University of Cape-Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; Bradford Centre for International Development (BCID), University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, United Kingdom; Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS), Ghana
Antwi, K.B., University of Cape-Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; Analoui, F., Bradford Centre for International Development (BCID), University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD7 1DP, United Kingdom; Nana-Agyekum, D., Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS), Ghana
This paper focuses on public sector management reform 'best-practice' case experience from Sub-Sahara African (SSA). Given that 'best-practice' is a relative concept and often debatable, the paper uses the Ghana Civil Service Performance Improvement Programme (GCSPIP) experience as rather a 'good-practice' case with the view to sharing the outcome and lessons to encourage collaborative-learning. It seeks to share the outcome and lessons learnt by the Ghana civil service reform with future public service reformers and to contribute to the literature. The paper concludes with an adaptable three-dimensional framework. The framework argues that successful future public service reform (PSR) should consider three broad issues: first, are the 'critical success factors', including wholehearted political leadership commitment; wholehearted bureaucratic leadership commitment; thoughtful synergistic planning/preparation; patience for implementation and evaluation; capacity to convince; neutralise and accommodate reform-phobias and critics; sustainable financial and technical resource availability and conscious nurturing of general public support. Second, is the need for reformers to appreciate the concerns of the public and the civil society scepticism of public 'institutions' and its 'operatives' and finally placing any reform programme in a country-specific context, including understanding its history, culture, politics, economy, sociology, ideology and values. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.