterAid Ghana, CONIWAS, BIDO Ghana, BEWDA and the Ghana WASH Journalists Network GWJN with the meeting serving as the first major implementation activity under Phase Two of the project.

The workshop is designed to build a common understanding of the programme’s objectives, expected results, implementation framework and compliance requirements while aligning the activities of all partners with the project’s broader climate resilience agenda.

According to the meeting agenda, the two-day engagement seeks to develop a shared vision of the programme, clarify the responsibilities of each implementing partner, identify implementation gaps and strengthen collaboration on advocacy, resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation. Participants are also expected to agree on project risks, mitigation measures and accountability mechanisms that will guide implementation over the coming months.

The workshop opened with introductory sessions and welcome remarks by WaterAid Ghana Country Director, Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur, who outlined the strategic context of the SIDA CLIMB grant and its alignment with WaterAid Ghana’s Country Programme Strategy.

She encouraged participants to work hard to meet timelines and to ensure outcomes are met.

Head of Strategy, Policy, and Campaign for Wateraid Ghana, Ibrahim Musa subsequently took participants through the objectives of the CLIMB programme and discussions on aligning the SIDA grant with WaterAid Ghana’s strategic priorities.

Technical sessions on the first day focus on developing a draft CLIMB Ghana Results Framework, refining programme indicators, understanding donor compliance requirements, financial management and reporting obligations, as well as project risk assessment and mitigation planning.

The agenda also includes discussions on grant compliance, allowable expenditure, reporting requirements and practical risk management to ensure all partner organisations have a common understanding of donor expectations before implementation begins.

The program also look into institutional learning and communication. These sessions include documentation and knowledge management, branding and visibility, social media engagement, media relations and project reporting to improve public awareness and stakeholder engagement throughout the project’s implementation.

The SIDA-supported CLIMB programme forms part of WaterAid Ghana’s broader climate resilience and WASH agenda, which seeks to strengthen the integration of climate adaptation into water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems while empowering local institutions and communities to respond to the growing impacts of climate change. The initiative also prioritises stronger advocacy, evidence-based planning and institutional capacity to improve climate-resilient service delivery.

WaterAid Ghana has increasingly positioned climate-resilient WASH as a national development priority, supporting district-level planning, climate vulnerability assessments, improved water governance and stronger partnerships aimed at protecting vulnerable communities from the impacts of floods, droughts and changing weather patterns.

Officials say the Tamale kick-off meeting is expected to lay the foundation for coordinated implementation of Phase Two of the CLIMB programme by ensuring all partners share a common understanding of the project’s vision, expected outcomes and accountability framework before field activities commence.