The Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) has issued directives to facilitate a smooth transition following the revocation of appointments of all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and appointed Assembly Members by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana.

The President’s decision, effective 8th January 2025, was conveyed through a letter addressed to the Chief Director of the Ministry. The revocation of the MMDCEs’ appointments and the mandates of Assembly Members aligns with Section 10(9)(a) of the Local Governance (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Act 940).

In a swift response to the directive, the Chief Director has instructed all MMDCEs to hand over their duties, government assets, and all relevant documents to their respective Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Coordinating Directors (MMDCDs). The MMDCDs are to oversee the daily administration of the Assemblies until new appointments are made.

Additionally, appointed Assembly Members have been directed to immediately return any public assets in their possession to their respective MMDCDs. The Chief Director emphasized that during this interim period, MMDCDs must refrain from undertaking any capital expenditure-related activities.

These measures are intended to ensure continuity of administrative functions within the Assemblies while upholding accountability and safeguarding public resources.

The Ministry has urged all affected individuals to comply fully with the directives to support a seamless transition.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann & Sandra Owusu Asamoah

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) has organised a two-day records management training for staff of the Records Unit and some other key staff of the ministry to enable them to appreciate the concept of records and records management for the overall efficiency and productivity of the ministry.

The purpose of the two-day training which took place from 11-12 December 2024 was to aid participants in effective record keeping to ensure the accurate archival of the ministry’s vital documents to retrieve and review later.

In an opening statement Mr. Dela Kemevor, Director, General Administration of the MLGDRD noted that data and documents were crucial factors responsible for information workflow within an organisation and the way they are curated decides the productivity of various departments that are interconnected through various processes and events, stressing that records management could significantly influence the overall organisational efficiency, workflow processes, security & integrity, litigation and compliance.

He added that training staff on record management was extremely important for the productivity of the ministry because well-trained employees have more confidence in their work, perform better, and are more likely to commit to their employer for the long term.

The facilitators: Mr. Abraham Allotey and Mr Josiah Gyimah, both from the Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD) took participants through carefully selected record management topics including Principles of Record Management, Contemporary Issues in Records Management, The Role of Directors and Heads of Units in Effective Records Management, Corporate Ethics in Records Management, Duties and Liabilities of the Record Officer among other important topics. Participants were also taken through the emerging trends of record keeping like Increasing Amount of Electronic Records, Growing Importance of Disaster Recovery, and  Integration and Interoperability.

Records Management Training can be defined as a Program designed to impart learning pertaining to the essentials of record management practices, key underlying concepts, best practices and guidelines that the personnel must adhere to.

Present at the training programme were staff and some directors of the ministry.

SOURCE: Sandra Owusu Asamoah

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), through the Ghana Productive Safety Net Project 2 (GPSNP2), has organized a comprehensive training workshop for Regional and District Information Officers of the Information Services Department (ISD). Held from October 3–4, 2024, at the Anita Hotel in Ejisu, the event aimed to strengthen the officers’ understanding of the project’s components and objectives, thereby enhancing communication strategies for engaging beneficiaries and the wider public.

Mr. Desmond Duametu, Assistant National Coordinator of GPSNP2, underscored the importance of this renewed collaboration between the GPSNP2 team and ISD. He expressed optimism about the potential of a unified approach to amplify project outcomes and contribute significantly to national development. Highlighting the role of ISD in project implementation, he noted that effective communication is pivotal in achieving the project’s goals of empowering poor households through sustainable productivity.

Dr. Winifred Nafisa Mahama, Director of the Information Services Department, addressed the participants, emphasizing the importance of their role in disseminating accurate and impactful messages to the public. She urged the officers to leverage the training to ensure GPSNP2’s objectives are well understood and embraced by rural communities, ultimately fostering national development.

The two-day workshop featured a series of presentations and interactive sessions designed to provide a thorough understanding of GPSNP2’s key components, including Productive Inclusion (PI), Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW), and Environmental and Social Safeguards. Participants were also introduced to strategies for effective communication and grievance redress mechanisms.

The training concluded with the development of tailored key messages for ISD officers to use in their outreach efforts. These messages will serve as a bridge to connect the project to its beneficiaries, ensuring that GPSNP2’s initiatives resonate with the targeted communities.

The GPSNP2 team remains committed to leveraging collaborations such as this to maximize the impact of their initiatives, reinforcing the shared vision of national growth and sustainable rural development.

SOURCE: Darling Maame Efua Cann

(Public Relations Unit MLGDRD)