Participants at the Governance Issues Forum (GIF) Work Planning Retreat, has called for effective training of newly elected assembly members to enable them to deliver their mandate. They also called for the designing of public buildings to be in compliance with the disability law, to make it possible for people using wheel chairs, clippers, crutches as well as the blind to use the facilities. This came out during discussions by members of the Governance Issues Forum Net work (GIFNet) from 15 districts in eight regions of the country and representatives of focal organisations in the GIFNet Districts at a three-day GIF retreat work planning retreat in Accra. It was aimed at reviewing and planning the activities of the GIFNet for 2011 and offering training for focal persons and organisations in nine new GIF districts that would be included in the organisation’s activities this year. GIF is a non-governmental organisation sponsored by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), a think tank to promote grassroot participation in policy dialogue and public accountability. Mr Tenasu Kofi Gbedemah of Ho GIFNet called for an increase in the training of women at the local level in the use of public deliberation and dialogue in dealing with the districts and municipal assemblies to help reduce the use of arguments and confrontation which often do not help the process of effective public participation in policy dialogue. Mr Douglas Quartey, Programmes Administrative Officer of IDEG explained that in 2009, the institute started the district specific implementation of the GIF with the overall goal of sustaining civic participation and public accountability in support of service delivery and poverty reduction efforts in the districts. He said the success of the first phase of the project encouraged IDEG to replicate it in nine new districts spread throughout the country. Mr Quartey said the planned activities of the GIFNet for 2011 were expected to facilitate the re-organisation and establishment of the Focal Organisations(FO) in the districts and set the tone for effective collaboration between IDEG and the GIFNet and the FO, including the district assemblies. Mr Kojo Impraim, Project Officer of IDEG called on the FO and the focal persons to develop good reporting skills to facilitate project implementation and documentation. Source: GNA