In order to create a single national household register from which social security programs will choose their beneficiaries, the Ghana National Household Registry (GNHR) has started a nationwide data collection effort.
The exercise is a part of the government’s attempts to increase and maintain the gains made in eradicating poverty by making sure that a greater proportion of aid and social protection actions benefit the most vulnerable and poor people.
A division of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection is the GNHR.
The Registry, among other things, aims to simplify and increase the effectiveness of Ghana’s targeting system by using the same Proxy Mean Test indicators (Common Targeting Mechanism) to identify possible recipients of social protection measures.
From Monday, October 3, to Tuesday, December 20, the exercise will take place in the Central Region, which had been separated into two zones, with Zone one consisting of Mfantseman, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem, Abura-Asiebu-Kwamankese, Gomoa West, and Cape
Agona East District, Awutu Senya West, Awutu Senya East Municipality, Agona West Municipality, Gomoa East and Central, and Effutu Municipal Assemblies are included in Zone 2.
Dr. Richard Adjetey, the Head of GNHR, spoke to attendees at the beginning of a two-day workshop for Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Information Service officers (ISD) in Cape Coast on Monday. He said the exercise would use an electronic data collection to ensure the integrity of the information gathered for quick data processing.
The GNHR arranged the event with the goal of enabling the staff to improve public education and gain the support of the public as well as of political, administrative, traditional, and religious leaders.
Dr. Adjetey emphasized the goal of the exercise by stating that the GNHR will promote inter-institutional cooperation in order to increase the effectiveness of social spending and get rid of redundancy.
With a trustworthy and up-to-date system of social information, he claimed, this would enable the formulation of precise socio-economic studies on poverty to help the creation of plans, designs, and particular programs targeted at the low-income and vulnerable sectors.
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Free School Uniforms/Free Exercise Books, Ghana School Feeding Program (GSFP), Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) & LEAP 1,000, Labour-Intensive Public Works Program, and others would all benefit from the data (LIPW).
The Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, research facilities, and non-governmental organizations, he added, are among the others. “Others are; Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies engaged in any other Social Development Works that Requires the Targeting of the Poor and Vulnerable,” he said.
As a sharing gateway was being developed to exchange requested data, Dr. Adjetey also stated that review discussions were ongoing with the National Identification Authority, National Health Insurance Authority, and LEAP on data sharing systems integration.
The capacity-building exercise, according to Chief Information Officer Mr. David Ofori Amoah, was specifically designed to give them the skills necessary to ensure effective government communications.
He claimed that new media and technology had created a necessity for the cops to be prepared in order to enhance their work.
He underlined the significance of improving officers’ research skills and talents in order to enhance the value of their work in informing the public about government policies, managing public relations for the various local assemblies, and giving the government with accurate feedback.