The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has introduced a new programme, the Executive Master's in Municipal Management (Executive 3M), to build the capacity of leaders at the sub-national level for effective municipal governance and sustainable development.
The master's programme, the first of its kind in Africa, aims to equip leaders at the sub-national level with the requisite skills, knowledge and competencies to manage municipalities more effectively and drive sustainable development.
Course
The one-year course would run in three trimesters, with intakes in February and September. It targets regional ministers, municipal and metropolitan executives, coordinating directors, as well as middle-level staff of the Local Government Service, Members of Parliament (MPs) and professionals from the private sector and civil society organisations.
The curriculum comprises 13 proposed core courses, including decentralisation and local government, governance, law and gender, ethical leadership, municipal planning and finance, municipal services and disaster management, sustainability and local economic development, and artificial intelligence and digital governance, among others.
Delivery would combine classroom instruction, online learning, case studies, role-plays and experiential learning through field visits and international study tours.
Bridging gaps
Speaking at the stakeholder validation meeting, the Deputy Rector of GIMPA, Professor Ebenezer Adaku, explained that the programme was designed to close critical gaps in municipal leadership.
He said many municipal and district chief executives and other local government leaders assumed office without sufficient knowledge of the laws regulating cities and districts.
“Most also lack competence in procurement, financial management, strategic management and municipal services.
This course is aimed at addressing these gaps by equipping local authorities with the skills and knowledge needed to function effectively,” he said.
Prof. Adaku added that the new approach adopted by GIMPA involved extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure the programme met real needs.
“We are no longer sitting in our corner to design curricula based on assumptions.
Stakeholders have raised issues such as procurement and stakeholder engagement, which we are incorporating into the programme to ensure resources are judiciously utilised and local leaders can mobilise and communicate effectively for grassroots development,” he said.
Unique
The Principal Lecturer at the School of Public Service and Governance, GIMPA, Dr Nana Ato Arthur, said the Executive 3M was the only programme in Africa.
However, some universities elsewhere offered urban management courses.
He explained that the programme was designed to respond to persistent challenges in local governance.
