LocationsProject Summary
Ghana has made significant progress in integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into national and subnational planning, budgeting, and monitoring. Accelerating progress at the local level, however, requires stronger institutional capacity, improved data and evidence, inclusive citizen participation, and sustainable financing mechanisms that connect local priorities with national development commitments. The Joint SDG Fund-supported Accelerating SDG Localization in Ghana programme was designed to address these gaps, focusing on five Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) — Kassena Nankana West, Sagnarigu, Kumasi, Ketu South, and Sefwi Wiawso — while also strengthening national systems, civil society engagement, and partnerships for SDG implementation. Implemented jointly by UNDP Ghana and UNICEF, in collaboration with national and subnational government institutions and development partners, the programme runs from June 2024 to October 2025 with a budget of $110,000, funded by the Joint Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
Objectives
The programme seeks to strengthen the capacities of subnational institutions to integrate, monitor, and report on the SDGs within local development planning and budgeting processes. It also aims to strengthen evidence-based SDG financing, expenditure analysis, and local resource mobilisation, including through innovative engagement mechanisms such as diaspora platforms and multi-stakeholder dialogue.
Embedding the SDGs into Local Planning and Financing
The programme's approach combines capacity building and local ownership, evidence-based planning, policy integration, and innovative financing. It strengthens the practical capacity of government and local actors to independently continue SDG planning, reporting, budgeting, and review processes — using SDG expenditure analysis, localized indicators, data reviews, and dashboards to improve planning and resource allocation. By embedding the Integrated Assembly Financing Framework (IAFF) into the guidelines of all 261 MMDAs in Ghana and establishing diaspora engagement platforms in five pilot districts, the programme is creating pathways for institutionalisation and scale-up that extend well beyond the project's direct target communities.
Expected Results
- Five MMDAs strengthened their capacity to integrate the SDGs into local planning and budgeting processes.
- Budget and Planning Officers in the five selected MMDAs were trained and guided to develop SDG-aligned budget and expenditure reports.
- The Integrated Assembly Financing Framework (IAFF) principles were integrated into the 2026–2029 National Medium-Term Development Planning Guidelines, strengthening the institutional basis for SDG-aligned local financing and planning.
- Four MMDAs enabled to develop Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs).
- An SDG Café platform established for multi-stakeholder dialogue across national institutions, local governments, civil society, and communities.
