Local level participation in the design and implementation of corporate social responsibility projects in the Prestea/Huni-Valley District in the Western Region of Ghana

The operations of Gold Mining Companies have had varying impacts on the environment and the socio-economic development of the people who are occupants of these environments. This has necessitated several calls for the mining companies to be corporate socially responsible (CSR) (that is, give back to societies through their corporate social responsibility frameworks). It is in the light of this that the study sought to ascertain the extent to which mining communities participate in the formulation and implementation of CSR projects in the Prestea/Huni-Valley District in the Western Region of Ghana. The overarching aim of the study was to assess the participation of District Assemblies and beneficiary communities in the design and implementation of corporate social responsibility projects by mining companies. The specific objectives were to assess the processes mining companies use to develop their CSR framework; assess the implementation process of mining companies‘ CSR framework; assess the level of District Assembly‘s participation in the design and implementation of CSR projects; identify challenges in the participation of District Assembly in the design and implementation of CSR projects and to make recommendations to ensure effective participation of District Assembly in CSR project‘s design and implementation. The study adopted and used a case study design focusing on three Traditional Areas (Apinto, Hemang and Bosomtwi) in the Prestea/Huni-Valley District where Goldfields Ghana Limited (Tarkwa and Damang Mine) and Golden Star Resources Bogoso/Prestea Limited – the mining companies operate. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select the relevant respondents for the study. Questionnaires were administered to key informants in the Traditional Authorities, District Assembly and the Mining Companies to collect primary data from forty – one (41) respondents in the corporate social responsibility design and implementation processes. Based on the data collected and analyzed, the study revealed that, Goldfields Ghana Limited and Golden Star Resources Bogoso/Prestea Limited had corporate social responsibility frameworks and as such education, health, agriculture, water and sanitation, enterprise development, livelihood programmes and infrastructural iv developments were the thematic areas included in the CSR frameworks. The study also discovered the involvement of the District Assembly and the beneficiary communities in the design and implementation of the CSR framework during the informing, consulting, decision making and initiating action levels of the CSR projects. However, the corporate social responsibility frameworks of the mining companies were not derived from the District Medium Term Development Plan – a framework prepared by the District Assembly to guide development under its jurisdiction. Again, it was clearly seen from the study that the District Assembly as well as the beneficiary communities of CSR framework were not very much involved in the initiating action level of participation, thus had a limited control over the decision-making process on CSR framework. Furthermore, the study reveals that the challenges in the participation were mainly of non-structural nature including demand for allowances, persistent absenteeism to meetings as well as issues relating to funding, poor commitment and sudden change in community interest regarding a CSR project. Through the design and implementation of the CSR framework, some of the socio-economic needs of the traditional areas within which the mining companies operate are met. It is therefore established that, CSR is an important channel through which the negative effects of mining activities in the Prestea/Huni-Valley District are ameliorated and thus required concerted efforts to ensure active participation of all relevant stakeholders in the design and implementation of CSR frameworks of corporate bodies by strengthening the capacities of District Assembly and the beneficiary communities.

Source: KNUST