STAR-Ghana has initiated series of activities to inject £22 million to develop a vibrant, well-informed and assertive civil society, able to contribute to transformational national development for all Ghanaian citizens in an inclusive manner.

Star-Ghana which is multi-donor funded initiative supported by DFID, DANIDA, and the EU seeks to support the creation, utilisation and institutionalisation of spaces for collective civil society engagement in order to increase the responsiveness of the executive and key state institutions at both local and national levels.

In a statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra dubbed: “Star –Ghana Elections Call for Media,” and “Star-Ghana Elections Call for Civil Society Organisations,” Star-Ghana invites interested and eligible organisations to submit project proposals

It said the project proposal should aim at helping to achieve peaceful, credible, issues-based and inclusive elections in 2016.

“Applicants are particularly encouraged to explore opportunities for formal/informal alliances/networks/ coalitions in the design and implementation of their proposed actions,” the statement said.

The Star-Ghana statement explained that the alliances/networks or coalitions may seek to; build innovative partnerships between CSO, the media and/or private sector organisations; link actors across levels of governance (community, district, regional and national) and/or enable collaborations between actors working on complementary issues.

The statement said the proposals has two components: an Open Component targeting all eligible CSO, irrespective of size, typology, location or programmatic focus and covering all activities which will contribute to peaceful, credible, issues-based and inclusive elections in 2016.

The Strategic Component on the other hand targets only national level research and advocacy organisations and media houses with the capacity and credibility to mobilise broad alliances of stakeholders for long term electoral reforms critical to strengthening democratic and accountable governance in Ghana.

Star-Ghana noted that Organisations/networks/alliances submitting applications must clearly demonstrate: How the project represents value for money; Track record of previous or ongoing work in the relevant area of the elections which the proposal seeks to address.

Evidence of partnerships or other collaborations with relevant state and non-state actors to implement the proposed project; How learning from the projects will be feed into future election cycles; and How issues of gender and social inclusion will be mainstreamed and addressed in the project

The main areas for consideration under the Open component are: Peace and security; Voter education; Electoral reform; Adjudication of disputes; Observation and monitoring of elections; and Inclusiveness and participation.

The main areas for consideration under the Strategic component are: Reforms of the Electoral Commission, including its composition and governance, appointments of commissioners and ways of working; and Constituency creation and demarcation.

The rest are: Integrity and inclusiveness of the Voters’ register; Financing elections and the EC; Election, peace and security; Political parties and election campaign financing; Electoral justice, including adjudication and litigation.

On Eligibility criteria, Star-Ghana explained that organisation/coalition/alliance will not be awarded grants for projects under both Open and Strategic components.

Open component organisations include: Registered Ghanaian CSOs, including community based organisations, media organisations, research and advocacy organisations, trade unions/labour organisations, private sector associations and registered civil society coalitions/networks/platforms in the governance sector.

Strategic component organisations include: Registered Ghanaian CSOs, including media organisations, research and advocacy organisations, trade unions/labour organisations, private sector associations and registered civil society coalitions/networks/platforms in the governance sector.

Interested organisations should visit www.star-ghana.org and complete the online application form which must be submitted on or before 11.59 hours on Sunday, January 17, 2016