The current situation with regards to exigency of an effective HRIS for the public sector of Ghana
Richard Asare
The World Bank‘s Ghana Governance and Corruption Survey (2000) conducted by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) cites certain Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as crucial frontline, high-profile public agencies that are perceived as corrupt, lax about service delivery, and lacking transparency in the conduct of affairs, with far-reaching implications for economic development, and a low public confidence about performance and integrity. In Ghana, public administration is vested in several MDAs, parastetal boards and commissions that coordinate policy and information. The final product is often mired in a maze with motley challenges. The concomitant effect of this perennial bureaucracy within the public service is low morale and industrial unrest among workers, and a slowdown of productivity in a country that is striving to attain middle-income status by the end of 2015. The phenomenon betrays the inadequacy of coordination the public service and a reluctance to introduce electronic systems and support services to make them functional.
In this direction, the World Bank‘s Ghana Governance and Corruption Survey (2000) recommends the strengthening of ongoing institutional reforms in troubled ‘public agencies with specific emphasis on improving internal management practices and salaries, streamlining government laws, and promotion and development of codes of ethics to improve service delivery and public accountability. Furthermore, governments must confront multiple internal challenges such as fiscal stress, distrust of bureaucracy, and higher demands for public services.
Also, according to a report by Quality Health Partners on the state of HRM in the Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Health, HR practices had been highly influenced by insufficient consensus building on policies and documentations with some institutions grossly neglecting approved human resource practices. Some of these include policies on recruitment, postings, promotions, training and development. Coupled with this, is the lack of monitoring for compliance with various HR policies for example annual leave periods and in-service training. The lax in matching HR needs of agencies and statutory bodies with budgetary and personnel allocations led to shortage of professionals, ghost names on government payroll, centralized and inefficient staff management.
The Government of Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development policy (ICT4AD) drafted in 2007 entails the development of an Integrated ICT-led Socio-Economic Development Framework for Ghana. Secondly, it seeks to develop an Integrated ICT-led Socio-Economic Development Policy and Strategies towards the realization of a vision for Ghana through the development, deployment and exploitation of ICTs. The Policy document will support the development of the necessary economic base and environment for accelerating Ghana‘s development towards information-rich and knowledge-based economy and society. Additional Resources:
The Role of Human Resource Information System in the Process of Manpower Activities
Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information SystemAuthor Bio
Richard Asare is worked as Database Administrator and Project Manager in a wide variety of business applications. He is currenly with Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. He has exposure and experience and has done design and implementation of Performance Management Systems - 360 feedback, Employee/Employer Appraisal and detailed Analysis of results.
