The Head of the Local Government Service in Ghana, Professor Lord Mensah, has called on human resource practitioners within the service to embrace digitalization. This move aims to enhance efficiency and improve service delivery. Speaking at the 2nd Annual General Conference of the Human Resource Practitioners of Local Government Service–Ghana (HRPLGS-G) in Kumasi, Professor Mensah emphasized the importance of adapting to digital systems. He warned that HR managers relying on analogue methods risk being left behind as the public service increasingly adopts digital systems.
Professor Lord Mensah highlighted the need for HR practitioners to ensure that staff report to work on time, remain at post during official working hours, and are productive enough to meet leadership expectations and service demands. He stressed that it is crucial for HR practitioners not to be left behind due to the digital revolution. If they continue with analogue methods, they may no longer be part of the service as it moves ahead with digitalization.
The conference brought together HR managers from various Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies across Ghana. The goal was to discuss challenges confronting the profession and ways to improve HR management. Professor Mensah also urged HR practitioners to ensure that information provided for decision-making is accurate and credible. Inaccurate data can negatively affect management decisions, particularly as the Public Service introduces new digital systems.
According to Professor Mensah, the Public Service is developing software that requires reliable data from HR practitioners to support effective planning and decision-making. He explained that inaccurate data fed into computer programs can lead to wrong information, affecting decision-making. The conference also featured the election of new executives for the Human Resource Practitioners of Local Government Service–Ghana.
The President and Convener of the Association, Mr. Vivien Akumiah, called on the government to invest more in capacity building and training for Local Government Service staff. She noted that inadequate funding affects the service's ability to provide regular training and professional development opportunities for its personnel. Akumiah emphasized that HR practitioners operate across the country's 276 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, playing a critical role in advancing Ghana's decentralization agenda.
Akumiah highlighted the importance of capacity building and training for staff, stating that it will go a long way to help Ghana. The association aims to improve HR management and advance Ghana's decentralization agenda. The conference provided a platform for HR practitioners to deliberate on challenges and share experiences.
The Local Government Service HR practitioners' call to adopt digital systems aligns with efforts to improve service delivery and efficiency in Ghana's public service. The government's investment in digital systems and capacity building for HR practitioners is expected to enhance the overall performance of the Local Government Service.
Key points
- - Professor Lord Mensah urges HR practitioners to adopt digital systems to enhance efficiency and improve service delivery. - The conference aimed to discuss challenges confronting the profession and ways to improve HR management. - The government is urged to invest more in capacity building and training for Local Government Service staff.
