About Us

History of NDPC

The 1979 Constitution (Article 73) was the first to propose the establishment of a National Development Commission under the chairmanship of the Vice President, the first such constitutional provision in Ghana’s history. The Commission, through the Vice President, was to report to the President and had an advisory, monitoring and evaluation role. The coup of December 1981 ended the existence of that Commission.

In the 1980s, as Ghana intensified the process of decentralisation, the Government recruited a team of Hungarian consultants (TESCO), sponsored by UNDP, to study and propose a structure for national development planning based on grassroots participation. The resulting proposal from TESCO was considered at a high-level workshop in March 1987 after which a decision was taken to establish a development planning agency separate from the then Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

In September 1987, the PNDC government announced the establishment of the National Development Planning Commission. A preparatory committee, the Transitional Implementation Team (TIT), was accordingly set up to manage the establishment of the Commission. The TIT drew up detailed proposals for the organisation and structure of the Commission and prepared an interim operating manual. The Team also prepared a draft "National Development Planning Law" as the legal basis for the Commission.

The draft law underwent a number of revisions and was accepted by the government in 1989 but was not immediately promulgated. However, in early 1990, the government decided to proceed administratively with the implementation of the TIT's recommendations. A Preparatory Committee (PREPCOM) for the establishment of NDPC was thus set up under the chairmanship of Lieutenant-General Arnold Quainoo, a member of the PNDC. The Commission began operations at Flagstaff House, Accra, on 2 April 1990.

With the change from military to constitutional rule in 1993, the Commission’s legal status was affirmed by Article 86 of the 1992 Constitution, which formalised the establishment of the Commission, and Article 87, which spelt out the Commission's functions, including the mandate to "advise the President on development planning policy and strategy".

Later, Lieutenant-Colonel Mensah K. Gbedemah, who had been the secretary to the PREPCOM from February 1991 to June 1994, was appointed technical head of NDPC. From June 1994 to February 1995, Dr. Kobena G. Erbynn, a university lecturer, replaced Lt.-Col. Gbedemah.

In September 1994, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) Act, (Act 479), was promulgated in accordance with the 1992 Constitution. On the basis of the Act, in February 1995, a Governing Board of the Commission was established, replacing the interim management and board. On 15 June 1995, President Jerry John Rawlings officially swore in the first generation of members of the Commission at the Castle, Osu.

Among the leading members were: Mr. Paul Victor Obeng (Presidential Advisor on Governmental Affairs) as Chairman; Prof. E.A. Boateng (former Head of the Environmental Protection Council and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast) as Vice-Chairman; and Dr. Kobena G. Erbynn as Acting Director-General of NDPC. Lt.-Gen. Arnold Quainoo stayed on as a member of the 35-member Commission.

Source: National Development Planning Commission (2015).

Introduction to NDPC

LAWS AND FUNCTIONS

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) was established under Articles 86 and 87 of the 1992 Constitution as part of the Executive. The National Development Planning Commission Act, 1994, (Act 479) and the National Development Planning (System) Act, 1994, (Act 480), provide the core legal framework for the establishment of the Commission and the performance of its functions. (Other laws of relevance to the Commission’s work are: the Local Government Act (Act 462) 1993; Local Government Service Act (Act 656) 2003; Petroleum Revenue Management Act (Act 815) 2011; Civil Service Act (PNDC Law 327) 1993; and Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund Act, (Act 877), 2014).

Article 86 stipulates that the Commission shall consist of the following (Commissioners):

(i) A Chairman who shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Council of State;

(ii) The Minister responsible for Finance and such other Ministers of State as the President may appoint;

(iii) The Government Statistician;

(iv) The Governor of the Bank of Ghana;

(v) One representative from each region of Ghana appointed by the Regional Coordinating Council of the region; and

(vi) Such other persons as may be appointed by the President having regard to their knowledge and experience of the relevant areas and roles pertaining to development, economic, social, environmental and spatial planning.

The Commission operates through a number of committees whose composition changes with the focus of a medium-term development plan (in the case of the Thematic Committees) or the needs of the Commission ...

LAWS AND FUNCTIONS

Article 86 stipulates that the Commission shall consist of the following (Commissioners):

(i) A Chairman who shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Council of State;

(ii) The Minister responsible for Finance and such other Ministers of State as the President may appoint;

(iii) The Government Statistician;

(iv) The Governor of the Bank of Ghana;

(v) One representative from each region of Ghana appointed by the Regional Coordinating Council of the region; and

In accordance with the provision under Article 87 of the Constitution, the core mandate of the Commission is to “advise the President on development planning policy and strategy” and, “at the request of the President or Parliament, or on its own initiative,” do the following:

(a) Study and make strategic analyses of macro-economic and structural reform options;

(b) Make proposals for the development of multi-year rolling plans taking into consideration the resource potential and comparative advantage of the different districts of Ghana;

(d) Make proposals for ensuring the even development of the districts of Ghana by the effective utilisation of available resources; and

(e) Monitor, evaluate and coordinate development policies, programmes and projects.

The Commission, according to the Constitution, “shall also perform such other functions relating to development planning as the President may direct”.

Act 479 operationalises these broad functions by prescribing, among other things, the qualifications and tenure of Commissioners; the composition and responsibilities of staff of the Commission; the divisions of the Commission; as well as “financial and miscellaneous provisions” dealing with matters such as funds of the Commission, auditing requirements and annual reports.

According to the Act, the Commission shall have a Director-General who “shall be appointed by the President acting in accordance with the advice of the Commission given in consultation with the Public Services Commission.” Subject to the general direction of the Commission, the Director-General is “responsible for the efficient organization and management of the Commission.” It states further that all government departments, agencies, and “other public authorities… shall cooperate fully with the Commission in the exercise of its functions under the Act”. The Commission works very closely with the Ministry of Finance, formerly the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

DIVISIONS OF THE COMMISSION

The Commission has three technical divisions and a fourth one for administration. The technical divisions are: Development Policy; Plan Coordination; and Monitoring and Evaluation.

Development Policy Division

The Division is responsible for technical support to the government on policy formulation, review, and analysis; identification and selection of sound policy advice based on research.

Plan Coordination Division

The Division is responsible for coordinating all development policies, plans, programmes and projects between the national and local governments. It facilitates the achievement of the decentralised planning system outlined in Act 480 by synthesising the decentralised district plans and the plans of non-decentralised public bodies into a draft national development plan for the consideration of the Commission.

Monitoring and Evaluation Division

The Division is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of government policies, programmes and projects at all levels, as well as developing and managing a functional national monitoring and evaluation system based on the decentralised planning system. Besides monitoring and evaluating the implementation of sectoral and district development plans, the Division provides support to MDAs and District Assemblies in building their capacity for effective monitoring and evaluation of their respective development plans.

General Service Division

The Division is responsible for the following: human resource management; finance; procurement; transport; estate and security; information and communications technology.

In addition to a core staff of development professionals and support staff, the Secretariat is also home to a number of professionals on secondment from various government agencies, technical advisors and contract staff.

WORK OF THE COMMISSION

Since its formation, the Commission has worked closely with every President under the Fourth Republic to prepare the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies, which the President is required by the Constitution to submit to Parliament within two years of assuming office. The Commission also led the process of preparing the country’s first long-term (25-year) national development plan, Vision 2020, along with its first medium-term plan, Vision 2020: The First Step (1996-2000). Other medium-term plans that the Commission has led in preparing are: Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (2003-2005); Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (2006-2009); Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda I (2010-2013) and Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda II (2014-2017).

To ensure that its work is broad-based and reflects the general will of the people, the Commission is enjoined by Act 479 to establish cross-sectoral planning groups “which shall integrate and coordinate the planning and development activities of such sectors of the economy as it may determine.”

The groups consist of the following:

1. Representatives of the Commission;

2. Representatives of the relevant sector ministries;

3. Representatives of appropriate public sector institutions and private sector organisations; and

4. Such individuals selected for their knowledge and experience as the Commission may determine.

To promote synergy and foster mutually beneficial learning, the Commission is represented on several public bodies, including the National Council for Tertiary Education, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Local Government Service Council, the Ghana Investment Promotion Council, the Energy Commission, and the Institute for Social, Statistical and Economic Research.

COMMITTEES OF THE COMMISSION

Standing Committees

Committee	Members
1. Audit Report Implementation Committee	Representative of Internal Audit Agency Representative of Institute of Internal Auditors of Ghana
2. Finance Committee
3. Administration and Human Resources	Government Statistician
4. Physical Development Committee
5. Communication Committee
6. Executive Committee	Chairman of the Commission Vice-Chair D-G Conveners of Committees

Thematic Committees

Committee	Members
1. Economic Policy	Minister of Finance Governor of Bank of Ghana Government Statistician Minister of Trade and Industry Minister of Food and Agriculture
2. Agriculture and Natural Resources	Minister of Petroleum Minister of Food and Agriculture
3. Private Sector Development (& Public Sector Reforms)	Minister of Trade & Industry Minister for Public Private Partnership Minister of Public Sector Reform Private Enterprise Federation Ghana Employers Association CIBA Governor
4. Energy	Minister of Petroleum Minister of Power Minister of Finance
5. Human Development, Productivity and Employment	Ministry of Gender Children & Social Protection
6. Govenance	Minister of Local Government and Rural Development
7. Development Communication	Minister of Gender Children & Social Protection
8. Infrastructure, Spatial Planning and Human Settlements	Minister for Local Government & Rural Development

Source: National Developnent Planning Commission. (2015).

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Dr. Grace Bediako - Ag. Director-General

Grace Bediako is Ag. Director-General for the National Development Planning Commission. She has extensive experience in international cooperation, statistical organisation and management at international and national levels; and in substantive areas such as social and demographic statistics, gender statistics, labour statistics, and civil registration. She provides guidance on integration of statistics into the development planning processes, including monitoring and evaluation; contributes to the work of various inter-agency/technical committees; and is a member of several governing boards. She provides technical support to various government institutions and is involved in ongoing assessments and capacity building initiatives in the production of vital statistics from civil registration, and gender statistics from administrative records. On international cooperation, she supports the work of regional and international bodies, representing NDPC at various international fora including expert group meetings.

Prior to this appointment in November 2017, she served as the Senior Technical Advisor, at the Office ot the Director General Government Statistician at the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) from June 2004 to June 2012, with responsibilities including directing the 2010 National Population and Housing Census, the preparation of the first Ghana Statistics Development Plan (2009 – 2013), and the Statistical Service Corporate Plan (2009 – 2013). She spearheaded several capacity building projects and secured substantial funds for the reorganization of the Statistical Service and the development of the national statistical system (NSS). She supervised the preparation and production of over twenty population census and national household survey reports, and prepared publicity materials for the 2010 Ghana Population and Housing Census.

She has had about twenty years of experience with the United Nations in various capacities, including Technical Advisor on Gender Statistics and head of Demographic Statistics, with functions involving: (i) assistance to countries and regional institutions in the collection, compilation and use of social and demographic statistics, (ii) preparing methodological publications to advance this work, and (iii) planning and coordinating of international statistical initiatives. She had primary responsibility for the production of three major methodological reports for United Nations Statistics Division: Handbook for Producing a National Statistical Reports on Women and Men,Technical Report on Collecting Economic Characteristics in Population and Housing Censuses, and the “Trial International Classification for Time-use Activities”.

She graduated from the University of Ghana, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Statistics in 1977; received a Diploma certificate in Population Studies from the Regional Institute for Population Studies, Legon, in 1979, and in Survey Sampling from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, in 1982. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Demography (1988), from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

History of NDPC

Commission Secretariat

DG's Office

Dr. Grace Bediako

Mr. Kenneth Owusu

Commissioners

Previous Commissioners

Dr Nii Moi
Past Commissioner

Another Commissioner
Another Commissioner

Another Commissioner Again
Another Commissioner Again

Introduction to NDPC

LAWS AND FUNCTIONS

LAWS AND FUNCTIONS

DIVISIONS OF THE COMMISSION

WORK OF THE COMMISSION

COMMITTEES OF THE COMMISSION

Standing Committees

Thematic Committees

Structure and Operations of the Commission

Dr Nii Moi - Past Commissioner

Another Commissioner - Another Commissioner

Another Commissioner Again - Another Commissioner Again

Dr. Grace Bediako - Ag. Director-General

Mr. Kenneth Owusu - Technical Advisor

History of NDPC

Commission Secretariat

DG's Office

Dr. Grace Bediako

Mr. Kenneth Owusu

Commissioners

Previous Commissioners

Dr Nii Moi Past Commissioner

Another Commissioner Another Commissioner

Another Commissioner Again Another Commissioner Again

Introduction to NDPC

LAWS AND FUNCTIONS

LAWS AND FUNCTIONS

DIVISIONS OF THE COMMISSION

WORK OF THE COMMISSION

COMMITTEES OF THE COMMISSION

Standing Committees

Thematic Committees

Structure and Operations of the Commission

Dr Nii Moi - Past Commissioner

Another Commissioner - Another Commissioner

Another Commissioner Again - Another Commissioner Again

Dr. Grace Bediako - Ag. Director-General

Mr. Kenneth Owusu - Technical Advisor

Dr Nii Moi
Past Commissioner

Another Commissioner
Another Commissioner

Another Commissioner Again
Another Commissioner Again