The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, says the true measure of Ghana's public and civil service lies not only in its policies and institutional achievements but also in the quality of the services experienced by citizens.

She made the remarks at the launch of Citizen Experience: A reset for superior public and civil service delivery, on Wednesday, July 8, where she called for reforms that prioritise accessibility, fairness, and efficiency in public service delivery.

Addressing participants at the event, Prof Opoku-Agyemang described the book as a timely contribution to the ongoing conversation on improving governance and public sector performance, saying it offers practical solutions for creating a more citizen-focused public service.

"This book argues that the repeated experiences of citizens and institutions become the true face of Ghana's public service," she said.

The Vice President noted that rather than merely identifying the challenges confronting the public service, the publication provides practical pathways for reform that place the needs and expectations of citizens at the centre of governance.

"The authors didn't simply tell us that our public and civil service must improve. Beyond a diagnosis, they provide options for reform."

According to her, this includes developing citizen-centred strategies, redesigning service delivery processes, investing in frontline public officers and evaluating institutional performance based on citizens' experiences rather than internal assessments.

"The book directs us to design strategy around citizens, restructure their journey, invest in frontline officers, and measure successes by the experiences of people."

Prof Opoku-Agyemang said one of the publication's most significant contributions is its distinction between how public institutions perceive themselves and how they are viewed by the citizens they serve.

She stressed that while institutions often assess their performance based on internal benchmarks, citizens judge them by the quality, accessibility, and responsiveness of the services they receive.

The vice president warned that unless government institutions bridge the gap between their internal perception of success and the lived experiences of citizens, meaningful improvements in public service delivery will remain elusive.

"As long as the government focuses primarily on the first, while our citizens judge us by the second, an important gap will remain between us."