Notes on the Position of Chief of Staff at the Presidency in Ghana’s Fourth Republic

The position of chief of staff (CoS) has become an important feature in virtually all systems of government. Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, Ghana has followed the global practice of appointing a CoS at the Presidency. Despite the prominence of the position of the CoS, there has not been any scholarly work on it perhaps due to more attention being paid to the offices of President and Vice-President and the demands of confidentiality due to the incumbent being a gatekeeper of the President. This chapter, therefore, fills the lacuna and contributes to the literature on the CoS as a position in facilitating the performance of the executive functions of the President and Vice-President and government machinery in general. In so doing, it assesses the performance of the CoS under both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments based on the following indicators: (1) scope of work, (2) qualifications and experience, (3) qualities, and (4) some best practices developed across regimes. The conclusion focuses on the uniqueness of the CoS to Ghana and the broader global pattern considering the effectiveness of the Presidency.