Wednesday 9 -Thursday 10 August 2023: The Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS) has sensitised selected Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs) on its newly Developed Client Service Unit Operational Manual (CSUO).
The two-day programme which was held at the conference room of the OHLGS was for participants to discuss the various modules in the Operational Manual and to share best practices to enhance the Manual for its full operationalisation across the Local Government Service (LGS).
The programme was opened on behalf of the Head of Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur by the Director of Budget at the OHLGS, Mr. Emmanuel Nartey. He said the programme was organised for the selected RCCs and MMDAs to fully comprehend the current practices of the Client Service Management in the LGS, identify the gaps that impede the smooth discharge of the duties of the Client Service Officers (CSOs) and adopt possible measures to address them. Mr Nartey revealed that the sensitization programme was a collaboration between the Management and Technical Support Directorate (MTSD) and the Budget Directorate of the OHLGS with funding from Ghana Secondary Cities Support Programmes (GSCSP).
He also mentioned that the Resource Persons have carefully prepared the modules for the manual to ensure its success in the Service. He urged participants to fully participate, understand and contribute towards enriching the Manual to meet the required standards of the LGS and expressed the hope that the programme would be a success.
On her part, the Chief Director of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC), Mrs. Lilian Baeka in a brief statement expressed appreciation to all Resource Persons who contributed to the successful drafting of the Manual. She said the RCCs and MMDAs selected for the pilot training were the first to gain first-hand knowledge about the newly drafted Operational Manual. She admonished participants to offer their inputs during the training to inform decisions of Management in improving the manual. She revealed that, plans are in the pipeline by Management of OHLGS to establish the Unit into a class for the career progression of staff in LGS.
The Facilitator, Ing. Baah Tetteh and a Resource Person from Office of the President on Client Service Charter, Mrs. Esther Opoku Aikins guided participants through the modules in the manual on topics such as the Strategic Management of the Client Service Unit and Operational Procedures.
Discussion at the workshop was interactive and afforded participants the opportunity to share similar challenges and experiences they have as Client Service Officers (CSOs).
According to the CSOs some of the challenges that impede the smooth operation of their responsibility range from a lack of logistics, lack of training, under staffing in the CSUs, difficulty in information flow from Management to CSU staff to inform their interactions with clients. They appealed for swift intervention to enable them to work efficiently and effectively.
The Chief Director of the OHLGS, Ms. Felicia Dapaah, in a closing remark, commended participants for their contribution towards the training and urged them to start putting the knowledge gained into practice at their various RCCs and MMDAs and also share possible feedback to inform the decision of Management in making the manual accessible across the Service.
Participants were drawn from the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly (AYWMA), Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Shai Osu Doku District Assembly (SODA), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the OHLGS.