The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, has called for a unified and standardised understanding of planning and budgeting terms across all levels of government to enhance coordination and communication in Ghana’s development efforts.
She made the call during her welcome remarks at a Validation Workshop on the Glossary of Development Planning and Budgeting Concepts and Terminologies, held in Accra on October 17, 2025. The workshop sought to address the challenges posed by inconsistencies in the interpretation and application of planning and budgeting concepts across Ghana's decentralised planning system.
The Director-General emphasised that development planning and budgeting lie at the heart of Ghana’s drive for sustainable and inclusive growth, but their success depends on a consistent understanding and interpretation of the key terms used in the process. “Development planning and budgeting are at the heart of Ghana’s efforts to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth,” she said. “However, the effectiveness of these processes depends not only on the quality of our plans and budgets but also on our shared understanding of the concepts and terminologies that underpin them.”
She noted that inconsistencies in the use of planning and budgeting language have often led to miscommunication and inefficiencies in Ghana’s decentralised planning system. Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), sometimes apply different meanings to the same terms, resulting in confusion and duplication of efforts. “Different stakeholders, whether at the national, regional, or district level, sometimes use the same terms to mean different things, or different terms to describe the same concepts,” she cautioned. “This lack of standardisation can lead to confusion, misalignment of efforts, and ultimately, suboptimal development outcomes.”
To address this challenge, Dr. Amoah noted that the NDPC, in collaboration with GIZ, the Ministry of Finance, GIP, KNUST, and LUSPA, has developed a Draft Glossary of Development Planning and Budgeting Concepts and Terminologies. The glossary provides a standardised set of definitions and explanations that will serve as a common reference point for all stakeholders engaged in development planning and budgeting. She described it as a “living document” that will be periodically updated to reflect evolving practices, emerging concepts, and changing realities in Ghana’s planning and budgeting environment.
She encouraged participants to take an active role in reviewing and validating the document to ensure it is both accurate and practical. “Your input will help us produce a glossary that is not only technically sound but also relevant to the diverse contexts in which planning and budgeting occur in Ghana,” she stated, adding that the validation workshop marks a crucial step in refining the document before its official adoption. Once finalised, she noted, it would serve as an indispensable tool in ensuring coherence and effectiveness in Ghana’s development processes.
Adding her voice, the Executive Director of the National Population Council, Mrs. Angelina Osei Kodua-Nyanor, urged stakeholders not to let the document gather dust on shelves but to use it as a vital reference for planning activities in the years to come.
The event concluded with a reaffirmation of the Commission’s commitment to promoting coordination, clarity, and shared understanding across all sectors involved in national development planning.