As the largest bilateral donor to Ghana, the U.S. Government is a steadfast partner, helping Ghana to improve food security, sustainable natural resource management, and health and basic education outcomes; bolster economic growth; and advance good governance.

"As the largest bilateral donor to Ghana, the U.S. Government is a steadfast partner, helping Ghana to improve food security, sustainable natural resource management, and health and basic education outcomes; bolster economic growth; and advance good governance. Ghana's development agenda is embodied in the “Ghana Beyond Aid” (GBA) vision, which calls for a shift in mindset, attitudes and behaviors to reduce Ghana's dependence on foreign assistance. Ghana’s “Beyond Aid” vision is not a rejection of foreign assistance. Instead, GBA reinforces a decades long policy commitment to sustainable growth, inclusion and self-reliance.

While COVID-19 monopolizes headlines today, when the crisis recedes, the underlying, longer-term challenges will remain and even be extenuated. As the Government of Ghana struggles to halt the spread of the virus and minimize the social and economic impact, it is clear this (2020-2025) Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) suits both the near and long-term needs of the country. Under this strategy USAID will help to lessen the immediate and near-term impacts of COVID-19 while addressing the long-term need to spur private sector growth to drive employment and innovative solutions; strengthen quality service delivery systems and accountability; and alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable populations in northern Ghana.

USAID will ultimately help Ghana respond to the unparalleled social and economic upheaval due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing the long-term challenges in order to move the country toward self-reliance. Over the next five years, Ghana can emerge from this pandemic as a more self-reliant nation offering a productive, healthy life to all its citizens. Accomplishing this goal will require a focus on accelerating and sustaining broad-based economic growth; delivering quality services with increased accountability; and accelerating sustainable development in northern Ghana.

Partnering with key country stakeholders, namely the private sector, the Government of Ghana, and citizens, USAID will employ a two-pronged approach under this CDCS. First, USAID will support key stakeholders to keep Ghana focused on achieving the long-term goal of a more self-reliant nation offering a productive, healthy life to all its citizens, moving steadily toward achieving “Ghana Beyond Aid” in a generation. Second, USAID will help key stakeholders to analyze, plan, and implement measures to mitigate the immediate and near-term adverse impacts of COVID-19. This two-prong approach is captured within each of the three Development Objectives of this CDCS:

• Development Objective 1, Broad-Based Economic Growth Accelerated and Sustained: USAID will help Ghana over the long term to achieve a more diversified economy with a broader and greater export base; increased private sector-led investment; healthy, skilled citizens participating in economic and social development processes; and increased household income and GDP growth. 
• Development Objective 2, Quality Services Delivered with Increased Accountability: USAID will help Ghana over the long-term to achieve improved accountability in the delivery of quality services in health, education, fisheries, and agriculture such that health care providers adhere to service standards; teacher attendance and time on task improves; pelagic overfishing ceases and coastal communities preserve livelihoods; small holder farmers are linked to markets; strengthened tax administration increases revenue; and audit management reduces corruption. 
• Development Objective 3, Sustainable Development Accelerated in Ghana’s Northern Regions: USAID will, over the long term, work to support targeted districts in four northern regions (known as the Zone of Influence (ZOI)) to improve the equitable delivery of quality services in health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition, education and agriculture; grow the agricultural sector and expand micro, small and medium-size enterprises, particularly those that are women and youth-led; build a strong enabling environment that expands and catalyzes private sector growth; engage citizens to adopt improved practices to advance their resilience; and empower citizens, especially women and youth, to advocate for the well-being of their families and security of their communities.  DO3 is designed to address the unique implementation challenges faced by northern Ghanaians, including inequalities in access to quality service delivery and rising security concerns. "