Human Resource Capacity Needs at the District Assemblies: A Study at Assin South District Assembly in Ghana

Abstract

The study examined the human resource (HR) capacity needs at the Assin South District Assembly using the descriptive and non-interventional research design. Purposive and quota sampling techniques were used to select 53 respondents with interview schedule and interview guide as the research instruments. The study revealed that the existing institutional arrangements in Ghana’s decentralized government system did not allow the Assembly to properly address its HR capacity needs. Besides, poor staff attraction, low remuneration, poor accommodation facilities and inadequate training and development contributed to the Assembly’s HR capacity needs. The study recommended that the government should decentralize the HR arrangements at the DAs to grant autonomy to the Personnel Management Department at the Assembly to actively address its own HR capacity needs. The government must effectively collaborate with the Assembly to provide adequate logistics, attractive incentives and social amenities so as to attract well-qualified personnel for smooth decentralization.