Senior leaders: succession planning and talent management in the Ghanaian civil service

The study examined how Ghana’s senior civil service leaders reviewed the policy framework and the implementation of merit-based recruitment through a succession plan, which can create a successful reform in the African civil service. The thesis aimed to shed light on the under-researched area of leadership development in Africa, proposing a model framework for a career preparation strategy that could effectively and efficiently sustain the leadership pipeline in the Ghanaian civil service. The colonial masters left behind no employment management legacy, resulting in a gap in succession planning that led to the decline of the Ghanaian civil service. The findings of this study are of utmost importance in understanding and addressing these issues. The research question was: To what extent can leadership reforms mitigate patrimonialism in the post-independence Ghanaian civil service through succession planning that reflects the colonial era? The civil service, once a commendable and worthwhile practice to emulate in sub-Saharan Africa during the initial stages of independence, has unfortunately declined, posing a significant problem. Kelsall argued that the African political economy is characterised by patrimonial or neo-patrimonial leadership. However, the implementation of the policy process can help create an understanding of the continuous growth of bureaucratic and political performance. Leadership is crucial for the development of the civil service and must be developed effectively. Leadership development is closely connected to succession planning, enabling organisations to maintain a competitive advantage through effective talent management. According to Management practitioners, an organisation that does not practice succession planning heads towards doom. Qualitative semi-structured interviews, supported by focus group discussions, were conducted within the Ghana Civil Service, comprising twenty candidates from two directorates, including their heads. Findings are that Ghana’s civil service has adopted the global e-recruitment system since 2018, which operates without political and religious interference in external recruitment. Another apparent observation was the light application of policy in general over the country and the need for a separate talent manager in the recruitment directorate. This role, the study suggests, is crucial for working with the leadership team to execute talent management strategies to reinforce succession plans, thereby enhancing leadership development to initiate, implement, and monitor policies with expertise from the recruitment directorate, which oversees all human resources activities, including the identification and nurturing of potential leaders.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

MPhil

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wolverhampton

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Boadu, Michael

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Ali, Shaukat
• Dale, Crispin

• succession planning
• leadership
• leaders
• competence
• talent
• civil service
• workforce planning
• replacement planning
• policy
• patrimonialism

Licence

• https://wlv.openrepository.com/bitstreams/9d69df1f-bfc0-4ab9-97a3-56a8c8a1ca06/download