Public Sector Reform In Ghana

The Public sector reform in Ghana, taken care of by the MPSR or Ministry of Public Sector Reform looks into different issues of the economy starting from pay reforms, decentralization as well as improvement in services delivery. The main aim of bringing about changes in the pay reform is making the payment policies of the public sector in Ghana sustainable. Productivity increases with improved payment methods. Public sector reform in Ghana also comprises restructuring in civil services.

As part of the public sector reform in Ghana, around 25 MDAs or Ministries, Departments and Agencies have customer services units or CSU, which take care of the customer related issues. These customer care units are monitored by the customer services unit officers.

For the benefit of the public servants, an "all encompassing" salary restructuring has been carried out for the overall public sector in Ghana. Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has been established so that the wages as well as the salaries are equally made available to all the workers and there is no anomaly in this regard. To implement this, drafting of the legislation has been done.

The Era of New Public Management or NPM:

When Ghana was undergoing reforms during the New Public Management period, SAP or Structural adjustment programmes were also prevalent. During that period, the process of public sector reform in Ghana was lead by political, technological, social and economic factors.

The journey of Ghana with regard to public sector reform, has not taken place through prominent, placeable systematic policies in the past. The public sector in Ghana has apparently managed to maintain an administration, which looked into the day to day functioning of the public services by mere compulsion.

The country is currently subject to globalization in an environment, which is infested with a not so strong political make up. There is a hint of sophistication in the air under the tutelage of the non profit sector or NPO.

Earlier Ghana has undergone several public sector reforms. Unfortunately, the previous reforms failed to deliver the desired results. In addition to various factors, which contributed to the non deliverance of the reforms, Ghana is blamed for not "keeping its promise". Hence, the public sector reform in Ghana in the previous years did not bear fruit. Public sector reform in Ghana comprised bringing about alterations with regard to new public management, financial administration, public administration pertaining to the services delivery of the country.