The Inspector-General of Schools at the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), Dr. Haggar Hilda Ampadu, has received a glowing commendation from the Vice President , Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for leading the development of key policy initiatives to guide the regulation and licensing of all public and private pre-tertiary educational institutions in Ghana.
Dr. Bawumia’s commendation follows the successful launch of the School Licensing and Inspection Management System (SLIMS), unveiled as a landmark initiative by NaSIA, aimed at digitising inspection procedures and streamline regulatory processes for both public and private schools nationwide.
NaSIA’s impact on educational excellence
Dr. Haggar Haggar Ampadu’s leadership at NaSIA has been marked by a commitment to excellence and innovation. Since her appointment as the Inspector-General of Schools at NaSIA by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the authority has been instrumental in supporting the government’s educational objectives through the development of frameworks aimed at ensuring the highest standards of education.
Under her guidance, NaSIA has played a crucial role in shaping educational policies that not only uphold regulatory standards, but also foster an environment conducive to quality learning outcomes. The authority’s efforts have contributed significantly to the government’s overarching goal of providing accessible and high-quality education to all citizens of Ghana.
Solution-oriented leadership
In response to the challenges faced by the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) in conducting school inspections and licensing procedures, a rigorous digitalisation agenda was initiated in June 2019. This overhaul addressed inefficiencies stemming from manual processes, such as lengthy inspection forms averaging 12 pages per school and a cumbersome licensing process requiring proprietors to submit numerous documents manually. The digitisation effort streamlined inspection procedures and reduced the average inspection time per school from one week to one day, while also cutting down the inspection report length from 46 pages to a concise 10 pages.
Digital transformation for efficiency
The digitalisation agenda focused on revising frameworks and reprogramming forms to make them data-friendly. This initiative significantly improved inspection efficiency, enabling inspectors to conduct inspections in one school per day rather than one school per week. Moreover, the adoption of digital tools facilitated the generation of aggregate reports for all inspections conducted within an academic year.
Development of SLIMS
With the support of internally generated funds and development partners, NaSIA embarked on the development of the School Licensing and Inspection Management System (SLIMS). Comprising five integral modules, including School Licensing, Inspection, Administration, Finance and HR, SLIMS aimed to further enhance the authority’s processes. Two (2) of the modules, the Inspection and Licensing Modules, are now operational and have not only expedited the inspection process but also automated report generation, reducing the average time for inspection, analysis and reporting to three (3) weeks. The development of the remaining three (3) modules is underway, promising further enhancements to the authority’s processes.
Operational efficiency with SLIMS
The Inspection and Licensing Modules of SLIMS are now operational, revolutionising inspection planning, execution and the issuance of private school licenses. These modules have expedited the inspection process and automated report generation, reducing the average time for inspection, analysis and reporting to three weeks. Development of the remaining modules is ongoing, promising further enhancements to NaSIA’s regulatory processes.
The National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA), formerly the National Inspectorate Board (NIB), operates under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act (ERBA, 2020(ACT1023)), tasked with the development, publication, promotion, licensing and enforcement of the highest quality standards for both public and private pre-tertiary educational institutions. NaSIA conducts independent external evaluations of basic and second cycle educational institutions to ensure adherence to these standards, in alignment with its statutory responsibilities outlined in the Education Act, 778 of 2008, which include school inspection, evaluation and standards enforcement.
Before joining NaSIA, Dr. Ampadu served as the Acting Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance in Accra, Ghana (WHO-CC). In this role, she oversaw institutional capacity-building initiatives, focusing on Pharmacovigilance Policies for National Pharmacovigilance Centers and Ministries of Health across 46 countries in Africa, with direct involvement in 35 of them. Prior to her tenure at WHO-CC, Dr. Ampadu accumulated over 12 years of experience in the United States Biotech/Pharmaceutical/Medical Device industry. Her expertise spans data operations, regulatory compliance, and monitoring and evaluation.
