ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The implementation of mobile number portability in Ghana and its effect on subscribers

Mobile number portability (MNP) was introduced in the Ghanaian market on 6th July, 2011 to increase competition among Ghana’s six mobile phone companies. MNP requires that mobile telephone customers can keep their telephone number including the prefix when switching from one provider of mobile telecommunications services to another. The research sought to find whether the implementation of the MNP has been successful and whether it is having any effect on consumers (subscribers) in Ghana. The research utilised survey from 200 respondents from the university of Ghana and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). The findings of the research show that the implementation of the MNP has been smooth. However lower porting rates were recorded because subscribers perceived that there was homogeneity of services on offer by the various network providers in Ghana i.e. Vodafone, MTN, Tigo, Airtel and Expresso. Contrary to literature, this research concluded that, MNP service can still be considered a success, even when porting rates are low. In that, if the threat of porting leads to improved competition among operators, and hence, lower tariffs and better services, MNP could still be considered as successful as it is becoming the case in Ghana. The researcher recommend that awareness creation exercises be carried out by the regulators NCA to ensure success. National communication authority should also enact laws and regulation to deal with providers who abuses the system to their advantage. Service providers should also enhance their network coverage to meet the growing demands of subscribers.

Source: KNUST
Implementation of lean construction principles to improve Project delivery: (A case study of Consar limited Accra Branch)

Construction projects in Ghana for the past decades have not seen any improvement in transforming the industry with emerging global philosophies. However, lean construction principles have emerged in the industry to replace the traditional way of project delivery. In spite of problems associated with project delivery which in turn brought uncertainties of the environmental hazards, global economic climate, in addition to the projects been delayed with respect to zero margin contract bids and greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, studies have alluded to the fact that projects take longer than expected, and the finished product not meeting client expectations with regards to quality. This research work is aimed at accessing the lean construction principles and practice toward improvement of project delivery at Consar limited. The methodology used in conducting this research work is a qualitative study. The data collected and use for this study is basically interviews, the researcher adopted the use of NVivo 11 software for analyzing the interviewed script. The research findings indicate that the Just in Time principles is fully in operational at Consar limited, regardless of some few challenges with regards to transportation. Further findings reveal that the 5S principles which concerns creating and maintaining well organized, clean, high effective and high-quality workplace is fully operational at Consar limited. The rest of the lean construction principles are partly operational. However, the major recommendation that ensures project objectives are successful is that project participants must endeavour to collaborate in the design process so as to minimized variations that emerged as a result of deficiencies in design process, which is coupled with schedule delay, budget escalating and above all not meeting customer expectations.

Source: KNUST
Implementation of project management practices in the sales and delivery of goods online for quality service in ebusinesses in Ghana.

Professional project management practice has become a vital discipline in internet marketing. Today, the adoption of the project management practice has extended to the business and manufacturing sector in Ghana but yet its practice remains not well regularized from being fully integrated into the online goods and services industry. The aim of this study was to examine the implementation of project management practice in the sales and delivery of goods online for quality service in eBusinesses in Ghana. The main objectives identified the project management practices and their challenges in the industry. The research adopted quantitative research method by administering of questionnaire to 100 respondents, comprising of 40 eBusiness service providers and 60 eBusiness users with a response rate of 88. Open ended and closed ended questionnaire were administered and results analyzed, discussed and presented using tables and mean score ranking of a 5-point Likert scale. The purposive and snowball sampling were used in accomplishing sample size. Findings made were: 10 project management practices were identified with Mean score ranking (Project Quality management, Project Cost Management, Stakeholder management, Communication management, Procurement Management, Scope Management, Schedule Management, Risk Management, Human Resource Management and Project Integration Management). The challenges in order of mean score ranking were Security and Trust factors, Availability of internet, Culture Hindrances, Illiteracy, Payment Systems, Enabling Factor (cost of equipment, software and reorganization), Network Infrastructure, Lack of Applicability to the business. Secondly the assumption made by the study that online firms used Professional Project Managers was rejected because, only 3 firms out of the 31 firms had Professional Project Managers. It is recommended that, there should be Professional Project Manager’s awareness creation among the organization and continuous Professional Development of people in the online business through Seminars, Workshops and Refresher courses. Stakeholder’s engagement should be encouraged as well as a regulatory body set up to manage and determine various credentials and qualifications in online sales and delivery of goods.

Source: KNUST
Implementation of the decentralisation policy at the ministerial level in Ghana: a case study of Ministry of Food and Agriculture

The current decentralisation programme finally took off in 1988. By policy framework all the government decentralised departments at the district level were to operate as decentralised government agencies under the district assembly. But it was not until in 1997 that Ministry of Food and Agriculture could respond to this constitutional call for decentralisation at the ministerial level in Ghana. It must be noted that, the results of an institutional analysis are not mechanistic, where one can talk of high degree of precision. For this reason, institutional analysis is only meant to identify weaknesses and factors that inhibit the efficient performance of the institution in question. The aim of this study, “Implementation of decentralisation policy at the ministerial level in Ghana; A case study of MOFA”, is therefore, meant to identify the weaknesses and other factors that retard the smooth operations of MOFA. The objectives of this study were: -To examine the current roles under the decentralised system of MOFA; -To examine the relations among stakeholders and the institutional capacity of MOFA; -To identify possible problems associated with, or hindering the smooth implementation process of the decentralisation policy; and -To offer recommendations that would help improve the policy implementation process. A case study approach was used for the study. Three districts from Ashanti region -Adansi West, Afigya Sekyere and Sekyere West were chosen as the study areas. Questionnaires were administered to the District Directors of Agriculture, Subject Matter Specialists, District Development Officers and farmers. District Chief Executives and District Coordinating Directors in addition to some key informants were conducted between May and June. The results of the study revealed major weaknesses including poor programme planning, inadequate incentives and motivation, poor definition of roles, inadequate and untimely release of funds. The others are legal conflicts resulting in dual allegiance, lack of both political and administrative commitment and many others. Based on these findings, the report recommended the following for considerations: - Increased in farmer participation in planning; - Ithprovement in extension coverage; - Improvement in channels of communication; - Improvement in management system; - Improvement in financial and human support; - Improvement in logistical support; and - Need for conflict resolution. It is the hope of the author that, when these recommendations are adopted, MOFA would be efficient in her service delivery under the decentralisation policy.

Source: KNUST
Implementation of total quality management (TQM) for District Assemblies’ Common Fund (DACF) Projects at Atwima District Assembly-Precontract Stage

A lot of concern has arisen over the quality of construction projects being executed at the District Assembly level funded through the allocation of not less than 5% of the total national revenues to the Districts known as the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF). This unsatisfactory quality product has led to increasing cost to Government and other donors due to the short life span, high capital cost and long completion period of projects. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management led system designed to obtain the involvement of all stakeholders in the continuous improvement of the performance of all activities and hence the proposal for TQM implementation in pre-contract stage of project execution at the District level. The study covers 43 construction projects executed in the Atwima District Assembly of Ashanti Region in Ghana between 1994-2001. A structured interview/survey following an identified logical structure of pre-contract administration was conducted. Information gathered covered the following stages: Project Identification, Selection of Consultants, Design Practice and Selection of Procurement System. The rest are Procurement Process, Bid Evaluation and Contract Award Procedure. Lack of quality management at the pre-contract stage of construction works at the District Assembly’s level can be substantially explained by lack of commitment by management and technical personnel in charge of projects. There is also ineffective communication among beneficiaries, the Assembly, Consultants, Administration/ Management staff and other decentralized departments. Top management commitment to TQM technique and practices, introduction of project management unit and proposed checklists for pre-contract administration are three main areas recommended for easy implementation of TQM at the pre-contract administration stage of DACF projects.

Source: KNUST
Implementation of total quality management systems in the road sector of the Ghanaian construction industry

Total Quality Management (TQM) has been recognized as a successful management philosophy in the manufacturing and service industries. TQM can equally be embraced in the Ghanaian road construction industry to help raise quality and productivity in the road construction sector. The construction sector plays an important role in the infrastructural development of every country. Some of the major problems to implementing TQM in the Ghanaian construction industry were found to be lack of expertise, commitment and reliability by entire work force as well as government inability to be consistent in policy formulation and the logistics needed for implementation of TQM system. The study was aimed at evaluating the TQM implementation in the road construction industry in Ghana. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were set to identify the key components, the extent and challenges of TQM implementation in the Ghanaian road sector. The study indicated that, TQM is dependent on the translation, integration and institutionalization of TQM management behavior into the routine practices of construction industry. TQM also entails complete overhaul of the organizational culture and management approach as opposed to the old strategy of top management issuing orders to subordinates. With regards to the extent, most organizations had no formal program for the implementation of TQM. Lack of education in TQM was the major challenge in road construction industry. The study adopted a structured questionnaire survey targeting forty (40) road contractors with Ministry of Roads and Highways classification category A1B1and A2B2 operating within Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is recommended that, extensive awareness and training programs be initiated to improve the client’s and contractors’ understanding and approach towards total quality management system and hence increase their willingness to implement TQM, which would in turn improve coordination, teamwork and increase productivity in the construction industry.

Source: KNUST
Implementing it Governance in Ghanaian Public Universities: (KNUST as a case study)

Relatively new in Ghana, IT Governance is defined as specifying the framework for decision rights and accountabilities to encourage desirable behavior in the use of IT; this is in order to guarantee that the IT system of an organization sustains its goals and strategies. This intends to guide and control the IT function in order to add value to the organization and to minimize IT risks. The purpose of the research was to determine the current IT governance in KNUST, determine if KNUST IT governance was in line with standard best practices and to find suitable IT governance model for KNUST. Questionnaires were distributed to the IT decisions makers in the university. The information obtained was then analyzed and compared with the Weill and Ross model of IT governance. The results obtained from this study showed that the IT governance of KNUST was lower than desired and was not in line with best practices. And therefore a modified form of Weill and Ross model was proposed for KNUST based on information provided from the study.

Source: KNUST
Implementing Organisational Change through Risk Management: The Case of Customs Excise and Preventive Service, Tema Harbour

In recent years, the international trading environment has been transformed dramatically in terms of the manner in which goods are carried and traded, the speed and sheer volume of such transactions. In 2003 CEPS marked a shift in customs control mechanism from the traditional gatekeeper method to the risk management approach. The study sought to examine the risk management system as an efficient control tool and the nature of the corresponding change process that launched the concept. Data was gathered through interviews, questionnaires and published works relevant to the study. Findings were analyzed by use of SPSS version 17.0 to generate tables/diagrams and to establish relationships among variables. Findings indicated that the changing global trends and challenges stimulated the need for change: exponential growth in international trade; the emergence of non-traditional international crimes and the upsurge of transnational crimes. The study further revealed that risk management enhanced service in CEPS. However, the change process was found to be structural and did not adequately involve, train, and provide needed orientation for the organizational participants who are central to the change process. Conclusion drawn revealed that the purpose for which the study was embarked on had been significantly achieved. The study recommended among others the concurrent replication of the risk management concept at all customs stations, the review of customs laws to involve mandatory compliance to dictates of risk management profiling and the involvement of stakeholders in change processes.

Source: KNUST
Implementing enterprise resource planning in hire purchase organisations: Antecedents, challenges and Critical success factors

This study examined the implementation of enterprise resource planning in hire purchase organisations assessing the antecedents, challenges and critical success factors. One of the objectives of the study was to establish the challenges of the implementation of ERP systems in organisations. The study was grounded on the positivist research philosophy, and the case study research strategy was adopted. The deductive research approach was employed which necessitated the use of quantitative research design. The population of the study included 58 staff of Credit Mall Ltd. from which only 50 respondents were included as the remaining eight were drivers. A research questionnaire was used to collect the data which was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The study revealed that Oracle is the enterprise resource planning system implemented in Credit Mall Ltd. It also revealed that the goal of the implementation of the system was to improve accuracy of financial and management information, and improve information flow in the organisation by linking sales to accounts, and other departments which were before then disjoint. The study concludes that the challenges of the implementation enterprise resource planning systems in organisations includes lack of organizational leadership and commitment from top management, unavailability of skilled resources, customization and confidentiality problems, internal change management issues and resistance to change, poor system selection, inadequate end-user training, ineffective communication, and expectations from the system and cost benefit ideal. The study recommends that the management of organisations need to demonstrate a high level of commitment to the implementation of enterprise resource planning systems in terms of budget, time, and personnel to ensure that the system is implemented successfully

Source: KNUST
Implications of changes in land use on soil and biomass carbon sequestration: a case study from the Owabi reservoir catchment in Ghana

Land use changes affect soil and biomass carbon sequestration potential of the agroecosys tems of most Sub-Sahara Africa facing rising temperatures due to global climate change. One such ecosystem is the Owabi reservoir catchment in Ghana, which has undergone extensive changes in land use through urbanization. Our study aimed to determine the impact of the spatial and temporal variability of the different land uses on soil and biomass carbon storage in the Owabi catchment. Land use/cover maps were elaborated using SPOT satellite images of 30 30-m resolution and Erdas Imagine and ArcGIS Pro softwares. Soil and vegetation were sampled along three transects in the Y plane in early 2014. Nested plot design and temporary sample plots of 50 50 m were demarcated within a 1 ha plot in each of the land uses. Trees, herbs and litter were sampled to assess aboveground carbon, and soil samples were taken at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depth. Belowground (root) biomass was calculated using the root:shoot ratio. Seven (7) land use types – dense forest, sparse for est, grassland, cropland, wetland, settlement, and excavated land – were identified and differences in carbon stocks were assessed. Soil carbon stock (0–30 cm) ranged from 51.80 Mg/ha in dense forest to 7.00 Mg/ha in excavated land. Our study showed that the conversion of forest lands to other land uses through excavation resulted in about 30-folds loss in carbon and also a major loss of carbon in the catchment from c. 1.4 106 Mg C in 1990 to 0.55 106 Mg C in 2014. Enhancing forests or growing trees to sequester carbon seems to be the optimum choice among the seven land uses if the introduction of paymentfor environmental services options is considered.

Source: KNUST
Implications of biblical prophecy for contemporary Neoprophetic Ministry in Ghana

Neo-prophetic ministries have gained currency in the Ghanaian society. This thesis examines the activities of present-day Ghanaian prophetic ministries in the light of biblical prophecy. The researcher visited many churches of different denominations in the Kumasi metropolis to familiarize himself with their activities. It was found out that the akwankyerε i.e directions given by the prophets differed from church to church. The use of anointing oil is widespread among the prophetic ministries. Some people believe that after the anointing oil has been blessed by a prophet it assumes a supernatural power and in consequence its application induces miracles. Some abuses have been observed in the operation of some of the prophets. Consequently, it has been recommended that the activities of neo-prophetic ministries should be regulated. Various church organizations with umbrella bodies like the C.C.G., the G.P.C.C., the Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference etc. can combine forces and come out with modalities to regulate the exercise of prophecy in the country.

Source: KNUST
Implications of festivals for aesthetic education in Ghanaian Schools

Formal education in art at all levels in Ghana fails to devote much time to the establishment of a systematic foundation for aesthetic education. Aesthetic5as a. form of knowledge involving appreciation and criticism is an essential human experience which is carried out not only in an isolated school environment, but in wider context of the community and the whole universe at large. Aesthetic education is an important vehicle for the educational and cultural process which contributes positively to individual and national development. This thesis seeks to document and critically analyze, synthesize and evaluate the implications of festivals for aesthetic education in Ghanaian schools. A breakdown of the main problem reveals the link between the lifestyles of the various ethnic groups and their arts which are represented in their traditional festivals. The research identified some of the Ghanaian festivals and revealed that artifacts are composites of the traditional festivals; some of which would have to be identified in some selected festivals. Chiefs are considered patrons of the artistic and cultural heritage of the people - thus when a chief is out on a ceremonial occasion, in all his pomp and pageatry, the scene equals a mobile exhibition of both the visual and musical arts. The analysis of these symbolic objects showed that the elements of art were so organised as to expose balance, rhythm, contrast, symmetry,’ unity and harmony. The last part of the research asserts that it is possible to suggest programmes and methodologies to effect aesthetic education using these art concepts in the festivals. Schools can be taught the philosophies, values, needs and beliefs behind the festivals. Through the aesthetic education our cultural heritage could be inculcated into our youth in order to maintain, protect, project, preserve and to modernize it. Such attempts to transfer wholly traditional materials into new contexts will be clearly designed to be educative. Looking at the nature of this study/thesis and the amount of work and research involved to make it wholistic and acceptable the writer decided to divide the work into six chapters. The first chapter being the introductory deals with the problem and its setting, Chapter two surveys the related literature. In chapter three, history, values and needs of some selected Ghanaian festivals have been highlighted. The fourth chapter forms the main body of the thesis and provides fresh information on the place of art in the festivals; however, a greater part of which is unpublished. The chapter indentifies the Ghanaian artifacts in the festivals. The fifth chapter directs the sources of these festivals that could be used for aesthetic education. The research then ends in the sixth chapter forming the conclusion. It provides a summary of the main ideas, suggestions and recommendations.

Source: KNUST