“Evidence-based planning demands transparency and honest self-assessment” – NDPC Chairman

The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, has called for greater honesty, transparency and objectivity in Ghana’s development planning process, stressing that sustainable national progress can only be achieved when policymakers are prepared to acknowledge both achievements and persistent challenges.

Speaking at the media engagement and official launch of the 2025 National Annual Progress Report (APR) in Accra on Thursday, Dr. Thompson said evidence-based policymaking requires an accurate assessment of the country’s development performance rather than selective emphasis on successes.

He explained that the 2025 APR is the fourth and final assessment of the implementation of the Agenda for Jobs policy framework, marking the conclusion of that national development reporting cycle.

According to him, the report fulfils the NDPC’s constitutional mandate of providing government, Parliament, development partners, civil society organisations, academia and the general public with credible data to evaluate Ghana’s development performance.

“The report ultimately seeks to answer one fundamental question: Are national development policies improving the lives of the people?” he stated.

Dr. Thompson noted that development should not be measured merely by the number of policies introduced or projects executed, but by the extent to which citizens experience improved living conditions.

He said meaningful development is reflected in better educational outcomes, quality and accessible healthcare, decent employment opportunities, stronger institutions, improved infrastructure and expanded opportunities that enhance the quality of life for all Ghanaians.

The NDPC Chairman said the 2025 report presents a balanced assessment of Ghana’s progress, highlighting improvements in macroeconomic indicators, including stronger economic growth, easing inflation, improved fiscal performance and declining public debt levels.

However, he noted that the report also identifies significant development challenges, particularly youth unemployment, maternal health outcomes and implementation capacity within public service delivery systems

According to him, recognising these shortcomings should not be viewed as an admission of failure but as an essential step towards designing effective interventions and strengthening national development outcomes.

“Evidence-based planning requires honesty and the willingness to acknowledge both successes and challenges,” he stressed.

Dr. Thompson further observed that development statistics represent real people and should never be treated as mere numbers.

He explained that every improvement or decline in indicators such as economic growth, education, healthcare and employment directly affects the livelihoods of individuals, families, businesses and communities.

He also highlighted the interconnected nature of development, explaining that sustained economic growth creates jobs, quality healthcare enhances productivity, education strengthens human capital, effective institutions build investor confidence, while modern infrastructure supports economic expansion and community development.

He therefore urged policymakers and development practitioners to adopt a holistic interpretation of development data to ensure policies adequately respond to the needs of citizens.

Addressing members of the media, Dr. Thompson described journalists as indispensable partners in Ghana’s development agenda.

He encouraged the media to report the findings of the 2025 National Annual Progress Report professionally, fairly and accurately, saying balanced reporting would help the public appreciate both the country’s progress and the challenges requiring urgent attention.

He assured journalists of the Commission’s commitment to providing timely information and clarification to support factual reporting.

Dr. Thompson reiterated that transparency, continuous evaluation and evidence-driven policymaking remain essential to achieving sustainable national development.

In her remarks, the Director-General of the NDPC, Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah (FGIP), said the Commission organised the media engagement to ensure journalists and other stakeholders fully understand the findings of the 2025 National Annual Progress Report before it enters the public domain.

She explained that while publishing development evidence is important, ensuring that the information is properly understood is equally critical.

“The National Development Planning Commission believes that development evidence should not simply be published; it should be understood,” she stated.

According to Dr. Amoah, previous experience has shown that national development reports often contain complex statistics which can easily be misinterpreted when presented without sufficient explanation and context.

She said the objective of the engagement was therefore to equip journalists, editors and analysts with the necessary understanding to promote factual, balanced and evidence-based reporting on Ghana’s development performance.

Dr. Amoah outlined the rigorous process used in preparing the Annual Progress Report, describing it as one of the Commission’s greatest strengths.

She explained that the report is compiled from Annual Progress Reports submitted by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), as well as official statistical and administrative data from relevant national institutions.

According to her, the NDPC subsequently undertakes extensive verification, validation, analysis and synthesis of the data before producing the national assessment.

She noted that every dataset is carefully examined for consistency and completeness, while emerging trends are assessed against national policy targets and indicators.

The findings, she said, undergo technical reviews by Cross-Sectoral Planning Groups in accordance with Legislative Instrument (LI) 2402 before receiving final approval from the Commission, whose membership includes representatives from all 16 regions, ministers, academics, subject matter experts and professional bodies.

“This rigorous process ensures that the conclusions contained in the report are evidence-based and accurately reflect Ghana’s development performance during the 2025 reporting period,” she said.

Dr. Amoah also explained the rationale behind the Commission’s technical presentation ahead of the official launch.

She noted that the National Annual Progress Report covers numerous sectors, hundreds of development indicators and multiple policy interventions, many of which require technical interpretation and contextual explanation.

The technical presentation, she said, provides stakeholders with an opportunity to understand not only the findings themselves but also the methodology used in arriving at those conclusions, while promoting transparency, accountability and informed public dialogue.

She indicated that the technical team from the Monitoring and Evaluation Division would present the report’s major findings, implementation achievements, emerging challenges, lessons learned and policy recommendations before opening the floor for discussions and questions.

Dr. Amoah encouraged journalists to actively engage with the evidence by seeking clarification where necessary to ensure accurate reporting.

She reaffirmed the Commission’s appreciation of its longstanding partnership with the media and urged journalists to continue promoting balanced and responsible reporting on national development issues.

Quoting American futurist, Alvin Toffler, she concluded, “The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

She described the Annual Progress Report as a vital learning instrument that enables Ghana to reflect on its development performance, learn from experience and continuously improve national planning, implementation and monitoring processes.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith