Head of Service urges Management to take steps to deliver on core functions
Monday, May 20, 2013 – 05:00
Dr. Callistus Mahama has called on the Directors of the Local Government Service to take steps to deliver on their core functions to enable the Service achieve its overall objective of ‘securing an effective administration and management of Local Government in the Country’.
The new Acting Head of the Local Government Service, who assumed duty barely two months ago, gave the advice at a day’s retreat on Tuesday 30th April, 2013 at the Ell King Hotel, East Legon. The retreat was, to provide the heads of the various directorates, the opportunity to brief him on their activities, current status, challenges facing them and the way forward.
He said, the position the Service occupies in Ghana’s decentralization policy today, makes it one of the key actors, hence more work needs to be done. He also noted that, in order for the Service to meet its goal, there is the need for Directors to work in consultative and collaborative manner/fashion.
Dr. Mahama again said, the Service has a lot of goodwill as demonstrated by the preparedness of many development partners and other donor agencies willing to offer the Service the needed support for the realization of its goal. To this end, he reminded the directors that, a great confidence has been reposed in the Service by all and sundry and this should therefore, be translated to the delivery of effective and efficient service, which by extension would have a positive impact on the Government’s ‘Better Ghana Agenda’.
Later, the heads of all the directorates briefed him on their activities, current status and challenges if any. The session also gave Dr. Mahama, the opportunity to seek clarification where necessary and also commented on what he deemed as critical issues of general concern. In reference to the above, Dr. Mahama, was emphatic on the issues of regular progress reporting, delegating authority, judicious use of resources, streamlining activities to remove any overlapping roles and as well as the effective utilization of ICT at the Secretariat and the Service as a whole. Furthermore, he touched on meeting deadlines, and resorting to the use of performance management systems to ensure the optimize use of labour.
Dr. Callistus Mahama assured management of his readiness to find every possible means to solve the problems of staffing, office accommodation and inadequate funding among others.
The Local Government Service Secretariat has seven (7) directorates and three units. These are Policy Planning, Budgeting and Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate (PPBMED). Management and Technical Service Directorate (MTSD), Human Resource Management Directorate (HRMD), Human Resource Development Directorate (HRDD), Financial Management Directorate (FMD), Others are Research, Statistics and Information Management Directorate (RSIMD), Administration and General Services Directorate (AGSD), Internal Audit Unit, Public Affairs Unit and the Legal Unit.
Public Affairs Unit