A delegation from the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) called on the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development (MLGDRD) to discuss programmes and projects undertaken by the CLFG.

Discussions also centered around advocacy on local governance issues, sharing of knowledge and networking between the Ministry and local actors in promoting and strengthening local governance.

The Chief Director of the Ministry, Amin Abdul-Rahaman was grateful to the CLFG for the efforts in promoting local governance in Ghana, acknowledging the seriousness the CLFG placed on all programmes and projects of the Ministry and assured them of the Ministry’s support.

He expressed the Ministry’s appreciation for the support of CLFG and implored them to propagate the works of the Ministry to encourage local actors.

Mr. Abdul-Rahaman stressed the Ministry's commitment to the cause of CLFG and said it is open to partnerships in promoting local governance.

The West African Regional Programmes Officer for CLFG, Joyce Ekuful, said the visit to the Ministry was to inform it about the projects and programmes of CLFG.

Ms. Ekuful applauded the efforts of the Ministry in supporting CLGF’s projects and programmes, acknowledging the Forum’s benefits from the good practices of the government of Ghana and urged other commonwealth states to emulate.

She said contributions from the Ministry will help strengthen local governance and stressed the need for more funds to promote more programmes and projects.

She highlighted the benefits of the Local Economic Development pilot programme in four Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), which spanned from 2016 to 2020, such as the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) project to train women assembly members, in nine regions and the collaboration with Ghana Statistical Service in the collation of administrative data for Ghana.

She called for sustainable mobilisation to the commitment to good governance in the commonwealth region and asked for the Ministry’s participation.

Source:           Rhodaline Abba

                        (Public Relations Unit, MLGDRD)

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development held a management meeting to sign an agreement based on the Performance of Directors, Heads of Departments and Analogous Grades, on the 8^th of April 2024 at the Ministry.

The purpose of the meeting was to ascertain the 2024 performance assessment agreement was signed and the occasion was also used to introduce two new Directors.

In his opening remarks, the Chief Director Amin Abdul-Rahaman stated that, as part of plans to achieve targets set up by the Ministry, it is prudent to sign a performance agreement with various Directorates.  This will help ensure that the organisational objectives and goals of the Ministry feeds into the National Policy and attain the mandate of the Ministry.

He besought the Directors to ensure that their targets set for the year were in sync with the goals and achievements of the Ministry and he encouraged and advised them to also set smart targets that can be actualised and achieved.

For his part, the Director for Human Resource, Kwabena Denkyira stated that, the Performance Assessment also forms part of the Chief Director’s Performance Assessment with the Head of Civil Service which was very crucial for the Ministry’s Performance.

He also advised his colleagues to adhere to the requirements in the Chief Director’s schedule and called for the need to sign the Performance Agreement to help appraise them fairly.

On the assessment of performance of Deputy Directors and its equivalent grades to the last grade, Mr. Denkyira said the Civil Service used the E-spar to ascertain their achievements.

The Director for General Administration, Dela Kemevor also gave his input and said the importance of this exercise, was to help assess the performance of Directors within the civil service.

He mentioned that ‘the target is what drives us and guides us’. Saying “When targets are set, it helps to complete the guideline for the Ministry”.

Source:             Humble Owusu Yeboah & Rhodaline Abba
                              (Public Relations Unit, MLGDRD)

The second day of the highly anticipated Civil Service Week Match Competition saw the Women's Football Team of the Ministry of Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) geared up for a showdown against the Women's Football Team from the Ministry of Information (MoI). However, the anticipated clash took an unexpected turn as the MoI team failed to appear for the scheduled match.

The MLGDRD Women's Team, who had meticulously prepared both mentally and physically for the encounter, arrived at the stadium with unwavering determination and strong support from the entire MLGDRD community. Despite the absence of their opponents, the MLGDRD team displayed professionalism and readiness to compete.

The no-show from the MoI team resulted in an automatic qualification for the MLGDRD Women's Team, who were declared winners of the match and subsequently advanced to the next stage of the competition.

The Civil Service Week Match Competition, organized as part of the annual Civil Service Week Celebration by the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS), aims to foster camaraderie, teamwork, and healthy competition among civil servants, ministries, departments, and agencies across Ghana.

While the unexpected turn of events led to a walkover victory for the MLGDRD Women's Team, it underscores the importance of preparedness and sportsmanship in such competitions. The MLGDRD community, proud of their team's dedication and commitment, looks forward to continued success as the competition progresses.

As the Civil Service Week Celebration unfolds, participants and spectators anticipate more exciting matches and activities that celebrate the spirit of unity and collaboration within Ghana's civil service sector.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann

MLGDRD PR UNIT