International Program - Ghana Central Governance Project
Complete
Country: Ghana
Funding Agency: CIDA
Duration: February 2003–June 2008
Partner: BearingPoint
Project Manager: Ann Masson, amasson@ipac.ca
Project Description
A small West African country that ranks within the top tier of African countries in terms of quality of governance in most comparative surveys, Ghana has proven one of our most exciting, responsive places to work in. At the top of our agenda for the past six years has been the Ghana Central Governance Project (GCGP): an ambitious, far-reaching project aimed at strengthening the decision-making policy process in the Office of the President, Cabinet Secretariat and key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Under this rubric, the GCGP was responsible for assisting the Government of Ghana in enhancing its Executive Decision Making processes, developing a Human Resources Strategy for policy analysts, and designing a Management Information System (MIS). The theme of enhancing gender equality cut across the project.
The $6.4 million GCCP began early in 2003, in response to a request by the Government of Ghana, and concluded in June 2008. Funded by CIDA and managed by IPAC in collaboration with BearingPoint LLG and the Ghanaian government, the GCGP was by design a partnership project, in which the approach and methodology for implementation were highly participatory.
By establishing a local project office in Accra, the capital of Ghana, IPAC was able to manage the initial phase of the project on the ground – ensuring that work plans were implemented, responding to the needs of senior government officials and other stakeholders, and providing strategic advice and technical assistance. The Ghana office was initially headed by Judy Cavanagh, a retired Deputy Minister in the Office of the Premier in British Columbia. William Frimpong-Bonsu subsequently took over the office management, and Ann Masson became Co-Director in co-operation with the Ghanaian Co-Director, Professor Kwaku Appiah-Adu. The Canadian team also included Naomi Alboim, Peter Barnes, Gord Evans, Yoku Korsah, Nellie Mayshak, and Susan Waterfield, among others.
Goals and Objectives
The GCGP had three main objectives:
1) To improve the decision-making policy capacity of the Executive and selected MDAs by helping to establish and define mandates, processes, roles and functions among policy management bodies;
2) To assist in developing (and supporting the implementation) of a Human Resource Strategy for policy analysts;
3) The design, implementation and initial support of a MIS in support of the policy management process.
Throughout the project, IPAC focused on (a) human resource enhancements including clarification of policy analyst competencies, job descriptions and performance measurement, (b) capacity building and training through seminars and workshops, study visits to Canada and institutional training, (c) the development of supportive tools and manuals through Ghanaian work teams, building the capacity of participants in the process, and (d) development and implementation of corresponding MIS enhancements.
Results and Achievements
We are pleased to report a host of notable results and achievements for GCGP. At the top of our list, a Cabinet Memorandum Manual has been approved and implemented. Thanks to a series of successful workshops for Chief Directors and other senior staff on their role in formulating and approving Cabinet Memoranda, it is fair to say that the new policy-making standards have been implemented and supported at the highest level. We have also seen the establishment of cross-governmental policy networks, and the development and delivery of training courses to MDAs, along with the implementation of major MIS components. It is worth noting as well that a curriculum for policy analysis has been developed through a partnership between the University of Ghana and Queen’s University in Canada.
While the GCGP has been a challenging and multi-facetted project, it has succeeded in putting in place some mechanisms crucial for democratic governance. If the new policy processes have proven effective by the time the new government takes power in 2009, there is indeed hope that they will be accepted as the way government business is done.
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