MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND

STRATEGIES

Municipal Development Focus

The general development focus for the Offinso Municipality for the period 2014 to 2017 includes:

· Creation of livelihood enhancement opportunities for sustainable employment and incomes through Growth and
   Development of MSMEs, Tourism Development and Agriculture productivity, competitiveness and its integration into domestic and
   international markets.

· Natural Resource and Protected Area management

· Disaster and risks prevention and management and increased support to the vulnerable

· Energy supply to support industry and households

· Urban/Rural land use planning development and management

· Improvement in sanitation and hygiene, potable water supply, quality education, health care, HIV/AIDS situation
   and sports development

· Gender equity, women empowerment and disability

· Improved local governance, evidence-based decision-making and public safety and security

Municipal Development Goal

The goal of the Medium Term Development Plan is to improve and sustain the quality of life of the people in Offinso Municipality, through enhanced livelihoods, improved quality of education, improved health care services and healthy conditions and improved local governance, public safety and public security by 2017.

Development Projections for 2014-2017 (Projected Needs)

Population Projections

This section gives the population projections for Offinso Municipality. The municipality growth rate of 1.6% was used for the projection. It is assumed that the rate would be constant throughout

the plan period. The total population is therefore projected to increase from 76,895 in 2010 to 86,008 in 2017. Table38 show the projected total populations for the municipality.

Health needs

The health needs considered are, hospital, doctors and Public Health Nurses. These require a defined population threshold to be optimally utilized. Table 40 shows the population threshold for each.

Within the plan period the municipality would not require additional hospital, doctors and nurses. However, existing hospital and health centers at Offinso and Abofour respectively would require infrastructure upgrading. Similarly no additional Medical Doctors and Nurses are required in the municipality, but efforts are required properly deploy and sustain them in the municipality.

Demand for Rural Health Facilities –CHPS/Health Centers

CHIPS HEALTH CENTRES

No. requiring Rehabilitation/Renovation……….3 3

No requiring Furnishing………………… …….4 2

No. Requiring equipment………………………4 3

No. of new CHPS required……………… ……3 -

No. Requiring additional facilities……………..- 3

Demand for Child Survival Services, reproductive health care, family planning education and protection against teenage pregnancy, teenage parenting is as follows:

Water needs

Demand for Boreholes

The analyses of the water situation in the municipality showed that 62% of the rural populations do not have potable water. Based on the projected municipality population and the public water supply standard of 300 people to one borehole, 107 additional boreholes are currently required.

As can be seen from table 45, the projected rural population for 2017 is 55,131. Assuming there would not be any improvement in the supply until 2017, the required boreholes will be 119. There is the need therefore to provide these boreholes within the plan period to cater for the current and projected unserved population.

Offinso and its immediate environs require rehabilitation and re-alignment of its service lines and also expand them to the newly developed areas so as to improve access. Abofour with its population of nearly 14,000 people cannot continue to rely on boreholes, most of which is under individual private management. It requires small town pipe system and a well-organized and sustainable potable water supply management arrangement.

Sanitation Needs

An additional 15,249 household toilet holes would be required in the municipality by 2017 to cater for the projected un-served population as indicated in table 46

Educational Needs

Demand for Classrooms

The number of existing classrooms which are dilapidated is as follows

Pre-School level……………26 Classrooms

Primary School level………24 Classrooms

Junior High School level…. 39 Classrooms

The Assembly will have to renovate or replace these 89 classrooms which are currently in deplorable conditions, in addition to the provision of new ones especially at the pre-school level.

Demand for Classrooms furniture

Pre-School………………………. 4,015

Primary………………………….. 5,705

JHS………………………………. 2,699

The total classroom furniture requirement at the pre-school and basic school levels in the municipality is 12,419.

ICT, Toilet, Sports Pitch and Library Facility Needs

Number of basic schools requiring Information Communication Technology, Toilet/urinal, sports and library facilities is presented in the table below

Demand for Teachers

There is excess teaching staff at all the education levels in the municipality. The education directorate is required to effectively deploy them. A total of 249 teachers in the municipality are untrained. Efforts are required to regularly train them or replace them with trained teachers.

 Unemployment Projections

The unemployment rate in the municipality is about 4%. This rate is assumed constant throughout the planning period. Applying the rate of unemployment to the projected economically active population in 2017, a cumulative of 1,844 people would be unemployed and would be looking for job. The Municipal Assembly would have to design specific interventions to provide employment for these people within the plan period.

Roads and Drains Infrastructure Needs

A total of 175.5km of feeder roads, 35.8 Km of bitumen surfaced town roads, about 21km of town drains and a bridge and 40 culverts on feeder roads are required to be in good condition in the municipality to facilitate the movement of goods, services and people.

Agriculture needs

A total of 17,292 people are to be targeted in the provision of agriculture improvement interventions.

Informal Service and Industrial Sector Needs

A total of 6,887 service and 3,304 industrial informal sector practitioners are to be targeted in the provision of MSMEs growth and development interventions, such as credit, skills training, improved operational infrastructure, business information, access to markets, etc.

Institutional Needs

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

Broad Municipal Development Programmes for 2014-2017

The broad programmes of the District Medium Term Development Plan (DMTDP -2014-2017) are presented below.

Ensuring and Sustaining Macroeconomic Stability

1. Facilitate the establishment of international transit terminal at Sekamkrom

Enhancing Competitiveness in Ghana’s Private Sector- Programmes

1. Training and education of 800 MSMEs in technical, entrepreneurial,, managerial, marketing and

2. customer service skills in the municipality

3. Facilitate the provision of affordable credit to 800 MSMEs in the municipality

4. Facilitate the development of industrial complex for Vehicle Repairs and Assembling and light

    industrial village for 2,000 informal sector manufacturing, repair works and service activities (including the disables)

5. Legal registration of MSMEs, development of local economic data base and provision of relevant business development
     services and information to enhance local enterprises

6. Organization of annual Nmoaniko and Ahoba Festivals and development of tourism infrastructure at 2 Anyinasuso
    and Asoboi eco-tourism sites.

7. Training of youth in local craft

Accelerated Agricultural Modernization and Sustainable Natural Resource Management -

Programmes

1. Production and application of high yielding/quick maturing/ disease and pest-resistant, healthy

    and safe crop varieties.

2. Intensive and extensive agriculture extension services through mass education and organization of annual
    Farmers’ Day celebrations

3. Provision of 10 motor bikes and a vehicle for agriculture extension services

4. Provision of grains storage/marketing warehouses and agro-processing facilities through direct private sector
    investment and collaboration/partnership.

5. Training of 2,500 farmers in harvesting, post-harvest, modern crop/livestock farming and farm management techniques

6. Establishment of 5 mini markets and improving infrastructure of 3 major markets

7. Rehabilitation and maintenance of 80 km of feeder roads and 10No.culverts

8. Promotion and development of 21 small scale irrigation infrastructure (Boreholes and hand dug wells) for rice,
    pawpaw and vegetable irrigation farming in 7 farming communities

9.  Facilitate the provision of affordable credit and subsidies to 1,000 crop, livestock and fish farmers (especially women and youth)

10. Promotion of nucleus-out-grower, block, co-operative and contract farming schemes for the cultivation of pawpaw,
     maize, cassava, rice and vegetables at Kyebi, Abofuor, Koforidua, Bonsua, Anyinasuso, Old Town and Kentaa

11. Promote the production and processing (animal slaughtering facility) of poultry, sheep, goat, rabbit and other livestock

12. Promotion of tree planting, reforestation and environmental restoration on degraded lands and built up areas.

13. Sensitization and education campaign on climatic change and resource conservation and management in communities

14. Promotion of community participation in protected area management, eco-tourism development and management

15. Enforcement of mining regulations and guidelines and promotion of long term livelihood compensations for communities
     and individuals at mineral endowed communities

16. Sensitization and education campaign on natural disasters, risks and vulnerability prevention and management

17. Capacity strengthening of disaster prevention and management agencies , enforcement of disaster/risk prevention
    regulations and bye-laws and supporting victims of disaster

Oil and Gas Development|

1. Sensitization and education of communities (especially the youth) on the prospects and

    impact of oil and gas resources on the nation and municipality.

2. Control and guide the establishment of oil and gas stations and petroleum/gas based industries in

     the municipality, especially along the Kumasi-Techiman road corridor.

3. Promoting quality pawpaw cultivation through the utilization of environmentally friendly farm

    management practices and healthy /safe crop varieties for the oil and gas industrial area market.

Infrastructure and Human Settlement Development-Programmes

1. Provision of ICT infrastructure in 10 public basic schools and 10 public department/units

2. Facilitate the transformation of the Offinso Post office into ICT, business and financial centre

3. Extension of electricity from National Grid to 10 public basic schools

4. Facilitating the extension of electricity to 7 newly developed urban/peri-urban areas and 4 unserved rural communities
    in the municipality

5. Provision and maintenance of street lights at Asamankama, Mehame, Old Town, Abofour, Kyebi, Keyera, Kwapanin and others.

6. Promotion of local generation and use of solar and waste-to energy

7. Promote the use of LPG by households through education, private investment , etc to reduce the burden on women and children

8. Capacity strengthening of the Physical Planning Department

9. Preparation and implementation of comprehensive spatial development framework and local plans in urban areas

10. Preparation and implementation of land use plans for rural and peri-urban settlements, especially for communities
     along the Kumasi-Techiman road corridor.

11. Awareness creation on the orderly growth/development and greening of communities in the municipality

12. Surfacing of 9.1 kilometers town roads and construction of 5km drains in the municipality

13. Construction of 1No. Bridge at Twumasen-Anyankasu road

14. Construction of Lorry Park Infrastructure through public- private partnership arrangement

15. Provision of 10 Manual boreholes 10 Mechanized boreholes and 1No small pipe system

16. Rehabilitation , maintenance and management of Boreholes and small pipe water supply systems

17. Facilitate the provision and management of potable water supply in Offinso and its environs

18. Facilitate the construction and use of 1,000 household toilet facilities in the municipality through sensitization and
      enforcement of physical development laws and sanctions

19. Construction, rehabilitation and management of disability friendly institution and public toilets through direct public
       investment and public-private partnerships

20. Review, gazette, creation of public awareness and enforcement of Municipal Assembly’s sanitation bye-laws.

21. Provision of 14 No. communal refuse containers, assorted tools and promotion of house to house/communal collection
     and  disposal of waste in urban and peri-urban areas, through direct and public private partnership investment and    
     management arrangements

22. Acquisition, development and maintenance of 3 solid waste and 1 liquid waste final disposal sites

23. Evacuation of 10No. refuse heaps in some urban/peri-urban communities

24. Distilling of drains and fumigation of drains, open spaces and refuse dumps in major settlements

25. Sensitization and education of the public and schools in the municipality on hygiene and safe sanitation practices
      and deworm children.

Human Development, Productivity and Employment-Programmes

1. Reactivation and capacity building of SMCs and PTAs

2. Monitoring and Supervision of teaching, learning and school management in public and private

Schools in the municipality

3. Organization of relevant training for teachers, circuit supervisors, head teachers and coordinators

4. Facilitate the conduct of SPAM, Terminal exams and BECE Mock exams.

5. Provision of scholarships to 100 needy but brilliant pupils/students and support 60 male and

     female students to participate in STME Clinic

6. Complete the construction of 4No. 6-unit 6No. 3–unit and 3No.2-unit classroom block infrastructure in basic schools and ICCES

7. Construction of 3No. 6-Unit, 5No. 3-Unit and 16No. 2-unit new classroom block infrastructure

8. Rehabilitation/maintenance of 24No. classrooms in basic schools and ICCES

9. Completion of 1No. 6-unit & construction of 1No. 6-unit teachers quarters at Bonsua & Brekum

10. Completion of 1No. Library complex at Offinso

11. Provision of 6000 classroom furniture for basic schools

12. Facilitate the implementation of Capitation Grant and School Feeding Programme.

13. Facilitate the development of the propose sports stadium land (construction of football pitch and protect land from encroachment)

14. Promote the formation of keep fit clubs and organization of sporting competitions and athletics in schools and communities

15. Furbishing/equipping of 7No, completion of 1No. and construction of 3No. CHPS

16. Provision of 1No residential accommodation for health staff

17. Provision of child growth/ survival and reproductive care services in the municipality

18. Provision of additional infrastructure (Wards, Laboratories OPD, Theatres, Doctors’ Bungalows, etc.) towards
      upgrading of Abofour and Offinso Health Centres to Polyclinics

19. Organization of Malaria prevention education home based care and promote the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN)

20. Facilitate the establishment of 4 HIV Counseling and testing and 3 ART centres

21. Monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS activities and capacity building of MAC and HIV/AIDS related CBOs and NGOs

22. Promotion of VCT, PMCT, access to ART, safe/protective sex and occupational safety

23. Provision of care and support services to PLWHAs and high risk groups ( women, hawkers, truck pushers, youth etc)

24. Sensitization and education of the public against various human abuses

25. Monitoring and supervision of social protection intervention programmes

26. Organization of public education and sensitization on girl child education, child supervision, parental responsibilities,
    child’s rights, teenage pregnancy, peer pressure, drug abuse, the use of leisure and the general growth and
      development of children

27. Facilitation of the utilization of the disability fund for rehabilitation/livelihood/ income generation ventures, construction
      of 50 rumps to enable PWDs access public facilities and awareness creation on the needs and concerns of PWDs.

Transparent and Accountable Good Governance-Programmes

1. Renovation of offices and provision of logistics and office equipment to 4 Zonal Councils

2. Build capacity of 190 Zonal Council and Unit Committee staff and members in relevant skills

3. Training, sensitization and education of local governance practitioners and the public on local governance and youth
     and women participation in decision making and development

4. Monitoring and supervision of activities of Zonal Councils and Unit Committees

6. Renovation and construction of office accommodation (Renovate 4No. office blocks, complete Fire Service office block and construction of a 16-room office accommodation)

7. Provision of office furniture, equipment, logistics and means of transport to Municipal Assembly and Departments

8. Capacity building of Municipal Assembly and departmental staff in relevant skills

9. Organization of tax education campaign and build capacity of revenue collectors, Assembly members, district sub-structure
    staff and members in revenue mobilization

10. Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of revenue mobilization and effective/efficient utilization of local and external revenues

11. Street naming, property addressing housing numbering, valuation of properties and development of comprehensive revenue
     data base

12. Planning, budgeting, supervision, monitoring, periodic evaluation and reporting of development activities, and development
      of comprehensive statistics/ M&E data base

13. Completion of circuit and magistrate courts Offinso and establishment of a magistrate court at Abofour

14. Renovation and construction of police stations and residential accommodation.

15. Organization of road user and public safety education and provision of logistics to security agencies to strictly enforce
      rules and regulations

Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment of MTDP

Programmes/Projects/ Activities

A number of natural and socio-economic environmental challenges exist in the municipality. These include land degradation (as a result of illegal logging, farming, sanding wining and construction activities) air pollution (as a result of carbon emissions from vehicular movement and burning of waste) climate change impacts, poor sanitation, increased sanitation related diseases (Malaria) HIV/AIDS and unemployment. These challenges impact negatively on the natural and human systems of the municipality. Any development effort in the municipality must therefore aim at reducing these environmental challenges.

To enhance the sustainable implementation of the Medium Term Development Plan, its policy objectives and programmes have been subjected to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Tools, with the specific objectives of, determining the internal inconsistencies of the policy objectives of the plan, identifying the potential negative impacts of the implementation of programmes outlined in the DMTDP on the environment and developing appropriate interventions to mitigate negative environmental concerns associated with the implementation of Medium Term Development Plans programmes.

The assessment of the DMTDP policy objectives and programmes revealed the following:

· All constructional activities would impact negatively on the environment particularly in the area of natural resources.

· Some constructional activities will impact on socio-cultural issues specifically on access to land.

· Implementation of sports programmes (especially in-school sporting competitions that would require camping), Transit
   Terminal and industrial enclaves would create conditions for spread of HIV/AIDS/STIs.

   The following key strategies have been proposed to enhance its sustainable implementation of the DMTDP:

· Incorporate agro-forestry forestry practice into crop production to prevent forest and land degradation

· Promotion of farming practices that can yield higher production per hectare

· Replacement of vegetative cover through tree planting and landscaping in areas where vegetation cover is removed
  for construction activities.

· Removal of constructional debris at construction sites

· Control pollution e.g. Dust suppression during construction

· Payment of adequate, prompt and sustainable compensation to owners of land and crop

· HIV/AIDS/STIs prevention education and VCT at transit terminal, industrial enclaves and during sporting competitions and camping.

· Provision of refuse containers and prompt disposal of refuse during and after sporting activities and at industrial and tourist sites

· Enforcement to ensure compliance with the EPA’s guidelines, Municipal Assembly Bye-laws and other relevant environmental
   laws and standards e.g. waste management, noise etc.

· Capacity building of institutions and staff eg environmental Health Unit, MOFA, MPCU, Fire Services, Forestry Division,
   etc to adequately implement and monitor the mitigation strategies.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION ARRANGEMNET FOR THE MTDP

The Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) is aimed at improving the existing undesirable situation in the municipality. Monitoring and Evaluation is a means by which this desire improvement can be ensured and measured.

Monitoring

Monitoring the Medium Term Development Plan will enable management, implementers and other stakeholders obtain relevant information that can be used to assess progress of implementation of each of the programmes, projects and activities outlined in the plan, and to take timely decisions to ensure that progress is maintained according to schedule and set objectives. The monitoring of the MTDP would be carried out at the project/activity implementation level and at the output/objective level.

At the project/ activity implementation level, monitoring would be carried out by the implementing/user departments, agencies and communities. They will monitor the execution of activities and projects relevant to their sector and communities. The Departments, Agencies, Units and communities will generate monitoring reports and submit copies to the MPCU Secretariat. The MPCU will organize periodic monitoring to confirm monitoring reports of implementing and user agencies.

At the output/objective level the MPCU would mainly be responsible for the monitoring of the output and objective indicators spelt out in the MTDP document. The reports of implementing and user agencies and communities will constitute a major data requirement for monitoring at this level.

The approach for monitoring programmes, projects, activities, outputs and objectives of the Medium Term Development Plan would include the following:

· Regular and periodic field and site visits by Project Officers of Implementing Agencies, Representatives of User Agencies and Communities, Monitoring Team and MPCU.

· Organization of quarterly MPCU review and Town Hall meetings. During these meetings, collated departmental and District Sub-structure reports on the progress of implementation of programmes and activities would be presented and discussed. Feed backs from these meeting will be used to shape future planning and implementation.

Evaluation

Evaluation of the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) will enable management and other stakeholders to assess the level of implementation of the projects/programmes outlined in the plan and whether the expected objectives, outcomes and impacts of implemented programmes and projects are being achieved.

The MPCU will carry out an annual assessment of the MTDP to determine the level of implementation of the annual action plans. A Mid-Term evaluation would be carried out in March 2016 and a final evaluation (performance review of the 2014-2017 MTDP) would be carried out, from November 2017 - March 2018. Stakeholder’s workshops would be organized to discuss the results of the evaluations/reviews.

The main responsibility for evaluating the programmes and projects lies with the Municipal Planning and Co-ordinating Unit (MPCU). The MPCU will facilitate the evaluation exercise in a participatory manner. The involvement of Traditional Authorities, Youth, Women, Private Sector operators, Departments, Agencies, District Sub-Structures, Vulnerable and Civil Society Organizations will be a key component of the evaluation process.

It is expected that the Regional Planning and Co-ordinating Unit (RPCU) and the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) would carry out periodic monitoring of the implementation of the MTDP and co-ordinate monitoring and evaluation activities of the municipality.