The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has begun a four-day training exercise for field officers that would undertake the 2021 Ghana Integrity of Public Services Survey (GIPSS).
The survey which is the first in the country will collect baseline information on direct experiences of corruption events and on opinions and perceptions of citizens about recent trends, their patterns and policies on corruption as well as experiences of reporting corruption to public authorities.
It would also collect data on experiences of other crimes such as robberies, physical or sexual harassments, homicides and access to justice as background information on the respondents such as family structure; education, employment and monthly experience.
The survey scheduled to begin on December 12, 2021, is a collaborative exercise between the GSS, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the German government and will provide internationally comparable measures of corruption aimed at supporting the implementation of policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 16.5(Substantially reduce corruption and Bribery in all their forms.)
The data generated will also serve as a guide for evidence-based policymaking and planning to include dominant challenges in Ghana today, frequency and characterisation of bribery and corruption in both public and private services awareness and effectiveness of Anti-corruption agencies, crime, feelings of security and access to justice.
Issues to be discussed for the four days include , conduct, role and responsibilities of field officers, use of maps, community entry and guidelines, identification, roster and perception and opinions, logistics distribution, and experiences with public and private companies.
The government statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, speaking at the opening, said the survey was in line with international demands and its complementary to previous surveys conducted by the statistical service.
According to him the level of resources pumped into the exercise calls for tactfulness, discipline and the ability to demonstrate that knowledge in the subject matter for a successful survey.
Prof. Annim charged the participants to humble themselves in their approach and also ensure that they are responsive to the needs of the people adding that “this exercise is not about business as usual but as a stepping stone to a career that would ensure Ghana continually has data to transform the system by reducing corruption to the barest minimum while reflecting the different components of integrity and access to justice.
He warned the participants against committing any errors because the benchmark was needed to maintain peace and security and unauthorised payments adding that “140 out of the 160 would be selected as field officers with one remunerator and 35 supervisors.
The Deputy Director of CHRAJ, Richard Quayson said the survey would provide the needed answers on the importance of data collection on corruption perceptions in Ghana.
The Director of Surveys and censuses organisations of GSS, Mrs Abena Osei-Akoto charged them to properly conduct themselves on the field because they are going in the name of the GSS.
FROM LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU-TEIMAN
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