The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, hosted lecturers and students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) MSc/MPhil Development Policy and Planning programme as part of an educational tour aimed at deepening their understanding of sector policy formulation and implementation in Ghana.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Head of the Department of Planning and Team Lead, Prof. Charles Peprah, explained that the visit formed part of an academic process, designed to expose students to the various stages of the policy cycle, including policy formulation, legitimisation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and policy review.

“Given NDPC’s constitutional mandate to issue guidelines for sector policy preparation, we considered it important to bring the students here to learn directly from the Commission about the requirements and processes involved in developing public sector policies,” he said.

Prof. Peprah noted that the Department was particularly interested in gaining insights into how institutions prepare sector policies in line with NDPC’s guidelines and how policy implementation is managed in practice. He added that the practical experiences and lessons shared by the Commission would greatly enrich students’ understanding and help bridge the gap between academic theory and practice.

Responding, the Director-General of NDPC, Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, welcomed the delegation and highlighted the Commission’s mandate as provided under the 1992 Constitution and the National Development Planning (System) Act. She explained that NDPC advises the President on national development plans and policies, coordinates the decentralised planning system, undertakes implementation monitoring and evaluation, and promotes balanced national development.

“Policies are important because they guide decision-making within the public sector,” she stated, adding that the Commission introduced the Policy Formulation Guidelines for the Public Sector in 2020 to enhance the quality, consistency and effectiveness of policy documents developed by government institutions.

Dr Amoah encouraged the students, many of whom are practitioners from ministries, departments and agencies, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, and the private sector, to apply the knowledge gained from the engagement to strengthen planning and policy processes within their respective institutions.

“When you return to your organisations, I encourage you to apply the knowledge gained here to improve the quality of policy development, planning, and Progress Report submissions,” she said. She further assured the delegation of the Commission’s continued support for initiatives that promote academic learning and professional capacity development.

As part of the engagement, Mr Nii-Odoi Odotei, Principal Planning Analyst, provided an overview of NDPC, highlighting its mandate, institutional structure and key functions within Ghana’s national development planning framework. His presentation outlined the Commission’s role in coordinating development planning at both national and sub-national levels and provided students with practical insights into how sector policies are developed, aligned with national priorities and implemented within the public sector.