OHLGS- Wednesday, May 15, 2024: The Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS), Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur has implored Regional Coordinating Directors (RCDs) to fully operationalise the ISS Governance Framework in their respective Regional Coordinating Council (RCCs) and Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs).
He made the call at the Dissemination Workshop on the Integrated Social Service (ISS) Governance Framework for selected Regional Officers and District Coordinating Directors held at the OHLGS.
The workshop was organised for selected regional officers and the RCDs to share the governance framework with stakeholders as well as harness ways to enhance the ISS delivery at the sub national level.
Dr. Nana Ato Arthur advised the RCDs to see development as critical at the sub national level and urged them to leverage on teamwork and continual monitoring as the surest possible means to successfully integrate the ISS programme.
On his part, the Director of NDPC, Dr. Kwadwo Mensah Abrampa, said that the programme aims to create a better future for children. Consequently, it was incumbent on stakeholders to work assiduously to improve the lives of children. He urged RCDs to ensure funds allocated for the programme are used for the intended purposes and thoroughly monitor officers that would be assigned on the ISS programme.
He emphasised that the developed governance framework for the operationalisation of the ISS delivery was to spell out clear and assigned roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders as well as to highlight strategies/actions that can help improve the ISS programme and urged them to ensure its successful rollout.
The UNICEF Ghana Chief of Social Policy and Inclusion, Dr. Paulina Sarvilati, said strengthening linkages between Ghana’s social protection, child protection, and health services have already recorded positive outcomes, which have enabled the coordination of work at the decentralised levels between Social Welfare, Health, NHIA, DOVVSU and the legal system, though gaps remain.
She bemoaned the delay in finalising the legal policy and institutional framework that would provide full protection to all children and professionalise the social welfare workforce in Ghana. This she believes would ensure coherent oversight, accountability, and management of ISS.
Dr. Sarvilati described the workshop as an opportunity to disseminate the ISS governance structure document and implored all stakeholders to study the document carefully for a successful operationalisation to improve service delivery at the sub-national levels.
She lauded the collaboration between UNICEF and the Government of Ghana in the quest to strengthen decentralisation as an avenue to create a better future for every child in Ghana.