ORCC-GAR , ACCRA 23 NOVEMBER, 2015 REGIONAL CO-ORDINATING COUNCIL, ACCRA - GHANA A PRESENTATION ON OPERATIONS OF THE GREATER ACCRA REGIONAL CO-ORDINATING COUNCIL ORCC-GAR , ACCRA 23 NOVEMBER, 2015

Outline of Presentation Introduction: A brief profile of the Region Organizational Structure of the GARCC Functions of the Regional Coordinating Council Administrative Set Up: The Office of the Regional Coordinating Council, Departments, Agencies and Services Legal and Regulatory Framework for RCCs Operations Emerging Issues and Challenges

Introduction/Regional Profile Historic Origin, Location and Size Carved out of the erstwhile Eastern Province of the Gold Coast and Ghana as a region in 1964 with Accra, the capital; Located in the South-Central portion of Ghana and covers an area of 3,245 sq.km which is 1.36 per cent of the total land area of Ghana; Coastline of about 225 km from Langma to the west and Ada Foah in the east;

Boundaries To the west – Central Region The north – Eastern Region The east – Volta Region The south – The Gulf of Guinea Demographic Characteristics Population (2010 PHC):3,909,764 (Ghana 24,223,431) Growth Rate : 2.8 per cent (Nat. av. 2.4%) Density : 1,205 per sq.km (Ghana 102) Population share : 16.1 per cent

Ethnicity Major ethnic groups: Akans -39.8% (Fante, Asante & Akuapem) Ga-Dangme - (29.7%) Ewe - (18.0%) The single largest sub-ethnic grouping are the Gas accounting for 18.9%. Religious Groups Christians 82.9%, Islam - 10.2%; Others 6.9%

The Economy Industrial and Commercial (concentrated in Accra and Tema, the harbour city) Agriculture - Crop production (maize, rice, cassava, cowpea mango, pineapple, pawpaw, banana and vegetables - Livestock/Poultry - Fish production The Service Sector : tourism, hospitality areas

The Regional Co-ordinating Councils Section 140 of Act 462, 1993 makes provision for the establishment of Regional Co-ordinating Councils which shall be the highest policy making body of the Region and represent the entire political and administrative machinery of Central Government at the regional level. Section 141 (1) prescribes the composition of the Council as follows:

The Regional Minister as Chairman and assisted by the Deputy Regional Minister. They constitute the political leadership at the regional level. Other members are: The District Chief Executive and Presiding Members of the sixteen (16) MMDAs in the region; Two (2) representatives of the Regional House of Chiefs Regional Heads of Decentralized Departments as ex-officio members The Regional Co-ordinating Director as Secretary

Organizational Structure of the RCC The organizational/administrative structure of the Regional Co- ordinating Council as established under Local Government Act, 1993, (Act 462) is presented in the New Local Government System arrangement as follows:

THE NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM ARRANGEMENTS Regional Coordinating Council Metropolitan Assembly (6) (min of 250,000) Municipal Assembly (55) (min of 95,000) District Assembly (155) (min of 75,000) Sub-Metropolitan District Councils Town/Area Councils Zonal Councils Urban/Town/Area Councils Unit Committees

Legal and Regulatory Framework for RCCs Operations Key legislations guiding the establishment of RCCs as a core component of the decentralized system and the planning functions are enshrined in the following: Article 240 of the 1992 Constitution (Chapter 20) Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462 National Development Planning (System) Act, 1994, Act 480 Section 143 subsection 2 of the Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462 providing for the establishment of the RPCUs to support the operations of the RCC

Mission Statement of the GARCC The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council is an arm of the Executive that aims to provide effective and efficient administrative and technical services through harmonizing, co-ordinating, monitoring and evaluating plans and programmes of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to achieve the overall development of the Region.

The Office of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council The Office of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (ORCC) established under Section 26 of the Civil Service Law, 1993 (P.N.D.CL 327) shall be responsible for Regional Management and shall perform the functions assigned to it under that Law The ORCC ensures that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) are staffed by competent personnel and that the MMDAs are well organized to implement Government policies and offer excellent service to its diverse clients

The Technical Wing The administration and technical services are provided by the Office of the Regional Co- ordinating Council i.e. the Regional Administration and the Decentralized Departments and Agencies; Specifically, this mandate is provided by the Regional Planning Co-ordinating Unit which is responsible for the co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation of all activities relating to districts and regional development planning including spatial and sectoral policies

Functions of the Regional Coordinating Council Section 142 of Act 462 spells out the functions of the Regional Coordinating Council as follows: Monitor, co-ordinate and evaluate the performance of MMDAs in the Region Monitor the use of all resources, both financial and material, allocated to the MMDAs by any agency of Central Government;

Review and co-ordinate public services generally in the Region; Resolve any conflict between a District Assembly and an agency of Central Government, public corporation, statutory body, non-governmental organization or individual Provide security including managing conflicts in the region: chieftaincy, tribal, land and religious disputes

Provide District Assemblies with technical support, information and data for the formulation of district development plans Co-ordinate the plans and programmes of District Assemblies and harmonize them with national development policies and priorities Perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by or under any enactment.

Administrative Set Up The Office of the Regional Co-ordinating Council Finance and Administration Human Resource Development Planning Unit Accounts Section Budget Unit Internal Audit

The Decentralized Departments viz. Town and Country Planning Department of Food and Agriculture Sports Council Department of Social Welfare Department of Community Development Information Services Department Department of Co-operatives

National Disaster Management Organisation Public Works Department Department of Parks and Gardens Agencies Land Valuation Board Ghana Library Board Lands Department Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice National Youth Council

National Council on Women & Development National Commission on Children National Population Council Non-Formal Education Division The Electoral Commission Services Ghana Police Service Ghana National Fire Service Judicial Service

Ghana Education Service Ghana Health Service Statistical Service Audit Service Local Government Service

Regional Committees Regional Coordinating Council Regional Security Council (REGSEC) Regional Fire Service Council Regional Prisons Service Committee Regional Health Service Committee Regional Police Service Committee Regional Population Advisory Committee Permanent Site Advisory Committee Regional Aids Committee

Regional Disaster Management Committee Regional Entity Tender Committee Regional Review Tender Board Regional Budget Committee Regional Steering Committee on Local Governance Service & Delivery Programme Regional Sports Committee Heads of Units MMDCEs Meeting with RM

Political Administration The Region is administered through the establishment of sixteen (16) administrative areas of authority, viz.: Accra Metropolitan Assembly Tema Metropolitan Assembly Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Assembly Adentan Municipal Assembly Ga West Municipal Assembly Ga East Municipal Assembly

Ga South Municipal Assembly Ga Central Municipal Assembly Ashaiman Municipal Assembly Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly La Dadekotopong Municipal Assembly Shai Osudoku District Assembly Ningo-Prampram District Assembly Ada East District Assembly Ada West District Assembly

Objectives of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council To formulate, implement, co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate Government policies and programmes; To promote political tolerance, stability, security and peace in Ghana and the Sub- Region; To provide institutional capacity and enabling environment for effective, efficient and sustainable service delivery;

To preserve and conserve public records for the benefit of the general public; To improve revenue inflow to government.

Linking Policies to Objectives: The RCC Strategic Plan The linkage of national policies to stated objectives of the RCC are provided in 3-Year Roll-On Strategic Plans which are based on the Mission and Objectives of the institution; Annual Programme of Activities are developed from the Objectives and implemented by relevant sector agencies and Units of the Office of the Regional Coordinating Council;

Expected Outputs are provided for each activity to determine achievement of stated targets; The ORCC is currently running the 2010- 2013 Strategic Plan which is reviewed annually to reflect stated priorities to achieve required outcomes.

Performance of the Strategic Plan The implementation of the Strategic Plan provides the benchmarks for assessing and evaluating the achievement of the mission and objectives of the ORCC Monitoring the performance is carried out by monthly review meetings in which sector progress reports are presented and discussed This system provides opportunity to identify operational gaps/constraints for which new strategies are designed to overcome such challenges

The Role of the RPCU The operations of the RCC are supported by the Regional Planning Co-ordinating Unit which is composed of eleven (11) members as follows: The Regional Co-ordinating Director The Regional Economic Planning Officer Regional Budget Officer Regional Local Government Inspector Regional Director of Health Regional Director of Education

Regional Director of Agriculture Chief Works Superintendent Regional Town & Country Planning Officer Regional Statistics Officer Regional Co-ordinating Council Nominee Other sector department and agency heads may be co-opted as and when required.

The Regional Planning Co-ordinating Unit among other roles: Serves as a Secretariat for the RCC to perform its functions as specified under section 8 of Act 480 Advise the RCC on co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation of district development plans and matters relating to the development planning in the region, including spatial and sectoral policies

Core Functions of the RPCU Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of district development plans and budget as well as agreed national indicators; Co-ordination and harmonization of district development plans and initiatives; Ensuring that development plans and are policy compliant with national policies; Providing technical support to DPCUs

Organizing review sessions and meetings; Other operational functions of the RPCU are the following: Organizing review sessions and meetings; Undertaking quarterly monitoring visits to MMDAs; Submission of reports to relevant bodies such as the NDPC, MLG&RD, DACF Secretariat, the DDF Secretariat and the LGSS; Establishment of a database and documentation centre

Monitoring Indicators Key benchmarks for MMDAs’ monitoring: Implementation of Action Plans Operations of the DPCUs Revenue Mobilization Tendering Processes and Contract Awards Expenditure Control Compliance with audit recommendations Mandatory Operations (meetings, reports etc) Efforts at addressing environmental issues

Emerging Issues and Challenges A range of issues, constraints and challenges continue to impede service delivery and significantly hamper the achievement of targeted goals and objectives of the RCC. A few are listed in the following: Weak information management i.e. manual processing and storage of data, poor records management etc.; Inadequate funding to effectively prosecute planned activities;

Security challenges posing a major challenge to effective administration of the Region i.e. pressure on security agencies to combat widespread crime, inadequate logistics, cumbersome judicial procedures, lack of co-operation from the public in providing information etc.; Widespread chieftaincy and land disputes in the Region; Untimely release of GOG funds affecting sound implementation of budgeted activities

PLEASE YOUR VISIT