ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the credit risk management practices of Tanoa Capital Point Ltd (TCP)

The concept of micro finance has emerged as a potential solution to the financial insecurity of the economically disadvantaged in societies. As at the close of 2004, over 10,000 MFIs have reached more than 92million people worldwide of which only 7million came from Africa (Dunford, 1998; Latifee et. al, 2008). Over 1.2 billion people in the world today live on less than one US dollar a day (Gonzalez-Vega, 1998). As programmes mature, debates within and outside the industry have moved beyond the question of scale and outreach to the question of whether microfinance can be profitable, reduce poverty and contribute to the socio economic development of the people. The overall objective of this study was to assess the credit risk management practices of Tanoa Capital Point to determine whether it conforms to standard best practice in the industry. Descriptive survey methodology was used. The sampling technique used was cluster, systematic and simple random sampling. The findings show that clients default due mainly to asymmetric information, crises in their business or family lives, favoritism from credit officers, loan size been to large compare to the size of their businesses or when client want to test the ability of the MFI to collect the loan when the time is due. The study recommends that to reduce credit risk loans should be granted based on tools such as repayment capacity (repayment amount as a ratio of sales turnover), debt to equity ratio, proper character test and evaluation: the use of solidarity groups, joint and several guarantees with each other pledging some assets as collateral to the entire group are use. Training should be organized for both the credit officers and the client with the appropriate incentive schemes to much with. Also the loans should be disbursed on time to improve yield, profitability and prompt repayment. IN addition interest rate and other charges should be reduced to make the loan more attractive and the business of the client profitable.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of the current state of botanic gardens in Ghana and how they can be improved. case study – KNUST and LEGON Botanic Gardens

This study emphasized the current states of botanic gardens in Ghana and how they could be improved using the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Ghana’s Botanic Gardens as study areas. The study aimed at coming out with proposals which will help improve the general outlook of these two university botanic gardens and make them excellent scientific facilities in Ghana. Structured questionnaires were administered within a period of two weeks to about 120 respondents of whom 40 each were workers, students and visitors to these two botanic gardens. Some of the parameters considered in the design included bio-data of respondents, management practices, staff strength, educational and research programs, some cultural activities and students’ perception of the botanic gardens. Analysis of data by SPSS (Version 16) showed that majority of workers in both gardens were males and their ages ranged between 41-50 years. Urban residents visit botanic gardens at a much higher rate than people living in other parts of the country. Considering the gender distribution of visitors to both botanic gardens, females visit botanic gardens in Ghana than males and the main reasons why people visited the botanic gardens were because of their medicinal and floristic compositions. On the state of the gardens, most of the students thought the standards of the botanic gardens are falling and can easily lead to deterioration and into being an ordinary pleasure park. The study also showed that the several problems identified with these botanic gardens occurred due to negligence and ignorance on the part of the Government and stakeholders. In conclusion, it is proposed that, the only way forward to maintain, expand and to make the botanic gardens survive in Ghana, and stand the test of academic and research times for today and the future is to re-engineer it into an income generation venture since that is done globally in most botanic gardens.

Source: KNUST
An Assessment of the Effect of Staff Training On Customer Service Delivery (A Case Study at Barclays Bank Ghana Limited)

This study brings understanding to the issue of the effect of training on customer service delivery based on a contextual analysis of a limited number of training sessions held for staff of Barclays bank. The general objective of the study was to access the effect of staff training on customer service delivery at Barclays Bank. The study was a case study. Primary data was obtained from a survey conducted using questionnaires among the staff of the bank and its customers. One hundred and fifty staff members and customers, each, of Barclays bank was selected by simple random sampling method to collect information. Two separate questionnaires were developed and administered to all the staff and customers of Barclays Bank. The study revealed that all the staff had special training towards improving customer service delivery and 75% of the bank’s customers perceived its service delivery as good. The study concluded that training received by bank staff on improving customer service delivery resulted in improving the performance of staff which resulted in improving the performance of staff which was perceived as good by the customers of the bank. It is recommended that the human resources department of Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd should train their staff on how to meet customer expectations, increase assertiveness, and deal with stress and how to maintain good customer service delivery. These are training areas recommended by the customers of the bank. The study significantly shows the effect of staff training on customer service delivery at Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd and provides information on training which can be used to improve the capacity, capability and performance of Barclays Bank Ghana Limited staff in customer service delivery.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of the effect of disciplinary procedures on employee punctuality and performance at Anglogold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine

The purpose of the research was to critically explore the effect of disciplinary procedures on employee punctualityand performance at AngloGold Ashanti(AGA), Obuasi Mine. The methodology in terms of data collection involved mainly the use of questionnaires. In all, 211 self-administered questionnaires were sent out to employees in the Mining, Processing and Human Resource divisions. Out of this number,126 questionnaires were given to respondents in the Mining division, 65 to respondents in the Processing division whilst the remaining 20 were also given to employees in the Human resource division. A total number of 179 questionnaires were received from respondents. Out of the 179 received, 170 were valid for the analysis. These 170 responses were analysed using Microsoft Excel and the final results then presented in tables, bar graphs and pie charts.The study revealed that employees have knowledge of disciplinary procedures in AGAand how they can transform employees positively to fit into the working environment. Other findings indicated that the impact of disciplinary procedures on punctuality and performance is positive. Though effectiveness of the disciplinary procedure is high, there are challenges such as inability of management to educate workers on disciplinary procedures, inconsistency in the application of disciplinary procedures and above all unnecessary interruptions by the union. It is upon the basis of the above findings that the researcher recommends that the company should educate workers on disciplinary procedures and other work related matters.

Source: KNUST
An Assessment of the Effect of Moringa Olifera Leaf Powder as a Nutritional Supplement in the Diet

The Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf powder can be used as vegetable in the main diet or as a nutritional supplement. The MO plant is a good source of nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals, and these properties have been implicated in alleviating various cellular disorders. This work assesses the use of the MO leaf powder in the diet as a nutritional supplement. Three different concentrations of MO leaf powder supplemented diet (10% MOD, 20% MOD and 40% MOD) were fed to apparently healthy rats for 30, 60 and 90 days. Also low-protein diet and standard diet were supplemented with MO leaf powder respectively and fed to malnourished mice for 21 days. The effects of the MO supplemented diet on body weight, biochemical and haematological status were analyzed. There were no significant changes in the body weights. There were varied changes in the biochemical and haematological parameters measured for the different MO concentrations at the various time lines. Significant observation were measured, at day 30 in the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) increased, triglyceride decreased, monocyte increased, red blood cell (RBC) increased, haemoglobin (HB) increased, haematocirt (HCT) increased, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) increased and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) decreased; while at day 60 in the levels of urea and white blood cell (WBC) increased and likewise at day 90 in the levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS) decreased, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) increased, monocyte decreased and platelet decreased. Similarly, the levels of serum ascorbic acid increased and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased significantly in the 21 day. iii The results shows that dietary supplementation with MO leaf powder is relatively safe to the liver and kidneys, may be beneficial in the treatment of anaemia, boost ascorbic acid antioxidant activity and help prevent lipid peroxidation processes that are detrimental to body tissues. However, moderation is needed in the use of the MO leaf powder to prevent hypoglycaemia and spontaneous bleeding.

Source: KNUST
An Assessment of the Effect of the Free Maternal Care Policy on the Utilisation of Maternal Care Services in the New Juaben Municipality

This is a descriptive survey study carried out to assess the effect of the free maternal care policy on utilisation of care services in the New Juaben municipality. There have been little studies carried out to evaluate the effect of this policy on the access to and utilization of health care facilities, maternal health and deaths. This study was carried out to investigate into this policy. The main objective of the study was to verify the effect of the free maternal care policy on the utilisation of maternal care services in the New Juaben Municipality. The population for the study encompassed women of child bearing age (10-49) in the New Juaben Municipality. Both primary and secondary sources of data were employed for this study. The purposive and accidental sampling procedures were used to select the respondents. The sample size is six hundred (600). This study used trend analysis as its main approach of analysing the available data. The findings show a slight decline in maternal mortality as compared with the number of death in 2007. The finding also shows that antenatal attendance has been increasing over the years. This is attributed to the introduction of the free maternal healthcare policy. However, quality of care still remains a problem due to the enormous attendance. Findings show that there is still a great need to introduce other measures to reduce maternal mortality in the municipality. It was recommended that quality of care must be addressed to improve maternal health survival and steady and secure funding must be in place to ensure that the policy is sustainable, so that the policy can be strengthened.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of the effect of training practices on employee skill development (A case of ECG, Ashanti East Region)

The quality of human resource is an asset to any organization and as a result training has become an important issue that has to be faced by every organization. It is no wonder that Ghana Labour Act 2003, Act 651 imposes responsibility on employers to train their employees and enjoins employees to make themselves available for training. The study delved into the training practices at the Electricity Company of Ghana and its impact on employees’ skills development. More specifically, the study sought to find out the training policy at ECG, training practices at ECG and effect of the training on skill development and its impact on performance. Questionnaires were the main instrument used to source for data from the respondents. Two structured questionnaires were designed for management and employees. The data collected were subsequently analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The study revealed that ECG has a training policy but it was not accessible to employees of the company. It revealed that training practices at the company does not follow any systematic or scientific process. It was revealed however that while the training practices are not systematic, training has impacted positively on the skill development of employees. The study also revealed that employees performance have increased as a result of the acquisition of skills through training. It was recommended that ECG management should make the training policy available in all the company’s operational offices. This is because managers at the regions did not have a copy of the policy upon request by the researcher. It was again recommended that management should as much as possible put into practice the generally accepted stages or best practices involved in training and this will consolidate the gains the company has made in its investments in training.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of the effectiveness of mobile technology for community health (MoTech) initiative in improving maternal and child healthcare in the Kassena Nankana West district of Ghana

Quality maternal and child healthcare information is an important component of maternal and child healthcare services delivery and utilisation. This is almost absent in the Kassena Nankana West District making maternal health results in the district mixed and below regional and national targets. As a result, in 2009 Ghana Health Service and its development partners that is the Grameen Foundation, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation introduced the Mobile Technology for Community Health (MoTeCH) initiative in the maternal and child healthcare services delivery system. This study assessed the effects of the MoTeCH initiative on maternal and child healthcare services delivery. The study adopted qualitative and quantitative approaches with the ―with‖ and ―without‖ methodological design. A sample size of 200 new mothers was included for the quantitative study using the simple random sampling technique. Additionally, five community health nurses were interviewed. The study found 25 percent of the MoTeCH group not to have personal mobile phone. The study also found statistically significant associations between respondents MoTeCH status, and some maternal and child healthcare outcomes with small effect sizes. The maternal and child healthcare outcomes were better in the MoTeCH group than the non-MoTeCH group. Moreover, the study found poor mobile phone network coverage in some parts of the district. The study recommend that the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Ghana Health Service, Grameen Foundation, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation should buy low cost mobile phones and sell them to the pregnant women and new mothers on hire purchase basis. The study also recommends that the telecommunication companies improve upon the poor network coverage in the district and also extend network services to the other parts of the district without network coverage.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of the effect of unaccounted-for water (UFW) on revenue generation of Ghana Water Company Limited: Brong Ahafo Region as casestudy

Unaccounted-For Water (UFW) constitutes a financial leakage and therefore affects revenue generation adversely in the water industry. With average figure of about 50%in Ghana, it is a major problem to Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). The objective of this research is to investigate the impact of UFW on revenue generation, examine the impact of unmetered water consumption on UFW, and the relationship between UFW and reported leakages. Historical records of monthly percentage of UFW volume of water sold and reported leakages between 2001 and 2005 were analyzed using regression techniques to establish the relationships between those variables. The consumption pattern of unmetered consumers who were later on metered was analyzed. Unaccounted-For Water was found to contribute significantly to poor revenue generation, while unmetered water consumption was also found to contribute to UFW. To bring down the level of UFW, GWCL should try to meter all customers. Ghana Water Company Limited should encourage the public to report leakages promptly and improve their database especially in respect of leakages. Findings of this research support the New Management Arrangement.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of the effectiveness of performance management practices at St. Theresa's Hospital, Nandom, Upper West Region, Ghana

This study is an assessment of the effectiveness of performance management practices at St.Theresa's Hospital in Nandom.[This study becomes necessary owing to the fact that there is the need for the hospital to maintain a highly efficient performance management and quality healthcare service delivery system in order to attract more clients and remain competitive against other healthcare providers while minimizing the cost of operation. Data for the study were drawn from two sources: primary and secondary sources. Population for the study was drawn from staff of St. Theresa's Hospital, Nandom. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. Secondary data were also obtained from the Hospital's records. The results indicated that St. Theresa's Hospital's performance management practices were quite effective. The study revealed that motivational packages such as annual best worker awards help to motivate staff to work harder. However, it also indicated that a lot more could still be done to improve upon the system. One particular weakness of the performance management practices was that 52 (54%) of employees did not know whether there were any measures put in place to address staff performance gaps. There is therefore the need for management to ensure that superiors or senior staff help their subordinates to address their performance gaps (underperformance) to ensure optimum performance. Overall, there is the need to constantly train management and staff on the processes involved in performance management. Best worker award packages should also be enhanced to ensure that employees bring out their best.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of the effects of Ghana’s trade policy on agro-processing SMEs in the Eastern Region

Trade remains an integral part of the development process in the world. Ghana, a developing country, has a rich agricultural base on which various agro-processing SMEs depend to provide an economic livelihood for many Ghanaians in the informal sector. There have been several attempts since independence to harness the potential of agriculture through a robust agro-processing sector designed to provide the needed linkages between agriculture and industry. However many agro-processing SMEs are still confronted with several challenges including lack of access to appropriate technology; limited access to international markets, the existence of laws, regulations and rules that impede the development of the sector; weak institutional capacity, lack of management skills and training, and most importantly finance. This study attempted to examine the awareness levels of Ghana Trade Policy (GTP), the factors that influence the responses to GTP and the effect of GTP programmes and projects in alleviating the plight of most SMEs. Through a blend of quantitative and qualitative techniques, data were extracted from agro-processing SMEs in the West Akim municipal, Akuapim South municipal and Kwaebibirem district using the process-outcome model and a paired t-test in the analysis of the effects of GTP programmes and policy. The study revealed that generally there were low level of awareness and understanding of the GTP programmes and projects among agro-processing SMEs. These greatly affected the response leading to low or minimal effects of the GTP projects and programmes on agro-processing enterprises in the three districts. The level of awareness is indexed to literacy rates of the entrepreneurs. It was found that SMEs involved in oil palm processing, especially, had a lower rate of literacy and therefore were not aware of GTP programmes that are literacy based as opposed to operators of citrus and pineapple enterprises who had a minimum of secondary education. Also despite relative awareness and understanding of GTP programmes and projects, citrus and pineapple processing SMEs had not taken advantage of these programmes and projects due to accessibility problems and participatory cost. In addition, the majority of sampled enterprises (73%) had been in operation for less than 10 years and therefore had low levels of networking experience, which influenced their accessibility to the GTP. The t-test also revealed that apart from annual output of citrus and pineapple enterprises that responded positively to GTP programmes and projects, all other indicators tested using the t-test at 5% level of significance responded negatively.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of the effectiveness of quality management practices in management of reinforced concrete structures in Ghana.

The construction industry is a highly lucrative industry, which has attracted a large spectrum of investors and person of interest. Poor quality in reinforced concrete can result in life threating consequences and a threat to public safety. The research aims at exploring the effective quality management practices in project management for reinforced Concrete Structures in the construction industry. The aim of the research were met with these set objectives, to first of all identify the quality standards related to the construction industry, and secondly, to examine the barriers that impede quality control and assurance while executing construction projects through which we can assess how quality management can improve quality control and assurance during the construction of reinforced concrete structures. A quantitative research approach was used using a sample size of 85 to undertake this study, through which questionnaires was used to collect relevant data from construction project participants such as; Project/Construction Managers, Project Engineers, Site Engineers, Clerks of Works, and Quality Control and Quality Assurance Mangers. The data sought from the respondents was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analysis of data revealed that quality management systems were of less use to most D1K1 and D2K2 contractors and the poor adherence to quality standards as well as no ISO certification of most firms. Most firms practiced quality management by the use of experienced personnel with vast practical expertise. There was a much narrowed perception of what quality meant. The study was limited to predominantly D1K1 contractors and D2K2 contractors. The study emphasized that, commitment from top management was paramount to the maintenance of quality, and the periodic training of a project team participants not withstanding their level of skill or knowledge and involvement in the project.iv Keywords: Quality, Quality Management, Quality Control, Qu

Source: KNUST