USAID Ghana, Policy LINK, and Finance Ministry Launch Junior Fellows Program

Participants at the launch of the Junior Fellows Program (photo: Policy LINK).

On March 14, 2023, USAID Ghana, through the Feed the Future (FtF) Policy LINK Activity and in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), launched a Junior Fellows Program that will enable recently graduated students of Ghana’s universities to deliver entry-level technical support to the Ministry.

The 10 Junior Fellows, six of whom are women, will support MoF departments’ efforts to develop and implement evidence-based policies that drive the Government of Ghana’s agenda to develop more competitive, private sector-led energy and agriculture sectors. The incoming group of fellows will contribute to strategies that maximize the respective sectors’ contribution to overall economic growth and transformation.

“These 10 young fellows have unique skills that will help the Ministry, and although the program is experimental, this is a fantastic feat.”

Specifically, they will support efforts to mobilize external and internal resources, help with the preparation and implementation of the annual budget and economic and financial statement of the government, contribute to the preparation of annual action plans and progress reports of the Ministry, work with a USAID-supported Embedded Advisor and the assigned departments on the development and implementation of financial sector policies, and  provide support in implementing the “YouStart” and other youth-led initiatives.

Speaking at the launch, Paul Pleva, Director of the USAID Ghana Economic Growth Office, said the introduction of the Junior Fellows Program commemorates the sustainable partnership between USAID and the Ghana government.

“As partners, USAID thought of what it could do to be supportive, and the request was to bring in these young talents to help the team. We considered this request as a clear indication of the Ministry's commitment to turning the economy around to provide Ghanaians with the environment to develop and thrive. I am pleased that the USAID Ghana Mission, with the support of the Policy LINK Activity, has been able to honor this important ask,” he explained.

Samuel Danquah Arkhurst, a Chief Economics Officer and Director of the Treasury and Debt Management Division at the Ministry, praised the caliber of the selected fellows. He is optimistic that, at the end of the two-year period, the program’s goal—to add much-needed support to the Ministry’s work in the energy and agriculture sectors—will be achieved.

“I could see excellence in how they worked [during their one-year national service at the Ministry] and needed them for the biggest fight—to turn Ghana’s economy around, and Paul and the USAID have made it work,” he said. “These 10 young fellows have unique skills that will help the Ministry, and although the program is experimental, this is a fantastic feat.”

For the next two years, the first cohort of fellows will serve as key resources to their assigned departments and agencies within the Ministry. They will also coordinate with other USAID-supported mechanisms, including the broader FtF Policy LINK Activity and an Embedded Advisor, for coaching and other skills required to work effectively within the Ministry.

At the end of the two-year period, the Ministry and USAID Ghana will assess the Junior Fellows Program and decide whether to renew it.

The FtF Ghana Policy LINK Activity is a five-year project supporting the Government of Ghana and policy actors as they implement evidence-based, inclusive development processes. Read more about our work here.