Promoting Partnerships with Traditional Authorities Project

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The main purpose of the Promoting Partnerships with Traditional Authorities Project is to test in a limited number of areas approaches to: 1) substantively integrate and improve deprived remote and rural communities' involvement in development activities; and 2) help focus the contributions/influence of Traditional Authorities (TA) in socio-economic development. There are four project components. Component 1 seeks to strengthen the capacities of the traditional authorities (chiefs, queenmothers, and village headpersons) and communities in the Asanteman Council areas, and the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council areas to effectively participate in activities to improve health and fight HIV/AIDS in their communities. This will be done through regular workshops and seminars for the traditional authorities, community volunteers and community members. Component 2 provides resources for rehabilitating basic primary education facilities in select rural and deprived areas in the Asanteman Council (AC) community; and design of a partnership method between traditional authorities and government in providing quality basic education. Component 3 improves the financial and management capabilities of the two councils' respective secretariats; and the capacities of the traditional authorities who are members of these two councils, on decentralization and community development issues. It establishes a monitoring and evaluation system to ensure feedback. Component 4 provides support to both councils to improve their communities' ability to carry out programs that help them preserve and benefit from their cultural heritage, through, for example, the development of educational activities/curriculum in schools on cultural heritage, linkages to environmental degradation, and private sector-community business partnerships to set up, for example, eco-tourism projects. Support will also update the inventory of cultural heritage artifacts/practices; and assist traditional authorities in reviewing the operations of the traditional law courts system with the view to reducing the incidence of chieftaincy disputes, land litigation, etc. The study also serves, among other things, to identify needs for revision, codification, and dissemination of traditional laws, and identification of ways to increase the accessibility and effectiveness of traditional law courts.