Maiden Regional Human Resource Conference In The Local Government Service Begins In The Volta Region
The Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council (VRCC) in collaboration with Local Governemnt Service Human Resource Professionals, Volta has, on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 commenced the Maiden Volta Regional Human Resource Conference with an Opening Ceremony at the Residency Conference Hall, Ho. The 3-Day Conference seeks to sharpen the skills and competences of Local Government Service Human Resource Practitioners in the Volta Region which would lead to improved service delivery at the local level and is being attended by all Human Resource Practitioners of the eighteen (18) Municipal and District Assemblies, and the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council.
The Opening Ceremony had the participation of the Hon. Volta Regional Minister, Acting Chief Director of the VRCC, Chief Director at the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS), Hon. Municipal and District Chief Executives, Municipal and District Co-ordinating Directors.
It was also attended by Regional Human Resource Managers from the Eastern, Northern and North East Regional Co-ordinating Councils.
Addressing the Opening Ceremony, the Regional Human Resource Manager of the VRCC, Mr. Cyril Xatse expressed gratitude to the Acting Chief Director of the VRCC, Chief Director at the OHLGS and the Hon. Volta Regional Minister for creating the enabling environment for Human Resource Practitioners in the Volta Region to work. He appreciated them for the support and able leadership they provided.
He equally appreciated the various Municipal and District Assemblies of the Region for the support provided towards the organisation of the Conference and admitted that without such a support the conference would not have been organised.
His colleague Regional Human Resource Managers present commended him and the Hon. Regional Minister for organising the conference, while expressing their joy about being participants. Ms. Nancy Okwan, the Regional Human Resource Manager for the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council who spoke on behalf of his colleague stated that no other Regional Co-ordinaing Council had ever organised such a conference. She advised all Human Resource Practitioners (HRPs) in the Local Government Service (LGS) to exhibit high level of professionalism in whatever they do at the various Assemblies and Regional Co-ordinating Councils. She entreated them to be tolerant as Human Resource practitioners.
The Acting Chief Director of the VRCC, Mr. Augustus Awity, on his part, underscored the important role of HRPs at the Assemblies. He stated that the critical role of the HRPs had been underestimated, emphasising that the HR class is the fulcrum around which all other professional classes revolve. He stressed the ability of the HRPs to identify human resource gaps at the Assemblies and assist in addressing them as being critical. He therefore solicited the support of all at the Assemblies for the HRPs in the performance of their roles.
The Hon. Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, commended the Human Resource Managers for their dedication which had “sustained the performance of the Regional Co-ordinating Council and the Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in the Volta Region”.
He opined that the creation of the Human Resource Class, ten year ago, in the Local Government Service remained one of the greatest decision the LGS had taken in deepening administrative decentralisation in the Service. He acknowledged the critical role of the HRP in the attainment of organisational goals of which productivity and public service performance are key. He noted that the success and survival of every organization depended on the effectiveness and competence level of its human resource.
He however, acknowledged that Metrotopolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) encounter numerous challenges in managing their human resources for improved productivity. He also acknowledged that with the changing trends in public service human resource management created the opportunity for HRPs to improve on employee’s performance and service delivery processes through increased human resource ability to use best practices in public service delivery.
The Hon. Regional Minister, furthermore, stated that the ability to attract and retain competent personnel with high Human Resource Capacity improves quality in service delivery of the Local Level.
Accordingly, Dr. Letsa considered the theme appropriate, and entreated the Human Resource Practitioners to hold in high esteem vital tenets of the public service of the country with emphasis on the Local Government Service.
He charged the HR Practitioners to be change agents in the Local Government Service and rededicate themselves to the requirements of the Human Resource Profession as to well as work harder.
He assured that the VRCC would continue to create the enabling work environment for HRPs to discharge their duties effectively and efficiently, and contribute immensely to the achievements of the VRCC.
He commended the HRPs for their contribution in the declaration of the VRCC as the best performing Regional Co-ordinating Council during the past two years.
Finally, he charge the HRPs to seize the opportunity offered by the conference to have a dialogue on some important topical issues in relation to human resource management in the service in order to improve on service delivery in the Volta Region, and contribute significantly towards the development of the Local Government Service.
The Chief Director at the OHLGS, Mr. James Oppong Mensah, speaking after the Hon. Volta Regional Minister, stated that the Hon. Regional Minister had thrown a challenge to the HRPs to return to their respective Assemblies after the conference and offer improved services.
He commend the VRCC, the HR Department and all others who contributed to make possible the organization of the conference.
He stated that the Volta Region is a pacesetter among the Regions of the Country. He, therefore seized the opportunity to throw a challenge to the other Regional Co-ordinating Councils to organise similar Human Resource Conference.
Referring to conferences organized by other Professional Classes in the Local Government Service, he stated that such conferences offer their members the opportunity to learn.
On the need for professional HRs in the Service, Mr. Oppong Mensah stated that the management of human beings in an organisation could not be toyed with. He also stated that Human Resource is a cost to any organisation and must therefore bring forth returns on investment. The Local Government Service Human Resource Professionals Volta (LGSHPV) used the Ceremony to present citations to the Acting Chief Director of the VRCC, the Chief Director of the OHLGS and the Hon. Volta Regional Minister.
