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For more than 50 years, GIZ has been a successful service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development on behalf of the German government. GIZ offers global experience in a wide variety of areas including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, peace and security, amongst others.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to implement several programmes in Ghana on behalf of the German government. One such programme in Ghana is the Programme Migration & Diaspora (PMD).
In Ghana, the GIZ implemented PMD has five main thematic operational areas namely: Migration Governance; Business Ideas for Development; Diaspora Experts; Diaspora Organisations; and Returning Experts.
1. PMD – MIGRATION GOVERNANCE
Under Migration Governance, the PMD programme works with state institutions with a mandate for migration policy-making or governance in the country. We work with these institutions to make changes in migration policy by providing migration advisory services. GIZ Ghana under this operational arm also works with civil society organisations (including diaspora organisations), private sector actors, religious or faith-based actors, foundations, the research community and international organisations with the aim of shaping migration policies.
The main goal of PMD’s migration governance is to work towards harnessing the potential for safe, orderly and regulated migration, while minimising the costs and risks of irregular migration in Ghana. Here, GIZ Ghana provides advice to its Ghanaian partners based on country-specific needs. These mainly focus on the development-related aspects of migration such as strengthening regular migration, diasporas, remittances, return & reintegration, improved data gathering and analysis, and knowledge transfer – all of which contribute to the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
The PMD Migration Governance in essence uses key instruments such as training measures on development-oriented migration; multi-stakeholder dialogues (MSDs) on migration policy; peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms on migration policy and migration policy advice through placement of European experts, and the placement of Ghanaian diaspora experts on a short term basis as well as Ghanaian diaspora experts on a long-term basis amongst others.
2. PMD – BUSINESS IDEAS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Under this action field , the PMD creates new opportunities for Ghanaian migrants in Germany, to use their expertise and business ideas to support development in Ghana. This option facilitates knowledge sharing and innovation by engaging the Ghanaian diaspora in Germany to start up development-oriented businesses in Ghana.
The German government, through GIZ Ghana and the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), currently support recipients of the Business Ideas for Development with start-up support, intensive mentoring, coaching and consultancy in the preparation phase, which takes place in Germany and also in Ghana. They are subsequently provided with financial support of 2,500 Euros for market research and 5,000 Euros for business start-up processes in Ghana.
PMD Migration Governance Supported Peer-to-Peer Exchange for Diaspora Desk Officers in Ghanaian Diplomatic Consulates in Africa – Nairobi (Kenya) 2019
3. PMD – DIASPORA EXPERTS
Under the PMD Diaspora Experts field of action, GIZ Ghana and the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM) support short-term assignments of well-qualified Ghanaian diaspora members with migration background to Ghana as volunteers placed in local institution in Ghana. Here, individual highly skilled Ghanaian diaspora members are teamed up with suitable institutions interested in their areas of expertise. This support is available for assignments lasting between three weeks and six months with state institutions or public-benefit organisations such as administrative bodies at various levels of government, academic institutions, chambers of commerce, associations and non-governmental organisations.
4. PMD – DIASPORA ORGANISATIONS
The PMD – Diaspora Organisation operational field works with over 20,000 diaspora organisations in Germany who are working to strengthen cultural cohesion and exchange, through various non-profit activities. Here, the GIZ Ghana – PMD facilitates German-based Ghanaian diaspora Organisations’ involvement in development-oriented projects in Ghana, thereby contributing actively to sustainable development at the local level.
Every year, the PMD calls for proposals to promote development projects carried out by diaspora organizations in Ghana. The choice of development-oriented projects by the diaspora organisation is supported with up to 44,000 Euros per project for small-scale projects. We also support the Diaspora Organisation with project management, Public Relations work, training on methods for successful knowledge transfer in preparation for project implementation, as well as targeted assistance in planning, implementing and sustainably anchoring of projects in Ghana.
5. PMD – RETURNING EXPERTS
With the PMD – Returning Experts support, GIZ Ghana grants opportunities toGhanaians who have completed a degree course in Germany or gained considerable expertise in the German work environment, and wish to return to Ghana, their country of origin, to make a useful contribution to national development on a long-term basis. Here, qualified Ghanaians who meet the criteria are supported to return to Ghana to find a suitable job with a Ghanaian employer. After securing employment, they are given a top-up on local salaries and offered training allowances, workplace equipment support and paid travel and relocation expenses.
The returning experts are also supported with workplace equipment of up to 10,000 Euros. The goal is to promote national development through knowledge transfer. Thus, we strive to find the right position for a returning expert, where the individual expert can use acquired knowledge, experience and contacts to everyone’s benefit – him/ herself as a returning expert as well as for the employer in Ghana, for the Ghanaian nation and not least, for Germany.
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