Deputy Works Minister urges business leaders to strengthen project delivery accountability

Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, has urged chief executives and business leaders to strengthen project planning, leadership accountability and implementation oversight to improve the delivery of development projects.

She said successful project delivery required more than initiating projects, stressing the importance of adequate preparation, clearly defined responsibilities and continuous monitoring.

Speaking at the PM Executive Summit organised by the Project Management Institute (PMI), she urged institutions to identify potential risks early, track project milestones and address implementation challenges before they escalated.

"One of the most important responsibilities of leadership is to establish a culture in which commitments are matched by action and performance is assessed against clear standards," she said.

She added that leaders must be willing to make difficult decisions, learn from setbacks and adjust strategies when circumstances change.

Ms Tetteh-Agbotui said these principles were particularly important in the works, housing and water resources sectors, where delays, cost overruns, poor coordination and inadequate supervision could have far-reaching consequences.

"As the Ministry responsible for Works, Housing and Water Resources, we recognise the importance of these principles in delivering works, housing and water interventions," she said.

She described project preparation as a critical stage of implementation and called on stakeholders to provide the necessary support throughout the project cycle to ensure that initiatives achieve their intended objectives.

Managing Director of PMI Sub-Saharan Africa, George Asamani, also stressed the need for thorough preparation before projects commence.

He said project initiation must be supported by proper planning and the necessary groundwork, noting that the quality of preparation was a key determinant of successful implementation.

Mr Asamani urged stakeholders to pay closer attention to project planning and assess whether the required groundwork had been completed before proceeding with implementation.

The discussions at the summit highlighted the responsibility of chief executives and business leaders to translate strategic commitments into measurable results through effective project management, accountability and strong institutional leadership.

Participants stressed that successful project delivery depends not only on sound ideas and adequate resources but also on the leadership, discipline and systems needed to turn plans into tangible outcomes.