Public, civil service employees complete training in digital skills

A PILOT digital skills training programme has been organised for 170 civil servants in Accra.

The six-month exercise dubbed: “DigSMART”, was organised at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence (KACE).

The participants were introduced to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital strategy, leadership and governance, transformation, as well as digital change management principles and processes, among other topics. 

They were drawn from the Office of the President, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning, Health, Food and Agriculture,Trade and Industry, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD), as well as the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department.  

They were made up of 40 leaders, 70 managers, and 60 officers from six ministries, departments, and agencies.

The training was a collaboration between the MoCD, through its GhanaCARES Delivery Unit, and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).

Addressing the graduands, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said she expected “ these graduates will be change champions in their organisations providing visionary leadership, promoting digital solutions in the public and civil service, and demonstrating to be exemplars of technology transformation and policy.”

“Today marks a significant milestone for my Ministry, the civil service, the future of the Ghanaian citizen and our developing and implementation partner, TBI”, she stated.

She explained that DigSMART was branded in Ghana, and launched on March 29, 2023 first and was later piloted in two other countries in Africa---Senegal and Malawi.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful congratulated the graduands and urged them to rise to “the challenges of the digital age and make a significant difference in our civil service”.  

“As we celebrate your accomplishments, we also acknowledge the importance of ongoing learning and adaptation in the digital era.

Embracing change, staying curious, and continuously upscaling will be essential as you navigate the ever-changing landscape of technology and governance” she further advised.

Torch bearers

The Head of Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, challenged the pioneer DigSMART graduands to “be torchbearers of the digital transformation of the civil service, while ensuring that technology becomes the vehicle for success of the service”.

He said “in our rapidly evolving world, technology has become the cornerstone of every aspect of our lives, and it has transformed how we live, work, and serve our nation”.  

Dr Aggrey-Darkoh further noted that “to thrive in this digital age, it is imperative for leaders to embrace technology as an enabler, a catalyst, and a strategic asset. And NOT to say this thing is for the younger people.”

Flagship

The Head of Technology and Digital Transformation of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Daniel Busscher, explained that DigSMART (Digital Smartness) is a flagship programme for the Academy, aimed at building digital skills, culture, and leadership in the public sector to achieve a more cohesive and accelerated digital transformation in Ghana.  

He said the medium-term evaluation of the programme showed a 95.29 per cent participation rate, which was encouraging enough for an up-scaling of the programme. 

Background

Piloted simultaneously in Ghana, Senegal, and Malawi.  DigSMART will expand in 2024 to train an additional 830 public and civil servants in Ghana alone.  

The programme will enrol participants from 20 additional ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), and be implemented by KACE for face-to-face sessions and TBI Digital Academy for online sessions. 

The DigSMART programme is one of the many initiatives undertaken by the MoCD to further its goal of promoting the development of the country through a knowledge-based smart economy using digital tools.