Maiden report on public service launched in Accra
A report on the state of the Public Service has established the need for a result-oriented culture in the service to ensure clear lines of accountability and clearly defined standards for all workers.
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The Public Service is supposed to be responsive to the needs of Ghanaians and the public by delivering efficient and effective goods and services. However, that goal has remained elusive, despite several reforms since the 1980s.
The 2014 State of the Public Service Report (SOPSR) of Ghana contains information from a survey of 86 public sector organisations out of 105 randomly selected that responded to questionnaire designed to get information on various themes.
It highlights themes such as effective leadership, human resource management and development, transparency and accountability and was put together by the Public Services Commission (PSC), with the support of the Public Services Commission of Australia.
The Chairman of the PSC, Mrs Bidget Katsriku, launched the report in Accra last Tuesday.
Highlights
On effective leadership, the report revealed that there was a huge gender disparity in the leadership of public service organisations.
Eighty per cent of the leadership of Ghana’s public service institutions was male, it said.
For example, gender disparity was evident on governing boards, with 72.2 per cent being males and 25.8 per cent being females.
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Another finding was that more than half of the public service organisations surveyed did not have succession plans for top management staff.
On organisational designs and human resource planning, it was discovered that majority of the organisations surveyed had approved organisational structures in place. However, recruitment policies and procedures were not adhered to. Only 16 per cent of the organisations surveyed said they advertised vacancies.
Issues such as the charging of illegal fees for services, the use of office supplies for private gain, gifts and payments from suppliers, stealing of office equipment and embezzlement were the responses elicited to the question on how corruption manifested in the organisations.
The report also said majority (90 per cent) of leadership in the Public Service had a first degree or higher, with about 42 per cent of administrative heads also having professional qualifications in Law.
Another positive was that leadership engagement with their staff was found to be adequate in terms of management holding regular meetings and durbars with staff.
Reaction
Giving highlights before she launched the report, Mrs Katsriku emphasised the need for benchmarks on human resource management practices in the Public Service against which future progress could be measured.
In relation to the gender disparity found in the leadership of the service, she said, “We think that we must do better than this, especially if we want to promote gender perspectives in decision-making processes.”
On the dearth of succession plans for top management staff, she said the situation presented a future leadership vacuum in organisations, a development which she described as dangerous.
On the issue of recruitment, Mrs Katsriku said the situation raised the question as to how applicants were identified, stressing that there was the need for a more transparent procedure for staff recruitment into the Public Service.
She expressed appreciation for the support provided by the people of Australia and their government.
Way forward
The Vice-Chairman of the PSC, Dr Lawrence Kannae, pledged that the report would not be shelved and encouraged all participants, as well as the public, to use the publication for lobbying on right outcomes in the Public Service.
He said the PSC would immediately engage the central management agencies of the various public service institutions surveyed to engender discussions on the various themes.
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The Second Secretary and Consul of the Australian High Commission, Ms Justine Townsend, was appreciative of the opportunities presented for Australia to collaborate with Ghana.
She said her government was also collaborating on other projects, among which was the tracking of mineral resources production in the country for the benefit of the people.
Writer's email: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh