Our mission

ISODEC works in solidarity with those striving for social justice towards a life of dignity by promoting rights and accountability.

Our vision

“A world in which every life matters”

Our services and clients

  • Defending and promoting public goods (water, education and health) and basic human rights
  • Promoting accountable use of public resources
  • Promoting alternative macroeconomics
  • Promoting responsible regional integration
  • Our target groups include, policy makers, duty bearers at national and international levels, the civil society

Our benefits to society

  • Building a strong civil society
  • Nurturing an accountable government
  • Widening the political and social space for the voice of civil society in national and local policy making processes and the consideration of national development alternatives

Our uniqueness

  • We are national in character, physically present in five regions in the country
  • We have a strong grassroots base – working through the District Assemblies, Community Based Organisations and Local NGOs
  • We have the ability to engage in policy discourse at all levels – International, National and the grassroots level
  • We work through specialized affiliate organisations established by us
  • We have partner organisations in the West Africa sub region
  • We belief and work to promote social justice, equity and human rights
  • We facilitate and nurture national networks and coalitions
  • We combine service delivery with advocacy at all levels

Our potentials

  • Providing strong link between Civil Society Organisations in Ghana and in the Sub region.
  • Ability to organize and facilitate discussion platforms on any development related issues at all levels
  • Effectively linking the grassroots to global policy issues
  • Becoming a lead civil society organizations in extractive issues
  • Develop the capacity to monitor full implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the State

Our History

The Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) is an indigenous non-governmental organization committed to the promotion of human rights (especially social and economic rights) and social justice for all, especially those suffering marginalisation, injustice and powerlessness.

ISODEC, formed in 1987, has a long history of support to grassroots groups in Ghana. From a peri-urban health and sanitation, basic education base, it grew into a formidable force in rural water and sanitation delivery. ISODEC also provides services in the areas of Girl Child Education, Family Reproductive Health and national budget analysis. ISODEC works in an integrated and multidisciplinary manner linking the grassroots to the national and global to effectively implement its programme.

In 2000 ISODEC took a strategic decision to combine service delivery with policy and people centered advocacy. Hence, a research and advocacy programme was initiated aimed at promoting national development alternatives principally in Ghana and, to some extent, in the West Africa sub-region. This programme, sought to: review the neoliberal policy measures promoted largely by the international donor community and it impact on the poor; promote accountability by the state to its citizens; instill civil activism through rights awareness creation, rights promotion and defence and economic literacy; and promote social equity through the responsible use of public resources.

Affiliate Organisations

ISODEC created and nuttured three affiliate organisations. These are the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), CEPIL's objectives are to promote the public interest wherever these are violated by those with, or in, power (be they governmental or corporate), and to defend the interest of the poor. CEPIL has provided legal support services to mining communities in the country fighting unjust treatment by mining companies. They are also active in defence of prisoners' rights and the right of squatters to shelter. CEPIL provides general legal advice services and internship for law students.

The Cedi Finance Foundation (CFF) is a micro-finance institution currently operating in the Kumasi Metropolis. It provides largely micro-credit services to very small scale entrepreneurs, mainly women. It aspires to register as a Savings and Loans Company
Public Agenda: Public Agenda is a newspaper, which currently publishes twice a week. Its objective is to promote democratic participation, articulate social justice principles and defend the poor.

Within the West Africa Region, ISODEC has entered into a network relationship with six other civil society organizations in the sub region to create a regional forum called West Africa Right Based Advocacy Network (WARBAN). The organizations are: Alternatives – Niger, CAD – Mali, CPPC – Nigeria, ORCADE – Burkina Faso, NMJD – Sierra Leone and ASPE - in Senegal.

Our work on the national annual budget over the years has contributed to creating the space for public input into the budgeting process at the national level. It has also compelled the government to take to organising regional platforms to discuss the national budget with the citizenry. In addition, our budget work provides the platform for tracking public expenditure from the national through to district to community levels and it also provides budget information services to promote pro-poor and equitable impacts of the budget.

At the health front, our work on the field under our Family Reproductive Health Programme and our involvement in the activities of the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights has contributed to the reviewing of the National Health Insurance Scheme to offer exemption to children less than 18 years. In addition our field work has contributed immensely to the huge community response to register with the NHIS in the districts where we operated

Our involvement with the Coalition for Universal Access to Anti-Retroviral Treatment (UCARRT) to lead the campaign for free universal access to ART has contributed to the expansion of treatment and testing centres from Accra to all the regions

Our work with Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) and Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has resulted in the expansion of the Education Sector Annual Review to the district and regional levels as against the former practice of holding only one review at the national capital

Our Girl Child Education Programme in collaboration with 8 District Assemblies (DAs) has contributed to influencing their district budgeting. Now there is a separate budget allocation for Girl Child Education activities in their respective districts. This programme has contributed immensely to the implementation of government policy on girl's education. This programme has been repackaged under the name The Ambassador Girls Scholarship Programme (AGSP) and it is been implemented in the Upper East and the Northern regions

Collaboration/Networking/Hosting

ISODEC works with many civil society groups, including Research and Advocacy organisations in Ghana although most of the relationships are loose and formed to carry out specific programmes. We work with Third World Network (TWN), the Northern Network for Development (The Network), SEND Foundation, Institute of Policy Alternatives (IPA) and ISSER in Ghana. Our Centre for Budget Advocacy (CBA) also works closely with the Institute of Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) and the International Budget Project (IBP) in Washington both of whom we have jointly carried out research work on Budget Management and Fiscal Transparency and PRSPs and Civil Society as well as Save the Children –UK

Our involvement with other networks, joint- campaigns, lobbying ISODEC was very instrumental in the formation of the Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) and the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), which are leading the campaign for Education for All. The Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHRs) and the Market Access Promotion Network (MAPRONET) are also being facilitated and supported by ISODEC and its partners to campaign for reproductive rights and promote market access for poor producers respectively. ISODEC presently convenes the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) -Ghana Coalition campaigning for transparency in the generation and management of extractive sector revenues; ISODEC facilitated the formation of the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition - campaigning for the protection of livelihoods of peasant farmers and small scale producers through poverty-responsive trade policy formulation ISODEC also formed the Coalition for Universal Access to Anti-Retroviral Treatment. To campaign for the right of HIV/AIDS victim to universal access to ART We have direct working relationship with the Save the Children –UK (SC-UK) and the Coalition on the Rights of the Child on budgets and how they impact the lives of children. We also have working relations with OXFAM UK, Christian Aid, and Ibis.

At the sub regional level we have a network relation with six civil society organisations under the umbrella name West Africa Right Based Advocacy Network ISODEC is the CSOs' representative on the Ghana EITI multi-stakeholder steering committee

Network Hosting

We are currently hosting the secretariats of three networks/coalitions. These are the Greater regional secretariats of GNECC, the Ghana chapter of PWYP and the Africa Secretariat of Revenue Watch Institute

Publications

  • ISODEC (1995) 'Empowering Women through Credit at the BESSFA', an ISODEC - Publication, Accra
  • ISODEC (1997) 'Empowering the Urban Poor through Credit in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, an ISODEC - Publication, Accra
  • ISODEC (1998) 'Mapping the Urban Poor and Water in the Kumasi', Metropolitan Area an ISODEC - Publication, Accra
  • ISODEC (1999) 'Social Mapping of the Poor in Kumasi towards Support of UK Government Grant to Ghana', an ISODEC - Publication, Accra
  • ISODEC (2001) The 2001 Annual Budget: A Call to Honour a Social Contract, Centre for Budget Analysis, ISODEC, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2002) The 2002 Budget of Ghana: Into the Third Year of HIPC and 'Property Owning Democracy, the Centre for Budget Analysis, ISODEC, November.
  • ISODEC (2003) 'Why Trade Liberalisation has not Delivered as Expected: the Case of Two Commodities in Ghana', Study Supported by Oxfam GB, March, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2003) 'Financing Decentralised Development, How well does the DACF Work? A Pilot Tracking of District Assemblies' Common Fund', DFID and World Bank Supported Project, August, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2004) 'Ghana Budgeting Process, Who is Involved?' An African Budget Project, Supported by IDASA, January.
  • ISODEC (2004) 'Tracking District Assemblies' Common Fund', A study Supported by UNDP – Ghana.
  • ISODEC (2005) 'Social Accountability and Poverty Reduction in Ghana: Community Assessment of Five Districts', Research Project Supported by the Institute for Policy Alternatives, Diakonia, DFID and Swedish International Development Agency, May, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2007) 'Financing Water and Sanitation, A Pilot Study of the Bongo District', A Study Supported by Water- Aid International Ghana, CBA – ISODEC, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2007) 'Policy Analysis and Review of Trends in Public Spending for Education and Health in Ghana in the last five years (2002-2006)', A Study Supported by the Brookings Institution.
  • ISODEC (2008) 'Gender and Aid Effectiveness in Ghana', a Publication by CBA – ISODEC and the Aid Effectiveness Forum, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2008) 'Analysis of the Laws, Policies and Fiscal Regime of the Extractive Sector', an ISODEC – Publication Supported by OSIWA, Accra
  • ISODEC (2009) 'Briefing Papers to the Minister of the Energy on the Natural Resource Management in Ghana', an ISODEC Publication, Accra
  • ISODEC (2008) 'Analysis of the Laws, Policies and Fiscal Regime of the Mining Sector in Sierra Leone', an ISODEC – Publication, Accra
  • ISODEC (2009) 'Draft EITI Law for Ghana', an ISODEC – Publication, Accra.
  • ISODEC (2008) 'Can Ghana Harvest the Ultimate Benefits in the Face of Fluctuating Oil Prices: The Case of Ghana Jubilee Fields', an ISODEC – Publication, Accra.

Members of the board

  • Ms. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, Institute of Local Government Studies (Chair)
  • Mrs. Harriet Tachie-Menson, Retired Broadcaster
  • Alhaji I. Gbadamoshie
  • Hajia Mariama Adams
  • Prof. Sai Dittor
  • Mr. Thomas Ahima,., Former National Chief Farmer (Vice Chair)
  • Ms. Veronica Munya, Community Development (Treasurer)
  • Rt. Rev. Charles Palmer Buckle (Catholic Bishop of Accra Diocese)
  • Prof. Kojo Amanor, University of Ghana.
  • Prof. Araba Apt