. 2015 CEOs Confab

. Brief on PSC . HR Network Executives

into Office inducted . Electronic Communication Tribunal inaugurated

resident John Dramani

Mahama has urged Heads of PPublic Service organisations

and Chairpersons of Boards and

Councils to take responsibility in

the fight against corruption in the

Public Service.

in this edition

th President Mahama was opening the 8Conference of Public Service Chief Directors, Chief Executives and Chairpersons of Governing Boards and Councils at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.

The fight against corruption was not the sole responsibility of the Executive, but a shared one in which public service office holders should be mindful of, he noted.

The President was addressing over 140 par t i c ipan ts who a t tended the Conference, which was on the theme: “Leading and Managing the Dynamics of Change through the Professionalization of the Public Services”.

First Edition June 2015

...Urges leadership of Public Services to fight corruption ... Continued stay in office to be based on satisfactory work performance

PRESIDENT MAHAMA OPENS 2015 CEOs CONFERENCE

...building a productive public service

PSC NEWSA Newsletter of the Public Services Commission

Cont. on page 7

The Annual Conference was meant to be a platform for the President to meet, interact and share his vision and concerns of his administration with Chief Executives and Chairpersons of Governing Boards and Councils.

The meeting was also intended to afford

the leadership of the Public Service, the

opportunity, to deliberate on emerging

issues on governance and public

administ rat ion wi th a v iew to

exchanging ideas and making

recommendations that would lead to

improvement in service delivery.

he Public Services Commission, in collaboration

with the Ministry of Finance and the Controller Tand Accountant-General’s Department will

conduct a Human Resource (HR) Audit of the Public

Service as part of the on-going sub-project on Human

Resource Management Information System (HRMIS)

under the GIFMIS project.

As part of the preparatory work to roll out the exercise,

the Commission met Consultants of the Project to

deliberate on issues pertaining to the programme.

Addressing the Consultants, the Chairman of the PSC,

Mrs. Bridget Katsriku underlined the importance of the

HR Audit to the PSC, the public service and the entire

nation, describing it as “very critical” for a sustainable

human resource planning regime.

She recalled recent media reports about the public

service, which centered on the huge public service

wage bills, payroll anomalies and “ghost names” among

others things, and said “this is one bold initiative that we

want to take to address those issues”.

Mrs. Katsriku said the HR Audit is not a standalone

exercise, but linked with the HRMIS project that the

Commission is carrying out, and will provide other

related HR information that will guide proper HR

planning in the Public Service.

The purpose of the Human Resource Audit, is aimed at

achieving the following:

Ÿ to obtain a more accurate and scientific data on the

Human Resource in the Public Service for decision

making and planning purposes;

Ÿ to determine the optimum number of positions and the

right human resource establishment levels/ceilings for

each MDA and MMDA in order to facilitate effective

position management around entry, progression and exit

in the public service; and

Ÿ to identify excess labour force for development to

other relevant organisations in deficit.

To facilitate speedy execution of the assignment, the

country has been zoned as follows:

Zone 1 - Upper East and Northern,

Zone 2 - Brong-Ahafo and Upper West

Zone 3 - Volta and Greater Accra

Zone 4 - Western and Central

Zone 5 - Ashanti Region

Zone 6 - Eastern Region

The Commission, therefore, requests all MMDAs to co-

operate and give maximum support to the consultants for

the successful conduct of the exercise.

Human Resource Audit Commences in June 2015 ...as PSC meets HR Audit Consultants

Designed and Printed by Information Services Department

Cont. from page 1

INTRODUCTION

The Public Services Commission (PSC) is an independent

constitutional body established under Article 195 of the

1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. The PSC's

powers, functions and privileges in the discharge of its

mandate were further consolidated by the Public Services

Commission Act 1994, (Act 482).

MANDATEArticle 194 (1) of the 1992 Constitution states that “there

shall be a Public Services Commission which shall perform

such functions as assigned to it by this Constitution or by

any other law. In Article 196, it is stated that, “The Public

Services Commission shall have such powers and exercise

such supervisory, regulatory and consultative functions as

Parliament shall, by law, prescribe, including as may be

applicable, the supervision and regulation of entrance and

promotion examinations, recruitment, appointment into or

promotions within the Public Services and the

establishment of guidelines on the terms and conditions of

employment in the public services”.

The Commission is further empowered in Sections 10-13 of

PSC Act 482 to request any public officer, Corporation or

Board to supply relevant information or data on its work

which shall be binding on the person or organisation so

requested. ‘’The Act also authorises officers of the PSC to

enter any premises of a Ministry, Department, and office of a

Regional Co-ordinating Council, office of a District

Assembly, or any public office to inspect and make copies of

any records or documents kept there.’’

A public officer who, therefore, without reasonable excuse,

fails to appear before the Commission when notified do so,

or who fails to comply with any request lawfully and properly

made by or on behalf of the Commission, or who obstructs

the Commission or any member or officer of the

Commission in the performance of his functions under this

section, shall be guilty of misconduct.

The Act provides for the security, autonomy and

confidentiality of PSC’s activities that interacts “any report,

statement or record of any meeting, enquiry or proceedings

which the Commission may make in the exercise of its

functions, or any member or officer of the Commission may

make in the performance of his duties, shall be privileged in

that its production may not be compelled in any legal

proceedings, unless the Supreme Court certifies that the

production is in the public interest.’’

Functions Section 4 of Act 482, 1994 stipulates the functions of the Commission. These are:

v to advise Government on the criteria forappointment to public offices as well as persons to hold or act in public offices;

The government in this rationalisation

exercise had already posted 1300

teachers to underserve areas in both

rural and urban areas.

President Mahama said that the

sustainability of the public sector

depends on the individual's quality and

efficient service delivery. He urged all

public servants to break the false notion

that the public service belongs to the

government and regard every

government institution as their property.

The Chairman of the Public Services

Commission (PSC), Mrs. Bridget

Katsriku, in her welcome address, said

that the Service required leaders who

would employ innovative management

tools to continuously promote and

foster change for it to become more

effective and efficient.

“The complexities for managing change

require managing people who are good

at what they do in an ethical, competent

and professional manner”, she added.

Mrs. Katsriku observed that increased

pressure on the government to deliver

quality services to citizens required the

infusion of professionalism as a

prerequisite for public servants for them

to deliver quality service. She added

that “being professional is being

excellent at one's job and this should

lead to satisfying one's clients”.

She stated that mediocrity, that results

from incompetent and unethical

behaviour often breeds unprofessional

conduct, corruption and citizen's

d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n , c o n f l i c t a n d

underdevelopment, adding that

“…mediocrity and unprofessionalism in

public service has high correlation with

our poor public service delivery today”.

The Chairman of PSC called on the

leadership of the various public service

organisations to wake up to their

REACHING OUT TO YOU!he Public Services Commission continues to be guided by the provisions of Article 196 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of TGhana. These empower the Commission to excise supervisory,

regulatory, advisory and consultative functions as the Central Management Agency (CMA) responsible for providing strategic guidance for human resource management in the Public Services of Ghana.

Under the above captioned Constitutional provision, the Commission is required, among others, to advise Government on the criteria for appointments to public offices as well as persons to hold or act in public offices. The Commission is also to oversee the human resource development activities of public service organizations to ensure career planning and career development; review the organization structure and manpower requirements of public service organizations; and, advise Government on such manpower rationalization as may be necessary for maximum utilization of the human resource in the public service.

Conscious of the myriad of Human Resource Management (HRM) challenges, the Commission has embarked on a number of HRM reform initiatives, which when effectively implemented would improve HRM practices and the overall functioning of the Public Services of Ghana.

The HR Reforms include the following: · institutionalization of an effective Performance Management systems which will link rewards and sanctions to performance; · establishment of a Human Resource management Information Systems (HRMIS) which will help, among others, to efficiently manage the payroll, control irregular recruitment, and reduce the payment of unearned salaries to “ghost names” on the payroll; · development and implementation of a Human Resource Management Policy Framework and Manual to clarify roles, responsibilities , accountabilities, structures and standards; · manpower audit of public service organizations/agencies for the optimum utilization and rationalization of human resources in public service organizations for sustainable service delivery; and, · development of the capacity of HRM professionals to adequately manage the human capital of the Public Services.Ÿ development of Corporate Governance Manual to guide the practice of good governance in MDAs

The Commission wishes to thank all stakeholders including the Office of the President, Cabinet, Parliament, Developing Partners, Central Management Agencies and all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the successful design and implementation of these reforms. It is the hope of the Commission, that as it moves further into the implementation stages of the reforms, all stakeholders would continue to support the efforts of the Commission towards building a strong and results-oriented public service delivering quality services to the citizenry.This maiden and subsequent issues of the Public Services Commission's Newsletter, shall provide information, updates and progress being made in the implementation of the reform initiatives, including highlights on major events and programmes of the Commission.

The President expressed dissatisfaction about embarrassing manner some Chief Directors were hauled yearly to face the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to answer queries on mismanagement and abuse of public funds at their various Agencies.

“I normally feel very sorry for you when you appear and you are being quizzed …and so one would think that after leaving that uncomfortable situation when you go back you will take control and make sure you are not summoned back”, the President said.

He therefore directed Chief Executives to take effective action against all public servants mentioned in the Auditor-General's Report, adding “....that is what you are required to do".

Touching on professionalism, President Mahama expressed concern about the way some public servants at positions of trust demanded inducements from clients before providing services they are paid to undertake.

The President cited a complaint he

received from one of the country's entry

points where a foreign national, despite

the complimentary reports he had about

Ghana prior to his

On speculations that the government

would retrench workers in the public

service as part of the IMF conditions, His

Excellency explained that the government

was rather in the process of staff

rationalisation, where personnel would be

posted to places where their services are

required.

visit, had to part away

with money in exchange of the service he

required. This the President described as

“unethical and selfish”.

On employment, the President dispelled

rumours that the International Monetary

Fund (IMF) bailout programme had

attached conditionalities that would

restrain the government from employing

workers into the public sector. The

government, the President said, would

continue to recruit the required number of

qualified workers needed to enhance

service delivery.

responsibilities and change the way they

lead.

She expressed displeasure about lack

of commitment on the part of Chief

Executives to ensure that the various

mandates of their agencies were

achieved in an efficient and effective

way.

She noted that many of the Governing

Boards and Councils had not signed

performance contracts with their Chief

Executives and, therefore, could not

hold them accountable for poor work

performance.

The Commission, she said, would continue its efforts to ensure that the situation is addressed to enable the public depend on the public service for better service delivery.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. A n tw i - B o a s i a k o S e k y e r e s a i d professionalism and work ethics in public service had attracted little a t tent ion in recent t imes and emphasized the need for public servants to keep pace with time.

He noted that the public sector was the

surest way of extending opportunities to

all citizens, and underlined the need for

change in work attitudes and ethics of

Public Servants.

The Conference of Public Service Chief

Directors, Chief Executives and

Chairpersons of Governing Boards and

Councils, has over the years, created

opportunities for networking amongst

participants and a platform to share

information or showcase programmes of

agencies that leaders in the public

service needed to be aware of.

PSC News 7PSC News 2

EDITORIALBRIEF ON THE PUBLIC SERVICES

COMMISSION

PSC News 7

“...if you make the choice to serve the public,

Public Service, then serve the public,

not yourself”

- Jack Abramoff

Cont. on page 6

PRESIDENT MAHAMA OPENS 2015 CEOs CONFERENCE

She further stated, that the Human Resource

Management Practitioners Network was

common feature in the developed countries

and wi th these networks providing

professional inputs and advice to direct and

influence policy changes in the area of human

resource management.

The Networks, she noted, also serve as a

veritable ground for which Human Resource

practitioners could improve their skills and

competencies to address the complexities and

challenges involved in managing employees.

Thus, the establishment of this network in

Ghana should be seen as huge step towards

professionalizing the human resource

management functions and managing people

in an effective and efficient manner in the

public service of Ghana.

The Interim Executive Committee has its

Chairman, Mr. Andy Okrah, Director of Human

Resource Management, Ghana Forestry

Commission.

The other Members include Ms. Ohenewa

Aboagye, Director of Administration, Ghana

Standard Authority; Mrs. Yvonne Quansah,

Head of Human Resource Management,

Ghana Public Procurement Authority; Mr.

Prince Moses A. Pecku, Human Resource

Manager, Ghana Water Company; Ms.

Patricia A Agyepong, Director, Office of the

Head of Civil Service; Ms. Charlotte Morgan-

Asiedu, Human Resource Director, Ministry of

Communication, Mr. Isaac Akrofi, Assistant

Director, PSC. The Secretariat for the Network

is located at the Public Services Commission

and has its Coordinator, Ms. Pearl Offeibea

Twum, Assistant Director PSC.

Mrs. Bridget Katsriku entreated the Interim

Executive Committee to take this responsibility

seriously and urged it to design strategies that

would make the Network vibrant, active and a

responsible professional grouping.

The Chairman of the Interim Executive

Committee, Mr. Okrah, on behalf of the other

members thanked the Public Services

Commission for the confidence reposed in

them and that they would collectively, work to

build a strong, vibrant and and professional

network of human resource management

practitioners.

Administration (GIMPA) is the Registrar. Mrs. Fuseina I. Yakubu is the Secretary in the Registry of the Tribunal.

Inaugurating the Tribunal, Mrs. Katsriku expressed her gratitude to the Chairman, Members and the Registrar for accepting the call to be part of the Tribunal, which she described as an “important good governance mechanism”.On behalf of the members, the Chairman of the Tribunal expressed his gratitude to the Commission for the confidence reposed in them, and assured the Commission that they will dispense justice fairly.

Justice Date-Bah, disclosed that the Tribunal shall commence work as soon as the rules of Procedure have been approved by a Panel of the Tribunal, specifically, convened for the purpose and promulgated as a Legislative Instrument by the Board.

The Public Services Commission is a statutory body mandated by Section 89 of the Electronic Communication Act to appoint the Chairman, Members, a Registrar and other staff necessary for the operation of the Tribunal.

seven-member Interim Executive

Committee to steer the affairs of the AHuman Resource Management

Practitioners Network was inaugurated by

Mrs. Bridget Katsriku, Chairman of the Public thServices Commission (PSC) on the 5 of

February, 2015. The venue for the short but yet

impressive ceremony was held in the

Conference Room of the Public Services

Commission.

In a brief background to this initiative, Mrs.

Bridget Katsriku said that the idea of

es tab l i sh ing the Human Resource

Management Practitioners' Network was the

outcome of the collaborative effort between

the Australian Public Services Commission

and the Ghana Public Services Commission.

The Network is to provide a platform for

Human Resource managers and practitioners

in the public services to engage one another in

a healthy cross-fertilization and sharing of

ideas, adopting innovative practices and

conventions including outcomes of research

findings to improve on their duties and

functions at their work places in the various

Ministries, Departments and Agencies

(MDAs).

PSC Inaugurates Electronic Communication Tribunal

PSC News 6 PSC News 7PSC News 3

HR NETWORK EXECUTIVES INDUCTED INTO OFFICE

he Chairman of the Public S e r v i c e s C o m m i s s i o n T(PSC), Mrs. Bridget Katsriku

has inaugurated the Electronic Communication Tribunal in Accra.

This is in accordance with the provisions of Section 88 to 93 of the Electronic Communication Act, 2008 (Act 775) to consider appeals against decisions or orders made by the National Communication Authority (NCA).

The three-man Tribunal is chaired by Justice Samuel Kofi Date-Bah, a retired Supreme Court Judge, and has Prof. Nii Narku Quaynor, a lecturer at University of Cape Coast (UCC), Mr. Biadela Mortey Akpadzi, Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) as members.

Mr. Tawia Akyea, Principal Lecturer a t t he Ghana I ns t i t u t e o f M a n a g e m e n t a n d P u b l i c

v. t o p r o m o t e e f f i c i e n c y , accountability and integrity in the Public Services;

v to prescribe appropriate systems and procedures for the management of personnel records within the Public Services;

v. to improve recruitment policies and techniques by introducing modern methods of judging the suitability of officers;

v. to conduct examinations and

interview for appointments to posts,

and for promotions in the Public

Services or within Public Corporations

to ensure uniformity of standards of

selection and qualification;

v to provide a standard framework

for evaluating and classifying jobs in the

Public Services;

v to review the organisation,

structure and manpower requirements

of agencies and bodies in the Public

Services and advise Government on

such manpower rationalisation as may

be necessary for maximum utilisation

of human resources in the Public

Services;

v to oversee the human resource

development activities of Public

Services organisations to ensure

career p lann ing and career

development in the Public Services;

v to conduct, in collaboration with training institutions, personnel research into human resources management in the Public Services in order to improve personnel practices and their utilisation in the Public Services; and

v to perform any other duties assigned to it under the constitution or any other enactment.

v formulate policy guidelines on appointments, promotions, and discipline for all the public service environments

v formulate policy guidelines for benefits and conditions of service for all the public service environment

v develop management / administrative systems for the public service.

Cont. from page 2 Enjoying your time in public service,

it may well be one of the most interesting

and challenging time of your life

- Donald Rumsfeld (American politician)

BRIEF ON PSC

2015 CEOs Conference in pictures The 2015 Conference of Public Service Chief Directors, Chief Executives and Chairpersons of Governing Boards/Council was held at the Capital View Hotel in Koforidua in

Eastern Region from 23rd to 26th April, 2015. H.E. John Dramani Maham, President of the Republic of Ghana performed the opening ceremony. Here are highlights of

activities that took place during the three-day conference.

PSC News 4 PSC News 7PSC News 5