The initiative, part of the Capacity Enhancement of the Civil Service for English speaking West African Countries Project, was launched in Accra.
It brought together 30 middle-level civil service officers from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

The two-week training programme is part of the third World country training programme being funded by JICA and aimed foster efficiency, accountability, and customer satisfaction in public service operations across the region.

Addressing the participants at the opening of the training, Mr Hiroshi Yoshimoto, Japanese ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, recalled the transformative impact of the Kaizen project in the health sector in Ghana. He hoped that extending the kaizen training to the civil service where strong leadership and effective service delivery were critical to national development.

Mr Yoshimoto commended the CSTS for pioneering the Kaizen programme in public service administration to build a robust system for enhanced service delivery.

Madam Dora Dei-Tumi, Principal of CSTC, emphasized the significance of the programme in fostering efficiency and transformative learning in public service.
She mentioned that the course began two weeks ago with an online phase via Zoom, describing the programme as "a catalyst for change, to foster a transcendent spirit across the West African civil service.

Madam Dei-Tumi, emphasized the need for cost-effective solutions to improving efficiency in public service, especially in the face of financial constraints.

Madam Momoko Suzuki, Chief Representative of JICA Ghana, said the Kaizen training was designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to drive continuous improvement in service delivery.

The training sought to equip the participants with the knowledge, skills and tools to enhance customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and organisational effectiveness.

She noted that the training marked the first time CSTC was offering the Kaizen course as a formal training programme, underscoring JICA's commitment to strengthening Ghana's civil service and improving overall public sector efficiency. Madam Eunice Osae, Chief Director, Office of the Head of Civil Service, urged participants to fully engage in the training, for a continuous improvement in public service delivery across West Africa.