We are pleased to announce that the USAID-funded Connect and Learn for Sustainable Associations (CLOSA) project kicked off in Accra on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 with over 40 attendees from the private and public sectors in Ghana. The aim of the CLOSA project is to help private sector associations (PSAs) in the health, agriculture, and entrepreneurship sectors become more commercially viable and financially stable.

The highlight of the event was an industry context-setting session, during which participants discussed the key challenges affecting the Public Sector Association (PSA) landscape in Ghana. Some of the cross-cutting issues that emerged from the group discussions were limited access to finance, high member turnover, insufficient data and technology, member knowledge and skills gaps, ineffective leadership and governance structures, and inadequate financial management and sustainability systems.

Speaking on the relevance of the event, a representative from the Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), which is the apex business council in Ghana comprising 19 business associations, expressed excitement about the ideas shared during the project presentations and the potential impact of the initiative on PSAs operating in Ghana. The representative stated that:

“This project will be very useful to PSAs and it shares many similarities with our mandate at PEF. Among other things, I believe this project will enhance the business operations of PSAs in a bid to increase their profitability and financial sustainability beyond donor funding and/or donor support by putting in place systems that will make them more commercially viable and position them to serve the needs of their constituent associations.”

The Head of Research and Advocacy at Ghana’s National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Julius Bradford Lamptey, described the event as “informative, instructive, and timely.” He added that:

“CLOSA is a timely intervention, especially now that businesses and their respective business associations are looking for ways to stay relevant and become more resilient in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this program, we hope to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills that will help us add more value to our members and become more viable and sustainable”

Remarking on the relevance of the project and expectations going forward, Mr. Julius commented that:

“This project is in alignment with our five-year strategic plan as a Chamber, which focuses on retention, relevance, and renewal. So, I am particularly looking forward to the implementation of its strategic plans as shared during the event. I also expect to learn more about the governance structure, financial management model, and maturity model shared during the conceptual framework presentation, which I believe will help us increase the range of value-added services we offer to our members.“

To learn more about the CLOSA project and the work we do at HSDF, click this link – https://lnkd.in/dBPy42Eh