Stakeholders at a District Learning Alliance in Mankessim met on the 05/05/2011 to review the progress on the assignments of the previous two months on the Tripartite partnership project. Among them were Municipal Assembly staff, the project consultants (Maple consult, Bhekan services and the representatives of Makessium community.
The learning alliance aimed at briefing the community on the results of the the engineering design of facilities and baseline studies carried on various project thematic areas (capacity building, hygiene promotion) and. The consultants also presented proposals to the community and the municipality on how to improve service delivery in the different thematic areas by suggesting delivery models and different technological designs and options for public latrines, household latrines, solid waste management and drainage.
Although a study was carried out on Hygiene promotion, the contact consultant was not available to present their findings and proposals.
Feedback from the baseline Studies.
Capacity building baseline survey.
Maple consult conducted a study on the capacity gaps titled “Capacity building for innovative management of water and sanitation facilities to ensure sustainability in the Mankessim Township.” Within the Mankessim Municipality. The study outlined institutional framework, the roles and responsibilities for delivering sanitation and existing sanitation management models
Mr Odai laryea on behalf of Maple Consult put forward various proposals for the management of public toilets and the roles of institutions under the TPP project and the criteria for the selection of private operators:
Engineering.
The Berkoh services conducted the design of the technologies for sanitation, solid waste management and drainage. For basic sanitation three public toilet designs were presented. On drainage the consultants developed a drainage master plan which identifies the risk flooding areas and had proposed aspects, based on available budget, to be constructed
The proposed engineering works:
- To construct five public latrines 4 of them are water closets and one is an EcoSan with a bio-digester, promote household toilets with Sanitation market that will be run by the MMDA or community level body recognized by the Municipality.
- A credit micro finance scheme has been proposed to enable the community members to access for construction of household toile and pay on instalment.
- Three major culverts will be habilitated and 60m of drains lined.
- 8 waste transfer dumping sites
Main area for discussion.
During the learning Alliance the four areas were the main concern for the participants. Loan recovery mechanisms in the proposed credit scheme was also raised as a key issue for the success of the scheme. The participants also raised questions as to why the original plan of paving 0.5 km of road side drains was changed to a few meters mentioned in the drainage works. Mankessim like other parts of Ghana is still face with the hot questions how do we move from public sanitation facilities to household latrines with majority of people still preferring public facilities. The issue of land ownership for the proposed sites came for discussion since the donors will not release funds for project without confirmation and proper documentation on the state of ownerships of the proposed sites. The district Assembly has to document the official release of the sites to the project.
The district learning alliance is facilitated by the TPP. It engages the community, NGOs/CBOs, media and consultants, and the Municipal and district Assemblies in a participatory planning, review of progress and decision making on interventions, choice of technologies fostering a strong community ownership and involvement.