The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) has begun a comprehensive review of the Guidelines for the Operationalisation of the Regional Planning Coordinating Units (RPCUs) and District Planning Coordinating Units (DPCUs) as part of efforts to strengthen Ghana's decentralised planning system and improve coordination, accountability and development planning at the regional and district levels.

The exercise was launched at an inception meeting held on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the NDPC Conference Room in Accra.

The meeting brought together senior representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), development partners and planning professionals to discuss the scope, methodology and implementation arrangements for the review.

Opening the meeting, the Director-General of the NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, said the review was necessary because the existing guidelines, jointly developed by the NDPC and the then Ministry of Local Government in 2004, had served the country's planning system for more than two decades.

She observed that the planning and governance landscape had changed considerably over the years and stressed the need for an updated document that reflects current realities.

"A document that has been in use for over 20 years, you would agree with me that we must work on it," Dr Amoah said.

She explained that legislative reforms, institutional restructuring and the expansion of the Local Government Service, together with the implementation of the Local Governance Act and Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2232, make it imperative to revise the guidelines to ensure they remain relevant, legally compliant and responsive to emerging national development priorities.

She urged participants to leverage their expertise to produce a practical document that would effectively guide planning professionals and local authorities.

Representing the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Ms Laetitia Erny, Head of Component, Data Management for Local Governance PAIReD, reaffirmed the organisation's commitment to supporting the review as part of its longstanding partnership with the NDPC to strengthen Ghana's decentralised planning framework.

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Director for Local Governance and Decentralisation, Mr Samuel Seth Passah, highlighted the important role Regional Coordinating Councils play in providing technical oversight and coordinating development across districts.

He noted that while the legal framework clearly defines the responsibilities of RPCUs, emerging challenges such as rapid urbanisation, flooding and cross-boundary planning require a stronger and more forward-looking operational framework.

"We need to revisit these issues. The document should be futuristic," Mr Passah said.

He further called for stronger oversight by Regional Coordinating Councils and improved coordination between central and local government institutions to enhance regional development outcomes.

Presenting the rationale for the review, Principal Planning Analyst at the NDPC, Ms Vera Baffoe, explained that the exercise is intended to produce a harmonised and legally aligned guideline that clearly defines institutional responsibilities, strengthens planning coordination, improves monitoring systems and enhances accountability across all levels of government.

She added that the revised guidelines would incorporate recent reforms, align with existing legislation and national planning frameworks, and promote integrated planning through strengthened information management systems.