Ghana's policy-making system is a structured process built into the 1992 Constitution, involving multiple institutions and stakeholders. The Cabinet, consisting of the President, Vice President, and between ten and nineteen Ministers of State, plays a crucial role in determining the general policy of the Government. The Cabinet's role is to assist the President in making key decisions, and its approval is required for any public policy, program, or major initiative to become official.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) is established under Articles 86 and 87 of the 1992 Constitution as part of the Executive. The NDPC is the government's principal advisory body on development planning and policy coordination. It is responsible for preparing medium-term development plans and ensuring alignment with national development priorities. The NDPC also issues guidelines for the preparation of medium-term development plans by ministries and district assemblies.
Policies in Ghana rarely emerge from nowhere; they originate from multiple sources, including a ruling party's manifesto, a President's vision, a crisis that demands a response, research from ministries, or recommendations from international commitments. The NDPC's guidelines for policy formulation describe the first formal step as "identification and analysis of the issue" – essentially, recognizing that a problem exists and requires government action. This is agenda setting, where someone must decide that the issue deserves attention.
Once an issue is identified, the responsible ministry or agency begins the technical work of formulation. The NDPC's public policy formulation guidelines outline a structured process: analyzing the problem, developing policy options, consulting stakeholders, selecting a preferred option, and defining vision, goals, objectives, and strategies. Stakeholder consultation is a formal step, which can take the form of workshops, forums, or teleconferences with relevant groups.
For a policy to become an official government position, it must pass through Cabinet. The Cabinet Secretariat reviews proposals before they reach ministers, and proposals that lack adequate components are returned to the sponsoring ministry for further work. The presidency has reinforced the rule that announcing policies without Cabinet approval breaches constitutional protocol and undermines collective responsibility. Ministers were directed to submit proposed policies through their Chief Directors to the Cabinet Secretariat for formal inclusion on the Cabinet agenda.
The NDPC plays a review role for policies connected to national development planning before Cabinet consideration. The Commission assesses whether the policy aligns with national development priorities and the medium-term framework before it proceeds to Cabinet. The NDPC also coordinates the preparation of a consolidated National Development Plan, consulting widely on long-term frameworks. Its Chairman has briefed Parliament's Economy and Development Committee on the Commission's mandate and its role in shaping strategic research, policy formulation, and monitoring across sectors.
Once a policy requires legislative change or budget approval, Parliament enters the process. Parliament's role is more active than outsiders often assume, with the Speaker explicitly rejecting the idea that the House should be a rubber stamp. Parliament's mandate is to "question, investigate, review, and scrutinize" before approving, amending, or rejecting. This ensures that policies are thoroughly examined and debated before becoming law.
Key points
- The Cabinet plays a crucial role in determining the general policy of the Government, and its approval is required for any public policy, program, or major initiative to become official.
- The NDPC is the government's principal advisory body on development planning and policy coordination, responsible for preparing medium-term development plans and ensuring alignment with national development priorities.
- Parliament's role is to scrutinize and check-and-balance the Executive, ensuring that policies are thoroughly examined and debated before becoming law.
