The Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) in the Western Region has unveiled a digital project monitoring platform called the “ekmaprojecttracker,” positioning it as the first tool of its kind among local assemblies in the region and a step toward greater transparency in local governance.
The platform is designed to give residents direct, real-time visibility into the progress of development projects across the municipality, covering sectors including health, education, water and sanitation, roads, sports, security, agriculture and trade. The current dataset captures 62 active projects spread across eleven communities, with education leading at 19 projects, followed by water and sanitation with 17 and health with nine.
Municipal Chief Executive Abdul Majeed Dokurgu, who unveiled the initiative, said the system reflects his administration’s commitment to open governance. “To further show our avowed commitment to greater transparency, residents have the opportunity to click on each project under the various sectors and track and see exactly what is happening. Once you click on a specific project, it will expand and give you further details,” he said.
The platform also incorporates a feedback function through which residents can submit observations and suggestions, which the Assembly says are actively monitored and reviewed. The system is accessible on both smartphones and computers, with no device restriction on use.
On funding, the MCE clarified that the initiative was privately supported rather than publicly financed. “It is not everything that government can do. Where I believe I can help, I will not hesitate to put my shoulder to the cart because ultimately, it is for the greater good of Effia Kwesimintsim,” he said.
One of the architects of the platform told ConnectNews that the initiative is rooted in a desire to make the Assembly’s work legible to the public. “Our effort is simply an attempt to make administrative processes more visible within a governance system where public insight into decision-making has often been limited,” the official said.
The platform aligns with the broader national decentralisation framework, which places Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) at the centre of local development planning. Concerns around information gaps in project selection, funding use, and delivery timelines have historically shadowed local assemblies across Ghana, and tools of this nature are increasingly being explored as a remedy.
Resident reactions to the tracker have been generally positive, though not without qualification. One resident welcomed the initiative, saying it would allow community members to verify progress by visiting project sites themselves. Another raised a practical concern about digital access, noting that many traders and residents who are not familiar with smartphones may be left out. The resident called on the Assembly to supplement the digital platform with more traditional forms of public communication to ensure no segment of the community is excluded.
