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1
Acheampong, Eric. "District assemblies and participatory rural development in Ghana." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.336434.
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Boakye-Agyei, Kwame. "Fostering civic engagement stakeholder participation in rural projects in Ghana /." Fairfax, VA : George Mason University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1920/4543.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2009.Vita: p. 233. Thesis director: Susan Crate. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science and Public Policy. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed June 10, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-232). Also issued in print.
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Pacillo, Grazia. "Market participation, innovation adoption and poverty in rural Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2016. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/61392/.
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Agricultural commercialisation via increased market participation and innovation adoption has been widely argued to reduce poverty. However, empirical evidence suggests that both of these are persistently low in developing countries. Recent analyses suggest that different types of transaction costs and social capital may influence both market access and innovation adoption decisions. This thesis investigates these two factors in agricultural commercialisation and poverty reduction. Using data from three GLSS survey rounds, Chapter 1 investigates the determinants of the decision to sell as well as the decision of how much to sell, focusing on the role of transaction costs. The empirical analysis is carried out at household level and for a specific crop (maize). A Heckman two-step model is used to control for self-selection into market participation, using measures of fixed transaction costs as identifier variables. The overall results, although generally consistent with previous literature, show an unexpected positive relationship between remoteness and market participation, which might reflect peculiarities of Ghanaian crop marketing systems. Chapter 3 investigates the relationship between social capital and innovation using primary data on 305 Ghanaian farmers collected during field work in 2012 (described in Chapter 2). The chapter analyses innovation (the decision to adopt, its timing and intensity) at crop level, focusing on a non-traditional cash crop, exotic varieties of mango. The analysis investigates the role of different types of social capital, both in disaggregated and aggregated forms. The results suggest that social capital should not be overlooked in the innovation process, supporting recent evidence that there exists a positive relationship between the “know-who” and adoption dynamics. Finally, Chapter 4 investigates the impact of innovation adoption on objective and subjective measures of poverty. Matching techniques are used to estimate the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated, using primary data. The results show that adoption does not impact objective poverty but it does have a significant positive impact on self-perceived poverty status.
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Aidoo, Raphael. "The impact of philanthropy in rural development in Ghana." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 2012. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-impact-of-philanthropy-in-rural-development-in-ghana(67cd3621-28cd-4f30-926f-0a54f0345800).html.
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This thesis is about how the philanthropy of individual foreigners is having an impact on rural development in Ghana. There is an important history of philanthropy as a source of resources for the alleviation of poverty and to contribute to development. Decentralisation of power in many developing countries, which began in the late 1980s, has meant that many village communities are increasingly in charge of their own destinies. In Ghana, one approach which rural communities are pursuing is the acquisition of capital for development through vertical philanthropy - where resources flow from the rich to the poor. Rural communities in Ghana are identifying foreign philanthropists who can inject financial capital into the village to initiate development. In addition, they are also invited to be involved in that ‘development’ by leading the development process. A key leadership position of development chiefs and queens has been created for them. This thesis evaluates the contribution of this new form of philanthropy to the wellbeing and livelihoods of rural communities through primary research in Ghanaian villages and with foreign development chiefs and queens. The study is framed with reference to theories about philanthropy and the practices of rural development, in particular the significance of community participation. The cultural implications and contestations about opting for foreign leadership in village-level development are also investigated. Its findings are that this new approach can yield important net benefits for rural people but outcomes are influenced by the interactions between the three main stakeholders involved in the concept – the philanthropists, the traditional leadership and the people. Issues related to leadership and participation proved to be of key significance.
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Pappoe, Matilda Ethel. "Household participation in health development : some determining factors." Thesis, McGill University, 1993. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=41220.
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This dissertation has explored the problem of a yawning gap between policy and the implementation of lay participation in health development activities in Ghana, using data from 577 households in 22 rural communities.A Health Systems model has been applied to data, to explain relationships and four sets of variables--household need for health services, predisposing attributes, participatory patterns, enabling factors--on household use of available health facilities and services.
Overall, results indicate a complex interdependence of factors which influence modern health services use. A multiple regression procedure identifies the presence of children under 5 years, the household's perception of its influence in the community, household participation in community health-related activities, household socio-economic and educational levels, to be significantly related to services use. Results suggest that Need for services is Not a sufficient condition for the Use of available health services.
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Kabki, Mirjam. "Transnationalism, local development and social security the functioning of support networks in rural Ghana /." Leiden : Leiden : African Studies Centre ; University Library Leiden [Host], 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1887/12882.
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Malik-Kusi, Georgina Leila. "The impact of violent conflict on rural development : a case study of Mawku Municipal area, Ghana." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015016.
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Development has suffered a great deal due to the frequent changes that occur in life and these changes inevitably cause conflict. A typical example is the research setting, the Bawku Municipal area in Ghana. This area has suffered severe forms of conflict which in one way or the other have affected the development of the district and the people as a whole. The effect of conflict has not only affected the rural development but also social, human, intellectual, economic and technological developments in general. While the aim of all countries is to develop, some may have reached a stage where they qualify as developed; others are still in the process of reaching their goal; yet others are still struggling to barely survive thus the names ‗developed countries, developing countries and under developed countries‘. Most developing countries are faced with the problem of rural underdevelopment and Ghana is no exception. Most rural areas have been neglected in the development project of the country. Resources are channelled to the urban areas and other places where the government reaps profits; however the Bawku municipal area has not only suffered underdevelopment from government negligence but also from conflict. The district of Bawku has been in tribal war stretching for the past ten years. This has stalled most developmental works from both government and external bodies. The area is one of the poorest places in Ghana; the problem is not only with rural development but social, economic and human development as well.
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Abonkrah, Charles Kwasi. "Environmental and Natural Resources Management and Sustainable Rural Development in the Atebubu District, Ghana." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2004. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1102711987.
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Huddleston, Marla Colleen Carleton University Dissertation Geography. "Participation and development from within; an historical analysis of rural water supply development in Zebilla, Northern Ghana." Ottawa, 1994.
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Cobbinah, J. E. "Barriers in community participation and rural development." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5263.
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The concept of participation seems to reflect in most development programmes that involve people at the grassroots level. In Ghana, the introduction of the decentralization programme in the late 1980s that aimed at promoting effective, comprehensive and rapid development, more especially in the rural areas also adopted participatory approach. The approach led to the introductory of district assembly system which was to enhance the involvement of people at the grassroots in participatory activities. However, since the introduction of the decentralisation system to promote grassroots level participation, the people are still inactive and the level of involvement in development decision-making still remains weak. To clearly understand these problems, the thesis has aimed at answering the following research questions; how are rural people involved in participatory practice in the development activities in their area; what barriers affect and hinder the active participation of rural people and how could these be addressed? Answers to those questions helped to examine the nature of participation at the grassroots level; understand how the district assembly adopt participatory practice and to ascertain the nature of barriers that hinder effective participatory practice. Using a case study approach for the investigation, an interpretivists and constructivists were the philosophical underpinnings of the investigation. The data was gathered through the use of focus group discussions and one-to-one informal interviews. It was observed that, participation continues to reflect in most rural development programmes, but there are key barriers that still continue to hamper the effectiveness of participatory practice. Power relations, threats, intimidations and more especially the use of juju and witchcraft which never featured in most development literature are among the major barriers that continue to weaken local people readiness to actively participate. Most rural people feel threaten to participate for the fear of being bewitched or killed through the use of juju, witchcraft or black magical powers. Without critically and effectively addressing those bottlenecks and barriers, and put community members at the pivot of decision-making, the use of outsiders' knowledge and ideas alone to address the problems of participation with the hope of improving the lives of the rural people will not yield any significant result.
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Furber, Alison Mary. "Social and cultural context of rural water and sanitation projects : case studies from Ghana." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/6692.
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The research underpinning this work took place in the context of two rural water and sanitation projects carried out in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The focus of study was on the way engineers can make water and sanitation projects more sustainable. In particular, emphasis was placed on the broad range of non-technical factors engineers need to incorporate into the design of water and sanitation systems and the processes they need to follow in order to achieve this, looking specifically at the implications of community participation for design process, project management and health and safety management. The current high failure rate of rural water and sanitation projects provided the impetus for carrying out this work. There is an urgent need to improve engineering ability to provide vital life-saving infrastructure in developing countries as this infrastructure is a pre-requisite for poverty reduction. A critical realist perspective framed the research to allow socially constructed realities to be combined with scientific and technical facts, and to allow inquiry in a ‘real world’ scenario where variables cannot be controlled individually. The research questions were explored through the author’s involvement in two community development projects involving water and sanitation system implementation. The key methods employed were interview, both informal and group, observation and reflection. The contribution to knowledge made by this investigation is an increased understanding of the relevance of social and cultural context for engineers engaged in rural water and sanitation infrastructure provision through exploration of these issues in a particular context. Also examined are health and safety aspects of rural water and sanitation projects where the community participate in construction. Whilst health and safety had been explored in a developing country context there is a lack of previous work looking at these issues in a community self-construction context. It was found that a broad range of factors need to be considered in the engineering design of water and sanitation systems if projects are to have a chance of being sustainable in the long term. In order to understand and design appropriately for the context of rural projects with direct community involvement it is necessary to adapt the engineering process to incorporate community participation fully into the design and construction of water and sanitation facilities. Where communities are involved in construction particular issues arise with regards to health and safety management; many of the issues originate in the socio-cultural context and motivations for community members to engage in hazardous construction activities need to be understood and considered to properly manage the construction process. To truly incorporate the ideas of local communities into engineering design, engineers need a greater awareness of the assumptions they hold arising from their scientific outlook. Further research is required in different contexts in order to more clearly define the boundaries of the findings of this study and begin to overcome the limitations of the case study method. However, this research contributes to understanding how engineers can improve their designs of water and sanitation infrastructure and the processes they use to create more sustainable projects by looking at these issues in one particular context. This contribution adds to understanding of how a lack of access to water and sanitation infrastructure in rural regions of developing countries can be overcome, which is ultimately necessary to meet the Millennium Development Goals and as a pre-requisite to reducing poverty in the developing world.
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Galpin, C. Mark. "The development and evaluation of participatory farm management methods for research needs assessment with smallholder farmers." Thesis, University of Reading, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.324995.
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Hartmann, Anne. "Market Women of Northern Ghana within Value Chain Development." Doctoral thesis, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/19656.
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Eine geringe Wertschätzung von Zwischenhändlern wie in vielen Entwicklungsländern ist auch in Ghana vorzufinden, was einerseits aus geschichtlichen Gründen aber auch aus Unwissenheit entsteht. Der Bereich der Zwischenhändler ist vorwiegend durch Frauen aus ruralen Gebieten betrieben, die Analphabeten und Autodidakten sind. Der Handel ist auf jeder Ebene organisiert, von den Kommunen über die Distriktstädte, die regionalen Hauptstädte und auch über die Grenzen des Landes hinaus. Die Händlerinnen organisieren damit den Warenfluss von den entlegenen Plätzen der Produktion oder aus dem Ausland, um es zu den Märkten mit der Nachfrage in den Ballungszentren und den großen städtischen Märkten zukommen zu lassen. Nichtsdestotrotz werden bei diversen Programmen der Entwicklungsorganisationen die Händler und vor allem Händlerinnen außen vor gelassen, die Konzentration und Aktivitäten wird auf die Produktion und teilweise auf die Handhabung nach der Ernte fokussiert. Der Wertschöpfungsketten-Ansatz verfolgt jedoch per definitionem alle Akteure in der Kette der Wertschöpfung, allein hierbei fehlen die Händler in der Umsetzung. Die Arbeit soll daher aufzeigen, welche Funktionen die Händlerinnen in den drei ausgewählten Fällen übernehmen und wie somit die Entwicklung von Wertschöpfungsketten optimiert werden und letztendlich die beteiligten Händlerinnen zu einer Verbesserung der Wertschöpfungskette beitragen können.Trade is a widespread occupation for women in West Africa; such as petty traders that are involved with informal trade mainly. The case in Ghana is different as most of these traders are facing hostile treatment and harassment from many sides. Nevertheless, in development cooperation projects, rural economic development and development of its population is often targeted; whereas solely rural development projects have become projects to support value chains and its stakeholders. These value chains start at agricultural production, further on to processing and altering the raw product until its final condition for sale to the end consumer. The entire value chain deals with many diverse actors in rural and urban areas and also diverse areas of economies, such as micro and small enterprises, and other in private sector or public sector. Therefore, development cooperation dealing with value chain enhancement would address all actors. In Ghana, mainly production side and post-harvest management are dealt with and trade or intermediary trade is circumvented. Some projects openly state that they leave out traders from their interventions in value chains. Most prejudices of this type have derived from historical events and official institutions, also a lack of knowledge. Traders are by contrast those who are coordinating streams of goods from beyond borders to supply to domestic markets and vice versa, manage large quantities for export. The reason that women continue to work in trade is that they barely have alternatives.
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Ghartey, Seth Baisie. "The afterglows of whole school development in Ghana : a case study of semi-rural municipality." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2011. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13994/.
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It is nearly ten years ago when Whole School Development (WSD) in Ghana was officially ended. Yet, most of its structures, systems and practices continue to function in the country. This thesis is based on data collected from a case study of a semi-rural municipality of the country regarding the reasons for its official ending and why despite its official ending, most of the structures, systems and practices continue to function. The thesis also indicates which of the structures, systems and practices are functioning and how well they are functioning. The study adopted a qualitative research strategy and a case study design and drew on in-depth interviews with policy makers from the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Ghana Ministry of Education (GES) as well as with policy implementers from the case study site. The interviews were complemented with observation, documentary analysis and fieldnotes. Key issues that emerged from the study include the desire of those in authority to maintain the status quo in favour of their personal interests which resulted in the official ending of WSD, the development of strong organisational capacity, a sense of responsibility, purpose, commitment, professionalism, a change of mind-set and schools' and communities' realisation of the benefits of WSD, which have contributed immensely to the survival of the structures, systems and practices. Fundamental issues about the rural areas also emerged. These include the parents' low educational background and poverty, which limit their ability to honour their children's educational needs, despite the institutionalisation of the structures, systems and practices of WSD which were intended to improve the quality of, and access to, and participation in, education. Besides, the data revealed the existence of weak internal structural features, which undermine the children's learning environment and result in an excessive drop-out rate and poor learning outcomes with only a few of the children reaching the post-basic education level. The findings suggest that there are political, social, physical and economic factors that are inimical to improvement in educational quality in Ghana and which need addressing with a change of mindset that is consistent with improvement to enable education to move towards the direction of the expected standard and quality.
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Amenga-Etego, R. M. "Mending the broken pieces : religion and sustainable rural development among the Nankani of northern Ghana." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/18232.
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This thesis examines the debate between African Traditional Religion (ATR) and sustainable rural development among the Nankani of Northern Ghana. The question as to whether or not ATR has an impact on the continent’s development has risen to the fore as economic crisis deepens in relation to the global context. The study interrogates the concept ‘sustainable rural development’, and the current emphasis on gender as a fundamental part of development, from the religio-cultural perspective of the Nankani. With indigenous epistemological underpinnings, the thesis examines the subject from the perspective of a ‘native researcher’, within the much polarized “insider/outsider” debate of contemporary discourses on theory and method. Discussed in seven chapters, the study is structured into three parts. The first three chapters constitute the introductory part consisting of the outline, an ethnographic account of the Nankani and methodology. The second part, also of three chapters, discusses the issues of sustainable development, gender and the issues of research reflexivity. Moving beyond the classical descriptive principles of the phenomenology of religion, the core methodological tool, the section examines the internal dynamics underlying rural African community living as a contribution to the process of understanding. The third part, consisting of a single chapter, concludes the thesis with discussions on the outstanding issues as a means to ‘mending the broken pieces’. Even though the African religio-cultural worldview is a major determinant in terms of sustainable rural development, the thesis contends that the inability of the parties to consider the other’s viewpoint is an outstanding factor.
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Hooko, Dominic Kofi. "The private urban residential development process in Tamale, Ghana : an application of structure and agency institutionalism." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 1999. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk/R?func=search-advanced-go&find_code1=WSN&request1=AAIU117156.
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This study adopts the theoretical framework of structure and agency institutionalism to analyse the private urban residential development process (URDP) from policy formulation through to consumption, from the perspective of the individual household developer in a case study of the Tamale Municipal Assembly (TMA) in northern Ghana. The various theoretical frameworks for analysing land and housing development processes are reviewed. Traditional models are found to be unsuitable for adequately explaining the customary land tenure system as a constraint in the self-build URDP in the TMA. As a result, this research relies on an institutional approach to study the transformation occurring in communal land ownership. The use of structure and agency institutionalism in the study reveals that a wide spectrum of agents (actors) are involved in the private URDP in Tamale. The process itself is not only embedded within but is taking place against a background defined by a combination of economic, social, political and institutional environments. This contextual mix is observed to provide the formal and informal institutions, regulations and resources for all the agents, with profound implications for urban housing development, particularly with regard to land tenure conversion. The study reveals the complex web of agency and power relations that are being excerised in this arena, with the result that it is difficult to separate agents' attitudes from policy, especially at the formal institutional level. Contrary to popular belief, this study finds that the customary land tenure system, as it now operates in the study area, constitutes no real hindrance to the self-build developer with regard to land access. The economic and social changes taking place have engendered the transformation of societal attitudes resulting in the birth of a market for housing land. An oligopolistic class of capitalist landlords represented by the chiefs has evolved and while this could lead to the exclusion of the poor from access to land, those with the means, whether local or non-local people, can and do buy land from this new class of capitalist land holders. In relative terms, availability of finance, the cumbersome documentation procedures and lack of infrastructure are the principal difficulties faced by the household developer. Based on the key findings and problems faced by the self-build developer, the study suggests that rather than radical and unpopular reform of the customary land tenure system, the evolutionary changes taking place should be supported, while putting in place policy measures to address the issue of redistribution of the financial gains the chiefs make from land sales, the availability of finance and other constraints faced by the self-build developer. Although the study does not offer a blue print for solving the housing problem, it does propose through structure and agency institutionalism, an alternative approach which suggests a holistic analysis capable of enhancing comprehension of the problem, for therein lies the first steps towards its resolution.
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Amezah, Agbenyega, of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, of Science Technology and Agriculture Faculty, and School of Agriculture and Rural Development. "A participative learning approach to agricultural development : a Ghanaian case." THESIS_FSTA_ARD_Amezah_A.xml, 1998. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/75.
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This dissertation is the documentation of a participative learning project with the purpose of facilitating improvement in farming and agricultural development work in the Hohoe district of Ghana. This study was done in a context in which (a)agricultural production is carried out by small scale farmers who depend on social networking at the village level, for the distribution and management of agricultural resources, and on local knowledge for productive purposes; (b)government efforts at agricultural development is implemented through the activitiesof its agricultural development agencies - Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MIST).Participative learning, based on the logic and concepts of action research, experiential learning and critical systems learning, was used as a methodological framework. The conclusion drawn from this inquiry is that participative learning is a legitimate and an effective way of facilitating the development of food and other agricultual production. The challenge is therefore for individuals and organizations involved in the development of agricultural production to establish suitable processes and relationships to support participative learning.Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Lyon, Fergus. "Trust and power in farmer-trader relations : a study of small scale vegetable production and marketing systems in Ghana." Thesis, Durham University, 2000. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1474/.
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Casely-Hayford, Leslie. "Education, culture and development in Northern Ghana : micro realities and macro context; implications for policy and practice." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.302310.
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Owusu, George. "The role of district capitals in regional development : linking small towns, rural-urban linkages and decentralisation in Ghana." Doctoral thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Department of Geography, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-2190.
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Paper II African Studies Quarterly is a publication of the Center for African Studies at the University of Florida. All materials contained within the journal are expressly copyrighted by the University of Florida Board of Trustees, a public corporation of the State of Florida. Permission is hereby granted for individuals to download articles from the journal for their own personal use, as long as this statement accompanies all materials. Opinions herein are those of the authors solely and do not reflect the views of ASQ, the University of Florida Board of Trustees or the State of Florida
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Garr, Ewald Quaye. "Infrastructure policy reforms and rural poverty reduction in Ghana : the case of the Keta Sea Defence Project." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2010. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_3240_1299063830.
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This minithesis seeks to understand why infrastructure projects fail to contribute effectively to poverty (rural) reduction. The thesis assumes that though infrastructure provision can impact positively on rural poverty reduction, the same infrastructure provision has worsened or put people in worse conditions of poverty. Therefore it is not automatic that infrastructure provision would reduce rural poverty as often held. The thesis goes on to postulate that a positive relationship between infrastructure and rural poverty reduction is best achieved within a broad or generic policy which provides the framework for providing such infrastructure. The thesis assesses these assertions empirically by first, testing the relationships between infrastructure and rural poverty reduction. Here a large scale infrastructure project in Ghana known as the Keta sea defence project serves as the case study. Secondly the thesis assesses Ghana&rsquo
s infrastructure provision policy environment and its implications on rural poverty reduction in the affected communities of the Keta sea defence project.
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Karsiem, Abdallah. "Cropland degradation on the Vea Irrigation Scheme in Ghana, a case study in non-sustainable rural development project planning." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ40424.pdf.
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Shimkus, Jacob. "Electrifying Development: Identifying Key Policy Tools For Facilitating Rural Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2015. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/1153.
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Rural electrification is a critical tool for accelerating and enhancing development throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The challenge for modern policymakers is to identify and implement programs that will effectively facilitate rural electrification. This analysis develops a model for comparing the performance of nations' electrification policies using a fixed effects regression model based on World Bank data from 1990, 2000 and 2010. To identify the key policies for driving rural electrification, this analysis then compares the programs and reforms employed in six nations from Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result, three reform measures are identified that are conditional on outside factors for their contribution to success, and three universal policies are identified that may be broadly applied to improve rural electrification throughout the region.
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Agwani, Kwesi Aloysius. "Rural livelihood and youth employment: Case study of local enterprises & skills development programme in Elmina Municipality of the central region of Ghana." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/3849.
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Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS)This research, which principally focuses on local enterprise and skill development programme (LESDEP) in Ghana, aims at assessing the contributions LESDEP has made towards reducing youth unemployment in the Elmina Municipality of the central region of Ghana. Using quantitative and qualitative research methods, the research assessed the extent to which the programme has contributed to improvements in beneficiaries‟ livelihoods, living standards and their well-being in the case study area. This research, which was primarily focused on local enterprise and skill development programme (LESDEP) in Ghana, aims at assessing the contribution LESDEP has made in towards reducing youth unemployment in the Elmina Municipality of the central region of Ghana. Through both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the research assessed the extent to which the programme has contributed to improvements in beneficiaries‟ livelihoods, living standards and their well-being in the case study area
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Adusei-Asante, Kwadwo. "Towards Aid Effectiveness : Contested Theories and Concepts : A Case Study of Ghana’s Community–Based Rural Development Project." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/526.
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The discussion of aid effectiveness continues to gain prominence in international development policy discourse and analysis. However, the question of why aid seems to be ineffective is far more complicated and remains largely unanswered. While the notions that aid drives donors’ interests and creates dependency are still relevant, this thesis confronts the problem, by examining the issues that influenced the operationalisation and effectiveness of aid programs in the context of Ghana’s Community-Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP) (2005-2011). By arguing that aid dependency and “aid as a concept” are different, the thesis makes the most basic assumption that ‘aid’ is not negative; albeit, in the knowledge that its focus on aid in Ghana will also bring to the fore the major issues that frame debate on international aid.
Two theoretical themes emerged from the thesis. First, the thesis argues that the effectiveness of an aid program should be measured from the recipients’ point of view. This is crucial, as donors tend to use their aid to successfully achieve their strategic advantages, while not necessarily benefitting the recipient country, or those groups for whom the aid was designed to help. Second, in lieu of the instrumentality of international aid, the thesis found that aid effectiveness also depends upon the ‘externalities’ (programs, degree of dependency, motives, theories, concepts; social and politico-cultural factors) that drive it. This notwithstanding, most of the current mechanisms for achieving aid effectiveness, such as Results-Based Financing, Aid-Agenda Conferences and Program-Based Approaches, appear to pay negligible attention to these ‘externalities’. The researcher contends that these mechanisms are not enough for improving aid effectiveness per se.
The thesis employed ethnographic research to investigate the outcomes of the CBRDP implemented in nine districts of Ghana. The findings suggest that, alongside the mechanisms mentioned above, prior attention must be paid to the political and cultural realities of the recipient country as well as the theories and complex concepts that drive aid programs (by staff at donor agencies). Such attention, the thesis shows, should focus on a clear and contextual conceptualisation of key terms such as ‘community’ and ‘empowerment’, while at the same time embedding strategies to manage unintended outcomes. Efforts at making ‘aid work’ would also require further critical discussion of the decentralisation theories that underpin aid programs, particularly, Community–Driven Development (CDD); in this regard the thesis found that the indicators that the World Bank uses in relation to CDD (referred to as high and low functioning intergovernmental systems), were far removed from the grounded realities of Ghana’s decentralised system of local and regional politics.
The concept of ‘community’ is appealing, yet deceptive. Although a complex term, ‘community’ is often misused, and conceptualised only in the spatial sense, while it transcends the notion of territoriality to include an entity that has a: 1) Function that drives the group; 2) Opportunity for interaction; 3) Membership who identifies with and contributes to it; and 4) Culture that makes it distinct from others. Analysis of the empirical data presented in the thesis shows that the politico-cultural dynamics and population settlement and mobility patterns of the CBRDP beneficiary localities did not support interaction to the levels required for a coherent ‘community’ to exist. Put simply ‘community’ in the functional and geographic sense had to exist in the CBRDP beneficiary localities for the project to succeed. While the sense of ‘community’ can be developed, the World Bank and Ghana’s Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, who designed the CBRDP, ignored the need to nurture it in the recipient localities. As a result of this top down approach there existed no cohesive ‘communities’ to maintain the projects, and most of the CBRDPs were found to be in a state of complete disarray at the time of fieldwork.
The term ‘empowerment’ is another complex concept the thesis examines to show how its many theoretical complexities can, if ignored, have dire outcomes for aid programs. Scholars disagree on whether empowerment is a process or an outcome or both, a dilemma which presents many challenges for measuring it. The fact that ‘empowerment’ is predicated on the concept of ‘power’ makes it even more complicated. The reason being that ‘power’ is not a neutral concept and cannot be shared in the simple terms portrayed in donor discourse; also ignored is the fact that ‘empowering’ one group may mean disempowering others, a situation that could lead to conflicts. These conflicts were self evident in the fieldwork and are present in the thesis. Despite these theoretical realities, empowerment appears to have been vaguely applied in the CBRDP as the project: 1) Had no working definition of ‘empowerment’; 2) Targeted women and vulnerable groups, although it was meant to empower the general population; 3) Measured ‘empowerment’ only in term of participation, ignoring the conditions that perpetuated ‘powerlessness’; and 4) Had no strategy in place to monitor unintended outcomes. Therefore, in their bid at ‘empowering’ Ghana’s local government officials (Assembly and Unit Committee Members in the quest for further decentralisation), the designers of the project were unaware that they were actually disempowering Traditional Chiefs, many of whom felt ostracised. Moreover, project designers were also oblivious of the fact that the local government officials did not function in isolation, but are part of a very complex socio–cultural system. These shortcomings led to clashes between Traditional Chiefs and the newly ‘empowered’ local government officials. As the designers and managers of the CBRDPs did not anticipate these eventualities, they had no plan in place to manage resulting conflicts, which have ended up in protracted legal battles, leaving the CBRDPs in a state of dereliction, some completely abandoned.
The thesis brings to the fore the need for more concerted efforts at making aid effective, but at the same time arguing that all stakeholders need to pay closer attention to the use of nebulous theories and normative, yet complex concepts in aid-program designs. It underscores the essentiality for programs attempting to apply concepts such as ‘community’ and ‘empowerment’ to clearly define and conceptualise these terms within the confines of the political, social and cultural forces and social dynamics of beneficiary localities. If this were to happen development projects are more likely to receive community support and be more likely to be effectively maintained. The thesis below provides empirical insights into what becomes of aid programs that apply concepts and terms that are promoted by ‘development pundits’, but are at variance with the realities of the recipient country’s pervasive traditions, culture and indeed its success or otherwise in adopting Western notions of decentralisation (as was the case outlined in this thesis).
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Amaka-Otchere, Akosua Baah Kwarteng Verfasser], Christoph [Akademischer Betreuer] Kohlmeyer, and Einhard [Akademischer Betreuer] [Schmidt-Kallert. "Decentralised options für energy supply for sustainable economic development in rural Ghana / Akosua Baah Kwarteng Amaka-Otchere. Betreuer: Christoph Kohlmeyer. Gutachter: Einhard Schmidt-Kallert." Dortmund : Universitätsbibliothek Dortmund, 2014. http://d-nb.info/1098188403/34.
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Amaka-Otchere, Akosua Baah Kwarteng [Verfasser], Christoph Akademischer Betreuer] Kohlmeyer, and Einhard [Akademischer Betreuer] [Schmidt-Kallert. "Decentralised options für energy supply for sustainable economic development in rural Ghana / Akosua Baah Kwarteng Amaka-Otchere. Betreuer: Christoph Kohlmeyer. Gutachter: Einhard Schmidt-Kallert." Dortmund : Universitätsbibliothek Dortmund, 2014. http://d-nb.info/1098188403/34.
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Asuru, Sumaila. "The new philanthropy and smallholder farmers' livelihoods : a case study of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in the northern region of Ghana." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/15940.
Full textAbstract:
The new philanthropy is increasingly seen as a panacea and an alternative source of global development finance for rural development, especially in developing countries. The theoretical underpinning of the new philanthropy entails the idea that the private sector, led by philanthropists and civil society organisations in social policy issues can lead to more effective outcomes through partnership. The existing literature on the new philanthropy mainly focuses on its economic or commercial impact. This is particularly the case in the rural parts of Ghana; there has been very little research on the new philanthropy’s impact on the livelihoods of the poorest segments of society. Therefore, this research investigates the impact of new philanthropy on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana in order to fill the gap. The study employed ethnographic research, utilising qualitative techniques involving 20 stakeholders in philanthropy and livelihood affairs and 100 smallholder farmers. The research findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between philanthropic sponsored interventions in Ghana and an increase in smallholder farmers’ yields. The few farmers who purchased improved seeds and other agricultural inputs registered significant increases. However, this study identified some bottlenecks inhibiting access to agricultural inputs by smallholder farmers. Majority of smallholder farmers revealed that they could not afford them (seeds, chemical fertilizer and other inputs) despite the subsidies. Furthermore, rainfall variability gives rise to fluctuating food production from one season to another; meanwhile, there is a lack of strategy from philanthropic practitioners to address the variability in rainfall. Through philanthropy, other methods of faming such as irrigation farming agroecology, and permaculture could be exploited to the benefits of smallholder farmers. The outcomes of this study have policy implications for philanthropic practitioners. This study shows that the failure to involve farmers directly in decisions that affect their livelihoods is a major cause of livelihood interventionist programme failures in Ghana. Thus, this study argues that understanding the socioeconomic dynamics in the Northern Region and amongst the farmers should be an important part of policy formulation for philanthropic involvements seeking to improve livelihood of smallholder farmers. Lastly, the study called for a separate policy framework for philanthropy that would have a key objective of mobilising private philanthropic resources to support steady economic growth and sustainable development, dealing directly with recipients.
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Tagoe, Michael Ayitey. "Economic reform and issues of equity in rural development : an assessment of cocoa farmers' access to productive assets in the central and western regions of Ghana." Thesis, University of Reading, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.342113.
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Wahaga, Esther. "An exploration of effects of technology transfer on women's participation in agricultural development programmes in two rural communities in Northern Ghana : a case study of cowpea." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2012. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/57207/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a product of a case study on how innovation transfer affects women‘s participation in cowpea production in two communities in northern Ghana. The study addresses issues relating to how gender relations modify technological development, impact upon innovation transfer, dissemination and adoption among local farmers and how they affect the inclusion of women in agricultural development programmes. The context of the research is the growing awareness of the importance of involving women in agricultural development programmes. This change has occurred due to the realisation of women‘s key contribution to the agricultural sector and the need to focus technological development on both men and women. The thesis draws upon primary data produced during 12 months fieldwork in northern Ghana. This fieldwork utilised three research tools: interviews, observations and focus group discussions. Data for the interviews was collected by purposive sampling and included 65 male and female cowpea farmers, living in three villages. In addition, seven observations were undertaken in two villages and focusing on their cowpea storage practices. Finally, eight staff from The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, The Ministry of Food and Agriculture and World Vision Ghana were also interviewed in order to gain the views and perspectives of agricultural development agencies. It is argued here that that gender equality is crucial for effective agricultural development because women are hugely involved in the agricultural sector. It is also argued that if women‘s role in ensuring effective development of cowpea production is not taken into account, the consequences will not only affect the lives of women but will also have negative consequences for the communities in which they live. Debates in technological advancement in the agricultural sector indicate that the participation of farmers in the processes of innovation development and diffusion enhances innovation adoption. The thesis argues that the development of agricultural innovations is not based on a comprehensive analysis of gender roles and as a result does not offer equal opportunities for women and men to participate and benefit. It offers further explanations on how the national agricultural development agencies are working around to actively involve both men and women in the processes of innovation development and transfer. Furthermore, the thesis argues that, notwithstanding farmers‘ interest in new and improved agricultural innovations, they are most likely to incorporate their traditional norms and values when using new or improved agricultural innovations. Thus it offers insights on how new innovations that bear similarities to older ones, are widely adopted.
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Bukari, Shaibu. "Parts unknown : a critical exploration of Fishers' social constructs of child labour in Ghana." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2016. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/61740/.
Full textAbstract:
This study from the onset sought to explore, through a postcolonial critique, the meaning ascribed to child labour by fishers in a fishing community in Ghana. The purpose was to inform practice in social work so that social justice might be achieved for working children and their parents. However the study expanded, methodologically and theoretically, to preliminarily include a psychoanalytically informed psychosocial and discursive approach, extending the postcolonial critique to develop a nuanced understandings of the fishers' lived experience of, and responses to, children's work. Distinct from the dominant reductionist and positivistic etiologic understandings of child labour, this approach neither derides child labour as morally reprehensible and unequivocally dangerous, nor romanticises its beneficial aspects and links to cultural and traditional beliefs and practices (see Klocker, 2012). Instead, enables understanding of the fishers as ‘defended subjects' who invest in certain discourses as a way of defending against their vulnerable selves. It also affords a critically reflexive understanding of myself as a ‘defended researcher', owing to my semi-insider position as a former child labourer, and of the impact of this on my research relationships and findings. The study is intended to inform social worker practices in order to deal with complex situations concerning the relationship among fishers and their children paying equal attention both to the inner and the social circumstances of the fishers (Wilson, Ruch, Lymbery, & Cooper, 2011). In this regard it is inspired by Mel Gray's (2005) contention that social work practice should be shaped by the extent to which local social, political, economic, historical and cultural factors, as well as local voices, mould and shape social work responses. The study is conducted using critical ethnographic design that draws on the lived experiences of 24 fishers. Attempts were made to explore the fishers' experiences using psychoanalytically informed method (FANI) in addition to other conventional methods. The study highlights the fishers' use of narratives of slavery to explicate child labour. It focuses on the relationships that the fishers' have developed with their children and with the laws surrounding the use of children in work. It gives an indication of how the fishers' violently and aggressively relate with their working children. It also highlights the fishers' rejection of the laws surrounding child labour as being foreign and an imposition which excludes customary laws. The study further examines the identities the fishers developed in relation to laws that regulate them and children's work. It suggests that others see the fishers as powerless subjects who don't matter. It also underscores my shame and worries as a researcher considered by the fishers as an ‘educated elite' who works for ‘white people'. It further highlights how I provided self-justifying explications to defend myself as a researcher. The findings imply that solutions to child labour need to be localised paying equal attention to both the psyche and the social life of the fishers. They speak to the imperative for critical review of social workers/NGOs practices taking into account the unconscious processes that go on between fishers as parents and social workers as service providers. This thesis introduces a psychosocial dimension and insight into debates on child labour in Ghana.
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Eshun, Samuel Nuamah. "Labour Intensive Public Work (LIPW) Programme as an empowerment tool for youth development : the Ghanaian experience." Thesis, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/26796.
Full textAbstract:
The Labour Intensive Public Work (LIPW) programme under the Ghana Social Opportunity
Project (GSOP), is a social protection programme initiated by the Government of Ghana, to offer
jobs and income earning opportunities to some targeted rural residents, especially the youth,
through the application of labour intensive technology in the construction of community
infrastructure that has the potential of generating secondary employment. This is a mixed method
study sought to provide an account on the Ghanian version of LIPW programmes. The study
assessed and identified the challenges facing the programme implementation from beneficiary and
implementers’ perspective in order to set the platform for an interactive feedback between project
implementers and community members for the smooth implementation of future LIPW
programmes. The study also assessed the impact of the programme on poverty and migration
among the youth in Ghana. In identifying the challenges facing the programme from implementers’ perspective, 15 key project
implementers were interviewed. An interview guide and a questionnaire were also developed to
collect data from 500 beneficiaries of the programme to know their challenges. In assessing the
impact of the programme on migration among the youth, questionnaires were administered to 239
households in beneficiary communities and 189 households from non-beneficiary communities of
the LIPW programme. Finally, data was collected from 90 youth who benefited from the
programme and 90 youth who did not benefit from the programme to compare and determine the
extent to which the programme has contributed in reducing poverty among the youth.
The study revealed that the key challenge facing the programme implementation from the
implementers’ perspective is capacity problem involving, inadequacy of staff to implement the
programme at the district level, frequent breakdown of vehicles for monitoring, and delays in the release of funds for commencement of project. Beneficiaries of the programme also indicated that
they were not satisfied with the amount of money they were receiving as wage for their labour.
They were also unhappy with the delays in payment of their wages and the period of engagement
in the programme. The study found out that the LIPW programme under the GSOP has not
contributed in reducing migration among the youth. However, the programme has contributed to
reducing poverty among the youth. The study therefore recommends that capacity gap analysis
conducted before project initiation should include adequacy of staff and logistics to cater for any
deficiency. It is strongly recommended that beneficiaries of the programme should be consulted
in setting the wage rate to avoid resentment provoking misunderstanding between beneficiaries
and project implementers. The study further recommended that the government should scale up
the programme to cover more communities in order to reduce poverty among the youth in Ghana. Finally, the study proposed a new model for LIPW for the youth known as ‘LIPW +3Cs’. This
model incorporates three Cs, that is ‘C’ompetence’, ‘C’onnections’ and ‘C’haracter’ into LIPW
programmes. ‘LIPW +3Cs’ will not only train youth to secure jobs after the programme
(Competence) but will assist them to establish a network among themselves and other supporting
institutions (Connections). Issues of character which encompases a sense of right and wrong will
also be inculcated in the youth to assist them to function effectively in the society (Character).Adult Basic Education (ABET)
D. Phil. (Adult Education and Youth Development)
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Taabazuing, Joseph. "Towards effective participation of chiefs in Ghana’s decentralization process: the case of Wenchi District." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/4910.
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This study explores the interactive process between decentralized structures and traditional authorities in Wenchi district, with a view to generating lessons and insights that can guide the recommendation of a more appropriate decentralization framework to tap the strengths of traditional authorities towards accelerated rural development. Within the framework of action research methodology, mixed-methods were used to triangulate findings and enhance research rigour. Specific methods employed were focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews (IDIs), and observation, complemented by context analyses of relevant documents. It was found that the interactive processes between traditional authorities and decentralized structures are characterized mainly by competition for power and legitimacy, leading to mistrust and an inability to take advantage of the synergy effect between the two systems of local governance in accomplishing accelerated rural development. Key recommendations are that traditional authorities should not be fused with the decentralized structures, but should remain as countervailing institutions to check the misuse of power by the decentralized structures. However, traditional authorities should be given the ceremonial role of the right to address meetings of the District Assembly and the Area Councils. Additionally, chiefs should be given the chance to nominate at least two people onto the Unit Committees.Development Studies
D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)
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Wombeogo, Michael. "The influence of the poor in pro-poor activities : a case study of community participation in development intervention programmes in Northern Ghana." Thesis, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18473.
Full textAbstract:
The aim is to explore how community participation can situate beneficiaries to discover and commit to what they need for the future in northern Ghana. The methodology used was observational, descriptive, qualitative and quantitative, cross-sectional and longitudinal survey. A convenient sampling method was used for the community and district selection process. Respondents were randomly selected to ensure equal opportunity for all those available at the time of the interview. Eight communities were used from the three regions of northern Ghana in which community-based pro-poor interventions by interventionists have either completed or are still in process. The participatory, reflective and participatory rural appraisal, techniques were used in the data gathering. The results show that 57% males and 43% females participated in the study. The study shows that 95.2% respondents from Northern region, 93.3%, from Upper West region and 88.7% from Upper East region participated more in NGO than government led activities. There were five main findings of the research. First, 61% of respondents give high priority to farm credit, boreholes/wells and dams. Respondents claim to gain maximum benefit from these interventions more. Second, 92.4% of respondents from the eight communities participate more in activities organised by NGOs for personal gain and motivation. Third, 53% of all target respondents participated actively at the implementation stage of the participation process. Fourth, there is low investment in the area of school, road and dam projects in the study communities. Only two of the eight communities benefited from a school or road project, and three out of eight communities benefited from dam projects. Fifth, 57% males against 43% females participate in pro-poor intervention activities in the eight communities. As a contribution to knowledge, the thesis shows community members in northern Ghana participate in activities when there is immediate motivation (either in cash or kind) or when projects border more on their main occupational areas. The thesis recommends that Government facilitates community members to demand the right to take active part in the participatory process in all pro-poor interventions in their communities.Development Studies
D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)
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Zook, Sandy. "SUBSISTENCE URBAN MARKETS AND IN-COUNTRY REMITTANCES: A SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS OF URBAN STREET VENDORS IN GHANA AND THE TRANSFER OF RESOURCES TO RURAL VILLAGES." 2017. http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/pmap_diss/64.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation uses a mixed method approach to examine the determinants of internal remittances that are connected to the social networks of urban migrant street vendors. Urban street markets are a point of entry for many migrants moving from rural areas to cities in the Global South. The qualitative portion of the dissertation uses an ethnographic approach including participant observation, interviews and focus groups to examine the social networks of street vendors in a market in the municipality of Madina, Ghana. The quantitative analysis codes data from the ethnography in order to conduct a social network analysis using quadratic assignment procedure and logistic regression quadratic assignment procedure to analyze the relationship between attributes of street vendors and remittance behavior. Findings lead to several policy recommendations for the international community, as well as locally based non-governmental organizations, microfinance organizations, national and local governments providing funding or designing interventions affecting street markets or working with individual street vendors.