Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS), Dr Nicholas Awortwi has revealed that his institute will collaborate with the Office of Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS) to launch an enhanced Scheme of Service Training Programme (SSTP).

Speaking at the Fifth Congregation of the Institute in Accra on Saturday,

The programme, according to the Director, is to introduce a well-structured, coherent and career-oriented training that will equip the professional knowledge of LGS staff.

He indicated that the programme when rolled out will sharpen the skills and attitudes of about 20, 000 LGS staff in the country.

“The ILGS has developed 89 training modules that will be used to train 16 professional classes of the LGS such as administrators; human resource managers; environmental health and sanitation officers; finance, budget and rating officers; development planners; engineers and; information and communication technology officers.

“Given the nature of participants in this programme, the delivery of the training will involve multiple pedagogy including problem-based learning,” he said.

Dr Awortwi also disclosed that the institute is engaging the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCC), Ministry of Local Governance and Rural Development (MLGRD) and National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG) to deliver a newly focused training called Next Generation Transformational Leadership Programme (NGTLP) for Assembly members.

Commenting on the similarity between the NGTLP and SSTP, the Director stressed the NGTLP will substantially improve the human resource capacity that is needed to transform Ghana’s local governance landscape of assembly members.

“The training will build a cadre of drivers of Change in local governance practices that would work towards promoting inclusive local governance in the country. The next generation leaders will build consensus across the political divide so that by the time they rise to the level of national politics, they understand and appreciate ‘the Nation’s project’.”

On his part, the Director General for National Development Planning Commission, Kodjo Esseim Mensah-Abrampa commended Institute for contributing immensely to local governance in the country through its research.

He then urged the newly graduands to contribute fully apply their acquired skills at the institute for national development.

145 students graduated from the ILGHS with Masters Degrees, 53 offered Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Science, Policy and Management; 24 offered MSc Local Economic Development, 48 Master of Arts Local Government Administration and Organisation, and 20 MSc Local Government Financial Management.