Vertical accountability among ministries of state in an emerging economy: A case study of Ghana
Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Cogent Business & Management
Abstract
Since 1992, Ghana has implemented several initiatives and reforms such
as the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACAP), Right to Information (RTI) Act,
Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and the Office of the Special
Prosecutor (OSP) with the goal of improving accountability while reducing corruption. These policies provide researchers with a lot of opportunities to examine how
effective these programs have been as well as their impact on accountability.
Hence, the present study seeks to accomplish three main objectives: 1) to explore
the factors that facilitate vertical accountability; 2) to explore the limitations to
vertical accountability; and 3) to investigate the benefits of vertical accountability in
Ghana. To accomplish these objectives, we interviewed twenty directors in seven
ministries of state and ten experts across civil society and academia in Ghana. We
found that the disclosure of financial income, assets, and interest, the Right to
Information (RTI) Act; merit-based recruitment, proper record keeping, performance-based evaluation, training and development, the absence of corruption, and
conflicts of interest are major drivers of vertical accountability in Ghana.
Additionally, we found that the presence of corruption, nepotism/patron-clientelism, conflict of interest, a lack of political commitment and participation, inadequate
resources, and weak complaint and accountability mechanisms limit vertical
accountability. Finally, the benefits of vertical accountability include improvements
in openness and fairness, effective and efficient utilization of scarce resources,
integrity, and trust. These results were extensively discussed, while recommendations for future studies were proffered.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Ministries of State, vertical accountability, corporate governance