The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) is set to roll out a new four-year strategic plan for 2025-2028, following a period of financial challenges due to declining donor funding and a lack of a solid financial sustainability plan.
The new strategy, titled Prosperity for All, was developed through extensive stakeholder consultations and aims to address key developmental issues in Ghana and West Africa.
The strategic plan focuses on advocating for citizens’ rights, promoting sustainable development, and addressing inequalities, poverty, and injustice. It emphasizes the role of the state in ensuring the provision of essential services and aims to reshape narratives around resource use and poverty reduction.
Key strategic objectives of the plan include:
1. Improving natural resource governance and fiscal transparency in Ghana and West Africa through research, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement by 2028.
2. Promoting access for marginalized groups to resources like land, credit, and essential social services (healthcare, education, social protection) by 2028.
3. Advocating for progressive fiscal policies and debt restructuring solutions to mitigate the impacts of external shocks by 2028.
4. Strengthening ISODEC’s institutional and financial viability to ensure effective delivery of its mandate by 2028.
The plan also outlines ISODEC’s commitment to enhancing its role in promoting equitable development, improving transparency, and empowering communities to participate in decision-making.
The document is designed to be a living, adaptable framework, with a focus on continuous stakeholder engagement and internal organizational strengthening.
To ensure effective implementation, the Stategic Plan will be supported by detailed annual implementation plans, a robust monitoring and evaluation framework, and a resource mobilization plan.
Dr. Esther Agyeibea Ofei-Aboagye, Board Chairperson of ISODEC emphasized in the forward of strategy that the plan is a co-created document that will evolve based on feedback and progress. The goal, according to her, is to solidify ISODEC’s position as a leading civil society organization in Ghana and contribute to sustainable development in West Africa.
She noted that, “it should be understood, supported and reflected in the way we develop and deliver all of our programmes. Because it is a co-creation with our diverse stakeholders, this plan cannot remain static; we plan to utilize similar co-creation engagement processes to review our progress and to adapt, keeping the plan current, relevant and alive.
“We shall put emphasis on organizational strengthening by improving our internal policies, systems and processes, improve staff capacity and create a learning culture whilst diversifying our resource streams to enhance our operational effectiveness, professionalism, responsiveness and long-term sustainability. In order to deliver on our mandate, priorities in this strategy include collaborative partnerships, reengaging with our diverse constituencies whilst creating a learning culture.
“By implementing this strategic plan, ISODEC aims to create meaningful and lasting impact on Ghana and West Africa whilst consolidating our role as a leading civil society Organization in Ghana. The plan will be supported by detailed Annual Programme Implementation Plan (PIPs), a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability Framework (MELA) aligned to our Monitoring and Evaluation Policy and a Resource Mobilization Plan.”
By: Mohammed Suleman