The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, has urged the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, to continuously offer training to civil service staff to be abreast of the present digital transformation.
He said the deployment of technology was critical to effective service delivery, stressing the need for the Civil Service to put in adequate measures critical for its adaptation for the acceleration of a vibrant, safe and inclusive digital transformation.
“Digital tools are only as powerful as the people who use them.
The human element, therefore, remains critical. Our civil service staff must be continuously trained and upskilled to operate within a digitised public sector,” Mr Debrah said.
The Chief of Staff was speaking at the Civil Service 2024 Awards Ceremony in Accra last Friday evening, which marked the climax of the Civil Week celebration on the theme:
“Adapting to Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and E-Governance: The Civil Service in Contemporary Ghana”.
Mr Debrah emphasised that the Civil Service must build a competent workforce that is unafraid of innovation.
“We must build a workforce that is not afraid of change but embraces innovation as a path of national development.
Let me also use this opportunity to challenge the entire Civil Service; note that the future will not wait,” he said.
He challenged the Civil Service to recommit itself to building a 21st century civil service. “One that is ethical, innovative, professional, and truly fit for purpose in the digital age”.
Investment
The Chief of Staff said the government was committed to supporting the Civil Service to become a fully modernised, responsive and digitally empowered institution, underscoring the critical role of digitalisation in the national development strategy.
“The government has placed digital transformation at the heart of its national development agenda, with a clear priority to establish Ghana as the artificial intelligence hub of Africa.”
“This strategic vision is being operationalised through key policy shifts, including the renaming of the ministry to explicitly reflect its mandate for digital technology and innovation.
This signals a renewed focus on the digital economy,” he said.
The Chief of Staff added that President John Mahama's administration recognised the socio-economic benefit of an inclusive digital economy and launched the One Million Coders Programme.
This, according to him, aimed at training one million Ghanaians with digital skills to drive Ghana's digital transformation and economic growth by building a robust pipeline of AI engineers, data scientists, machine learning specialists, and digital product developers essential for driving the country’s digital transformation.
Award ceremony
The award ceremony, attended by members of the Civil Service, saw over 50 of its staff, including Chief Directors, awarded for their hard work, dedication to work and other key contributions.
Awardees went home with mementos, citations and some appliances as part of the awards ceremony that was well attended.
The fourth edition of the Civil Service Week and 2024 Awards Ceremony saw the Chief Director at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, Eunice Osae, crowned as the Overall Best Chief Director of the Head of the Civil Service.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing, Reverend Stephen Yaw Osei, emerged the runner-up, while Former Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Eva Mends, emerged the second runner-up.
Commitment to excellence
The Head of the Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, reaffirmed the service's commitment to excellence in public service delivery.
Dr Aggrey-Darkoh emphasised that the Civil Service exists to assist the government in formulating and implementing policies and programmes for national development. He indicated that the Service would adopt modern tools to execute its mandate effectively.
He urged all Civil servants to remain focused, unwavering and committed to serving the nation, adding that the capacity of the state to develop economically, socially and politically depended largely on the capacity of its public bureaucracy.
