Head of Civil Service calls for reset of civil service to drive Ghana’s sustainable development

The Head of the Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, has called for a deliberate resetting of the Civil Service to make it more agile, innovative, responsive and capable of driving Ghana’s sustainable development agenda.

He said the resetting should not mean abandoning the values, traditions and institutional foundations that had guided the Civil Service over the years, but rather reassessing existing systems, strengthening institutions and embracing innovative approaches to improve public service delivery.

Dr Aggrey-Darkoh made the call on Tuesday at a public lecture organised as part of activities marking the 2026 Civil Service Week celebrations in Accra.

The theme for this year’s celebration, “There is a Certain Agenda for Sustainable Development in Ghana: The Civil Service’s Responsibilities,” he said, was timely and significant as it challenged civil servants to reflect on their role in Ghana’s development journey and the need to reposition the Service to respond effectively to emerging national and global challenges.

He said the Civil Service remained central to Ghana’s governance and development, particularly in providing the expertise needed for policy formulation, implementation and coordination.

He explained that the Civil Service could make a greater contribution to national development if civil servants were willing to put in the additional effort required in policy formulation, implementation and coordination.

Dr Aggrey-Darkoh further identified rising citizens’ expectations, rapid technological advancement and emerging global challenges as factors requiring the Civil Service to become more responsive and adaptive.

He called for stronger evidence-based policymaking, increased collaboration, digital transformation, ethical leadership and continuous capacity development of the workforce.

He said the public lecture provided an opportunity for civil servants to look beyond their routine responsibilities and reflect on broader issues including institutional transformation, leadership, innovation and sustainable development.

He urged civil servants to remain open to innovation, adopt new approaches and ensure that public services responded effectively to the needs and expectations of citizens.

He said every decision taken, policy supported and service delivered by a civil servant contributed to the development of Ghana.

The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, called for stronger adherence to meritocracy, discipline, professionalism and integrity in Ghana’s Civil Service to accelerate national development.

He said the effectiveness of the Civil Service depended largely on the quality, competence and values of the people entrusted with the responsibility of implementing government policies and programmes.

He said the NDPC was therefore working on an initiative dubbed “New Values, New Society,” which sought to promote values considered essential for sustainable national development.

He identified key areas under the initiative to include law and order, maintenance culture, environmental cleanliness and protection, political tolerance, community harmony and wellbeing, hard work, patriotism, integrity and professionalism.

Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin, said sustainable development required a fundamental shift in the way public institutions operated, urging civil servants to change their mindset and align their work with the country’s long-term development needs.

He stressed that the Civil Service had a critical role to play in translating national development objectives into effective policies and ensuring that public resources were mobilised and utilised efficiently.

He therefore urged civil servants to embrace professionalism, integrity and accountability as essential principles for driving the transformation of the country.