Ghana Digital Acceleration Project

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Component 1: Ensuring Inclusive and Safe Digital Transformation (US$43 million equivalent) aims at supporting the GoG’s continued efforts to build the foundations for inclusive and safe digital transformation, using performance-based financing. Specifically, it seeks to (i) establish an enabling environment for the development of a vibrant and green broadband market, (ii) expand the reach and coverage of broadband networks in lagging regions, and (iii) ensure safe and resilient digital services and strengthen the digital transformation’s institutional structure and capacity. The project will provide forward-looking legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks governing the telecommunication sector to boost competition, access, and innovation. The project also supports the Government in reducing the geographic and societal digital divides/gaps in Ghana through a comprehensive strategy that relies on the Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD). Finally, this component supports the Government’s effort to promote trust in data governance and management by building a more robust cybersecurity and data protection ecosystem reflecting on World Development Report 2021. Component 2: Modernizing Digital Government Services (US$76 million equivalent) aims at establishing an agile and user-centric digital government model in Ghana. Activities financed will contribute to “Building back better” through investments that improve the front-end user experience of digital public services as well as the efficiency of back-end government systems. The activities are focused on building the next generation government infrastructure and delivering transactional and digital by design public services. This will be achieved by (i) developing a change Management moving towards a Strengthened Digital Governance, (ii) expanding the availability of high-quality transactional government e-services, and (iii) supporting building the next generation of the government workforce. Under a whole-of-government approach, the project will focus on strengthening institutional arrangements leading towards more user-oriented e-government to ensure a clear strategic direction and unified vision for the public sector. The project will support the Government in expanding the availability of high-quality transactional government e-services and setting a common framework across the public sector, laying the foundations for public service digitization. Finally, this component supports the Government in building digital capacity within the public sector to retain and invest in skills for digital transformation, essential in realizing the digital government transformation agenda.Component 3: Support for Digital Transformation of Productive Strategic Sector (US$66 million equivalent) will strengthen the local digital entrepreneurship ecosystem and talent base. Activities financed will support better innovation ecosystem coordination, better service provision by Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs), expand access to early-stage financing, and promote advanced digital innovation capabilities. This will be achieved by (i) improving the survival and growth rate of digital technology-enabled startups and strengthening Ghana’s position as a regional testbed for innovation, (ii) supporting end-to9end digital transformation in the agriculture sector towards more digitally enabled and highly productive sector, and (iii) equipping Ghanaians with digital skills to support digital service uptake and provide access to job opportunities and promoting participation in the digital economy. By strengthening the local entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem, this component will contribute to COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery by supporting startups that can aid the development of data-driven digital products and services. A robust local entrepreneurship ecosystem will assist in developing locally relevant content and services that can help stimulate digital adoption and uptake of digital services. Furthermore, this component will support specifically the agriculture sector as a pilot to unlock the digital transformation of key productive sectors. Each activity aims to provide end-to-end support to set up a proof-of-concept of how other sectors can also leverage and reap the full benefit of digital solutions to drive more robust and inclusive sector growth and a diversified economy.Component 4. Project Management and Implementation Support (US$15 million) will provide support for the management and implementation of project-associated activities. It will finance activities related to recruitment of consultants in areas of project management, project coordination, fiduciary specialists (e.g., procurement, financial management), Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), and Environment and Social Safeguards (E&S), project communication, and citizen engagement. This component will also cover modest office equipment and independent audits and third-party verification agent to verify the achievements of the PBCs, and learning/training for key beneficiaries (e.g., the Project Implementation Unit and the Technical Committee) up to the official closing date of the project.