Civil Society Sustainability in Ghana: A Study of Governance and Executive Transitions in Selected Non-Profit Organisations

Abstract

In Ghana, very little attention has been given to civil society sustainability, particularly, with regards to leadership and governance. Whilst previous studies have sought to understand the phenomenon from either a general viewpoint or emphasise only the financial dimension, the aspect of governance and leadership remains largely ignored. This present study therefore examined the governance systems of selected civil society organisation (CSOs) in Ghana and their effectiveness in managing executive transitions. It involved a cross-section of CSO practitioners, board members and experts of the sector in the Greater Accra Region. Underpinned by social systems and structuration theories, the study adopted a cross-sectional exploratory research design. It relied mainly on questionnaire administration, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observation in the collection of the data. Governance systems were found to be poorly instituted in many cases and participants’ assessment of their effectiveness was equally less than satisfactory. The poor institutionalisation of governance and particularly, ineffective management of executive transitions, abrupt departures and the lack of succession plans and roadmaps were identified as key threats to the sector's sustainability. The study recommends a regulatory regime for non-profit organisations, education of the citizenry about their stewardship and legal responsibilities for accepting to serve on non-profit boards, institution of comprehensive orientation programmes for boards. Also, boards should step up and own the management of executive transitions through the development of formal succession plans with clear exit strategies, compensation packages, and plans for managing post succession events.