Importance of Evaluation in Government: Creating an enabling environment for evaluation in Ghana

1. Why is Evaluation important to Government? Creating an enabling environment for evaluation in Ghana – Tuesday, 6th June, 2017Ho Forum Nana Opare-Djan, Deputy Director, M&E Division National Development Planning Commission

2. 1992 – NDPC was provided for in the 1992 (4th Republican) Constitution 1994- Enabling Acts of Parliament of Ghana passed to formally establish NDPC (NDPC Act 1994, Act 479), and the Decentralised Planning System (NDPS Act 1994, Act 480) 1995, June 2,, first “Board of Governors” or ‘Commission’ was formally sworn in by the then President of the Republic of Ghana. H. E. Flt Lt. J. J. Rawlings 2002, February 7, Second Commission was formally inaugurated by H. E. the President of the Republic of Ghana, H. E. Mr. J. A. Kuffour 2014 Current Commission formally inaugurated by H. E the President of the Republic of Ghana, John DramaniMahama BRIEF HISTORY OF NDPC 1987– Cabinet decided to establish NDPC based on the Report by International Group of Experts 1987 – Transitional Implementation Team (Tit) Set up to Propose Organisational Structure, Recruitment and Preparatory Committee for the establishment of the NDPC 1990– NDPC commenced actual work under the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of NDPC (PREPCOM), chaired by Lt. Gen Arnold Quainoo, Else while PNDC Member.

3. MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION • (GOVERNING BOARD) • CHAIRMAN • DIRECTOR-GENERAL • Key Ministers responsible for • -Finance, Education, Environment, Science and Technology, Employment & Labour Relations, Health, Food and Agriculture, Local Government & Rural Development, Trade & Industries etc • GOVERNOR OF BANK OF GHANA • GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN • REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES • Government Appointees

4. MISSION OF NDPC To advise the President of the Republic of Ghana (and Parliament on request) on national development policy and strategy by providing a framework for accelerated and sustainable development of the country to promote continuous improvement in the living standards of all Ghanaians.

5. Broad activities to achieve mission •  a. establishing and regulating the decentralized planning system • coordinating formulation of national and sectoral development policies • coordinating preparation of multi-year rolling development plans of Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal & District Assemblies (DAs) • harmonizing multi-year rolling development plans of MDAs and DAs into national development plans.

6. monitoring and evaluating development policies, programmes and projects • Make proposal for the protection of natural and physical environment • Make proposal to ensure even development of districts of Ghana, by effectively utilising available resources • serving as pro-active and responsive nerve center for dealing with national and international issues that impact on the country’s development.

7. NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING PROCESS • Traditional approach to planning • Planning was national in scope and sectoral in nature • Described as Top-down and highly centralised • Planning approach defines national goals and objectives • Formulate national development plans from the perspective of a few staff of Ministries and other central government bodies without extensive consultation and participation of beneficiaries

8. NEW PLANNING PROCESS • Is decentralised in scope and nature • Creates and clearly identifies political and bureaucratic bodies • Assigns them with authority, responsibility and roles in ways that promote partnership in planning • Identifies functions, further decentralise the planning process • Effect integration and effectiveness in the formulation and implementation of development policies and programmes at national, regional, district and sectoral levels. • The process caters for community participation, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration • Involves continuous monitoring and evaluation of implementation to provide effective feed back

9. Why Decentralised Planning Process • ensures participation from the lower levels - grassroots • overall planning captures priorities of lower units • ensures effectiveness • people living in a particular location know their problems better than outsiders and as such arecapable of identifying more realistic and relevant solutions to address them. • allows the local people to sustainably, mobilize and allocate resource to meet their priorities. • decide on the type of services that they will need or project to be undertaken, where to obtain it or to be located and how much they will pay for it or contribute towards the project’s implementation so that the service or project can be in operation and constantly maintained.

10. LEGAL FRAMEWORK • 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, (4th Republic) is the basis for the National development planning process • Articles 86 (sets up NDPC) and 87 (prescribes its functions) • National Development Commission Act 1994, Act 479 of the Parliament of Ghana formally established NDPC in September 1994 • National Development Planning (Systems), Act 1994, Act 480 provided the functions of the planning units at all levels • PNDC Law 327 (Civil Service Law of January 1993). • Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462 • Legislative Instruments setting up the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies and the Sub-district levels (1961, 1967, 2232)

11. Planning functions of the National Development Planning Commission • issuing approved development policies as directed by the President for the guidance of the public and private sector • prescribing the format and content of development plans for the districts, ministries and sector agencies • co-ordinating district development plans and programmes submitted through the RCCs and ensure that these plans and programmes are compatible with national development objectives • integrating economic, spatial and sectoral plans of ministries and sectoral agencies and ensure that these plans are compatible with national development objectives • advising relevant agencies on the formulation of guidelines for the regulation of physical development • in collaboration with relevant agencies, monitor physical development to ensure that any proposed development conforms with the approved development plans for the respective area • performing such other functions as are reasonably related to development planning, policy and strategy.

12. Planning units • National Development Planning Commission [Cross-sectoral Planning Groups] • Ministries, Sector Departments and Agencies (MDAs) [Policy. Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PPMED)] • Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) [Regional Planning Coordinating Units (RPCUs)] • Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) [Metropolitan, Municipal and District Planning Coordinating Units (MMDPCUs)]

13. The national development planning process begins with the formulation of national development policy framework through extensive public consultation and participation throughout the country