Beyond The Dialogues

About the Project

Beyond the Dialogues is a national accountability and knowledge platform established to track Ghana’s commitments to food systems transformation by 2030. The platform consolidates the Government of Ghana’s 17 food systems commitments and the associated 71 indicators into a structured, transparent, and accessible framework.

It serves as a reference point for policymakers, researchers, development partners, civil society, and citizens to monitor progress, identify gaps, and strengthen coordination across sectors. By bringing commitments and indicators into one space, the platform promotes evidence-informed action and sustained accountability.

General objective

To implement a science-based tracking of Ghana’s commitments to transform its food systems and conduct a cost-benefit analysis to assess the economic efficiency, viability, and societal impact of the commitments

Objective #1

To identify, adapt, and develop a set of indicators to be used in monitoring Ghana’s commitments

Objective #2

To assess the scope and quality of implementation (including measuring and verifying the progress made towards fulfilling the specified commitments and their associated targets)

Objective #3

To identify implementation obstacles or challenges (including logistical, financial, technical, socio-political, or environmental barriers)

Objective #4

To conduct a cost benefit analysis to assess the economic efficiency, viability, and societal impact of the commitments.

Objective #5

To enhance government and other food systems actors’ accountability and transparency by publicly reporting on the progress, challenges, and impacts of the pledges

Objective #6

To use the insights gained from the assessment to inform future planning, scaling out and scaling up of successful innovations

Why Tracking These Commitments Matters

Achieving food systems transformation requires more than policy declarations. It requires measurable progress, coordinated implementation, and transparent accountability.

The 17 commitments reflect Ghana’s national ambition to prevent and reduce all forms of malnutrition, strengthen climate resilience, improve food environments, and enhance governance and financing mechanisms. Tracking these commitments through clearly defined indicators ensures that progress is monitored systematically and that stakeholders remain accountable to agreed targets by 2030.

Monitoring also enables early identification of gaps, informs investment decisions, and supports cross-sector collaboration to accelerate impact.

Expected Outputs

The project outputs will thus include:

Cost-benefit analysis report

A report to assess the economic efficiency, viability, and societal impact of the commitments. It will provide insights, including ensuring that the benefits derived from the implementation of the commitments outweigh the costs associated with them.

National food systems transformation policy briefs

A series of concise, evidence-based briefs designed to inform policymakers and stakeholders on priority areas within Ghana’s food systems. These briefs translate research findings and stakeholder inputs into actionable recommendations to support policy development and implementation.

National food systems transformation commitments tracker report

A comprehensive report detailing scope and quality of implementation, the findings of the assessment (including progress made, implementation obstacles or challenges)

Reports on national discussions/engagements (commitment tracking roundtables)

A compilation of key insights from national and multi-stakeholder roundtables held under the Beyond the Dialogues Project initiative, highlighting progress, emerging issues, and opportunities to strengthen accountability in food systems transformation.

National commitment tracking toolkit

A practical resource developed to support systematic monitoring of food systems commitments. The toolkit outlines indicators, data collection approaches, and reporting frameworks, giving a comprehensive guide in tracking progress and identifying gaps

An accountability and transparency scorecard

An assessment tool used to evaluate the performance of stakeholders against agreed food systems commitments. The scorecard promotes transparency by highlighting progress, gaps, and areas requiring action, while ensuring accountability across sectors.