The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), on Tuesday, 7th July 2026, hosted a delegation from the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC), led by its Executive Secretary, Mrs. Winnifred Akoto-Sarpong, on a courtesy visit to discuss areas of mutual interest and explore opportunities to strengthen collaboration in governance and national development.

Speaking during the meeting, Mrs. Akoto-Sarpong explained that the visit was intended to formally reintroduce the NAPRM-GC to the Commission’s new leadership and discuss ways of strengthening the longstanding partnership between the two institutions.
She noted that the NAPRM-GC and the NDPC have collaborated over the years on several national initiatives, including Ghana’s Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), and has also been part of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee (IMCC) since its inception, adding that although the collaboration has been productive, it has largely been informal. “We have been working informally. We call on most of the officers to assist us when we are conducting assessments and require data. Recently, during the Governance Index exercise, some of the officers supported us by coordinating data collection from the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). We believe formalising this collaboration will make our work much easier,” she stated.

Mrs. Akoto-Sarpong proposed that the two institutions formalise their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) including Development Data Framework, the joint review of governance indicators, capacity building for programme officers and district development planning officers, and joint publication activities. She also noted that the NDPC, as the repository of Annual Progress Reports (APRs), remains a strategic partner in monitoring and evaluating Ghana’s development agenda. 

Highlighting the importance of collaboration on data systems, she noted that governance assessments require extensive stakeholder engagement and data collection and suggested that the Commission’s District Development Data Platform could be leveraged to integrate governance indicators and reduce duplication. “Where you already have the data, we should be able to use it instead of repeating the entire process. Data providers also experience fatigue when they are repeatedly asked to provide the same information,” she said.

Responding, the Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, welcomed the proposed areas of collaboration and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with the National African Peer Review Mechanism-Governing Council (NAPRM-GC) in advancing governance and national development. Whenever we are discussing the policy framework and our sector working groups, once we move beyond the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the next institution we cite as an example is you because we know you are supposed to be part of us,” she said.

Dr. Amoah explained that the Commission currently works around five development dimensions, including Governance and Institutional Development and International Relations, which align closely with the NAPRM-GC’s mandate. She observed that a Memorandum of Understanding would help define the responsibilities of both institutions and provide a clear framework for collaboration. She also welcomed proposals for a Governance and Development Dialogue and other joint initiatives as opportunities to strengthen cooperation. She further noted that the Commission operates at the national, regional and district levels through the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs) and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), making capacity building a natural area for collaboration. “We connect with all the levels; national, regional and district. If we work together, we will be able to bridge the capacity gaps,” she stated. She also welcomed the proposal for joint publications and encouraged the NAPRM-GC to become more visible within the Commission’s planning framework, adding, “We would want to see NAPRM-GC in the framework more. Give us more work to do. It also holds us responsible because we know we are suppose to do this in support of the whole development agenda.”

The Directors of the Commission subsequently took turns to outline their respective mandates and identified areas for collaboration with the NAPRM-GC.

Discussions focused on research, governance, monitoring and evaluation, data management, policy implementation, capacity building, evidence-based decision-making and public accountability.

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NDPC PR- UNIT