Accra, Ghana – May 6, 2026 – The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering climate resilience and sustainable local development in Ghana. This renewed dedication was solidified during a courtesy visit by officials from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNCDF to the NDPC headquarters, aimed at reviewing the progress of the LoCAL Plus programme.
Context: The LoCAL Programme in Ghana
The Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) programme has been a cornerstone of climate adaptation efforts in Ghana since 2015. It operates through a strategic collaboration between the NDPC and UNCDF.
The core objective of LoCAL is to enhance the capacity of communities to withstand the impacts of climate change. This is achieved by empowering Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to implement climate-smart investments.
These investments are facilitated through Performance-Based Climate Resilience Grants (PBCRGs), which incentivize local governments to adopt and implement effective climate adaptation measures.
Strengthening Collaboration and Implementation
Richard Tweneboah-Kodua, Director for Research at NDPC, welcomed the delegation, emphasizing the critical need for deeper institutional collaboration in climate adaptation and development planning.
Ms. Angela Kwashie, Technical Specialist at UNCDF, explained that the visit was part of a routine financial monitoring exercise. This exercise falls under the grant management framework of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Such monitoring visits occur once or twice within a five-year grant cycle. Their purpose is to assess UNCDF’s implementation processes, not to audit local institutions directly.
Ms. Kwashie highlighted that Ghana was chosen for this review due to its status as a recognized success story within the LoCAL programme. Ghana has advanced to the second phase of the programme, mirroring progress in Uganda.
NDPC’s Role in Climate Mainstreaming
Ms. Mercy Azoomah Issah, Principal Planning Analyst at NDPC, stated that the Commission’s involvement in the LoCAL initiative directly aligns with its constitutional mandate. This mandate includes providing policy direction and ensuring equitable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable national development planning.
NDPC is responsible for developing the Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework (MTNDPF). It also issues planning guidelines to District Assemblies for their development plans, which are then reviewed for compliance before approval.
Approved district plans are crucial for accessing government funding, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance. This positions NDPC as both a regulatory and facilitative body within the LoCAL framework.
Ms. Issah observed a significant shift in development discourse, noting that climate change has evolved from a secondary issue to a central focus of policy implementation.
Through its partnership with UNCDF, NDPC has successfully guided all 13 participating District Assemblies to integrate climate adaptation measures into their development plans.
Key Achievements and Identified Challenges
Ms. Issah detailed key achievements, including a gap analysis conducted with UNCDF’s support. This analysis identified missing climate-related elements in existing policy documents and planning guidelines.
The identified gaps have since been incorporated into revised policy frameworks, effectively mainstreaming climate considerations into district planning processes.
Furthermore, NDPC has organized training and orientation programs for District Assemblies. These initiatives aim to build their capacity to integrate climate-responsive interventions into their medium-term development plans.
Wilfred Ebo Sam-Awortwi highlighted that the inclusion of climate-related findings in national planning guidelines now ensures that ministries, regions, and districts systematically incorporate climate adaptation measures.
However, he pointed out significant challenges hindering climate interventions, primarily inadequate financing and coordination difficulties. Climate change, he noted, is inherently a cross-sectoral issue involving numerous stakeholders.
While the LoCAL initiative has yielded positive results in the 13 participating districts, Mr. Sam-Awortwi suggested that nationwide expansion would enhance coordination, knowledge sharing, and overall impact.
Enhancing Data Systems for Development Planning
Mr. Bright Atiase, Director for Monitoring and Evaluation at NDPC, explained the function of the Annual Progress Report (APR). The APR serves as a crucial accountability mechanism for tracking Ghana’s development performance across various sectors, including health, education, governance, forestry, and energy.
NDPC has introduced the District Development Data Platform (DDDP). This platform aims to support real-time sub-national data reporting for all 261 districts, aligning with national, ECOWAS, AU, and SDG reporting frameworks.
The pilot phase of the DDDP, involving approximately 60 districts, is currently underway. Plans are in motion to fully digitize the submission and review of APR reports, from the district to the national level.
Mr. Atiase stressed the imperative to strengthen data systems and improve reporting efficiency through quarterly updates. Integrating State-Owned Enterprises into the reporting framework is also a priority to address existing data gaps.
Looking Ahead: Sustained Collaboration for National Resilience
Concluding the meeting, Mr. Richard Tweneboah-Kodua commended the participants for their contributions to advancing coordinated climate adaptation efforts in Ghana. He reiterated the necessity of sustained collaboration to drive tangible progress in climate resilience and sustainable development across the nation.
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