ugbs 105 introduction to public administration...dr. daniel appiah, ugbs learning objectives at the...

College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 – 2016/2017

UGBS 105

Introduction to Public

Administration

Session 7–The Public Administration System in Ghana: Part 2

Lecturer: Dr. Daniel Appiah, UGBS

Contact Information: [email protected]

Dr. Daniel Appiah, UGBS

Session 7

The Public Administration

System in Ghana: Part 2


Learning Objectives

At the end of the session, you should be able to

understand:

� The organizational structure of Ghana’s post-colonial public

administration system

� The relationship between the key components of Ghana’s

system: The Executive, the Legislature, the Public Service,

and the Civil Service

� The problem of reconciling Chieftaincy administration and

Public Administration in Ghana


Public Administration in British Colonial

Ghana: 1821 – 1956

Antecedent to British colonial rule over Ghana in 1821, the Public

Administration system was controlled by Chiefs exercising Executive,

Legislative, and judicial functions

The failure of the British Government to use military force to supersede the

chieftaincy institutions of the existing Native States led to a negotiated

political settlement over the creation of a colonial state in which British

officers and chiefs shared sovereign state authority over Territorial

Administration

Chiefs and non-chief native educated elites were gradually incorporated into

the national Executive and Legislative branches of state administration; but

the Chiefs were gradually kicked out after internal self-government

Chieftaincy institutions were transformed into a system of local government

until they were gradually kicked out after 1951


The Structure of Public Administration

in Ghana: 1957 – the 4th Republic

We shall look at the structure of Ghana’s post-colonial

public administration system after the Chiefs and

British colonial officials handed over the Executive

reigns of Government to mainly non-chief educated

elites


Legal Framework of Public Administration

in Ghana under the Fourth Republic

Article 11 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana lists the hierarchy and sources of law that

governs Public Administration in Ghana as follows:

The 1992 constitution

Enactments made by or under the authority of Parliament

Any Orders, Rules and Regulations made by any person or authority under a power

conferred by this constitution. Subsidiary legislation comprises: Constitutional

instruments, Legislative instruments, Executive instruments, instruments of a judicial

character, bylaws, notices, and statutes, existing law, and common law

The Common law: Comprising the rules of law generally known as the common law,

doctrine of equity, and the rules of customary law

The rules of customary law means the written and unwritten rules of law which by

custom are applicable to particular communities in Ghana, including those determined by

the Superior Court of Judicature


The Actors of Public Administration in

Ghana Under the 4th Republic: Since 1992

Article 190 (1) of the of the 1992 Constitution states that the public services of Ghana

shall include:

The Civil Service

The Judicial Service

The Audit Service

The Education Service

The Parliamentary Service

The Health Service

The Statistical Service

The National Fire Service

The customs, Excise and Preventive service

The Internal Revenue Service

The police Service

The Immigration Service

The Legal Service,

Public Corporations

Public Services established by the Constitution and Parliament


Organizational Structure of Public

Administration in Ghana under the 4th Republic

. The President

(Executive)

Parliament

(Legislature)

National House

of Chiefs

Sector Ministries (Interior, Local

Gov’t, Agriculture, Finance, etc.)

The Judiciary: A

hierarchy of Courts

10 Regional Coordinating

Councils

170 District Assemblies

Semi-autonomous

Agencies (e.g. EC,

CHRAJ, NDPC,

Audit Service) 10 Regional

Houses of Chiefs

173 Traditional

Councils of Chiefs


The Structure of Public Administration

in Ghana: 1957–the 4th Republic

The organizational structure of Public Administration in Ghana has

not changed significantly since 1957, although the Executive branch

has taken diverse shapes under eleven (11) Civilian Governments and

six (6) Military Governments

In the period immediately after independence in 1957 to the mid

1970s, the Civil Service of Ghana’s Public Administration system was

described as “the finest, most relevant and performance-oriented

institution in Africa”, but in the post-1970s it has been described as

“a moribund paper-pushing institution” (Ayee, 2001:2)

The nature and functions of the president, sector Ministries,

Judiciary, Parliament, Regional Coordinating Councils, District

Assemblies, and Houses of Chiefs under the 1992 fourth republican

constitution are discussed in turn


The President (The

Executive) Constitutional multi-party

democracy: The President is directly elected by Citizens through universal adult suffrage in multi-party elections to serve a maximum tenure of two (2) terms of four (4) years per term

The President of the Republic of Ghana is the Head of State, Head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana

The President is vested with Executive authority to appoint his Executive team of Cabinet Members, Ministers of Sector Ministries, other Ministers of State, the Heads of almost all State agencies, as well as create new Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to administer public affairs

The President has the final authority to assent to or reject all bills of formal-legal public policy made by Parliament


Parliament (The Legislature)

Ghana currently has a legislature or

Parliament with 275 single-constituency

members directly elected by citizens in

multi-party elections. Parliament is vested

with the legislative power to make laws

and other public policies

Parliament does not have the authority

to independently enact public policy with

financial implications. Such policies are

the reserve of the President

Parliament is also prevented from

discussing a bill affecting the institution

of chieftaincy without prior reference to

the National House of Chiefs

A partisan rubber stamp used by the Executive?


Public Sector Ministries

A Ministry is the highest organization for the respective sector which was created

to serve (e.g. Agriculture, finance). The fourth republic of Ghana started with 27

Ministries, but many of them have been re-organized and new ones created

The political head of a Ministry is the Minister and the bureaucratic head is called

the Chief Director, both appointed by the President

A Ministry is organized into four main divisions, namely; (1) General Administration

and Finance Division, (2) Planning, Budgeting, Co-ordination, Monitoring, and

Evaluation Division; (3) Training and Human Resources Development Division; and

(4) Research, Statistics, Public Relations and Information Division

The sector Ministries perform the following general functions: (i) Initiate and

formulate policies; (ii) undertake development planning; (iii) co-ordinate, monitor

and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the performance of the sector


Public Administration

Personnel Management in Ghana

The recruitment, promotion, and welfare of Public Administration

personnel in Ghana are managed by diverse agencies including:

•The Head of the Civil Service

•The Public Services Commission

•The Ghana Health Service

•The Local Government Service

•The Legal Service

•The Parliamentary Service, etc.


Public Administration Reforms in

Ghana

•Numerous Commissions and Committees of enquiry have been

established at different times to investigate the problems affecting

effective and efficient Public Administration in Ghana.

•Many reforms have also been implemented aimed at strengthening the

public service to deliver efficient and effective services to the people

•It seems that the post-1970s Public Administration system is yet to

return to its best days in the late colonial era and the post-colonial

period prior to the 1970s

•Comparative historical research is required to understand the reasons

for, and solutions to, the decay of Ghana’s post-colonial Public

Administration system

Conclusion: The Public Administration System

of Ghana Covers all Agencies within the State

15

ugbs 105 introduction to public administration...dr. daniel appiah, ugbs learning objectives at the...

Documents