ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the effects of signalisation on roundabout capacity using VISSIM: A case study of the Suame roundabout in Kumasi, Ghana

Increasingly, many roundabouts in Ghanaian cities are becoming problematic due to capacity challenges resulting from rapid traffic growth. Signalisation is known to improve capacity, shorten queue length, and reduce delay at roundabouts but this option has not been used in Ghana. In this study, three model options for signalising roundabouts, namely Approach-by-Approach Control, Metered Approach, and Full Signalisation, were explored for analysis and comparison of their effects on roundabout in Kumasi as a case study. The aim of the study was to establish the model option that best addresses traffic problems at the Suame Roundabout in terms of improved capacity, reduced delays and queue lengths. Field traffic volume studies for the entire roundabout’s approaches were performed. Travel time and delay studies together with queue lengths measurement for the subject approach (South East Approach) were also undertaken. Geometric data as well as data from the field study described earlier were used to calibrate a model for the existing situation. Capacity, delay, queue length and degree of saturation were observed for the signalised options and existing un-signalised. The results indicated that the Full Signalisation Model produced the best parameter results and the Approach-by-Approach Model the worst among all the models including the calibrated existing model. Full signalisation of the Suame roundabout is recommended to improve capacity and reduce vehicular delays and queue lengths. However, under budgetary constraints, the Metered Approach option may provide more consistency in operations at the roundabout as compared to the current situation where movements at peak periods are traffic-warden controlled.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Staff Performance Appraisal Process in the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service : a Case Study of the Ringway Local Vat Office

Productivity is very important in every organization. This is because it is only with high level of productivity that strategic goals can be achieved. Organizational productivity depends largely on controlling the interplay of at least three resources namely: capital, technology and human resource. The appraisal of staff of the VAT Service is an annual event which starts with target setting at the end of the year preceeding the appraisal year. The idea is that officers are expected to set target for themselves and work towards achieving the set target with the help of the supervisors in the appraisal year. The target, which should be set voluntarily by officers are sometimes forced down the throat of officers. Mid-year appraisals are not done by supervisors. The general objective of the study was to conduct a study on the performance appraisal process at the VAT Service (Ringway Local VAT Office). It was also to determine the value appraisers and appraisees attach to performance appraisal and verify whether the current mode of performance appraisal motivates staff to improve upon their performance and the level of objectivity of Supervisors in appraising Subordinates In undertaking this research, primary data (questionnaires and interviews) and secondary data were used. The study revealed that in taking key decisions about officers in the service, performance appraisal was taken into consideration, and that every officer got the chance to be appraised. It is recommended that supervisors should set targets in consultation with officers and that they should be done at the beginning of the appraisal year. Feedback should always be given to the subordinates.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the efficacy of three insecticides against pests of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var cap it ata)

An experiment to evaluate field and laboratory efficacy of Kombat (Pyrethroid), Rimon (Benzoylphenyl urea) and Dipel OF (Biological) against cabbage pests was carried out at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and technology, Kumasi. A field survey was undertaken in the Kumasi Metropolis to locate cabbage farmers and ascertain some views on their production practices. The field layout was a 3x3 factorial arranged in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). The first factor was the three insecticides namely: Rimon, Dipel DF and Kombat. The concentrations of 0, 2 and 5rn1/l for Kombat and Rirnon and 0,2, and 5g/l for Dipel DF served as the second factor. These gave nine treatment combinations which were replicated three times. The treatments were applied fortnightly using three hand atomiser sprayers, one for each insecticide. Cultural practices were carried out as and when appropriate. In the laboratory experiment, 30 larvae of Plutella xylostella were exposed to filter papers impregnated with 100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% of the active ingredients for the three insecticides. Water was used as a control in the experiment. Data were collected on all relevant parameters. Results from the field survey showed that chemical insecticides appear to be the most important agents for controlling pests of cabbage. 1-lowever, the insecticides are applied at irregular intervals and dosages are usually higher than the recommended rates. The use and choice of insecticides depend largely on the retail chemical sellers who help farmers in the selection of the insecticides and mixing of insecticides for spraying. Results from the field experiment showed no statistical differences in plant height, canopy spread, number of leaves, total marketable weight and number of multiple heads for all the treatments. However, total marketable weight increased with increasing concentration of insecticides and decreased the number of cabbage plants with multiple heads. The extent of head damage by leaf perforations was statistically different among insecticide and dosage treatments. Rimon recorded the lowest percentage head damage compared to Dipel DF and Kombat. Applying 2ml and 5m1 per litre of the insecticides did not result in significant difference in head damage of cabbage but each of the dosages was more effective in reducing head damage compared to the control plants. The number of diamondback moth and spiders was statistically different among dosage and insecticide treatments. Rimon recorded the lowest number of diamondback moths. Applying 2 and 5m1 was effective in reducing the number of diamondback moths compared to the control plants. Kombat was found to reduce the number of spiders compared to Rirnon and Dipel DF. The laboratory experiment indicated that Kombat was highly toxic to Plutella xiuvtella compared to Rimon and Dipel DF.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the Final Senior Secondary School Visual Art Project/Practical Works: A Case Study of Some Schools in Ashanti Region

Title: Evaluation of the Senior Secondary School Final Visual Art Practical Examination Name: Antwi-Boadi Emmanuel; Ba (Art); Pg. Dip (Art Education) Supervisor: Dr. E. C. Nyarkoh; Ba (Art); Mfa; Ph.D. This thesis aims at evaluating the Final Visual Art Practical examination conducted by the West African Examinations Council, the statutory examining body of the Ghana Educational system. The Visual arts programme in the Senior Secondary School has been critically examined and the conduct and administration of the examination have been studied and analysed and suggestions have been made to improve the quality of works produced by the students. Reports have shown that the final year Senior Secondary School (SSS) Visual art practical examination does not adequately assess the knowledge and skills embodied in the visual art curriculum. It is also alleged that the quality of some project works that students present for the examinations do not reflect the standard of attainment expected at that level. There have been instances where the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the examining body has queried some heads and teachers of certain schools whether the works were produced by the students themselves. The thesis therefore critically examines on the conduct, administration and assessment of practical works in Visual art and to suggest ways of improving the quality of works produced by students. The objectives are as follows 1. To study critically the Senior Secondary School Visual art programme 2. To examine the administration and conduct of the practical examination in visual art. 3. To assess the quality of work done by students in selected schools in Ashanti region. 4. To make recommendations/ proposals for improving the Visual Arts Programme in the Senior Secondary Schools. The researcher used the Historical and Descriptive Research Methods. The Descriptive includes the survey and the analytical research. The research tools will include interviews and design and administration of questionnaire. The population includes random sampled schools stores, studio attendants and teachers. The lapses in the teaching and the conduct and administration of the examination were analysed. Finally, proposals, suggestions and recommendations are made for improving the quality of the Visual Arts Practical works and the conduct and administration of the examination to bring about improved results.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Wolbachia Intervention on Dengue Burden in a Population: A Mathematical Insight

This paper discusses the development and analysis of a nonlinear mathematical model to describe the transmission dynamics and control of dengue disease within the interacting human and mosquito populations. The model, governed by a twelve-dimensional system of ordinary differential equations, captures the subpopulation of symptomatic infected humans with severe dengue symptoms and Wolbachia-infected mosquito population. The dengue-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable with respect to the key dengue threshold, 𝑅0. Numerical simulations assess Wolbachia coverage and the fraction of symptomatic infectious humans that develop severe symptoms. The impact of various Wolbachia coverage levels on disease spread is quantified through efficiency analysis.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the efficacy of three Organic Extracts in controlling storage rot in Sweet Potato

In the tropical regions the fresh tuber of sweet potato is generally considered to be difficult to store due to unfavourable climatic conditions. In this study the efficacy of three organic extract in controlling storage rots in three varieties of sweet potato was evaluated The work was done in laboratory and in the field to find out post harvest factors which contribute to sweet potato tuber loss in the study area Treatments used in the study included three sweet potato varieties (Ogyefo, Tek and Monami) and three plant extracts (neem seeds, onion bulb and ginger rhizome) plus a control(water). Data collected included weight loss, TSS, TTA, tuber firmness, moisture content (MC), dry matter content (DMC), sprouting index, weevil damage, decay and storability. Data collected were analyzed using Statistix 9 statistical software. Tukey HSD test at 5% was used for the mean differences. Ogyefo (control) had significantly the highest weight loss of 38.88% Neem treated Tek tubers (12.0N). were significantly the most firm. Ginger treated Tek recorded MC of 66.03% which was significantly higher than those to which treatment was applied. Neem treated Tek recorded DMC of 46.53% which was significantly the highest. Onion treated Tek recorded TTA of 6.07 which was significantly higher than those to which treatment were applied, onion treated Tek recorded TSS of 11.07 oBrix which was significantly higher than those to which treatment was applied. Neem seed extract treated Ogyefo tubers had highest sprouting (6.75%)., Ogyefo sweet potato variety treated with onion extract was least susceptible to weevil damage (1.00%). Ogyefo varieties were less susceptible to decay (1.6). Tubers treated with neem (1.8) .Across varieties, onion treated tubers (2.1) were less susceptible to decay. For storability of the varieties, Ogyefo had a storage life of 59 days, neem treated tubers had storage life of 59 days. The following fungi; Aspergillus flavus, and Rhizopus stolonifer were isolated from rotted tissues and found to be pathogenic to sweet potato tubers. The water extracts of these plants suppressed fungal growth in culture The highest percentage inhibition of 62.5% was obtained with the use of neem seed extract on Rhizopus stolonifer while ginger extract caused 42.7% inhibition of Aspergillus flavus. Rot development caused by Aspergillus flavus was reduced by 35.34% with the use of onion extract. Considering matrices of performance parameters it can be concluded that neem seed extract is the most efficacious of the three plant extracts. The effect of plant extract on the sensory attribute of the sweet potato tubers must be investigated.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the effects of the chemical composition of wood as substrate on the yield and quality of mushrooms

The sawdust of three Ghanaian wood species namely “Wawa”, Ceiba and “Ofram” were collected. They were analyzed for moisture content, cellulose, herniceilulose, lignin, total extractives, nitrogen content, hydrogen ion concentration, minerals and heavy metals. Compost was prepared from the wood species and mushroom cultivated on them. The quality of the mi corns produced was found by determining the nutritional value and the minerals and heavy metals content. The yield was calculated by expressing the amount of mushroom produced per 100 g of dried wood substrate as percentage. The moisture content was found to be 10.44% for Wawa, 14.54% for Ofram and 7.60% for the Ceiba. For the major constituents of wood namely, lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose, it was found that Wawa had 46.76% cellulose, 15.69% hemicellulose and 27.55% lignin. Ofram had 46.64% cellulose, 16.29% hemicellulose and 31.17% lignin. Ceiba showed 44.78% cellulose, 15.32% hemicellulose and 34.08% lignin. Compost was made from each of the wood species and used for the mushroom production. Wawa bad the highest total mushroom yield (63.59%), followed by Ofram (53:70%) and Ceiba (34.88%). The mushrooms produced were analyzed for carbohydrate protein content, fiber content fat content, mineral and heavy metals content. The mushrooms produced on the ‘Wawa wood had 18.20% protein, 1.72% fat and 82.53% carbohydrate. Ofram had 1633% protein, 1.67% fat and 40.86% carbohydrate. Ceiba had 17.07% protein, 2.07% fat and 48.44% carbohydrate. Heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, manganese and zinc, were in the mushrooms, wood samples and the spent substrate bit their concentrations were found to be below the tolerable limits given ‘by’ the WHO/FAO joint committees. The cellulose, hemicellulose and the lignin contents were found to be lower in the spent substrates than in the wood samples. This means these substances were degraded in the process of the mushroom cultivation.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the financial performance of Ghana Breweries Limited after merger and enlistment on the Ghana Stock Exchange

Vibrant financial performance is of grave concern to almost every organization for planning, controlling and organizing its activities. The hitherto separate corporate organizations ABC and KBL merged to form GBL in 1998. The merger was to eliminate the unnecessary duplication of activities, improve profitabi1ity, enhance market share and reduce cost of operations. the brewery industry in Ghana especially the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is a very dynamic one. It has attracted intense competition both locally and internationally. This study aim at assessing the profitability level of GBL, its solvency and liquidity position, the effectiveness and efficiency of the use of owners and creditors fund and the appropriateness of mix of debt and owner’s equity in financing its operations. Despite the severe attack from cheaper brands of its products and the unfavorable economic environment that followed the merger, the company’s performance over the period under study has been satisfactory. The company’s main products, Star Beer, Guilder, ABC Golden Lager Beer, Amstel Malta, Afri Cola and Bluna performed well in the competitive enviromnent during 1998 and 1999. Turnover grew by 18.32% over the period while sales volume was 4% as against the industry’s average of 7.5%. Net turnover amounted to 0109 billion in 2001, representing an increase of 23% compare to that of 2000. It was ¢136 billion in 2002, an increase of 24% over that of 2001. It however, increased to ¢192 billion in 2003. In spite of the increase in net turnover, operating profit (before foreign exchange losses) declined from ¢6.97 billion in 2000 to ¢2.94 billion in 2001. It improved significantly to ¢6.3 billion in 2002. Cash flow of the company improved as a result of the €5 million deposit against shares paid by Heineken B.V., the parent company in December 2002, the conversion of ¢10.7 billion zero coupon convertible bond into ordinary share in March 1998, write-off of the deficit on the income surplus account (¢40.6 billion) arid conversion of part of the outstanding balance of SSNIT preference shares into ordinary shares. The share price of GBL has not been impressive. It experienced active trading in the stock market with price appreciation of 112% in 1998 from ¢996 to ¢2050 in 1999. This however decreased by ¢600 to ¢1450 by the end of 1999. In 2000, the share price dipped by 7% to ¢1350. It decreased further by 26% to ¢1000 by the end of 2001 and was ¢500 by the end of 2002. However, it gained 4% increase to ¢520 by March 2003. The huge investment made which are aimed at upgrading the efficiency of the company’s operations, distribution and marketing systems, together with improvement in the skills and capabilities of the staff would give the company the capacity to weather the economic storms and capitalize on opportunities in the market for a break through in the brewery industry in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
An evaluation of the financial position of Accra Brewery Limited

The study is designed to evaluate the financial position and the profitability position of ACCRA BREWERY LIMITED a public traded company listed on Ghana Stock Exchange over seven years period from 2000 to 2006. It assesses ABL’s risk of bankruptcy using bankruptcy prediction model called Altman’s Z-score. The study reveal that ABL’s risk of bankruptcy were dominantly within the “gray area” (that is between: 1.8-3.0) over the entire seven years period. The situation was more threaten in year 2000 and 2006.where ABL scored below the lower limit. The study again applied traditional ratios analysis in appraising the financial performance of ABL focusing on the assessment of its liquidity, solvency and finally its profitability. Based on the ratios analysis the study reveal trends of ABL’s key financial ratios and the results showed both an impressive and unimpressive performance: The company liquidity in totality was not satisfactory enough to guarantee total safety to its creditors. It experience downward trend for the entire reviewed period except year 2004. The study further revealed that the company depended more on debt relative to owner’s funds, thus, experiencing relatively higher debt ratios. Not withstanding that has shown good interest coverage until the year 2006 that recorded a threaten result. The flow of the study considers various theories and models and eventually selecting the applicable methodology and defining key variables used in the studies. It prepared relevant data and discussed the results. It finally summarized the entire studies and concludes with recommendations.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the Ghana Oil Palm Development Corporation

The need to diversify the economy of Ghana from its mono-cultural dependence on cocoa has resulted in the introduction of non-traditional crops like oil palm. Investments in the oil palm crop have been large and they have usually involved the establishment of large scale agro-industrial (Plantation) projects, of which the Ghana Oil Palm Development Corporation - Phase I project is a classic example. Such investments have an impact on the community and they can be described in terms of changes in the socio-economic characteristics of the community. These impacts could be beneficial or detrimental. This study is concerned with the socio-economic evaluation of the impacts associated with the establishment of the Ghana Oil Palm Development Corporation - Phase I project - at Kwae. The study revealed that the environmental setting into which the project was given inception was favourable. Its development has involved huge capital investments in the establishment of a nucleus estate, palm oil processing mill, and out grower and smallholder schemes. The discounted measures of Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return (Benefit Cost Analysis) were found to be convenient for evaluating the direct impacts of the project. The project was found to be economically and financially attractive, and that it contributed positively to the national income and economic growth, “as well as making a favourable return to the contribution of participating entities. The distribution of income among farmers participating in the project was very equal. Its contribution to agricultural, and social development, as well as the attainment of the national goals was favourable. However the alienation of cropland for the project was resented by the local community. There was the possibility of food shortage in the area. The project was found to be sensitive to declining yields, failing prices for its produce, high operating cost, and high remuneration for local labour. Recommendations were made among other things, for the efficient land use planning of the area, the extension of the oil palm plantings, through an out grower scheme, and the institution of a development fund.

Source: KNUST
Evaluation of the graphic art content of the media used in the HIV/AIDS campaign at Akatsi in the Volta Region

This thesis has set itself to the task of conducting an evaluation of the impact of the graphic art products used in the HIV/AIDS education in Ghana. The research is however a case study conducted in the Akatsi Township in the Volta Region of Ghana. It seeks to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the graphic art content of the tools in the campaign in order to recommend ways of improving them so as to make the campaign more effective. The research was limited to the Akatsi Township only so that the population would be better controlled for effective evaluation. Data collected from the research were described, analyzed and interpreted, conclusion drawn and recommendations made as possible solution to the problem.

Source: KNUST