Project to Enhance the Implementation of the CHM Website in Ghana

Summary

The development and management of Ghana's Clearing House Mechanism owes much credit to the Belgian Clearing House Mechanism which assisted Ghana to establish its CHM in 2004 and has since been hosting the site. Ghana has over the past two year identified National Authorized Users (NAUs) from Academia, Research Institutions, Government Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations with mandate in biodiversity and environment who have received training by the Belgian tutors since 2015. These NAUs have the task to upload relevant information unto the Ghanaian CHM website. However, the expected traffic to the website has not been encouraging. Recent survey conducted to ascertain the reasons for this phenomenon revealed several challenges faced by the National Authorized Users. Notable among them are lack of reliable internet access, inadequate computer expertise of some of the National Authorized Users, difficulty in accessing the CHM website and refusal by institutions to allow use of official documents. This project, a combination of two themes in the call is designed to address these challenges with the aim of bringing the National Website up-to-date, functional and officially recognized by the country. This will be achieved through the following activities:

1. Training sessions for National Authorized Users and provision of equipment to facilitate internet accessibility
2. In-house workshops for Institutions of National Authorized Users to facilitate confidence in the CHM
3. Validation workshop and sensitization meetings with legislators, policy makers and other stakeholders of the CHM
4. Identification of relevant websites to link to Ghanaian CHM website
5. Hiring of consultant to provide service to link the CHM website to other websites

A total budget of Fourteen Thousand Euros (€ 14,000) is being sought from the Belgium Clearing House Mechanism to finance the activities described above with a counterpart funding of Two Thousand Euros (€ 2,000) from Ghana Government.

Objectives of the Project

The overall objective of the Project is to ensure that the National Website is up-to-date, functional and officially recognized by the country.

Specific Objectives

1. To upgrade the CHM Website with relevant information
2. To make the CHM Website endorsed by policy and decision makers
3. To Link the local CHM Website to other national and international websites