The Effect Of Political Interference On The Performance Of Public Agencies In Ghana; A Case Study Of The Youth Employment Agency

ABSTRACT The management of any business entity, be it for profit or non-profit, is deemed the most perilous faction of a firm’s survival in whatever market it operates. Both private and public agencies have the same challenge of making sure the firm’s success rests on a reliable team of experts who is capable of arresting challenges thrown at the agency as well as helping to levitate the company in the face of competition. The issue of political interference however stares in the faces of various agencies around the world and its impact is experiential in the general output of these companies. In light of this, the study was embarked on to investigate the exact impact political interferences have on the administration and operation of public agencies in Ghana— with the Youth Employment Agency serving as a focus. The study employed the quantitative, together with the qualitative methods, to collect data from 20 respondents who are all employees of the Youth Employment Agency. The research brought to the fore elements that prove the presence of political interference in the agency and these include recruitment processes, procurement processes, transfer policies, and regulations. The findings further showed a guillotining effect on various aspects of the agency’s operations, such as a constant reduction in productivity, reduced work quality, loss of national resources and policy modules derailing from implementation courses. Thus, the study recommends that the agency implements periodic appraisal exercises to check effectiveness of officials. It also recommends the need for documented checks in the system to protect officials from being influenced by figures of authority. The employment of private audit firms should be necessitated strictly to keep the agency in check and lastly, the study recommends the legislative arm of government enact even more strict laws, spelling out specific autonomous operations to cover all public agencies from external influences. Keywords: NYEP, YEA, SOEs, Unemployment, Interference