Reference no: EM133393227

Case: After running a very successful election campaign, Akuffo Addo was elected president of Ghana in December 2016. Akuffo Addo took office in Ghana immediately following John Mahama, whose government is recognized as exemplary in terms of delivery. In general, there is an increasing pressure on leaders to deliver during their time in office, but following John Mahama, Akuffo Addo had even more expectant eyes upon him. Akuffo Addo's NPP Party, therefore, established itself as delivery focused very early on. The party's campaign slogan 'Real Change' made evident their commitment to delivering promises and implementing policies to positively change the lives of Ghanaians.

Upon entering office, the President then took steps to ensure that his government would stay focused on delivering promises. Most significantly, Akuffo Addo brought Charlse Asare in as a delivery consultant. Charlse Asare is known as a delivery guru, as he successfully led the USA President Barack Obama's delivery unit between 2008 and 2016. In addition to hiring Charlse Asare, the Akuffo Addo government also hired Alex Kennedy to keep a constant eye on their delivery progress. Experts agree that having teams dedicated solely to delivery is essential for governments who want to appear credible to their voters and retain support throughout their term in office. It is easy for the government to get distracted by daily tasks and issues of management, so it is imperative that delivery is made a priority.

Akuffo Addo demonstrated his commitment to delivery early on, by bringing Charlse Asare and Alex Kennedy on board. It is evident two years on that this commitment has proved effective in terms of policy wins. The Akuffo Addo government was able to fulfil more campaign pledges in the first year than any other Ghanaian government. These 'quick wins' are incredibly valuable in terms of political marketing best practice, as they help to earn the government credibility early on and can be relied upon in the event of a surprise election.

Among the many promises that the Akuffo Addo government managed to implement in its first year were a number of substantial policies that could constitute 'real change'. Reaffirming one of his major campaign promises to 'grow the middle class', Akkufo Addo managed to introduce tax cuts for the middle class and implement the free SHS program, which is a policy designed to improve the lives of struggling families. Unfortunately, the President has not yet benefited from his delivery successes, because he has yet to communicate them effectively.

In June 2018, polls showed that Akufo Addo was still the most popular leader in Ghana, but his approval ratings had fallen during his first year in office. During this period, the popularity of the NPP Party had also fallen. These results suggest that despite the government being delivery focused and following through on their campaign promises, the public has not yet registered Akuffo Addo and his government's delivery achievements. Similar to many other contemporary governments, there is a feeling among the Ghanaian public and academic community that the government is not working effectively. This emphasizes the need for the government to focus on the communication of delivery in addition to passing policies.

Two years into his term in office, Akuffo Addo is suffering from a service delivery gap. A gap occurs between performance and perception when a government has delivered on promises in their priority areas but the public does not feel as if this is the case. The government's priorities upon entering office were: Growing the middle class; Stronger diversity; International engagement that makes a difference in the world and Improved relationships with, and outcomes for, Indigenous peoples. Despite passing the two policies for the middle class mentioned earlier, as well as many others that fall into these four priority areas, the Akuffo Addo government is not currently perceived as effective.

Political marketing research has shown that leaders must communicate their delivery successes effectively if they wish to retain or increase support in return for their kept
promises. Leaders not only need to communicate progress to the public as soon as possible, they also need to show how their new policies are going to make a difference. In terms of best practice, a good strategy for communicating delivery is focusing on local benefits and telling personal stories of how policies have affected real people. Akuffo Addo's government has an opportunity to improve in this area.

Political marketing scholarship has shown that delivery-focused governments are successful in retaining public support throughout their time in office. For this reason, new governments, including Akuffo Addo's, continue to make use of delivery teams and delivery experts in the hope of retaining public support and earning re-election. The Akuffo Addo government emphasized its commitment to becoming a delivery-focused government early on in the campaign and followed some aspects of best delivery practice, including bringing experts on board and achieving quick wins

Unfortunately, Akuffo Addo's government has not as yet proved as effective as other delivery led governments, as the President and the NPP Party have both lost support during their time in office. This emphasizes the need for governments not only to deliver but also to communicate their achievements meaningfully. Akuffo Addo's government emphasizes the need for governments to show the public how their lives have changed positively as a result of policy successes, in order to earn public support.

REQUIRED:

Question 1. Explain how the Akuffo Addo government was able to deliver focus from the beginning of his presidency?

Question 2. Did the government experience a successful first year in office? Justify your answer?

Question 3. Explain how the Akuffo Addo government became a victim of the service delivery gap?

Question 4. What are the lessons for political marketing scholarship and practice with regard to the case study?