ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
An assessment of child health programmes in the Tamale Metropolis and Nanumba North District

The purpose of this study was to review the performance of child health programmes implemented in the Tamale Metropolis and the Nanumba North District. The case study research design was adopted to undertake this research. Respondents were drawn from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) (2), Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) (2) and women (201) within the child bearing age in the study areas. It was found that five different child health programmes have been carried out in the study area over the years. These were malaria prevention/treatment programmes, nutrition supplement and immunisation programmes to protect children against childhood killer diseases and breastfeeding awareness creation. Institutions found operating most of these child health programmes in the study area included GHS, United Nations Education and Children fund (UNICEF) and Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities (YARO) (a non-governmental organization). The study further showed that, physical accessibility/distance barrier affected the coverage of many child health programmes taking place in the study area. It was also realised that the greater segment of women (60 percent) harboured the perception that most diseases are spiritual and were therefore inclined to traditional medicine. This largely stems from the low levels of education attainment in the study area, for instance, about 31 percent and 22.7 percent of the respondents in the Nanumba North District and Tamale Metropolis never attended school. However, successful treatments of diseases such as convulsion, malaria and other ailments among the six childhood killer diseases (previously perceived to be spiritually-caused) has helped significantly in changing such superstitious perceptions, which has led to the general acceptance of child health programmes in the study area. It came to light in the study that; the cultural beliefs, low level of cooperation among health stakeholders, and inadequate health workers are among the major challenges encountered in the implementation of child health programmes in the Nanumba North District and Tamale Metropolis. The study recommends among other things, the need for Ghana Health Service to partner with other stakeholders especially the Information Department of the District Assembly, to embark on rigorous sensitization in order to diffuse the misconceptions of the people about child health programmes. As a way of tackling the distance barrier, the study suggested that the relevant authorities like the GHS and the District Assembly should construct additional health facilities especially Community Health Based Planning Services (CHPS Compound) at vantage points to enhance easy access to health services.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Bookkeeping Practices and its relevance to SMEs in New Juaben Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Ghana’s economy is characterized by a relatively small large firm segment, a very large number of micro enterprises, and in between lie small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The unique feature of most SMEs is that, they can be easily established since their requirement in terms of capital, technology; management and even utilities are not as demanding as it is the case of large enterprises. Consequently, small enterprise sector is one of the leading employers (next only to peasant agriculture) in Ghana and has been recognized as significant sector in employment creation, income generation, poverty alleviation and a base for industrial development. It is estimated that there are over two million enterprises in the sector employing between 5 to 6 million people. Despite the enormous potential of the private sector, poor record keeping is identified as a constraint hampering its growth in Ghana. Businesses are unable to keep track of daily activities and banks are unwilling to lend to SMEs all due to lack of financial information. Hence, this study seeks to investigate whether SMEs practice bookkeeping or not, and the contributions of bookkeeping to the growth of SMEs in the New Juaben Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The study considered a total population of 450 comprising SMEs, 15 Banks as well as NBSSI office in the Municipality. Out of this figure, a simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 136 for the study. From the findings of the study, it was revealed that, 80.8% SMEs were practicing bookkeeping and the manual system was predominantly used. The recommendations however were that, NBSSI must be strengthen and well resourced by government to offer support services in the area of organizing effective training programmes for SMEs operators. There must also be an intensive publicity in the local dialect through the mass media to sensitize SME operators on the need to maintain proper books of records.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Communities’ Perceptions of the Socio-Economic Sustainability of the Hunger Project’s Aid: a Case of Apau-Wawase Epicenter.

The study was conducted in Apau-Wawase Epicenter to assess the communities’ perception of the socio-economic sustainability of The Hunger Project’s aid. A total of 150 respondents were selected for the study through cluster random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Questionnaire and interview were used to gather information from the respondents. The study sets out to find the purpose of the aid from the recipients' point of view, the recipients' view of the sustainability of the projects and their future as self-reliant, challenges faced by NGOs whiles implementing Aid projects in the rural communities and measures for implementing rural community Aid projects successfully. The findings revealed that the purpose of THP’s aid through the Epicenter strategy was to provide the communities with access to basic facilities like health care and also empower the communities to sustainably fight hunger and poverty and become self-reliant. The study further revealed that even though THP continues to support the epicenter with funds, facilitate training seminars and workshops, the opinion of the people of the communities is that the programmes are sustainable and is making them self reliant. The study has revealed that the challenges to the implementation of the THP’s programmes are repayment of the credit facility from the micro credit scheme and the level of education of members of the communities. The study again identified that the programmes were successful mainly due to the active involvement of the members of the communities at every stage and the fact that they considered THP as partners. It is recommended that a phase out plan is made clear to all stakeholders and facility managers’ competences are upgraded to enable them manage the projects professionally. Again, investment advisory services should be given to beneficiaries of the credit facility.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Community Fire Management around Tain II Forest Reserve

Until 1983 uncontrolled wildfires were relatively uncommon especially in the forest zones of Ghana. The question here is that can this change be attributed to the ineffectiveness of fire management at the community level? This study therefore compared the effectiveness of the indigenous fire management systems before 1983 and conventional fire management systems introduced after 1983 fires in fringe communities around the Tain II forest reserve. The study also investigated effectiveness of stakeholder participation and gender strategies in fire management around the Tain II forest reserve. Furthermore, the study identified challenges in fire management around the Tain II forest reserve. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques were used to collect data from the five communities. A total sample of 438 respondents comprising household heads and fire volunteer squads were interviewed. The data were analyzed using index of participation, descriptive statistics and Chi Square. The study results revealed that 85% of the respondents agreed that indigenous fire management systems were effective in curbing wildfires compared to 40% respondents agreed that conventional fire management systems are effective in curbing wildfire. However, 64% of the respondents agreed that indigenous fire management were more or less effective than the conventional fire management. The index of participation regarding stakeholders involvement in fire management planning, implementation and monitoring were 0.59; 0.60; and 0.56 respectively. Furthermore, 52% of the respondents are of the view that fire management before 1983 was a duty mainly for men while 73% of the respondents stated that currently (after 1983) both men and women are involved in fire management. The index of participation regarding women participation in fire management was 0.5; 0.5; and 0.5 respectively for planning, implementation and monitoring. Also the index of participation for both men and women participation in fire management was 0.5. Respondents were of the opinion that they can no longer practice indigenous early burning as a measure to suppress and control fire. A total of 62% respondents agreed that culprits are not punished when arrested for setting wildfires. The research results bare that fire fighting equipments are not available and even where these fire fighting equipments are available they are not enough to be distributed among fire volunteer squads. Also there is lack of insurance scheme for fire volunteers in the study area. The study concludes that wildfire management will succeed or fail according to the degree of involvement of local communities and the support given to stakeholders including fire volunteer squads.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of centralised purchasing in government institution: a case study of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT Koforidua Area Office).

The purchasing operational systems as operated by most corporate institutions are the centralized, decentralized and the hybrid. This project work seeks to analyze the operations of the centralized procurement system of SSNIT Koforidua Area Office. In centralized procurement, purchasing is organized, coordinated and regulated from the headquarters of an institution. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of centralized purchasing operations of SSNIT Koforidua Area Office and to find out the challenges facing the centralized purchasing system of the institution. The main aim of it is to assess centralized purchasing system in SSNIT Koforidua Area Office. Qualitative research method, thus is purposive sampling method was employed to come to the conclusion of the study. The instrument used for this study was structured questionnaire with opened ended and closed ended questions on the operations of centralized purchasing system at SSNIT Koforidua Area Office. The study established that the operation of the centralized purchasing unit of SSNIT was effective because, Centralised Purchasing helped SSNIT to make saving on operational cost, enabled SSNIT to engage suppliers/contractors to provide service cheaper and cost reduction. Some of the challenges established by this study were: bureaucratic processes hindered the capacity of procuring staff in the implementation of centralised purchasing at SSNIT; ineffective legal framework implementation affects the centralized purchasing at SSNIT and change in technology in purchasing had challenges to the implementation of centralized purchasing in SSNIT. Majority of the respondents were in support of area proximity decentralization of purchasi ng at SSNIT. It is therefore recommended that area proximity decentralisation at SSNIT should be put in place to reduce bureaucracy, delays in purchasing processes.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of companies’ perception and response to changes in the marketing environment - a case study of Local Textile Companies”

In this project the perception and response of some local textile companies to the changing nature of their marketing environment was assessed to find out whether it could also contribute to the collapse of those local textile companies in the industry. In the light of the reported challenges in the marketing environment, companies’ attitude to the nature of the marketing environment, the importance attached to the study of their environment and the types of response made, were the major issues discussed in the research. From the findings it was observed that the marketing environment of the textile companies in Ghana was rapidly changing and the local companies needed to be encouraged to change as well. The ability of the textile companies to respond effectively to these changes in the environment was impeded by companies’ ability to effect structural and technological changes, attitude to change, and the improper introduction and implementation of the trade liberalization system in Ghana It was also found out that a company’s perception of the nature of the environment and the available resources of that company played a primary role in the company’s determination to study its marketing environment. Local companies therefore need to be adequately trained to assess their marketing environment for opportunities and threats.

Source: KNUST
Assessment Of Compost Quality From Some Agricultural Waste

The rapid and ever-changing life style of humans affect the composition and generation of MSW in Ghana. Waste generated is dumped at unauthorised places such as water bodies open places and landfill sites which have adverse effect on human health and the environment. Biodegradable waste forms the major component of the MSW generated in our communities and Ghana as a whole. These waste that creates nuisance can be put into other beneficial use such as compost. The main objective of this study was to determine the quality of compost produced from millet residue, fruits waste and rice chaff. A six-week composting period was undertaken for this study on KNUST campus. The substrates; millet residue and rice chaff were collected from Aboabo and Akwatia line while the fruits waste was collected from venders at the Bantama market all suburbs in Kumasi. The substrates were mixed in different ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1, ratio for millet residue/fruit waste (MR/FW 1:1, MR/FW 1:2, and MR/FW 2:1), millet residue/rice chaff (MR/RC 1:1, MR/RC 1:2, and MR/RC 2:1), rice chaff/fruit waste (RC/FW 1:1, RC/FW 1:2 and RC/FW 2:1), millet residue control, rice chaff control and fruit waste control. Physico-chemical analysis of selected parameters such as moisture content, organic matter, organic carbon, total solids, pH, magnesium, nitrogen, ash, phosphorus, potassium and heavy metals such as lead, Zinc and copper were analysed in the laboratory. Composites of the compost piles were taken for analysis every three weeks. Moisture and temperature were monitored daily. Turning was done every four days and volume recorded during the period of the work. Primary macro nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium where observed to have increased, there was also an increase in the primary micronutrient such as magnesium, and there was also an increase in total solids. Heavy metals concentration where also observed to be increasing. There was a decrease in moisture content, pH, carbon nitrogen ratio. At the end of the study compost mixture of MR/FW (2:1) had higher macronutrient content (% N =2.086, % K= 0.456 and % P= 0.985) and permissible levels of heavy metals (% Pb = 0.006, %Zn = 0.025 and % Cu = 0.030).

Source: KNUST
Assessment of compost quality from co-composting kitchen waste with grass clippings

To prevent the interruption of the carbon cycle by the disposal of waste to landfills, organic kitchen waste requires proper treatment such as composting to reduce its uncontrolled degradation on disposal sites and subsequent greenhouse gases, odour emissions and nutrient losses. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of compost generated from co-composting kitchen waste with grass clippings and the influence of different ratios and turning regimes on the quality of the compost produced. Wastes were mixed in ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1 (v/v) ratio for food waste / grass clippings which were denoted by R1, R2 and R3. Turning of compost heaps was done manually in three different regimes; once weekly, every three days and everyday (T1, T3 and T7). Composting was conducted over a 60 days period where the temperature profiles were recorded twice a day and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratios were measured as an indication of compost maturity as well as other indicators of compost maturity such as pH, potassium, phosphorus, organic matter, carbon, nitrogen, moisture content, volume, faecal and total coliform. Again, turning was observed to influence the extent of decomposition much more than the quality of the compost. From the results, it can be concluded that, co-composting of kitchen waste with grass clippings produces acceptable quality compost, which can be used as fertilizer or soil amendment.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of conflict management practices in construction projects in Ghana (A case study of Greater Accra Region)

Project management system involves the planning, control and co-ordination of a project from inception to completion and ensuring that client‟s needs are met and within a specified time, within a controlled budget to conform to quality standards. People have gradually realized that stakeholders in construction industry play a vital role in project success which cannot be relegated in any discussion concerning the success of any project. Conflicts can arise usually from contractual claims and individual misunderstanding. The aim of this study was to assess the conflict management practices in construction projects in Ghana. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 263 respondents. The study revealed that inadequate communication among project team members, excessive change orders, use of substandard materials for construction, poor performance by contractors and ambiguous and contradicting instructions are major sources of conflict in the construction industry in Ghana. Furthermore, remedial works on projects affects time of completion and subsequently cost overruns. The research also uncovered that, conflicts can strain business relations between construction project teams, and can escalate into long standing litigation in court if not properly managed. Conflict management such as compromise, collaborating, accommodating, avoiding and forcing was employed in resolving conflict issues on construction projects. It is recommended that efforts such as detail designs from consultants and the use of quality material will curb or minimize the various identified conflict issues on construction projects in order to ensure successfully delivery of projects.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of compliance with the Public Procurement Law (Act 663) and Regulations -The case of Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo)

The essence of an efficient public sector procurement system no doubt is to create wealth and ensure good governance and transparency. Ensuring efficiency, transparency and accountability within the procurement system as well as adherence to procurement laws and regulations by a corporate organization such as Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) enhances its financial performance and corporate image. Even though the adoption of procurement policies, rules and regulations are laudable, unfortunately compliance with such policies, rules and regulations has become an issue. The compliance process helps in identifying weaknesses within the procurement system and how to take corrective measures so as to correct deficiencies within the system. The enforcement of the rules and regulations, the reward of incentives and the sanctioning of practitioners is deemed to influence compliance rates or the degree to which public procurement practitioners/governmental purchasers comply with the rules. As a result, this study, designed as a case study research, assessed the compliance with the Public Procurement Law (Act 663) and the Regulations. Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) was chosen for the case study. The importance of this company stems from its role as the public organization responsible for economic dispatch of electricity transmission in Ghana. GRIDCo is involved in very huge public procurements for the materials and equipment required to carry out its job of electricity transmission. The study involved the distribution of 200 questionnaires. The recovery rate was 86%, indicating that a total of 172 questionnaires were returned. The findings of the study revealed that GRIDCo’s compliance with the Public Procurement Law (Act 663) and regulation is very good. It became clear from the research that even though GRIDCo’s compliance level with the Law is at a matured stage, there are grey areas that need further Management attention such as publication of all contracts award on the Public Procurement Authority’s website, debriefing of unsuccessful tenderers, etc. There is also the need for Management of Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) to put in place measures to explain to all procurement practitioners within the company the importance of the human effort in the timely implementation of the Public Procurement Act 2003, (Act 663), consolidates all procurement undertakings under one Department or Unit, and improve on procurement filing system to ensure smooth conduct of future Audit. Finally, Management should consider e-procurement, as GRIDCo aims to align all its procurement activities with sustainability principles.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of consumer perception on CSR in the telecommunication industry in Ghana

The study examined consumer perception on CSR in the Telecommunication industry in Ghana with the view to shed more light on societal expectations to give direction to companies who wants to engage in CSR initiatives as to which areas will have maximum positive impact. The study employed quantitative approach and data was collected from a survey. Self-administered questionnaires were the main instrument used for data collection. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the quantitative data with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21.0.The findings of the study revealed that all the factors of customer expectations which included proper customer management and service, lower tariffs and fair price, good network connectivity and more social projects proved to be very important and as such Telecom companies should adopt pragmatic approach to include customer management practices, charging of fair price and provision of good network connectivity in their CSR policies as a means of satisfying customers’ expectations to enhance customer loyalty. The findings also show that the CSR activities of the Telecom companies have significant positive impact on the loyalty of their customers. The study recommends, among others, that Telecom companies should continue to provide educational support, health support and economic empowerment to benefit the communities in which they operate.

Source: KNUST