ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Investigating the level of Municipal And District Assemblies compliance with environmental sustainability provisions of the public procurement act in the Upper West Region of Ghana

The study investigated the level of Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) compliance with environmental sustainability provisions of the Public Procurement Act in the Upper West Region of Ghana. A joint method approach which comprises of qualitative and quantitative method was employed for the study. Both primary and secondary data sources were adopted for the study. Purposive sample was employed to select key respondents for the study whilst simple random sampling technique was adopted to select six Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper West Region. A total of 90 respondents were drawn from these Municipal and District Assemblies. A questionnaire was administered to all the 90 respondent, out of that 30 were also administered with interview guide. Key findings of the study revealed that respondents were able to identify the environmental sustainability provisions in the public procurement act. It was discovered that there is largely non-compliance of the environmental sustainability provision mainly because respondents view environment sustainability issues as trivial and non-significant. The study further revealed strict auditing of tender documents must be initiated at these stages; firstly, at district level, the designated unit in charge of procurement process must ensure that works, goods and services supplied are environmental friendly. Secondly, at the regional level, the public procurement authority must also monitor and review all procurement activities undertaken at the district level to ensure that they follow the environmental sustainability provisions of the public procurement act. Hence, the study recommends the commitment and the enforcement of the environmental sustainability provisions, the provision of budgetary allocation for supervision and monitoring and finally the continuous advocacy program on sustainable public procurement

Source: KNUST
Investigating the level of male involvement in family planning in East Mamprusi District of Northern Ghana

Changes in both men’s and women’s knowledge attitudes and behavior are necessary conditions for achieving the harmonious partnership of men and women. Men play a key role in bringing about gender equality since in most societies, men exercise preponderant power is nearly very sphere of life.., it is essential to improve communication between men and women on issues of sexually and reproductive health, and the understanding of their joint responsibilities, so that men women are equal partners in public and private life”. This study was conducted to fill in the gaps in the ICPD programme of Action. The study was mainly a descriptive cross sectional one that focused on reproductive decision making processes and family planning behavior of couple. In all, 215 respondents were interviewed with 169 these respondents being husbands and 86 being wives. The study relied on both primary and secondary sources of data. Two sets of standard questionnaires were used for men and women respectively and information was also obtained from books, pamphlets, journals, and articles. On the whole, the level of male involvement in family planning was very low. For study variables under reproductive decision making processes male participation was not all that good. For instance, the study revealed that husband — wife communication where possible was a” one way” affair with husbands initiating and deciding on all issues regarding a couple’s reproductive matters. On family planning, the study revealed that awareness of family planning method was high among both husbands and wives but relatively higher among wives. Thus, the study therefore recommends among others that government, communities and households should be brought into the mainstream of providing education, service delivery and advocacy on reducing the gender inequalities among men and women to achieve a better participation by men.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the Level of Compliance with the Public Procurement Act, 2003(Act 663) in the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly.

This research aims at investigating the compliance level of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly with the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) of the Republic of Ghana. The research employed a case study survey approach where the methodology used for the assessment of national procurement systems jointly developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/Development Assistance Committee and World Bank was adopted. In this methodology, four main procurement compliance areas were considered: These are Management System, Procurement Process, Contract Management as well as Information and Communication. Data was collected and collated from nine (9) departments and units who were involved in procurement directly or indirectly in the Assembly using a structured questionnaire. The findings indicate that of the four main compliance areas the hierarchy of compliance by the Assembly in order of importance is Procurement Process, Contract Management, Management System and Information & Communication. This, in effect, implies that the Assembly is strongest in Procurement Process, but weakest in Information & Communication. The model had an overall findings (thus putting all the main compliance areas together) that there was 33% High Compliance when all the indicators were aggregated. 27% average compliance, 22% Very High Compliance, 12% Low Compliance and finally 6% Very Low Compliance. Initially respondents likened the assessment to that of the Functional Organizational Assessment Tool (FOAT) and were tempted to be biased. Time required for submission of final report was not enough .The researcher faced problems of unresponsive respondents. Respondents also did not want anybody to know their identity because they feared the answers they provided might be used against them. iii It was concluded that the Assembly complies with the Act 663 at an overall average of 27.33%. Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) is a document that is held in high esteem by the Assembly, but it needs to improve upon its compliance level particularly the Information & Communication aspect of the procurement regulation. Notwithstanding the fact that studies have been undertaken elsewhere including Ghana, to investigate compliance level with the public procurement Act and its regulations, limited research had been carried out in the MMDA‟s. This study therefore makes its contribution by providing information that is relevant for filling this gap that exists. The findings therein provide implications for procurement policy makers, the Public Procurement and researchers.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the Nexus between Stock Exchange and Economic Growth in Ghana

This study used ARDL model coupled with granger causality test to investigate the relationship between stock market development and economic growth in Ghana for the period from 1991 to 2011. The study revealed that stock market development has a negative impact on economic growth in the long-run and this was confirmed by the causality test that there do not exist any relationship between stock market development and economic growth in Ghana for the study period. Human capital and money supply have contributed positively to growth. Inflation and foreign direct investment have not shown to be deterministic variables to growth of the economy. The study concluded that operators of Ghana Stock Exchange should strategise well to attract more investors to the Stock Exchange. In addition, the independence of the Central Bank, further development of financial and money markets should be adhered to by the Bank of Ghana to facilitate the implementation of monetary policy in order to achieve price stability in the country.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the Management of Health and Safety by Road Contractors in Ghana

Health and safety havebecome a key component in the construction industry over the years. Appalling situation of health and safety on construction sites has left many incapacitated and resulted in loss of livelihood. Deteriorating health and safety situation caused the delay of many construction projects which have dire consequences for the national economy (chartered institute of building report 2009 and environmental protection agency report 2008). The road construction sector is one such area of operation in the construction industry that has witnessed numerous accidents and debilitating injuries to employees and third parties during operations. The phenomenon in the road construction sector does not auger well for the economy of Ghana as a result of the key roles of road networks in the development of Ghana. To help in addressing this trend, this study is designed to investigate the management of health and safety by road contractors in Ghana. To achieve the aim just advanced, a quantitative method was adopted using survey questionnaire as the main instrument for data collection. Survey questionnaires were administered to 50 respondents using purposive sampling which yielded a response rate of 92 per cent. The data collected wereanalysed basically with descriptive statistics. Key findings of the study include high rate of accidents in the road construction sector with the major cause being exposure to noise; and poor manual handling. Proposed criteria for curbing accidents include effective monitoring of road construction firms in the area of health and safety promotion. It is envisaged that when this study is adapted by stakeholders in the road construction sector, it will inure to the benefits of all by way of numerous benefits notably the improvement in health and safety of construction workers among others.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the obstacles to the improvement of the procurement system in Public Tertiary Institutions in Ghana: a case study of the Sunyani Polytechnic

The study aims at exploring the reasons why Sunyani Polytechnic, and the other public tertiary institutions, have not reached the level of “excellence” in their procurement performance. The study targeted groups in Sunyani Polytechnic who are the policy makers and/or implementers of policies with specific reference to procurement processes and issues. The study examined the caliber of staff who are directly or indirectly involved in the procurement function and how their attitude and performances affect the procurement system. They comprise the Top-Management or Principal Officer, Deans/Heads of Departments/Heads of Sections, Procurement Unit Staff and the Internal Audit Unit Staff. The questionnaire focused on four specific areas affecting procurement system, which are: how management systems in the school facilitate the procurement function; how the Deans, Heads of Department and Sectional Heads, contribute positively or otherwise towards the system; the activities of the procurement unit personnel; and the role of the internal audit unit in ensuring a well functioning procurement system. Generally, it was observed that even though the procurement system in Sunyani Polytechnic is quite efficient there is still much room for improvement, for instance, almost all the officers who are involved in the procurement system do not have the Procurement Act to work with, to enable the Polytechnic meet the performance standard as stipulated in the Act. The findings also indicated that there are both positive and negative concerns which eventually affect the procurement system. The study suggested, among others, that since the Public Procurement Act, 2003, is the principal statutory document governing public procurement activities in Ghana the Polytechnic’s Top-Management must ensure availability of copies to all heads of department/unit/section and also enforce compliance with the provisions in the Act. If all stakeholders affecting the procurement system in Sunyani Polytechnic play their roles efficiently and effectively most of the obstacles may be eliminated and the system will see much improvement.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the Optical properties of cd1-xznxs thin films deposited by the Dip Technique

Thin films of Cd1-xZnxS ternary alloy have been prepared by the dip technique using thiourea and the nitrates of cadmium and zinc. The optical properties have been investigated by spectrophotometry and photoconductivity studies. The calculated film thickness using the gravimetric method were 18.85μm, 8.61μm, 5.06μm, 6.23μm for x= 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 respectively. The absorption spectra, A(λ), of the films at normal incidence of light were obtained in the spectral region 300–900 nm using LKB ultrospecII 4050 UV/Visible spectrophotometer. The optical band gap of the as deposited films varied from 2.42eV (x =0.2) to 3.61eV (x =0.8), that is, the band gap increased with increasing Zn concentration of the alloy. The as deposited samples were thermally annealed in air for about an hour at temperatures of 100°C, 200°C and 300°C and the absorption spectra again recorded. It was revealed that thermal annealing decreased the optical band gap; this may be due to improved crystalline structure of the samples as a result of the heat treatment. The average extinction coefficient for the as deposited samples were 6.89x10-3, 10.27x10-3, 19.93x10-3, 22.16 x 10-3 for x= 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 respectively. The films formed were moderately photoconductive in the as deposited state with photocurrent peaking at 98 μA in the Cd0.8Zn0.2S sample. The photocurrent decreased as Zn content increased in the solution. The Cd0.8Zn0.2S film showed a high photoconductivity around 2.20 eV. This energy was quite close but smaller than the corresponding band gap of 2.42 eV of the sample with a difference of 0.22 eV. Transition from localized states within the forbidden gap is speculated to be the cause for the photoconductivity.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the Optical Properties of Zinc Sulphide Thin Films Deposited from Chemical Acidic Baths

A well adherent thin film of zinc sulphide (ZnS) has been deposited on silica glass substrates from acidic baths containing zinc chloride, thioacetamide and urea. Films of different thickness (684nm, 572nm, 523nm, and 271nm) were obtained. SEM micrograph of the as-deposited ZnS thin film, show the film to be uniform, dense, homogenous, and composed of largely irregular shaped grains of diameter in the range of 300 – 500 nm. These large grains are comprised of smaller spherical grains of 100 – 200 nm diameter. EDAX results are consistent with the formation of thin films of ZnS deposited on silica glass substrates. A UV mini Schimazu UV – VIS Spectrophotometer was used to determine the optical absorbance of the films as a function of wavelength at room temperature over the wavelength range 200 – 800 nm. The samples were then thermally annealed for one hour, at temperatures of 300°C, 400°C and 500°C, after which the absorbance of the films were again recorded. The absorbance of the films decreased with increasing annealing temperatures indicating an increase in transmittance with increasing annealing temperatures. The band gap values obtained varied between 3.64 eV and 3.97 eV, for as deposited films and increased between 3.98 eV and 4.00 eV after annealing. The increase in band gap with annealing temperature might be attributed to the improvement in crystallinity in the films. The high transmittance of the films together with their large band gap makes them good materials for application as a window layer for solar cells.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the optical band gap and crystal structure of copper sulphide and copper selenide thin films deposited by chemical bath deposition

Thin films of CuS and CuSe have been successfully deposited using the CBD technique. The reagents used for the deposition of CuS were copper chloride, thiourea and ammonia. CuSe was deposited from chemical baths containing copper chloride, sodium selenosulphate and ammonia. The pH deposition temperature and time were optimized for deposition. The optical band gap and the structure of the as-deposited and annealed films were studied using optical absorption spectroscopy and powder x-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal structure of the as- deposited CuS films showed the presence of several phases with covellite being the dominant phase. After annealing at 673 K, only the copper sulphate pentahydrate phase was observed. The band gap varied from 1.6 eV for the as- deposited sample to 2.2 eV after annealing at 673 K. Optical studies on CuSe showed that the as-deposited films had two band gaps of 1.2 and 1.4 eV suggesting the presence of more than one phase. This feature was also observed in the samples annealed at 473 K, but samples annealed at 573 K and 673 K had only one band gap of 2.2 eV. The crystal structure of the as-deposited CuSe films showed the presence of several phases with the umangite being the dominant phase. However, after annealing at 673 K, the dominant phase was krutaite, suggesting a possible phase transformation.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the potential of Moringa (Moringa Oleifera) and Pigeon Pea (Cajanus Cajan) as supplementary dry season livestock feed in the Northern Region of Ghana

Moringa (Moringa olifera) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) have been both identified as a multipurpose tree and legume that have appreciable levels of crude protein that could be used as a dry season feed supplement for livestock. Growth rate, average weight gain and availability of Moringa olifera and Cajanus cajan were investigated for the potential of Moringa olifera and Cajanus cajan as supplementary dry season livestock feed in the northern region of Ghana for Djallonke sheep. Djallonke sheep were completely randomized into 3 treatments levels (T1-T3) with four replicates in pens. Sheep in treatment 1 (control) were fed with feed other than cajanus cajan and moringa olifera on dry matter basis, treatment 2 were fed with Cajanus cajan husk on dry matter basis while those in treatment 3 were treated with a feed containing Moringa oleifera leaves on dry matter basis, respectively. The findings of this study indicated clearly that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) among treatments for white blood cell level, haemoglobin and blood sugar concentration. However, there were significant difference (p<0.05) on all body weight parameters measured in the study. Animals fed with Moringa olifera diets had the highest average daily weight gain of 105.80g followed by those fed with Cajanus cajan diet (82.59g) whilst those fed with the control diet recorded the lowest average daily weight gain of 42.97g. The study further showed that 50% of farmers provide feed for the livestock. 85 % of the farmers confirmed availability of Moringa olifera and Cajanu scajan as livestock feed whilst 15% said no. It was revealed that majority of the farmers (70%) obtained the Moringa olifera from plantations whilst 30% obtained the Moringa olifera from the farm. Again, all farmers obtained the Cajanus cajan from the farm. The study revealed that 60% of the farmers had no knowledge of Moringa olifera and Cajanus cajan as livestock feed whilst 40% were knew about it. Again, 60% of the farmers had no knowledge that Moringa olifera and Cajanu scajan could improve growth of livestock but 40% had knowledge that Moringa olifera and Cajanus cajan can improve growth of livestock. The study revealed that Moringa olifera and Cajanus cajan are generally known to farmers as animal feed sources, readily available to farmers and largely preferred by livestock (75%). Djallonke sheep can be fed with both Cajanus cajan and Moringa oleifera diets during the dry season and further research should be conducted to assess the appropriate pre-treatment methods for these crops.

Source: KNUST
Investigating The Potentials Of Sawdust And Coconut Fiber As Sound Reduction Materials

ABSTRACT Noise reflectors, noise absorbers and noise barriers, are used for noise controlling purpose. This research conducted is to investigate local materials that may be used as sound reducing materials to offer solution to the existing environmental noise problem. Samples were developed using sawdust, coconut fiber, expansive clay and dry plantain leaves applying silicon and starch as binding agents. Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), which is a ratio of the reduction levels of noise to the intensity of sound, was investigated by using an experimental setup including impedance tube, signal generator, sound level meter and a speaker. Experimental results indicated that, there is a better performance in the NRC of samples developed with particles less than 0.6 millimeters. NRC values obtained for Sawdust mixed with Expansive Clay ranged from 0.24 to 0.62 with the maximum value (0.62) occurring at 4.0 kHz frequency and that of Coconut Fiber mixed with Expansive Clay recorded NRC from 0.31 to 0.58 with the maximum value (0.58) occurring at 6.0 to 6.5 kHz frequency. It was found that, these materials have good acoustic properties and therefore can be used as an alternative to produce noise reduction materials. Utilization of these materials will also reduce environmental pollution and the effect of noise pollution on human health.

Source: KNUST
Investigating the presence or absence of accounting amongst petty traders in the Kumasi Metropolis

This research examined the presences or absences of accounting in petty trading in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study therefore investigated the assumption that "accounting is a universal good and should be present in every business entity" as premises of determining the presence or absence of accounting The methodology applied was the Mixed Method under the Multiple Methods Choices. Both qualitative and quantitative * techniques were used. The findings were that formal education is not a pre-requisite requirement to the operations of a petty trading business. However, the study revealed the presence of accounting in petty trading; thus confirming the assumption that accounting is a universal good and is present in the petty trading business. The main hypothesis that "there are evidences of accounting presence in the petty traders' business" was accepted on the basis that the traders understood the concept of accounting, they kept written records of their business transactions, and there were evidence of the use of accounting information by the traders. Findings on the three major factors that influenced the present or absent of accounting among petty traders revealed that: there were no state institutions or pressure groups in Ghana to influence or oblige private entrepreneurs (petty traders) to prepare financial statements; the literacy of the petty trader though was found to be a necessary factor, it was not sufficient to explain the accountancy presence or absence in the traders' businesses. The usefulness of the accounting information to the petty trader influenced the presence or absence of accounting in the traders' business. Finally, the level of trust - social capital in the community, influencing the presence or absence of accounting, was relatively insignificant in the context of urban Ghana. To the best of my knowledge, no study of this kind has been conducted in the field of accounting presence or absence in Ghana. Time and financial constrains limited the study to a sample of eighty four selected petty traders in Kumasi. The findings are generally representative of the situation in the petty trading business in the Ghanaian economy.

Source: KNUST