Bureaucracy and Politicization: the structural reorganization of the central Civil Service of Ghana, 1982-1991

Abstract

An attempt at reform was made by the P.N.D.C government from 1982 to 1991, to politicize the bureaucratic Ghana civil service which it recognized as a necessary instrument of action and hence achievement in development. The effort was to have the top echelon of the civil service to be politically committed to the government through the Chief Director approach to the ministerial reorganization. concomitant with this was the Workshop approach which, indeed, enhanced the bureaucratic character of the Ghana civil service.

This study establishes what actually happened and what lessons there are for any such attempt in the future.

The problems of implementation led to the abandonment of the philosophy behind the position of the Chief Director. The outcome of the effort was the single line adviser position of the Acting Chief Jirector. This was largely reminiscent of the abolished Principal Secretary's position. The Ghana civil service thus remained bureaucratic with the same laws, rules and regulations governing it since the attainment of independence. It seems to be a resilient bureaucracy with the capacity to smother any drastic changes in its traditions and set ways of organization and management.

The study found that without the proper strategic approach and the necessary resources required for implementation of the reorganization, nothing worthwhile would be achieved.