NewsVol. 8 No. 1, 2015

Quarterly Newsletter for GRIDCo Staff and Stakeholders

GRIDCo commencedyear 2015 with aThanksgiving Ser-

vice to thank God forsuccessful businessoperations last year and seekHis guidance during the NewYear.

In oneness and deepreflection, Staff prayed andthanked God for His merciesthroughout the previous year

and sought His blessings for2015.

Rev. Yaw Danso, theofficiating minister, in hissermon, advised staff to bethankful to God for the gift oflife, even in difficultsituations. “Let God lead usin all decision making, andwe will not fail,” he noted.He called on staff to beoptimistic about GRIDCo

and Ghana.

He commended Managementfor sustaining such aprogramme, and expressedthe hope, that it will beinstitutionalized even ifManagement should changehands.

The annual staff gathering,the third in successive years,is also a platform for

Ghana Grid CompanyLimited (GRIDCo)joined 38 other State

Owned Enterprises (SOEs) tosign the 2015 PerformanceContract with the Government

of Ghana under the auspices ofthe State EnterprisesCommission (SEC).

Mr. William Amuna, ChiefExecutive, and Mr. Mark Ofori

Amanfo, a Board Member,signed on behalf of GRIDCo,with the Deputy Minister ofPower, Mr. John Jinapor,witnessing for the Ministry ofPower.

Addressing the meeting of ChiefExecutives, representatives ofBoards of Directors and SectorMinisters, Mrs. Mona Quartey,Deputy Minister of Finance,charged managers of SOEs todevelop strategies that willenhance their operations andgenerate more revenue for thegovernment.

Mrs. Quartey acknowledged thedifficult environment that SOEsoperate in but tasked managersof these institutions to beinnovative and strategize to growtheir companies and deliverquality and efficient services,especially those that continue toexist on government support.

Dr. Camynta Baezie, ExecutiveSecretary of SEC said theCommission has requested thesupport of the BalanceScorecard Institute to strengthengovernance practices in SOEswith the view to improving theirperformance.

The SEC instituted thePerformance Contract withSOEs to ensure that they operateefficiently, effectively andprofitably and contributetowards the socio-economicdevelopment of Ghana.

The Contracts are negotiatedtaking into consideration themission, objectives, programmesand plans of the SOEs, with theSEC providing periodicmonitoring as well as evaluationof the performance of theenterprises in relation to theagreed targets.

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GRIDCo JOINS OTHER SOES TO SIGN THE 2015 PERFORMANCE CONTRACT WITH GOG

NEW YEAR THANKSGIVING SERVICE HELD

CE signing on behalf of GRIDCo

A view of staff at the service Rev Yaw Danso (1st from right) with CE and other management team

GRIDCo Officially Completes NewCorporate Perfromance Management

System - P2

System Operations Department Holds1st Operators’ Conference - P3

CE’s Visit To Areas - P3

Chief Executives Message To Staff - P5

Facility Inspection in Prestea Area - P5

GRIDCo goes green - P6

Safety Coordinators review Contractors’ Safety Manual - P7

Koica Training - P 7

Interview with Mr. Frank AddaeECG Staff on attachment at

The System Control Centre - P8

STAFF EXCELLENCE MR. SAMUEL ACQUAH WINS TOP AWARD - P8

GRIDCo Adopts Enterprise Risk Mangement - P9

News in Brief - P11

13 Habits of Stress - Free People 12

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All Objective Owner Teams (i.e.Directors and selected staff withoversight responsibilities for

Corporate Objectives) of the newPerformance Management System (PMS)based on the Balanced Scorecard, recentlymet with the External Consultant, Mr. PeterNdaa of Balanced Scorecard East Africa(BSEA), to conduct measurability tests onthe various Objective Outcomes and also tofinalise the new Performance ManagementSystem.

Measurability tests entail subjectingoutcomes of the various corporateobjectives to a series of tests to ascertainhow realistic and achievable they are. Mostof the outcomes passed the test, with a fewbeing refined to make them achievable.

The various Strategic Objective - Groups,namely; Improve Financial Performance;Increase Customer Satisfaction; ImproveTransmission and TelecommunicationService Delivery; Improve StakeholderEngagement; Promote SustainableEnvironment; Improve Work Environment;Increase Infrastructure; Improve EmployeeCompetence and Increase Use ofTechnology, therefore, had the chance toreview work done so far on the CorporateScorecard.

As a sequel to the meeting with Mr. Ndaa,GRIDCo’s Management Team held aworkshop on 23rd March 2015 to confirmand prioritise the Performance Measures,Targets and Initiatives of GRIDCo’s newPerformance Management System for theperiod 2015 to 2019. The meeting also sawthe completion of GRIDCo’s newPerformance Management System at theCorporate Level based on the BalancedScorecard Strategic Planning andPerformance Management System (Tier 1– Corporate Balanced Scorecard)

The Chief Executive, Ing. William Amunadeclared the new PerformanceManagement System, named, THEGRIDCo WAY, - launched at the end of theall-day workshop at the ProcurementConference Room. He encouraged thevarious Objective Teams to keep up thegood job done so far in the development ofthe Performance Management System. Henoted, “we have reached a critical stage,where we will have to cascade Tier 1 down

to Tier 2 (DepartmentalScorecard) and Tier 3(Individual Scorecard). Donot give up or becomplacent. Commitmentto this critical stage woulddetermine the success orfailure of this new PMS.”

During the proceedingsleading to the - launching ofTHE GRIDCo WAY, Mr.Isaac Akesseh, Director,Corporate Planning, gavean overview of thedevelopment of the newPerformance ManagementSystem, making thebusiness case for change,whilst highlighting thefollowing factors; “Why Change IsNecessary?” and “What Will Change looklike?”

Some of the points he raised under “WhyChange Is Necessary” included: a shiftfrom a public company to a limited liabilitycompany mindset; keeping pace withtechnology; the need to optimizeproductivity; reliability of the NationalInterconnected Transmission System tomeet customer demands; businesssustainability and effective communication.

Also enumerating “What Will Change looklike,” Mr. Akesseh noted points such as:GRIDCo having satisfied customers whoare being supplied with quality and reliablepower 24/7, GRIDCo being a sustainabletechnologically driven company, andGRIDCo being the place staff would wantto be, to mention but a few.

Adherence to the above-mentioned pointswould serve to quicken the pace towardsthe attainment of GRIDCo’s vision forchange by ensuring Customer Satisfaction,Service Excellence and Business Growthby a sustainable technologically-drivencompany.He also mentioned GRIDCo’s newCorporate Mission and Vison Statementsand Core Values as follows: Mission: Weprovide a reliable electricity grid for qualitylivelihood. Vision: To be the model gridcompany.

Core Values (R.I.S.E. & Care):

Responsiveness, Integrity, Safety,Excellence and Caring.

GRIDCo’s new goal is “To achieve 99.99%reliability on the national transmissionsystem with fully automated, integrated andpaperless business processes by year 2019”

Mrs. Martina Addo, Consultant,Performance Management, moderated theprogramme, which discussed the variousPerformance Measures and Initiatives.

Mrs. Addo explained that effective end ofApril, 2015, Performance Reporting on theTier 1 Performance Management systemwill start. Project Managers of specificInitiatives would submit their performancereports to their Functional Directors whowill endorse and subsequently submit thereports to Objective Owners (Directors).The Objective Owners would then forwardthe reports to the Corporate PlanningDepartment for collation and submission tothe Chief Executive and copy the Advisor,Engineering and Operations. The reportswould be submitted five working days afterthe end of each month.

Mr. Akesseh used the opportunity toexpress his profoundest gratitude to theBalanced Scorecard Teams for theirimmense dedication to the exercise.

In his closing remarks, the Chief Executivecongratulated the entire Corporate PlanningDepartment, noting that he has not regrettedthe composition of the team he put together

GRIDCo OFFICIALLY COMPLETES

NEW CORPORATE PERFROMANCEMANAGEMENT SYSTEM - ‘THE GRIDCo WAY’

Continued on page 4 >>>

Mr. Akesseh, Dir. Corporate Planning making a presentation

Mr. Akesseh, Dir. Corporate Planning making a presentation

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The System Operations Department successfullyorganised its first Operators’ Conference, whichbrought together key stakeholders from the

Power Sector.

The two-day conference, themed “The Role of theSystem Operator in Service Delivery in the CurrentState of the Ghana Power System,’’ saw participantsfrom the ECG, VRA, TICO, ASOGLI, CIE(Compagnie Ivoirienne d'Electricite), of Ivory Coast.

The conference discussed issues on the current state ofthe Power System, outage coordination, sharing ofinformation from the various Operational Areas; Safetyissues; Electricity Market Rules; Automatic FrequencyLoad Shedding System (AFLS). The dialogue sessionalso came up with innovative ways of improvingcoordination of operations across the power system.

Welcoming guests, Mr. Bernard Modey, Director,System Operations, GRIDCo, said the perennial poweroutages have had a negative impact on the country, andencouraged all not to give up. He was optimistic thatthe crisis will soon be a thing of the past, even as welearn our lessons as a nation.In presenting the Purpose of Gathering, Mr. EmmanuelWomenor, Assistant Electrical Engineer of the SystemControl Centre gave a brief history of Power Sectorreforms in Ghana, which commenced in the mid-nineties to open up the industry to new marketparticipants and simultaneously began to unbundlewholesale power generation and transmission, whichled to the establishment of GRIDCo.

Importantly, he noted that, since its inception, GRIDCo,has embarked on numerous network addition andexpansion projects, which have drastically reducedbottlenecks in the National Interconnected TransmissionSystem (NITS).

Mentioning the current problems, which havebedevilled the Ghana Power Sector, he enumeratedinadequate power generation capacity; erratic gassupply; crude oil supply challenges and load shedding.

Significantly, Mr. Womenor further mentioned that,

“…. in the light of these challenges, it has becomeimperative that Operators in the service delivery atvarious stages of the power supply chain come togetherto dialogue and find ways to enhance operations toimprove coordination in operational activities.”

“The System Operator is someone, whose principal roleis to ensure reliable, economic, safe and efficient supplyof electricity to consumers amid constraints that threatenthe security and integrity of the National InterconnectedTransmission System. The System Operator is a keyplayer in the power supply chain in Ghana,” he noted.

Mr. Frank Otchere, Manager, System Operations,GRIDCo, made a presentation titled, “The Current stateof the Ghana Power System.’’ He catalogued amongother things, the nation’s generation installed and actualcapacities.

He was also proud to mention that GRIDCo’ssubstations had increased over the years, and currentlystood at fifty-five (55). Additionally transformercapacities had also been increased to serve allsubstations.

To mention but a few, Mr. Otchere made the followingrecommendations to improve power delivery; increaseefforts to install emergency barges; increase reliable supplyof gas; step up coordination of activities between operationalAreas in GRIDCo, as well as inter- organizational.

Mr. Benjamin Ntsin, Manager, Power SystemPlanning, GRIDCo, also made a presentation on “AnOverview of Ghana Power System,” whilst Mr. KofiOwiredu, Ag. Manager, Market Operations and Mr.Stephen Debrah, Principal Operations PlanningEngineer, all of GRIDCO, took turns to educateparticipants on “Emerging Electricity Markets and ItsImplications on GRIDCo Operations” and“Transmission System Equipment OutageCoordination and Implementations of LoadManagement,” respectively.

Invited participants also presented fraternal messages.

The minutes of the Conference, will be published in thenext publication…… Please, stay tuned.

At the beginning of the year, Ing. William Amunaled a Management delegation to pay working visitsto GRIDCo’s seven Operational Areas to deliver hisNew Year message; outline the Company’s visionfor 2015 and also motivate staff to give of their bestat work.

The delegation travelled to Akosombo, Akuse,Tarkoradi, Prestea, Bogoso, Techiman, Kumasi,Tamale and Mim.

The Chief Executive seized the opportunity to inspecton-going and completed projects at the various areashe visited.

At Prestea for instance, He inspected the newCrompton Greaves transformer, which got burntduring installation works.

In support of government’s Local Content Policy, CEdisclosed that GRIDCo technicians had been taskedto repair the transformer instead of sending it back tothe manufacturers. He commended the techniciansfor the progress they had made with the repair works,noting that he will encourage future repair works tobe done in-house if this one was done successfully.

He later commissioned a new office complex, whichis to be named Prestea GRID House.

During the durbars organized in all the Areas hevisited, the CE talked about a myriad of issues,including GRIDTel – GRIDCo’s soon-to-be newTelecommunication venture.

According to him this venture will offer GRIDCosome extra income of about $5 million dollars a year.He said it will use the existing fibre-optic inGRIDCo’s transmission lines to provide data servicesto clients.

On the Balanced Scorecard, the CE indicated that, itwill aid in changing staff approach to work andreiterated that it was not meant as an additional burdenon staff but to drive efficiency and productivity.

On the Wide Area Network Implementation, hedisclosed that MIS has been tasked to embark onputting all Areas on a Wide Area Network to enhancethe flow of information in the company.

He again talked about the Oracle Project which isaimed at fully automating the company’ operation toincrease efficiency and reduce the time frame takenfor certain assignments and tasks to be done.

The Chief Executive and the delegation took turnsto answer questions and, assured staff that all issuesraised at the durbars would be addressed.

The delegation was made up of Directors of thefollowing departments, SNS; Audit; HumanResource, as well as the Manager, Business Partner,Manager, Corporate Office and Head P.R.

Participants at the conference

Mr. Otchere, Mgr., SCC, making a presentation at the conference Another cross setion of participants

SYSTEM OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT HOLDS1ST OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE

CE’s VISIT TO AREAS<<<

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Management to show appreciation to staffand encourage them to be loyal and workharder.

Mr. William Amuna, the Chief Executive,acknowledged the strides the companymade in 2014, and paid glowing tribute tothe invaluable contributions made by staffin a challenging year.

Mr. Amuna described 2014 as achallenging year and added, “even thoughwe are in a New Year, our financialsituation has not improved, and the loadshedding exercise, will also go on for awhile.” The year 2015, is, therefore goingto be a tough one for the company, he said.

He said he will continue to maintain an“open door” for suggestions andconstructive criticisms from staff for abetter GRIDCo. He cited the newlyconstructed prefabricated offices as anexample of a suggestion from a staff.

He called on staff not to feeloverburdened, when called upon to make“sacrifices” for the prosperity of both thecompany and mother Ghana.

He encouraged staff to be good corporatecitizens by avoiding wastage of any kind.“I hereby urge you to be each other’skeeper in this and many regards, bycorrecting each other, when we go wrong,instead of keeping quiet, thereby allowinglittle problem or wrong-doing to fester andimplode.”

Mr. Amuna appealed to staff to make timefor family and spend quality time withfamily and friends.

Mrs. Rosina Amuah, Mr. Alex Amissah,Mr. Joseph Kwesi Kai and Mrs. EllenDedjoe led intercessory prayers forGhana, GRIDCo, Workers and Family andfor a successful 2015 respectively.

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INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Perfection is not attainable, but ifwe chase perfection we can catchexcellence. - Vince Lombardi.

I can't change the direction of thewind, but I can adjust my sails toalways reach my destination. -Jimmy Dean.

The will to win, the desire tosucceed, the urge to reach your fullpotential... these are the keys thatwill unlock the door to personalexcellence. – Confucius.

If you can dream it, you can do it. -Walt Disney.

Always do your best. What youplant now, you will harvest later. -Og Mandino

Believe you can and you're halfwaythere. - Theodore Roosevelt.

It is during our darkest momentsthat we must focus to see the light.- Aristotle Onassis.

As we express our gratitude, wemust never forget that the highestappreciation is not to utter words,but to live by them. - John F.Kennedy.

I hated every minute of training,but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer nowand live the rest of your life as achampion.' - Muhammad Ali.

There are two ways of spreadinglight: to be the candle or the mirrorthat reflects it. -Edith Wharton.

“Accept responsibility for your life.Know that it is you who will getyou where you

want to go, no one else.” – LesBrown

“Challenges are what make lifeinteresting and overcoming them iswhat makes life meaningful.” –Joshua J. Marine

“Its hard to wait around forsomething you know might neverhappen; but it’s harder to give upwhen you know its everything youwant.” – Unknown

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for the exercise.

He was proud to announce that the StateEnterprises Commission (SEC) has plans toroll out the Balanced ScorecardPerformance Management System in thenear future, indicating that GRIDCo hastaken a step in the right direction.

Ing. Amuna further intimated that theBalanced Scorecard based PerformanceManagement System should be consideredas a good example of Change Management.He was of the opinion that apart fromenthusiasm to roll out the programme,effective communication was a major itemthat could guarantee its success.

He tasked the MIS Section to expedite theroll out of the Enterprise Resource Planning(ERP) to enhance operations. The ERP,which is an integration of systems and

processes will help manage GRIDCo’sbusiness by automating and streamliningGRIDCo’s processes.

“Tier 1 is about to start, through the hardwork of all. I urge you to warm up to itssuccessful execution, whilst you prepare forthe 2nd and 3rd Tiers, namely, Departmentaland Individual performance managementlevels, respectively. I encourage you toimprove on team work,” the ChiefExecutive noted.

The Change Management andCommunication Team of the newPerformance Management Systemsubsequently met for two days to plan theway forward for the dissemination of theTier1 output and also identify changeinterventions for its execution.

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staff enjoying the services Staff in procession

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NEW YEAR THANKSGIVING SERVICE HELD

NEW CORPORATE PERFROMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Once again, by the grace of God, wehave entered another New Year andI want to welcome all of you back to

work. I wish to use this opportunity to extendto all staff and their families, ourdevelopment partners, Customers andstakeholders, a Happy and Prosperous NewYear.

In this New Year, let us always commit ourcontinued well-being and collectiveaccomplishments in 2015 and beyond to the

Almighty, who is the source of our lives andsustenance.

My expectations in this New Year is that wewill all live in peace and joy, and our workwill grow through increased productivity thatwill bring prosperity to all of us.

The dawn of a New Year is often a time forpeople to look into the future with hope andresolution. For all of us staff, it should holdthe promise and a chance to make things

different and better in our personal lives andin GRIDCo.

As part of our individual New Yearresolutions, let us always remember to directour thoughts and efforts to what we cancollectively and as individuals do to enhanceour work in the Ghana Grid CompanyLimited (GRIDCo).

I pray that we will continue to work togetherto see our vision and medium term goal cometo fruition as we rollout our new PerformanceManagement System. I pray that the goodLord will keep us going in the direction we arecharting for our company and ultimately bringimmense growth in our business.

I look forward to many other conversationswith you all that will enable us agree on howtogether we can grow our company based onthe new performance management systemwe have collectively agreed on.

Once again, I wish you all and your families avery Happy and Prosperous New Year.

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The Director for the Southern NetworkServices (SNS) Department, Mr.Norbert Anku has inspected facilities

in the Prestea Area .The five-day workingvisit brought together Managers andSupervisors of the various Locations in theDepartment, namely; Takoradi, Tarkwa,Prestea, Bogoso and Akyempim.

The visit formed part of the Department’speriodic inspection of its Areas. It afforded theDirector and his team the opportunity tointeract with staff, and to learn at first hand,the problems they face in executing theirduties.

The team first arrived at the TICO Plant atAboadzie, where they were conducted roundthe 330 kV sub-station. Officials of the VoltaRiver Authority (VRA) expressed worryabout the frequent tripping of the circuitbreaker and the need for the situation to berectified.

The team also visited the Ankasa Forest, wherea bridge is being constructed over the SuhyinRiver to facilitate maintenance of thetransmission line Right-of-Way through theforest.. It was observed that the contractor hadabandoned his work and also left someequipment and building materials at the site.

The Director said if the contractor did not resumework in good time to complete the bridgeManagement might be forced to explore otheroptions in order to make the lines more accessible.

The team also visited the newly located Tarkwasub-station where they were informed by staffabout their inability to access the P3AB lines dueto lack of good access roads.

The team took advantage of their presence in theWestern Region to engage the Management ofGoldfields Ghana Limited, a customer ofGRIDCo on issues of power supply and jointtraining programmes and operations for theirstaff.

A staff durbar was held to climax the five-dayworking visit with an appeal from Mr Ankufor the staff to work according to laid downsafety policies and procedures and also de-velop a good maintenance culture for theirnewly constructed residential facilities andother company property.

Area Managers for Volta, Takoradi,Akosombo and Prestea expressed satisfactionat the conduct of workers and charged them toremain committed to their work.

Staff in the Areas visited were appreciative ofthe visits and promised to give of their best.

William Amuna CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The team and Technical staff from VRA examining a map

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Participants

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Staff in procession

Ing. Anku, Director SNS with the Team

En route to the Ankasa Forest

FACILITY INSPECTION IN PRESTEA AREA

MESSAGE TO STAFF GHANA GRID COMPANY LIMITED

CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S

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1. Read about healthy living.Besides typical media sources,several healthcare providersshare information on healthand healthy living. Dr. PamYoder favors credible sourcessuch as healthfinder.gov andcdc.gov. Also, don’t forget thatHealth Tap also has plenty ofdoctor answers to medicalquestions!

2. Take baby steps.

Although Dr. Barbara Lavi’ssuggestion to reduce alcoholand caffeine consumption,exercise 3 - 4 times a week,and get more sleep may beincredibly challenging,remember that it’s okay to start small. Start with one - onedrink, one gym visit, or oneextra hour of sleep.

3. Make sure your goal isproperly focused.

For example, committing to“losing weight” isn’t specificenough. In that case, Dr.Kenneth Cheng recommendscommitting to “getting healthy.”This goal would result not onlyin weight loss, but also betteroverall mental and physicalhealth.

4. Be accountable. Dr. PamelaPappas says,

“Developing a system foraccountability can make all thedifference in both starting andsticking to lifestyle changes.”Resolutions are great, butunless you hold yourselfaccountable, they won’tbecome sustainable in the long run.

5. Find someone to do it with you.

Pathologist Dr. Ed Friedlandernotes that healthy nutritiongoals are a “life experiencerather than medicine - theway to do this is to have afriend who shares your goals,and work together. Nophysician can give you thewarmth and encouragement of a real friend.”

5 EASY TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE!

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GRIDCo Staff in the TemaEnclave turned up intheir numbers to

engage in the planting ofgreen grass and trees in theon-going GRIDCo GreeningProject. Mr. William Amuna,the Chief Executive -addressed the staff beforethe commencement of thegrass planting exercise andplanted a tree to symbolizethe growth of GRIDCo andthe company’s dedication topromoting a sustainableenvironment.

Mr. Amuna in his addressadvised staff to drive safelyand not to over-speed in theEnclave. He stated that it wasfor this reason thatManagement was construc-ting speed ramps on theroads leading to the officesand urged staff to adhere tothe 20Kmph speed limit inthe Enclave for the safety ofall.

Mr. Amuna further askedstaff to desist from parkingcars on the roadside, whichhe said is against road safetyregulations and entreatedstaff to make use of theparking lots provided.

GRIDCogoesgreen CE making the symbolic tree planting

An aeriel view of staff during the exercise

Watering the freshly planted grass and trees

Another scene of staff

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KOICA Training

Greetings from Korea

Greetings from Korea 2

Participants pause to take a picture

Chop time…… the Korean way!

Watering the freshly planted grass and trees

Another scene of staff

The last batch of Technical staff, whowere shortlisted after written -examinations, recently visited the

Korea Electric Power Corporation(KEPCo) Academy, Korea for a CapacityBuilding Program on the TransmissionSystem in Ghana.

The programme is under the auspices ofthe Korea International CooperationAgency’s (KOICA) Official DevelopmentAssistance (ODA) funded project.

The training was geared towardsenhancing the professional and tacticalknowledge of participants.

GRIDCo has maintained a mutuallybeneficial relationship with bothorganizations since its inception in 2008.

The 2014 Fourth Quarter SafetyReview Meeting has been held inSunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Key on the meeting’s agenda was thereview of GRIDCo’s Safety Manual (forits contractors).

Although GRIDCo has been engagingcontractors to implement some of itsprojects, there is no document to guideand monitor the safety of contractor’semployees.

The Safety Unit of the NetworkPerformance Department has, therefore,been charged with the responsibility toensure that GRIDCo publishes anappropriate document for the contractors’use.

To help the Safety Unit execute thisresponsibility effectively, it employed theassistance of Safety Coordinators in boththe Operational and Non-OperationalAreas to review the document.

Safety Coordinators were divided intothree (3) groups to review aspects of theManual which included contents on

Contractor Pre-Qualification Question-naire, Contractor Safety OrientationManual and Contractor’s Visitors Log.

The various review groups subsequentlypresented their deliberations for peerreview.

After the Safety Coordinators’ Meeting, ateam of four (4) technical staff –Benjamin Odoi-Kumah, Safety andOperating Engineer, Southern NetworkServices (SNS) Department; BenjaminOffie Awuku, Planning Engineer,Engineering Department; Andrew Hall,Electrical Maintenance Engineer,Northern Network Services (NNS)Department and Paul Baidoo-Cudjo,Project Engineer, West Africa PowerPool (WAPP) Department – were taskedto review the actual Contractors’ SafetyManual.

The Safety Unit informed the meetingthat as part of the ISO OHAS 18001certification processes, Societe Generaledu Services (SGS) will soon conduct aGap Audit in GRIDCo.

This is aimed at analyzing GRIDCo’s

Safety practices, and fine-tuning them tomatch Industry best practices.

Mr. Frederick Obeng Yobo, SafetyEngineer, was particularly excited aboutthe Gap Audit, noting that, “… it will helpidentify areas in which we are lacking, toenable us improve on our work. It is allpart of the processes.”

Safety Officers have been equipped toinstill safety consciousness in theircolleagues in their various work Areas.

Over the years, GRIDCo’s SafetyCoordinators across the network meetevery quarter to review safety-relatedmatters, vis a vis accidents, incidents nearmisses etc., which occurred during thepreceding quarter. They also receivepresentations from internal and externalSafety experts on related topics, such asSafety Leadership and Supervision; theneed to conduct Risk Assessments onplanned or unplanned tasks before goingon the field, theoretical and practicalsessions of “Fire Prevention and ControlSystems” and “Basic First Aid andCardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

SAFETY COORDINATORS REVIEW CONTRACTORS’ SAFETY MANUAL

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GRIDCo and the Electricity Companyof Ghana (ECG) have started anexchange programme for their

system operators to help promote a goodappreciation among operators of theirrespective network operations.

GRIDCo News interviewed Mr. Frank Addae,the first ECG operator to benefit from theexchange programme.

GRIDCo PR: Good afternoon Mr. FrankAddae.

Mr. Frank Addae: Good afternoon.

GRIDCo PR: We are informed that you arefrom the Electricity Company of Ghana. Whatbrings you to GRIDCo?

Mr. Frank Addae: I am here on an exchangeprogramme, which ECG has with GRIDCo,on Control Operation, to update myknowledge on GRIDCo’s operations,especially during this era of “dum sor.”

GRIDCo PR: What prompted this exchangeprogram?

Mr. Frank Addae: It was triggered by thepower crisis which have currently engulfed thecountry.

It is also because of the occasionalmisunderstanding among some of ouroperators when GRIDCo makes furtherdemands on us (ECG) to shed more load.

However, my short stay here has given me avery good insight and appreciation on theoccasional situations that necessitate suchcalls.

GRIDCo PR: Does GRIDCo also have arepresentative in your stead at ECG?

Mr. Frank Addae: Yes. There is one Mr.Akomea currently at ECG.

GRIDCo PR: Has your stay at the SystemControl Centre been useful so far?

Mr. Frank Addae: Of course! I have learnt alot. One being that, the fall in generationmeans we, especially have to manage ourhydro sources very well in order to avoid acomplete shutdown of the power system.

Additionally, the mimic board in the controlroom gives you a real time update of the powersurges and the gas pressures. So yes, it hasbeen worthwhile, so far, and I know it willeven get better.

GRIDCo PR: How long is your stay?

Mr. Frank Addae: It’s a week-long stay.

GRIDCo PR - Would other staff from ECGalso enjoy this same opportunity?

Mr. Frank Addae: Yes. This programme willlast until the first week of July, 2015, so therewill be other colleagues who will be comingevery week until the program ends.

GRIDCo PR: Is there anything else you havelearnt during your stay?

Mr. Frank Addae: Well, I can say mycolleagues here are doing a very wonderful job.They have taken the system as their baby andoperate it as it should be. It is the height ofprofessionalism I have seen anywhere. I amtouched by their dedication to work.

GRIDCo PR: Have you met any of theGRIDCo staff you have been communicatingwith on phone all these years, and what is youropinion on meeting them?

Mr. Frank Addae: Yes of course. I have metquite a few of them, and I must say, I am veryglad that I can now put faces to the names andvoices.

GRIDCo PR: Any particular GRIDCo staffthat had been of interest to you before meetinghim?

Mr. Frank Addae: Yeah (laughs) Mr.Numotsu. He in particular, because we (ECG)have had heated debates on phone with him,especially when GRIDCo requests us to shedmore load.

You know he has an interesting name andthere are times we (ECG) mispronounce hisname and he will get really angry. I embracedhim when I finally saw him. I admire hisenthusiasm and attitude to work and I haveimbibed a lot of good traits from him.

GRIDCo PR: What impressions aboutGRIDCo are you taking away with you?

Mr. Frank Addae: There is the need forcollaboration between the two organizations(GRIDCo & ECG) to manage the crisis tosave our hydro sources from total collapsebecause the water level in the dam doesn’tlook good.

We also need to come to terms with the factthat, we need to shed the right amount of loadin order to save our generating plants.

Importantly, I would like to say, GRIDCoSCC staff are the ‘‘best’’ I’ve seen so far!

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STAFF EXCELLENCEMR. SAMUEL ACQUAH WINS TOP AWARD!

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INTERVIEW WITH MR. FRANK ADDAEECG STAFF ON ATTACHMENT AT THE SYSTEM CONTROL CENTRE

GRIDCo would like to celebrate Mr.Samuel Acquah, a senior Finance Officerof the Corporate Planning Department, forsuccessfully completing the CharteredInstitute of Management Accountants(CIMA) examinations in December, 2014and qualifying as a CharteredManagement Accountant and an Associatemember of - CIMA.

He was also awarded with the CharteredGlobal Management Accountant (CGMA)designation, which is issued by the CIMAand the American Institute of CPA’s.

Mr. Acquah, who enrolled for theprogramme in February 2011, wasadjudged the Top Performer in EnterpriseOperations (E1) 2011, Top Performer inEnterprise Management (E2) 2012 and TopPerformer (T4B) Case Study Exam 2014.

The Chartered Institute of ManagementAccountants (CIMA) is a UnitedKingdom-based professional body,offering training and qualifications inManagement Accountancy and relatedsubjects. It focuses on accounting forbusiness together with ongoing support formembers.

CIMA was founded in 1919 as "TheInstitute of Cost and Works Accountants"(ICWA). It developed - as the leadingprofessional body in the areas of ProductCosting, Budgeting, ManagementAccounting, Investment Appraisal andBusiness Decision Making.

The Institute, however changed its namefrom ICWA to the "Institute of Cost andManagement Accountants" (ICMA) in1972 and subsequently to the "CharteredInstitute of Management Accountants"(CIMA) in 1986, after it was granted aRoyal Charter status.

Sam, the Management and Staff ofGRIDCo say Ayeekooo!!! May you rise tohigher heights.

Mr. Acquah receiving his certificate

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It is a matter of fact that GRIDCo exists fora purpose – “to provide a reliable grid forquality livelihood.”

The delivery of this noble mission issurrounded by uncertainties, which posethreats to success and offers opportunitiesfor increasing success.

Risk is simply defined as the effect of thisuncertainty on the achievement ofobjectives.

Risk is an essential part of any business,which when properly managed, drivesgrowth and opportunity. Risk Managementis an integral part of good business practiceand quality management. Learning how tomanage risk effectively enables managers toimprove outcomes by identifying andanalyzing the wider range of issues andproviding a systematic way to makeinformed decisions.

On the other hand, however, if not managedwell, risks impede the attainment ofobjectives.

Risk Management includes identifying andassessing risks and then responding to them.Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is anongoing process designed to manage allrisks within an organization. Given that ourbusiness is fraught with risks, it is importantfor GRIDCo to establish an ERMFramework and implement a formal riskmanagement system. This will enable usgain a clear view of our overall risk level.A structured risk management approach alsoenhances and encourages the identificationof greater opportunities for continuousimprovement through innovation.

As a company, GRIDCo is alreadymanaging its risks day-to-day; emergencyresponse plans, IT backup plans, health &safety policies & procedures, security offacilities, but in “silos” (i.e each departmentmanages its risks independently). Theformal risk management system will buildon the experience gained from the currentrisk management practices to create a morecomprehensive system.

To this end, the Monitoring Section ofGRIDCo’s Audit Department has beenrestructured into the Risk and MonitoringUnit.

Additionally, a Manager has been recruitedto coordinate our Risk Managementactivities. We are seeking to strengthen theprocess, inculcate Risk awareness in staffand coordinate our efforts for biggersynergies.

THE RISK MANAGEMENTPROCESS Our approach to theidentification and treatment ofrisks is informed by the RiskManagement Policy andGuidelines approved by theGRIDCo Board of Directors,and tailored to satisfy thespecific needs of GRIDCo.The Risk Management processconsists of the followingcomponents, has also beendiagrammatically displayed.

I. Establishing the Context.This will establish the riskmanagement, strategic, andorganizational context to setthe stage for the risk processand ensure a rigorousmethodology, as well asdocument the plan to completethe whole Risk Managementprocess.

II. Risk Assessment This includes risk identification (theprocess of finding, recognizing anddescribing all risks), risk analysis (a processto comprehend the nature of risk and todetermine the level of risk, taking intoaccount the existing controls), and riskevaluation (making decision about risk. i.e.decide how to respond to a particular risk).

III. Risk TreatmentRisk treatment involves selecting one ormore options for modifying risks, andimplementing those options. Risk treatmentoptions include transfer (Sharing the riskwith another party e.g. insurance), avoid(discontinue with the activity that gives riseto the risk), mitigate (change the likelihoodor the impact of the risk) or accept(retaining the risk by informed decision).

IV. Monitoring & Review as well asCommunication & Consultation will takeplace at each stage of the process.

Who is Responsible? Everybody has a role to play. This includesthe Board, Management and staff.

The Board and Management will own theprocess and provide the strategic directionfor effective implementation.Departmental/Sectional Heads areresponsible for assessing and treating risksrelating to their functions.

The Risk Champions (representatives) inthe various departments would assistDepartmental Heads in all RiskManagement activities. The Audit

Department will coordinate and reviewRisk Management activities and provideregular reports to the Board andManagement for continuous improvement.

Individuals and work teams have aresponsibility to constantly consider riskissues they face in their work and reportrisks identified promptly.

Risk Management will enable us makeinformed decisions and make us moreprepared to face existing or newchallenging risks. We will understand ourbusiness environment better, so as to takefull advantage of opportunities whilerestraining threats. The ultimate goal is toensure that GRIDCo achieves its strategicgoals in the most efficient manner.

In conclusion, Enterprise RiskManagement is NOT an additional burdenon staff. It creates awareness of theuncertainties that can affect theachievement of the Company’s objectives,whilst establishing a systematic approachfor managing the risks.

Risk assessment

Establishing the context

Risk Identification

Risk Analysis

Risk Evaluation

Risk Treatment

GRIDCo ADOPTS ENTERPRISE RISK MANGEMENT

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BEST PICK-UP LINE COMEBACKSMan: Haven’t I seen you someplace before? Woman: Yes, that’s why I don’t go there anymore.

Man: Can I buy you a drink? Woman: I think I’d rather have the money!

Man: Will you go out with me this Saturday? Woman: Sorry, I’m having a headache this weekend.

Man: Is this seat empty? Woman: Yes, and this one will be if you sit down.

Man: So what do you do for a living? Woman: I’m a female impersonator.

Credit: Internet

Rib Crackers

HOW WERE PEOPLE BORN?A child asked his father, "How were people born?" Sohis father said, "Adam and Eve made babies, thentheir babies became adults and made babies, and soon." The child then went to his mother, asked her thesame question and she told him, "We were monkeysthen we evolved to become like we are now." The childran back to his father and said, "You lied to me!" Hisfather replied, "No, your mom was talking about herside of the family."

ETHICS“So, Jimmy”, said Grandpa, as they stood on line at the local grocery store. “What did you learn in schooltoday?” “To tell you the truth”, answered young Jimmy, “I’m not exactly sure”. “My teacher was going on andon about something called ethics, and I still don’t know what she was talking about!” Jimmy replied. “Ah,ethics” responded Grandpa, “very important indeed”. “Well, let’s say the cashier gives me back too muchchange, ethics would be whether I keep the change for myself, or if I give it back to Grandma!”

JOB INTERVIEWReaching the end of a job interview, the HumanResources Officer asks a young engineer fresh out ofthe Massachuses Institute of Technology, "And whatstarting salary are you looking for?"

The engineer replies, "In the region of $125,000 ayear, depending on the benefits package." The inter -viewer inquires, "Well, what would you say to a packageof five weeks’ vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medicaland dental, company matching retirement fund to 50%of salary, and a company car leased every two years,say, a red Corvee?"

The engineer sits up straight and says, "Wow! Are you kidding?" The interviewerreplies, "Yeah, but you started it."

HEART ATTACKTeacher: "Answer this math problem: if your fatherearns $500 a week and gives half to your mother.What will he have?"

Student: "A heart aack."

Atwo-day induction programme wasorganized by the Human Resourceand Services Department for

newly-engaged staff in February, 2015, atthe VALCO Senior Staff Club House inTema community four.

The participants numbering forty fourincluded Engineers, Technician Engineersand a few Administrative Support Staff.

Participants were introduced to GRIDCo’soperations across the network throughDepartmental and Sectional presentations.

The Engineers and Technician Engineersamong the participants will receivefundamental training in Power SystemDesign, Operation and Maintenance till theend of April, 2015.

The Chief Executive who, later addressedthe newly engaged staff, called on them tobe disciplined and dedicated to excellentperformance in their various schedules, inorder to propel GRIDCo to greater heights.

He also implored them to be safetyconscious, and take good care ofthemselves since the Company and Ghananeeds them alive.

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GRIDCo participated in the WestAfrican Clean Energy &Environment (WACEE) exhibition

and conference, which was held at theAccra International Conference Center, -from 10th to 12th February, 2015.

GRIDCo’s stand was manned by staff fromthe PR, SNS, MIS and the System ControlCenter.

The event afforded GRIDCo a goodopportunity to interact with and educate thegeneral public on the critical role GRIDCoplays in the power supply chain.

The team used real time system data, toenhance their explanation on the causes ofthe current generation deficits whichGhana has experienced for over a year;resulting in the perineal power outages.

They also provided some energyconservation tips and educated the generalpublic on GRIDCo’s efforts to reinforce thegrid system with upgrades, expansion andrehabilitation works.

At the beginning of the year, the PublicUtilities and Regulatory Commission(PURC) met with some utility providersin the power sector, namely; VRA,GRIDCo, Bui Power and ECG todeliberate on the current power crisis,which has engulfed the country.

The Regulator urged the power utilities tocollaborate to release a timetable for theload shedding.

GRIDCo & ECG were further assigned todesign a plan on how to communicate thesoon-to-be published load shedding timetable.

GRIDCo was represented by Ing. BernardModey, Director, System Operations; Mr.Frank Otchere, Manager, System ControlCentre, and Ms. Helina Asante, PublicRelations Officer.

The Chief Executive of GRIDCoIng. William Amuna and a crosssection of Management staff

visited the Northern Network ServicesDepartment recently to interact withManagement and staff of the departmentand inspect on-going projects in the Area

The team visited the recently completedTumu and Wa substations. Constructionof the substations is a component of the161kV Wa-Tumu-Han Transmission Lineproject in the Upper West Region, whichthe President, His Excellency JohnDramani Mahama cut the sod forconstruction in 2012.

The project was jointly funded by SociétéGeneral, a French company and GRIDCoat a cost of 82Million euros

The purpose of the project is to enhanceelectricity supply in the area.

Since the completion of the Wa 161kVSubstation the Wa township andsurrounding districts have experiencedimprovement in electricity supply. Thevoltage in the area is expected to furtherimprove with the completion of theBolgatanga-Navrongo Portion of the161kV transmission line.

Mr. A. Ansah, System Operator, interacting with visitorsto the GRIDCo stand

The Tumu Substation Switchyard at dusk

Director SNS, Poga, making a presentationWing Cdr. Allotey (Rtd.) making a welcome address

Question Time

GRIDCo Attends 3rd WACEE Fair

THE UTILITIES MEET PURC

TUMU SUBSTATION COMPLETED

ORIENTATION FOR NEWLY-ENGAGED STAFF

1. Take care of your health firstThe first step to managing stress is torecognize the negative effects it can have onyour health. Dr. Lori Wagner says, “Don’t letstress get in the way of taking care ofyourself.” Set alarms if you have to: justmake sure you eat, take your medication, andgo to sleep on time.

2. Eat wellYou are what you eat, and what you eataffects all aspects of your life. Accordingto Dr. Linda Callaghan, your diet affectsyour mood, ability to handle stress,productivity, and immune systems. “Abalanced diet, moderate exercise, regularsleep patterns, [and] healthy relationships[determine] the quality of our life.”

3. Exercise regularlyDuring exercise, your body releasesendorphins, those feel-good chemicals thatcan help you feel calm. By exercising 30–60 minutes a day, you can improve yourstress levels. No time to hit the gym? Dr.Maritza Baez suggests this simple activityat your desk: “When stressed, take fiveslow, deep breaths with your eyes closed,then roll your shoulders forward five times,then back five times. This will slow yourheart rate and release tension in your neckand shoulders.”

4. Get enough sleepClinical psychologist Dr. Barbara Laviwarns that severe sleep deprivation canlead to hallucinations. However, don’t waituntil you’re hallucinating to change yoursleep schedule! Remember, you need totake care of yourself. If you’re stressed andunable to sleep, consider speaking to aHealth Tap doctor to learn stressmanagement technique and develop bettersleep habits.

5. Prioritize your tasksDr. Victor Bonuel reminds us that there areonly 24 hours in a day, 6–8 hours of whichshould be for sleep. The rest is for workand recreation, physical and mentalactivities. At work, space out the heavyworkloads with easier ones in-between soyou don’t burn out. Our mind and body islike a car—we need to stop and take abreak every now and then.

6. Don’t procrastinateIt’s the only “don’t” on this list because it’sthe most important one. After all, what’sthe point of prioritizing your tasks if youend up procrastinating anyway? Dr.Michael Rothman strongly suggests “Donot procrastinate when it comes to doingwhat you need to do.” Procrastinatingcauses stress, and if you’re already stressedto begin with…

7. Savor the small thingsDr. Susan McCreadie, whose speciality isholistic medicine, suggests shifting yourmindset if you find yourself especiallystressed. “Stress is part of life,” she says.“Eat real food, exercise, meditate, laugh,[and] do what you enjoy for some part ofyour day, [every day].” Slow down andenjoy on the little things that make yousmile.

8. Express your feelingsA major source of stress is communicationissues. If you’re consistently biting yourtongue and ignoring how you feel, then allthat bottled-up anxiety and emotions willeventually erupt—and it might not bepretty. Instead, start by acknowledginghow you feel and why. Dr. Jason Bermanstrongly encourages expressing yourfeelings to help manage stress.

9. Write it downIf you find it difficult to express yourfeelings to other people, writing andjournaling may help. Dr. Abby Caplin says,“Many studies have shown that journalwriting helps people process their stressful

experiences [and improves perspective,health, and wellbeing].” Because journalwriting is usually stream of consciousness,not a detailed chronicle of events, it allowsyou to get your emotions out of your headand onto a page.

10. Think positivelyWhile it’s easy to get sucked into negativethinking, we need to confront thosenegative thoughts and spin them in a morepositive light. Dr. Lawrence Smith notesthat when people feel stress, they’reusually thinking negatively. “Forexample,” he says, “they may becatastrophizing or playing the ‘what-if’game.” Rather than spend time on possiblenegative outcomes and other fears, focuson planning for and working towardsdesired positive outcomes.

11. Be mindfulAlthough mindfulness doesn’t create astress-free life, it can still help you managewhatever life throws your way. Instead ofa negative knee-jerk reaction, mindfulnessallows you to creatively handle problemsand difficult situations. Dr. Pamela Pappas’advice is to formally practice mindfulnesson a daily basis, especially in a class withother people.

12. MeditateDr. Kenneth Cheng says that meditation isan important and effective way to reducestress. His simple meditation technique isthis: find a quiet, comfortable place whereyou won’t be disturbed. Close your eyesand take slow, deep breaths, inhalingthrough your nose and exhaling throughyour mouth. “Hyper-focusE” on listeningto your breaths. Do this for 5-20 minutesdaily.

13. Breathe deeplyThe simplest, most immediate action youcan take to control your stress is to breathedeeply. Breathe in for five counts, lettingyour diaphragm expand, hold for five, thenslowly release for five. However, if youdon’t have the time to do anything tomanage your stress but deep breathing,reconsider your lifestyle. Dr. CorneliaFranz cautions again reaching the pointwhere you have no time to take care ofyourself and your loved ones: “make somechanges…no job is worth sacrificing yourhealth.”

News

Published by Public Relations Section, Corporate Office: GRIDCo Head Office, off the Tema-Aflao Road: CS 7979, Tema, Ghana : 0303 318 700 : gridco.pr@gridcogh.com

Editorial Board: Mr. Isaac Kwame Akesseh, Mr. Albert Quainoo, Mr. Richard Ghanney, Mr. Kofi Ntow Owiredu, Miss Joana Ohui Tetteh, Mrs. Linda Baah, Ms. Evelyn Abbew, Ms. Selma Awumbila, Mr. Frederick Obeng-Yobo

Your feedback is valuable to us. Pleaseforward your suggestions and comments

to the address below. Thank you

Telephone: 0303 318 700gridco.pr@gridcogh.com

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13HABITS OF STRESS-FREE PEOPLE