The Department of Community Development, under the leadership of our newly appointed Director, Mr. Stephen Blay, organised a one-day capacity building workshop for staff on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the Accra International Conference Centre. The workshop formed part of a broader institutional reform effort aimed at strengthening internal coordination and enhancing the effectiveness of programme delivery across all regions and districts.
The workshop centred on the Department’s ongoing refocusing initiative, which seeks to ensure that every unit is clearly aligned with the Department’s core mandate of promoting sustainable community development. This strategic realignment is designed to sharpen priorities, eliminate operational overlaps, and position the Department to deliver programmes more efficiently and impactfully within communities.
The refocusing agenda highlighted five key pillars that will guide the Department’s operations moving forward. These include Community Education, which aims to strengthen awareness creation, civic engagement, and social empowerment at the grassroots level; Skills Development and Livelihoods, focused on equipping individuals—particularly youth and women—with practical skills to improve income generation and economic resilience; and Community Extension and Mobilisation, which reinforces the Department’s traditional role of engaging communities, facilitating participation, and promoting inclusive development.
Additionally, the agenda emphasised Digital and Community Innovation, underscoring the Department’s commitment to integrating technology and innovative approaches into service delivery and programme monitoring. The fifth pillar, Regional and District Offices Coordination, seeks to improve communication, supervision, and operational synergy between the national office and sub-national structures to ensure consistency and accountability in implementation.
Throughout the workshop, staff engaged in interactive sessions, group discussions, and strategy presentations designed to clarify roles, strengthen teamwork, and build institutional capacity. The Director encouraged participants to embrace the renewed vision with professionalism, dedication, and a results-oriented mindset.
At the close of the workshop, staff members left energised, better equipped, and united in their commitment to building stronger and more self-reliant communities. The Department remains steadfast in its mission to empower youth, support women, and address the unique challenges facing mining-affected and other vulnerable areas, ensuring that no community is left behind in the national development process.