institutional restructuring | Innovations for Successful Societies

Paul Acquah discusses his work in reforming and refocusing the Central Bank of Ghana. He outlines his goals to focus the Central Bank on inflation targeting and to shift emphasis from accounting to economics. Acquah details his success in restructuring and streamlining the organization and reforming its institutional culture, particularly by trimming down the staff, making selection procedures more competitive, and computerizing and mechanizing many jobs. He discusses the success and challenges of a voluntary departure program to cut down excess staff and the role of communication with the government and public in building credibility and support for reform.

Transcript

Paul_Acquah.pdf

Paul_Acquah.txt

Headshot

paul_acquah.jpg

Profile

At the time of this interview, Paul Acquah was in his second term as governor of the Bank of Ghana. Acquah’s leadership of the central bank is credited with averting an economic crisis and bringing growth rates to over 5%, stabilizing the Ghanaian currency, and reducing inflation. He also cut the staff of the central bank by more than 1,000 workers in three years and increased price stability. Before assuming the role of governor of the central bank in 2001, he worked as an economist and a deputy director at the International Monetary Fund. In 2005, he won the Emerging Markets Award for Africa Central Bank Governor of the Year. He received his master’s degree from Yale University and completed his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Paul Acquah Interview

Othello Weh

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Focus Area(s)

Civil Service

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Critical Tasks

Extending services to insecure or remote areas

Computerization of records

Country of Reform

Liberia

Interviewers

Graeme Blair

Name

Othello Weh

Interviewee's Position

Deputy Director General

Interviewee's Organization

Civil Service Agency

Language

English

Nationality of Interviewee

Liberian

Town/City

Monrovia

Country

Liberia

Date of Interview

Wed, 07/15/2009 - 12:00 pm

Reform Profile

Keywords

patronage

ranks and promotion

training

performance management

inter-ministerial coordination

institutional restructuring

payroll ghost name removal

Abstract

In this interview, Othello Weh describes the push for the reform of the Liberian Civil Service, drawing upon his experience as the deputy director general of administration. Weh elaborates on the specific reform programs that were instituted, detailing the introduction of an employee biometric record system that helped remove ghost names from the government payroll as well as describing the measures taken to remove redundancy within the government administration. Weh also delves into the challenges faced in introducing reform while dealing with capacity constraints, acknowledging the support provided by the international community in assisting to overcome skilled labor shortages. He further outlines the steps involved in launching the reforms, describing how the collaboration and coordination necessary for the successful execution of reform was created. Moreover, Weh suggests that capacity-building efforts are vital for ensuring the sustainability of reform. Reiterating the importance of collaborative work and thorough planning, Weh ultimately concludes by remarking that unique domestic conditions within different nations mean that different strategies work with varying degrees of success.

Transcript

othello_weh.pdf

othello_weh.txt

Profile

At the time of this interview, Othello Koibia Weh was the deputy director-general for the administration of the Liberian Civil Service Agency. A graduate of the William V. S. Tubman Teachers College, University of Liberia, Weh went on to acquire a master’s degree in educational administration at the university in April 2009. He served as the vice president of the Cavalry Baptist Church High School in Sinkor, Monrovia from 1984 to 1986, and was later promoted to principal in 1987. He held this position until 1997, at which point he joined the agency as the principal director of the division of selection and classification. In 2006, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed Weh to serve as the deputy director general for administration of the division. Weh is also a member of the Liberia Association of Writers.

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54 MB

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Othello Weh - Full Interview