Dr Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA Country Representative, made the call in remarks delivered on his behalf by Madam Selina Owusu, Gender Analyst at UNFPA and Focal Person for the PBF project, at a stakeholder meeting in Bolgatanga to conduct a PBF Dashboard System Analysis. 

The meeting brought together representatives from the RCC, service providers including the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, the security services, and Coordinating Directors from the Bongo, Bawku West and Garu Districts, where the system is being piloted. 

Last year, UNFPA developed a digital complaint dashboard and service providers’ scorecard to enable residents to submit concerns and development challenges directly to the appropriate institutions. The initiative also aims to strengthen complaint systems, improve service delivery and enhance tracking mechanisms. 

The platform operates via the website, www.pbfdash.com, and a mobile application available on the Google Play Store. It allows users to submit text messages, pictures and voice notes, and is designed to be user-friendly and cost-effective. 

The dashboard seeks to centralise and harmonise data collection, promote cross-sector collaboration for faster complaint resolution, and improve accessibility through multiple reporting channels. It currently covers four sectors—health, security, social services and social justice—and includes referral mechanisms to facilitate complaint processing. 

The intervention forms part of the project titled “Enhancing Social Cohesion and Social Contract through Empowerment of Women and Youth in Three Northern Regions of Ghana.” It is being implemented by UNFPA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Upper East RCC, with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund. 

The initiative aims to address the root causes of localised and spillover conflicts and vulnerabilities to violent extremism in northern Ghana, particularly in the Upper East, Upper West and North East Regions. 

At the meeting, it was disclosed that 112 complaints had been received from the three pilot districts, with slow resolution identified as a key challenge. 

Dr Ochan described the meeting as a critical step toward strengthening institutional commitment to the dashboard, which has served for nearly a year as a vital complaints mechanism linking communities with service providers. He said the system had enhanced transparency, responsiveness and accountability by enabling citizens to lodge complaints and track their resolution. 

“This work is a core part of UNFPA’s mandate to advance gender equality and promote the rights of all individuals, ensuring that mechanisms like the PBF Dashboard and scorecard are inclusive and responsive to the unique needs of women and marginalized groups,” he said. 

He noted that the focus was now on assessing the system’s effectiveness, reviewing complaint resolution processes and identifying practical measures to improve its use. A key outcome of the meeting, he added, would be the development of an action plan to support sustainable adoption and scale-up of the dashboard and scorecard by the RCC and District Assemblies. 

Madam Yvonne Wonchua, Upper East Regional Focal Person for UNFPA, said the system was empowering communities to report concerns and resolve local issues. 

Alhaji Mohammed Issahaku, Regional Chief Director of the RCC, commended UNFPA and its partners for promoting accountability and transparency through the dashboard and scorecard, noting that the initiative would help prevent localised conflicts and infiltration of violent extremism. 

He urged service providers to respond proactively to complaints to build public trust and give meaning to the innovation.