Staff training and the attainment of organisational goals at Ghana statistical service head office, Accra

Abstract

This study was conducted on the premise that despite the importance of staff training in the attainment of organisational goals, most organisations do not handle staff training programmes well. The objective of the study was to examine staff training policies in Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), to find out the extent of implementation of such policies if they exist, analyse the implementation of the policies to see if they meet best practice and also ascertain the importance of staff training in relation to the attainment of organisational goals. Multi stage sampling techniques were adopted to arrive at a sample size of 57 valid respondents, out of a sample frame of two hundred and forty nine (249). There was also a purposive sampling of the Government Statistician and the Director of Administration to ascertain certain vital information. Questionnaires and interviews were used to solicit the information. The study revealed that even though, there are some forms of training activities going on in GSS and various investments being committed into it, the organisation does not have a detailed and an elaborate training policy, let alone a document to that effect. Staff training activities in GSS are haphazard and uncoordinated and fall short of best practices. However, the question of the importance of staff training in the attainment of organisational goals was overwhelmingly endorsed by the respondents. It is therefore being recommended that GSS should develop an elaborate and comprehensive training policy document which spells out details and regulations governing training activities and commit resources to its implementation