Reforming Ghana's Public Administration: The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

This paper examines how Information Communication Technology (ICT) has shaped the operations of Ghana's public service. The introduction of ICT in the public bureaucracy has stimulated change in the way the public service has been run. It has resuscitated the moribund public administration system by transforming it into a modern administrative organization, which has led to significant improvement in client service delivery and relative productivity gain. There are also remarkable improvements in citizens’ access to data and government information that have enhanced citizens’ dialogue with their local representatives with opportunity for transparency and accountability of government to the people. Yet, there are deficits in ICT expansion to other public institutions particularly in the rural areas coupled with instability in power supply (slow services and systems failures). It is anticipated that the pursuit of integrated information systems and expansion of ICT to rural districts would enhance citizens’ participation in policy making and revenue mobilization, and thereby speed up economic development.