Works

AMALGAMATION OF WORKS RELATED UNITS AT THE MMDA LEVEL

As part of efforts to successfully implement the decentralization concept in Ghana, Government introduced L.I 1961 of 2009 which gives effect to the Local Government Service Act, of 2003 and provides for administrative decentralization which seeks to assign functions as well as human resources from central agencies to the district level. It also operationalized the composite budgeting system which is provided for in Act 462 by integrating the budgets of the departments into that of the Assembly.

The legislative instrument, L.I 1961 of 2009 triggered the establishment of decentralised departments as Departments of MMDAs. Accordingly, it became mandatory for MMDAs to establish these departments. Following the enactment of the Local Government (Department of District Assemblies) Commencement Instrument which came into force on 24th February 2010, and the ceremonial transfer of the affected staff from the Civil Service to the Local Government Service, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) were mandated to establish departments outlined in the first and second schedules of the L.I. 1961.

The L.I (L.I 1961) seeks to operationalise the decentralised departments at the district level as Departments of the District Assemblies (DAs). Under Section 161 (1) of the Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462, 22 decentralized departments at the district level ceased to exist in their present form and are to be reconstituted through series of mergers into 16 Departments in the Metropolitan Assemblies, 13 in the Municipal Assemblies and 11 in the District Assemblies under Section 38 (first Schedule) of the Act.   

Following the amalgamation of some old departments, the Works Department has been introduced. The new Works Department of the District Assembly is a merger of the Public Works Department, Department of Feeder Roads and District Water and Sanitation Unit, Department of Rural Housing and the Works Unit of the Assembly. The new Works Department consist of three units/sections namely the Water and Sanitation, Roads and Building units. The Works Department shall among others:

• Assist the Assembly to formulate policies on works within the framework of national policies.
• assist to inspect projects undertaken by the District Assembly with relevant Departments of the Assembly
• Assist to establish and specify the programmes of action necessary for the implementation of physical plans.
• Advise on the construction, repair, maintenance and diversion or alteration of the course of any street.
• Advise the Assembly on matters relating to works in the district.
• Assist to prepare tender documents for all civil works projects to be undertaken by the Assembly through contracts or community initiated projects.
• Encourage and facilitate maintenance of Public buildings and facilities in the district.