Ghana

Clay Wescott

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G
Focus Area(s)
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7
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Andrew Schalkwyk
Name
Clay Wescott
Interviewee's Position
Visiting Lecturer
Interviewee's Organization
Princeton University
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
USA
Place (Building/Street)
Princeton University
Town/City
Princeton, New Jersey
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
Yes
Abstract

Clay Wescott draws on his global experience and talks about civil service reform programs in countries around the world.  He talks about his involvement in such programs in Vietnam, including aspects such as downsizing and the introduction of one-stop shops.  He also recalls the introduction of an effective but contentious computer-based budgeting system in Kenya in the 1980s.  Wescott reflects on the difficulty of reforming a civil service that had been used as a tool of a peace process, such as in Cambodia, where positions were parceled out in order to get different factions to buy into the process.  He also identifies the importance of building reforms to last beyond a current window of opportunity, and of selling a vision of reform that people want to buy into.  He also talks about civil service censuses and outsourcing in Nepal and capacity-building programs in Eritrea, Timor-Leste and Afghanistan.

Case Study:  Policy Leaps and Implementation Obstacles: Civil Service Reform in Vietnam, 1998-2009

Profile

At the time of this interview, Clay Wescott was a visiting lecturer at Princeton University and the principal regional cooperation specialist for the Asian Development Bank.  His work has covered e-government, regional cooperation, governance assessment, civil service reform, public finance, decentralization, citizen participation and combating corruption.  He worked all over the world, including Kenya, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Ghana, Nepal, Eritrea, Timor-Leste and other countries.  Before joining the ADB, he worked in the governance division of the United Nations Development Programme, assisting countries to formulate and carry out reform programs in Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Caribbean.  He earned a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard University and a doctorate from Boston University, and he was an editorial board member of the International Public Management Journal and the International Public Management Review.

 

Full Audio File Size
84.4MB
Full Audio Title
Clay Wesctott- Full Interview

Emmanuel Debrah

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Focus Area(s)
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4
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
Emmanuel Debrah
Interviewee's Position
Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science
Interviewee's Organization
University of Ghana
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Ghanaian
Town/City
Accra
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Emmanuel Debrah discusses the successes and challenges of the electoral process in Ghana.  He focuses on the role of the electoral commission in planning, implementing and monitoring elections and details that process.  Debrah explains the successes and challenges of voter registration in a country with limited records of birth or citizenship.  He also discusses the role of political parties in cooperating with the electoral commission, the relationship between the electoral commission and the government, and the monitoring and observation procedures for local and international observers.  Finally, Debrah touches on financial accountability structures for election officials, border demarcation issues and anti-fraud measures.    

Profile

At the time of this interview, Emmanuel Debrah was a senior lecturer in the department of political science at the University of Ghana in Accra.  He performed numerous studies of elections in Ghana, particularly on the role of the Electoral Commission.  Debrah received his doctorate in political science from the University of Ghana. 

Full Audio File Size
82 MB
Full Audio Title
Emmanuel Debrah - Full Interview

Johnson Asiedu-Nketia

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Focus Area(s)
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13
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
Johnson Asiedu-Nketia
Interviewee's Position
General Secretary
Interviewee's Organization
National Democratic Congress, Ghana
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Ghanaian
Town/City
Accra
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Johnson Asiedu-Nketia discusses his role as head of the National Democratic Congress in Ghana’s Inter-Party Advisory Committee.  He describes how IPAC was able to introduce sophisticated voter registration systems and set an election schedule agreed upon by all political parties.  He also says that both IPAC and the Electoral Commission declined in effectiveness after 2000, which he attributes to lack of government support, reduced funding and an increasingly antagonistic relationship between IPAC and the commission.  He briefly touches on the role of the party in contributing to electoral transparency.    

Profile

At the time of this interview, Johnson Asiedu Nketia was general secretary of the National Democratic Congress in Ghana.  Prior to becoming head of the party, he was a member of Parliament for the NDC for 12 years.  He also served as deputy minister of food and agriculture.  Before entering politics, he worked as a bank manager.

Full Audio File Size
27 MB
Full Audio Title
Johnson Asiedu Nketia - Full Interview

Paul Adu-Gyamfi

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E
Focus Area(s)
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5
Country of Reform
Interviewers
Ashley McCants
Name
Paul Adu-Gyamfi
Interviewee's Position
Chairman
Interviewee's Organization
National Media Commission, Ghana
Language
English
Nationality of Interviewee
Ghanaian
Town/City
Accra
Country
Date of Interview
Reform Profile
No
Abstract

Paul Adu-Gyamfi discusses the role of Ghana's National Media Commission in protecting press freedoms and ensuring journalistic standards, particularly during elections.  He focuses on the role of the commission in ensuring the state-owned media are not unduly influenced by the government and in working with the electoral commission to monitor elections.  Adu-Gyamfi explains the constitutional basis for the commission and also discusses the challenges faced by the media in Ghana.    

Profile
At the time of this interview, Paul Adu-Gyamfi was chairman of the National Media Commission in Ghana.  A lawyer by trade and a senior partner at Adu-Gyamfi and Associates, he previously served as president of the Ghana Bar Association.  He also was a member of the executive council of the Pan-African Lawyers Union and was vice president of the West African Bar Association.
Full Audio File Size
37 MB
Full Audio Title
Paul Adu-Gyamfi - Full Interview