Republic of Ghana

THE REGISTRAR GENERAL’S DEPARTMENT

CONCEPT NOTE

ON

IMPROVING THE COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF MARRIAGE

DATA AT THE REGISTRAR GENERAL’S DEPARTMENT
1.0 Introduction

The Harmonization and Improving Statistics for West Africa Project (HISWAP) aims to improve the quality, availability, and use of
statistical information in West Africa. It is implemented by the Ghana Statistical Service collaborating with relevant Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to address statistical gaps within the MDAs. This concept note is prepared under the HISWAP
project to support the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) in the following:

i) Sensitization programme with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and the Association of
Churches, including Mohammedans.
ii) Training of MMDAs and Representatives of Churches on submitting marriage data (forms and certificates) to RGD.
iii) Development of a system to host marriage data.
iv) Digitization of Marriage Records of old marriage Records

2.0 Background

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD), originally established under the Attorney General, and administered Laws for the
registration of Businesses, Marriages and estates as well as Industrial Property Rights.

On 22nd of July 2022, the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) was launched, taking over company registration from the
RGD. The RGD now focuses on marriage, estates and Industrial Property Rights. As the principal registrar of all ordinance marriages,
the RGD holds the country's marriage data.

The RGD collects data on all ordinance marriages, including special licenses, in collaboration with Municipal, Metropolitan District
Assemblies (MMDAs). The Marriages Act 1884 -1985 (Cap 127) mandates churches to submit duplicate marriage certificates to their
assemblies within seven days for onward submission to the RGD. Assemblies must also submit church records and their own marriage
registrations to the RGD for complete marriage data.
3 Problem Statement

Even though the Marriages Act 1884 -1985 (Cap 127) mandates assemblies and churches to submit marriage data, there is no laid
down communication channels and procedures. This prevents records from reaching the RGD. This has resulted in;

 Incomplete National Data: Currently, the RGD only possesses data on special license marriages, excluding a significant
portion of marriages registered by assemblies and churches, including Mohammedan marriages.
 Limited Statistics for Policy: This incomplete data hinders informed policymaking, planning, and monitoring & evaluation
concerning marriage in Ghana

A recent pilot survey (in November 2023) identified several factors causing this data gap. They include:

i. MMDAs were not aware of their obligation to send duplicate marriage certificate to the RGD.
ii. Some church officials lacked knowledge of their responsibility to promptly submit Marriages records to the Assemblies.
iii. The RGD has regional offices present in only five Regions. This means Assemblies which do not have RGD regional
offices did not have means to submit their marriage record.
iv. Some churches complained the assemblies refuse marriage certificates, due to lack of storage space.

4.0 Solutions to the problems

  Sensitization and Capacity Building: Enhance awareness among MMDAs, churches, and RGD staff regarding data submission
procedures and responsibilities.
 Streamlined Data Transmission: u
 Robust Data Storage & Management: Implement a secure and efficient platform for storing and managing complete marriage
data

5.0 Objectives

The objective is to comprehensively improve the completeness, accessibility of marriage data in Ghana, enabling evidence-based
policy making and effective service delivery

Specific objectives are:

 Increase awareness and understanding by equipping MMDAs, churches, and RGD staff with clear knowledge of their roles and
responsibilities in marriage data submission.
 Streamline the Marriage Registration Procedure and Associated data transmission system, through: the development of a user-
friendly system for all institutions to electronically submit marriage data directly to the RGD; standardize data formats and
procedures across all reporting entities and expand RGD's regional presence; and establish alternative submission channels.
 Implement a robust electronic platform for storing and managing all marriage data, ensure data integrity and accessibility for
authorized user, data quality control and validation processes.

6.0 Methodology

1. Phase One: The Sensitization (3 Months)

A one-day zonal sensitization workshops and two-days training Programme will be held for representatives of Metropolitan,
Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and church associations (including the Ghana Pentecostal Council and Christian
Council of Ghana and Muslim groups) in each areas served by Registrar General’s Department (RGD) offices as centres. Each
workshop will target approximately 270 participants from the 261 districts within the 16 regions in Ghana, with 2 participants selected
from the districts and 2 from religious organization (churches or mosque). The table below show the five zones with the proposed
training centres. A total of 612 participants are expected to benefit from the sensitization

Table 1: Zonal regions for training

Zone Regions Training Center

Zone 1 Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Sunyani Kumasi
Zone 2 Western, Western North , Cape coast Sekondi-Takoradi
Zone 3 Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West Tamale
Zone 4 Ahafo, Volta, Oti Accra
Zone 5 Greater Accra Accra

Table 2: Number of participants in each zone

Zone Districts to be District Religious Total zones 1 Centre

selected participants participants
Zone 1 77 2 2 308 Kumasi
Zone 2 80 2 2 320 Sekondi-Takoradi
Zone 3 55 2 2 220 Tamale
Zone 4 33 2 2 132 Sunyani
Zone 5 16 2 2 64 Accra
Total 261 2 2 1044 -

Activities:
  Conduct a stakeholder mapping to identify all relevant institutions involved in marriage registration (MMDAs, churches, RGD,
etc.).
 Assess current knowledge and capacity of stakeholders regarding data submission procedures and the importance of complete
data. Utilize surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions.
 Analyse existing data transmission channels and storage systems used by RGD, MMDAs, and churches. Identify gaps and
limitations.
 Develop training modules on data collection, reporting, and management tailored for each stakeholder group.
 Deliver training workshops for MMDAs, churches, and RGD staff across the country.

2. Phase Two: Design, development and implementation of National Marriage Registry System (6 months)

This is to enable the institutions mandated by the Marriages Act (CAP 127) to register and record marriages through electronic means
and implementation of a system of decentralized Marriage Registry. An IT Expert will be recruited to lead the design, development
and deployment of the system. A Detailed Terms of Reference (ToRs) would outline the activities to be carried out within a specified
period not exceeding three months and specific timelines for the deliverables.

Activities:

 Develop a secure user-friendly electronic data transmission and management system in collaboration with stakeholders. This
system would be accessible to all MMDAs Considering web-based and mobile options would also enable connection to the
Churches when marriages are done.
 Standardize data formats and procedures across all institutions.
 Develop data dictionaries and user manuals.
 Address geographical limitations:
 If feasible, expand RGD's regional presence to cover all regions.
 Secure data storage with access control and encryption.
 Data quality control and validation mechanisms.
 User-friendly interface for data entry, retrieval, and analysis.
 Pilot test the system with a limited group of stakeholders and refine based on feedback.
 Deploy the system to all relevant institutions across the country.
 3. Phase three: Staff capacity Building (two months)

A total of 20 RDG and MDAs staff will undergo training programmes to build capacity in data analysis and use data to generate
statistical figure such as

1. Data Management and analysis

2. Data Security and Privacy.

Two cohort training two-weeks training programme will be conducted by GIMPA, ISSER or any appropriate venue for training.

Target Group

 Registrar General’s Department

 Municipal, Metropolitan, and District Assemblies (MMDAs)
 Churches
 Mosques

Expected Output

Output 1: Increased Awareness and Understanding:

 Number of MMDAs, churches, and RGD staff trained on data submission procedures and responsibilities.
 Development and dissemination of awareness materials (e.g., brochures, posters, online resources) highlighting the importance
of complete marriage data.
 Increased knowledge scores among stakeholders assessed through pre- and post-training evaluations.

Output 2: Streamlined Data Transmission System:

 Fully functional electronic data submission system accessible to all marriage-registering institutions.
  Standardized data formats and procedures documented and shared with all stakeholders.
 Established alternative submission channels in regions lacking RGD offices (if applicable).
 Increased number of marriage records submitted electronically to the RGD.

Output 3: Robust Data Storage and Management Platform:

 Developed and implemented secure and efficient data storage platform for marriage records.
 Data quality control and validation procedures established and operational.
 Authorized users granted access to the platform with appropriate permissions.
 Improved data integrity and accessibility as measured by system uptime and response times.

Output 4: Enhanced Capacity and Collaboration:

 Number of MMDAs, churches, and RGD staff trained on data collection, reporting, and management.
 Development and implementation of collaborative mechanisms for data sharing and communication among stakeholders.
 Regular meetings and communication channels established between RGD and other institutions.
 Improved collaboration and information flow as measured by stakeholder satisfaction surveys or meeting attendance.

Implementation Arrangement and Governance

Steering Committee
Comprised of high-level representatives from key stakeholders such as the GSS and RGD, will Provides overall guidance.

Project Coordinating Unit

The day to implementation of this proposal will be the responsibility of the Marriage Unit of RGD headed by the Director of the Unit
with direct supervision of the Registrar General.

Technical Working Group

Composed of technical experts representing key stakeholders such as the RGD, MMDAs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Local
Government, National Development Planning Commission, and religious bodies with expertise in data management, technology, and
marriage registration procedures. They will help in the technical aspects of system development, implementation, and maintenance.

Success Factors
Strong leadership and commitment from all stakeholders. Effective collaboration and communication among different governance
groups. Clear decision-making processes and timely issue resolution. Regular monitoring and evaluation of project progress and
impact.

Sustainability

Project Team will Management to diversify funding through user fees, cost-sharing, grants, and private partnerships. Reduce reliance
on any single source.

We work to ensure we minimize licensing costs and empower local ownership by using open-source solutions. Build internal capacity
for system management. Partner with technology providers for ongoing support.

We will make the system part of core functions in MMDAs, churches, and RGD. Create clear ownership and accountability
mechanisms. Provide ongoing training to stakeholders.

We will ensure data accuracy with standardization and validation checks. Promote data use by policymakers, researchers, and service
providers. Train them on data analysis and interpretation.