The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, has reaffirmed the strong partnership between the NDPC and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), describing both institutions as key actors in Ghana’s development agenda. She noted that discussions between the two bodies highlighted “the strong relationship between the mandates of both institutions,” which are essential for national transformation.

Presenting on the Consolidated National Development Plan, Dr Amoah explained that national development requires strong collaboration among citizens, government institutions, and stakeholders. She noted that “effective national development requires active collaboration among citizens, government institutions, and stakeholders at all levels,” adding that the Commission operates under Article 86 of the 1992 Constitution and related legislative frameworks to guide national policy direction.

She stated that the NDPC is consolidating multiple long term development frameworks into a single national plan to ensure coherence in policy implementation. According to her, “the President had tasked the Commission to consolidate the various long term development initiatives into one unified national plan,” with focus areas including economic transformation, job creation, governance reform, and social development.

Dr Amoah further emphasised that all national development efforts must align with constitutional principles, noting that “all national policies and development interventions are guided by the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution.”

Dr Amoah also called for stronger stakeholder participation in development planning, highlighting consultations held nationwide with regional and district actors. She stressed that “planning must precede budgeting,” cautioning that weak planning leads to the misallocation of resources, which she likened to “going to the market without a shopping list.”

She therefore underscored the need for strengthened collaboration with the NCCE to promote civic education and national values. According to the Director-General, “the ultimate goal of civic education and national values campaigns is behavioural change,” and the proposed collaboration would include a Joint Technical Working Group and nationwide sensitisation programmes under the “Good Society” agenda.

Responding to the Director-General’s presentation, the Chairperson of the NCCE, Madam Kathleen Addy, expressed appreciation for the initiative and commended the Commission’s commitment to national development planning. She noted that “one of the key challenges in advancing national development initiatives is ensuring practical implementation and sustained commitment beyond policy discussions.”

She emphasised that behavioural change requires structured and evidence-based approaches, stating that “changing attitudes and behaviours requires deliberate, structured, and scientifically informed approaches rather than simple public messaging.” She reaffirmed the NCCE’s readiness to collaborate with the NDPC, particularly in advancing nationwide civic education and values transformation programmes.

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NDPC PR-UNIT