North Tongu NDC Deputy  Communications Hopeful  Congratulates 1,368 Elected  Branch Executives

The aspiring Deputy Communications Officer of the North Tongu Constituency in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of the Volta Region, Mr Wisdom Wilson Adzedakor, has sent congratulatory messages to all the 1,368 elected branch executives on the ticket of the NDC who steer affairs of the party in the grassroot or branch levels.

"I want to use this opportunity to congratulate all the 1,368 elected Branch Executives comprising Chairman, Secretary, Organizer, Treasure, Women Organizer, Youth Organizer, Communication officer, Members of the North Tongu Constituency from the 152 Branches," Mr Adzedakor who doubles as the former President of the Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) NDC in the University College of Management Studies added.

He indicated that "This is my message to all the past and the current Branch Executives as we prepare to elect Constituency, Regional, National Executives and the Presidential Candidate of the great NDC."

Functions of NDC Branch Executives

Functions of NDC Branch executives

Article 12 of the Constitution of our great NDC party (19th September, 1992 and the amended version) states that “the basic unit of the party shall be the branch and shall comprise members who reside, hail from or vote at a polling station”.

There are nine (9) executives within every branch. These are; Chairman, Secretary, Organizer, Treasurer, Communication Officer, Women Organizer, Youth Organizer and two (2) executive members.

The following are some of the expected functions of each of the executives;

CHAIRMAN

Article 14 (a) states that A Chairman shall preside at meetings of the branch. In politics, a party chair at the branch level is the presiding officer and he/she is in-charge of the smooth running of the party at the branch level.

The role of a branch chairman is different from all the other eight (8) executives within the branch.

1. The duties of the chairman are typically concerned with the party branch membership drive as a whole, and the activities of the party organisation.

2. He/she is to ensure high party support and voter turnout at all national polls at the polling station.

3. He/she must ensure that the party remains sensitive to the grassroots concerns of the communities that the party exist to serve at the branch.

4. Chairmen often play important roles in strategies to recruit and re-train members, in campaign, fundraising, and in internal party governance, where they may serve as a member of, or even preside over, a branch meeting.

5. They also often influence in candidate selections, and sometimes in the development and promulgation of party policy. The nature and importance of the position make it the life blood of the party at the branch level.

6. The chairman must make sure that the branch has a meeting place and the branch functions effectively and efficiently.

7. The chairman must get information from the Ward Coordinator or Constituency Secretary and disseminate it to its branch executives and members.

8. The chairman must show leadership. He/she must be a unifier, and a team player.

SECRETARY

Article 14 (b) states that A secretary shall record proceedings at meeting and provide administrative service at the branch. In politics, a branch secretary is the scribe with the responsibility of the organizational and daily political work. At the branch, the secretary is the second in rank to the chairman and has the following functions;

1. Ensuring meetings are effectively organized and minuted. Liaising with the chairman to plan meetings.

2. Maintaining effective records and administration.

3. Upholding legal requirements. (Being abreast with the party Constitution).

4. Communication and correspondence.

ORGANIZER

Article 14 (c) states that An Organizer shall be the chief field operator in the performance of the functions of the branch. The organizer responsibilities include fieldwork, meeting with the branch members to determine their needs and budget, suggesting and visiting prospective venues, developing floor plans, and liaising with Constituency Organizer to meet the needs of members and branch. He/she must ensure high party support and voter turnout at all national polls at the polling station.

Event planning at the branch level, design and be operational at the ground/field. Conceive, organize, and execute special affairs such as membership drive, party re-organization, rallies, etc. They are to mobilize the youth wing, and women wing of the party for party work.

Maintain regular communication with members, both new and existing, arrange visits, or meetings, schedule organizational tasks, and reply to any queries if they have any to. They are to ensure that schedules are coordinated to avoid clashing with other meetings and programs.

TREASURER

Article 14 (d) states that A Treasurer shall collect membership dues, donations and monies as may be authorized by National Congress or the National Executive Committee and deal with these as directed. General financial oversight. Oversees and present budgets, accounts and financial statements to the branch members on all receivables. The main role of a treasurer is to account for the money received, and spent. Other functions include;

1. Funding, fundraising and sales of party items.

2. Financial planning and budgeting.

3. Financial reporting.

4. Book-keeping and record-keeping.

5. Control of fixed assets and stocks.

COMMUNICATION OFFICER

Article 14 (g) states that A Communication Officer shall be responsible for publicity of activities and marketing the party at the branch level. He/she is responsible for assisting the communication activities of the party at the branch level including devising communication strategies, creating content, briefing members and organizing events.

The Officer does everything from writing press releases to developing blog content and creating social media posts. He/she is tasked with tracking campaign analytics and maintaining digital media archives.

A Communication Officer must have the following characteristics;

Intellectual agility – Be willing to immerse themselves in a wide range of unfamiliar subjects, and be a fast learner. Strong intuition, objectivity, advisory capabilities, and have excellent judgement.

He/she must be able to communicate effectively by understanding the audience needs, fears, expectations, and preferences.

He/she must understand the Communication process (encoding, medium of transmission, decoding, and feedback).

The Communication Officer must appreciate the Components of Communication (source, message, channel, receiver, feedback, environment, context, and interference).

WOMEN ORGANIZER

Article 14 (e) states that A Woman Organizer shall be responsible for the mobilization of the women at the branch level for party activities.

The core objective of the Woman Organizer is to increase the political engagement of women and young people in the party at the branch level. The following are some of her responsibilities:

1. Managing program activities designed to increase the political participation of women and young people within the polling station at the branch.

2. Working with existing local advocacy groups and individuals to develop innovative approaches for increasing their access to and effectiveness within the party.

3. Providing advice and assistance to women and young people to meet program objectives.

4. Assisting in the planning, opening and management of women and young people in cells/smaller groups.

5. Developing and maintaining relationships with NGOs, donors, etc within your area. (Branch).

6. Regularly visiting your women and young people within the branch, oversee project performance, and meet reporting objectives.

7. Conducting analysis and producing report on projects within your branch.

Qualities of a Woman Organizer must be friendly, open minded, team player, unifier, flexible, culturally sensitive, strong management skills, good interpersonal skills and must have experience in community organization at the grassroots level or public interest advocacy.

YOUTH ORGANIZER

Article 14 (f) states that A Youth Organizer shall be responsible for the mobilization of the youth at the branch level for party activities provided such a person is not more than forty (40) years old, at the time of filling nomination. A Youth Organizer is the leader of the youth at the branch and he/she must show leadership in providing guidance, inspiration and instruction. He/she has many roles including;

1. Manager/Supervisor: Responsible for overseeing all the activities within the branch in terms of membership drive, door-to-door campaign, visitation, etc.

2. Strategist: Responsible for deciding how to approach tasks and develop a plan to accomplish them within the branch.

3. Communicator: Responsible for distributing information to the youth at the branch.

4. Organizer: Responsible for keeping track of and structuring various tasks, winning more youth members and keeping them at the branch.

5. Goal setter: Responsible for determining the goals that the youth at the branch will work to achieve. (Membership drive).

6. Initiator: Responsible for organizing simple activities at the branch for the youth such as clean-ups, games, debates, etc. for fun and entertainment with the sole aim of increasing membership drive and creating awareness of the existence of the branch.

Qualities of a good Youth Organizer includes decision-making, coaching, mentoring, developing the youth’s skills and managing conflicts among the youth in the branch.

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

The major role of the two (2) executive members within a branch is advisory. They can support the branch financially and with logistics if they have the means and are willing to do so. The position must be for distinguish personalities within the branch.