The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) has begun a two-week course in Defence Management for the year 2019 at the Otu Barracks in Teshie.
The course, which will run from Monday, June 24 to Friday, July 5, is in collaboration with the Cranfield University of the United Kingdom.
Over 140 participants, including 40 Ghanaian officers on the regular staff course, would take part in the programme.
The remaining participants are from the other security services, the ministries, departments, other agencies and 13 sister African countries.
Rear Admiral Moses Beick-Baffour, Commandant of GAFCSC, said the aim of the course was to develop the understanding of the fundamentals of defense policy formulation and the mechanics of how it was translated into effective defense management.
He said the course would enable civil servants, military officers, and personnel of other security services appreciate each other’s complementary roles, as well as the legitimate roles of others within the security and defense sectors.
“The nature of the threats we face makes it difficult to clearly delineate political or operational boundaries, or to draw battle lines.
The actors involved operate across international and interagency jurisdictions.
“Under these circumstances, the importance of understanding the roles your various ministries, departments and agencies as well as security services in the defense of this nation, the security of our sub-region, and above all that of African continent must continue to occupy your attention,” he said.
Rear Admiral Beick-Baffour noted that the effective and efficient management of defense was multi-dimensional and multi-social in nature and hinged on the collaboration of various agencies from both the public and private sectors.
He urged the participants to use the opportunity to appreciate each other’s roles and responsibilities; in order to be able to proffer solutions based on an empirical study of the policy frameworks they would be exposed to in the course duration.
“I urge you to be open minded and be prepared to accept and manage change effectively. Judging from the calibre and mix of participants, assembled here, I have no doubt in my mind that we would have lively discussions and professional presentations.
I am confident that you will all come out of this course endowed with improved understanding, and better equipped to address defense and security issues.”
He added that he was optimistic that the participants would be able to contribute more effectively towards the management of defense and security in Ghana and throughout Africa at the end of the course.
