ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Perennial Flooding in the Accra Metropolis: the Human Factor

Although many African states have implemented programmes aimed at controlling floods and other natural hazards, flooding has persisted. Much discussion had been made on the possible factors playing roles in the floods, of which some attributed it to natural causes whereas others pointed to human activities. Physical development within waterways, deposition of solid and plastic waste in drains and inappropriate drainage structure are some of the causes also mentioned. The brunt of the floods is felt at the household and community levels, not sparing commercial entities. The research therefore sought to identify the factors responsible for flooding in the Accra Metropolis and determine whether the floods can be attributed to the prevailing land uses and activities. The survey revealed that households that had encroached into the floodplain were coping with their predicament by constructing ramps and other barriers to prevent flood waters from entering. Other houses had constructed internal drains to quickly discharge run-off in a bid to reduce flooding. Principal among the causes identified to be responsible for the perennial floods is human habitation within floodplains coupled with their negative human activities in the form of direct dumping of refuse into drains. Institutional lapses and inactions were contributory causes as that would have prevented habitation of the floodplain as well as effectively managed the growth of the settlements. Also as a result of poor primary drainage management, sedimentation of the channelled drain is taking place and may soon reverse the gains. After an analysis of the situation it was recommended that long and short term actions be taken to reduce the incidence of flooding, which include reclamation of drainage reservations, review of building legislations, institutional strengthening and realignment, and channelling of the eastern tributary of the Odaw River as well as drainage maintenance and management activities by the relevant decentralised departments and agencies. At the household level, runoff can be reduced by encouraging rainwater harvesting To brace the metropolis up to absorb the shocks of natural disasters and respond appropriately, disaster planning was proposed to be incorporated into mainstream planning for cities.

Source: KNUST
The percetions of likely socio-economic impact of Anglogold Ashanti Ltd’s (Aga) Mine closure on the Obuasi Municipality

Mining has a long and important history in Ghana, and gold in particular has played a key role in the country’s development. Mining and minerals has been a major source of economic growth and especially in towns and communities directly affected by mining operations. The Obuasi Municipality is rich with gold resources which have been mined commercially since 1897. In 2014, AGA Ltd restructured and downsized the Obuasi Mines to 39% of the original concession area of 475km2 and it resulted in more than 3500 workers being laid off. In this study, Case Study and Triangulation approach were adopted to investigate community perceptions of the likely socio-economic impacts in the eventual closure of the AGA Ltd mining operations in the Obuasi Municipality. Using questionnaires, data was elicited from 105 respondents in 11 communities while qualitative data was obtained through In-depth Interviews, Focus Group Discussions and Key Informants from 6 purposively selected communities in the Obuasi Municipality. The study results revealed that 90% of the respondents perceived adverse impacts of mine closure on the Municipality and in particularly, 88% agreed that the closure of the mine would worsen the poverty situation in mining communities. The findings of the study revealed lack of diversification of the local economy of the Obuasi Municipality due to over dependency on mining. The study therefore concluded that there has not been deliberate policy interventions in providing alternative economic opportunities that could sustain the Municipality in the event of mine closure. This study recommended that timely measures are designed to provide sustainable and alternative economic opportunities through diversification of the local economy of Obuasi. Additionally, Integrated Mine Closure Planning should be adopted and implemented through stakeholder engagement as a mitigation strategy towards solving problems associated with mine closures in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Perceptions about mental disorders and help seeking behaviour of Akwatia residents, Ghana.

One in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives and one in every four families have at least one member suffering from a mental or behavioural disorder. Mental disorders have an enormous burden on economies, families and individuals. Despite the prevalence and burden of mental disorders, many people suffering from these disorders do not receive professional treatment. In Ghana the treatment gap is 98%. This study is a cross sectional survey which seeks to assess the perceptions of non-carers and carers of the mentally ill in Akwatia about mental disorders as well as the perceptions of general practitioners about mental healthcare in the two main hospitals in Akwatia. A total of 351 non-carers, 75 carers and 14 general practitioners working in the two hospitals in the town responded to the survey. Information was obtained from both carers and non-carers through questionnaires. General practitioners provided information through self-administered questionnaires. Respondents generally believed that mental disorders referred to an abnormal change in the behaviour of an individual. They had knowledge about attention drawing signs of mental disorders. A small percentage of respondents had some misconceptions about mental disorders. The most common perceived cause of mental disorders was abuse of substances this was followed by spiritual causes. Both carers and non-carers frequently stated smoking of narcotics as a risk factor for the development of mental disorders. This was expressed as 26.7% and 30.9% of all responses for risk factors by carers and non-carers respectively. Carers of the mentally ill sought help for the mentally ill due to one or more of the following reasons: when symptoms were difficult to handle; when their livelihoods had been negatively affected; fear of disgrace and fear of the person becoming a liability. Sixty percent (60%) of non-carers generally said they would prefer to seek help from the hospital should they become mentally ill. Carers of the mentally ill, sought help from other sources for their mentally ill relatives. 40.1% of carers sought help from prayer camps. About two thirds of respondents do not think that mental illness is a major health problem in Akwatia. Results show that people living in Akwatia need to be educated about mental disorders to address limitations and misconceptions in their knowledge about disorders and also to improve on help seeking behaviour. General practitioners also need to enhance their mental healthcare knowledge.

Source: KNUST
Performance analysis of a 2.5 mw grid connected Solar photovoltaic power plant in Navrongo Ghana

Solar PV system is fast becoming a major source of electricity generation globally. Ghana has target of 10% renewable energy penetration in the power sector by 2020. The 2.5 MW Solar Photovoltaic (PV) plant installed by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in Navrongo is Ghana’s premier utility scale grid-connected solar PV plant. It was installed in the year 2013 to generate 3.7 GWh of energy to the grid annually. This study presents the output performance of the 2.5 MWp grid connected solar PV system as affected by temperature and dust accumulation. A complete year data recorded at the weather station which consists of hourly logged information for all days of the year 2015 was obtained. Simulated results for the expected electricity generation based on the measured solar irradiation and temperature data obtained from the weather station at the site were computed using PVsyst and RETScreen Softwares. The annual average final yield was compared with simulated results from PVSyst and RETScreen softwares. From the study, the annual electricity generated in 2015 was 3.32 GWh, however total electricity delivered to the grid was 3.21 GWh indicating a loss of about 3%. The electricity losses as a result of the effect of temperature on the performance of the solar PV plant were determined to be 13%. The study revealed that annual performance ratio of the system was about 60.6%, average annual capacity factor was 15.1% and the system efficiency was 9.22%. From the analysis, about 59% of the expected annual electricity generation was supplied to the grid, while 41% of energy was lost along the energy generation line. To improve the electricity generation from the 2.5 MW grid-tied PV solar power plant, frequent cleaning of the dust, regular sprinkling of water to cool the modules, regular monitoring and maintenance of the system will contribute to enhance system performance and efficiency.

Source: KNUST
Performance analysis of electrode materials (biochar and petroleum coke) in microbial fuel cells using industrial wastewater

Increasing global energy demand coupled with the problem of global warming have necessitated the need for alternatives to fossil fuels. One possible alternative is the use of Microbial Fuel Cells. Microbial Fuel Cells have the potential to provide decentralized power generation and wastewater treatment systems which is especially needed in many rural households and schools. This study investigated the performance of biochar from palm kernel shells and petroleum coke as electrode materials in microbial fuel cells running on brewery and abattoir wastewater. This study sought to examine the power generation and wastewater treatment potential of the selected electrode materials when used as microbial fuel cell. When carbon paper was run on brewery wastewater and abattoir wastewater the maximum power densities achieved were 1.40 ± 0.34 Wm-3 and 1.35 ± 0.02 Wm-3 respectively. Biochar achieved power densities of 0.78 ± 0.045 Wm-3 and 0.54 ± 0.01 Wm-3 in brewery wastewater and abattoir wastewater respectively. When abattoir wastewater was used carbon paper removed 39.65 ± 14.30 % of chemical oxygen demand content and that of biochar was 21.92 ± 7.13 %. When brewery wastewater was used biochar had the higher percentage of 59.19 ± 20.67% and carbon paper removed 36.41 ± 2.54 % of chemical oxygen demand content. Petroleum coke granules proved to be unsuitable electrode materials to be used in microbial fuel cells. Petroleum coke granules failed inoculation and also failed to acclimate when both wastewaters were used. The maximum power density achieved during the entire study when using petroleum coke was 0.01 Wm-3. Biochar achieved up to 55% of the power density achieved by carbon paper. However, lower material expenses made their power output cost cheaper than that of carbon paper making it a suitable replacement for the more extensively used carbon paper.

Source: KNUST
Performance analysis of electrode materials (activated carbon and carbon butts) in microbial fuel cells using domestic wastewater

The study investigated the performance of activated carbon from palm kernel shells and carbon butts as electrode materials in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with faecal sludge and grey water as inoculum sources. It particularly sought to examine the power generation and wastewater treatment potential of the selected electrode materials when applied in the MFC technology. The motivation for this work is as a result of the growing demand for decentralized power generation and wastewater treatment systems especially for rural household and schools. The study was conducted through the examination of performance data from MFCs operating with the selected electrode materials and inoculum through the application of electrical, electrochemical and biochemical techniques. The study established that faecal sludge and grey water formed efficient biofilms containing electrogenic bacteria such as Geobacter sp. which initiates substrate oxidation for the release of electrons to the electrode material. It further established that activated carbon from palm kernel shells can be efficiently applied in MFCs since it generated power densities of up to 1.74W/m3 which is comparable to the carbon paper (standard) by up to 86%. Carbon butts were inefficient in MFCs generating negligible power densities of up to 0.001W/m3. Also organic substrate removal efficiencies of up to 72% were achieved by MFCs operating with the activated carbon.

Source: KNUST
Perceptions of higher education students on electronic books usage

It is indicated that greater proportion of Ghana ian population use electronic devices such as desktop/laptop computers and smart (mobile) phones. It is also emphasised that majority of Ghanaian students have access to the internet for various social media activities such whatsapp and facebook. As such this study was conducted to examine how students from the University would appreciate and adopt reading books in electronic form. The study also sought to identify and examine the challenges in the adoption of books in electronic format. The population of the study was tertiary students from the Kwame Nkrumah University o f Science and Technology in Kumasi. The multistage and proportionate stratified random sampling techniques were used to obtain a sample size of 120 students for the study chosen from the six colleges of the university. This may not give the true representation of the sample size since the total student population of the various colleges were not used but rather, the total number of departments in each of the colleges. Questionnaires were the main data collection tool. The data collected were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and the Microsoft Excel software were used to convert data collected into simple percentages. It was found that students perceive electronic books play an important role in teaching and learning. Reading books in electronic form have assisted students to complete assignments on time in the University. It has also reduced spending on teaching and learning materials, improved access to information and encouraged reading and learning. These were influenced by the number of visits to the internet by the students and the use of their electronic devices. However, students faced problems such as power fluctuations and instability of the internet in the adaptation of electronic books

Source: KNUST
Performance appraisal and employee’ performance: A case of the Standard Chartered Bank, Upcountry Region.

The study sought to ascertain the effect of performance appraisal systems on employee performance at Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana. The study was quantitative in nature and adopted descriptive research approach. The population for the study consisted of all the staff of the Bank’s branches in Upcountry Region. Using purposive and convenience sampling technique, 82 staff were drawn for the study. Frequencies, percentages, mean, standard deviation, and Cronbach’s alpha were used for the data analysis. The study concluded that, performance appraisal significantly influenced employee work performance. It made staff set appropriate priorities for tasks; boost their morale to work; take appropriate action on problems as necessary; usually arrive to work on time; demonstrates appropriate interactions with the customers; use time effectively; consult with supervisors and co-workers as necessary; collaborate effectively with other department members as necessary; usually meet work deadlines; and work effectively with or without supervision. Employees had a very favourable perception on the fairness on performance appraisal practices in the bank. The bank used two performance appraisal techniques, namely, Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale and Graphic Rating Scales. It was recommended that raters in the organizations must treat staff with respect and dignity, and must show concern for the rights of the employees. To make the performance appraisal system also seen as fair, the bank must make flexible, the channels for appeal. They must not be made to go through long bureaucratic procedures, which sometimes demotivates them from pursuing an appeal. It is further recommended that, during performance appraisal process, the performance planning and review process makes sure that employees’ performance expectations measure their specific job role, not just to elicit general information.

Source: KNUST
Performance appraisal as a tool for motivating non-academic staff of Tamale Polytechnic

This study was designed to ascertain how performance appraisal could be a source of motivation for higher productivity gains in Tamale Polytechnic. The study was conducted into the performance appraisal practices of Tamale Polytechnic, the case study organisation. This sought to find out what methods of performance appraisal the Polytechnic used and the benefits that employees derived from performance appraisal. The research was also conducted to identify the problems in the current appraisal system and how these could be solved to motivate the employees to put in their best performances. A sample size of 70% was adopted. One hundred (100) questionnaires were administered with a retrieval rate of 68%. All categories of employee groups were fairly represented. Data were analyzed using SPSS and presented in charts and figures for easy understanding. The researcher identified shortfalls in the current appraisal system of the Polytechnic and recommended that they are resolved to increase efficiency and productivity.The research found that performance appraisal was partly practiced in Tamale Polytechnic. Though performance appraisal was found to be practiced in the Polytechnic, it was not implemented in totality. The research found further that it was only when staff were going to be promoted that performance appraisalwas carried out. Also, the study revealed that significantly 22% of employees did not have knowledge of the existence of performance appraisal in the Polytechnic. This was a worrying revelation which should be addressed by the Polytechnic. It was therefore recommended that the HRM of Tamale Polytechnic should organise a sensitisation programme to educate all staff on the performance appraisal system in the Polytechnic and its impact on the productivity of the Polytechnic.

Source: KNUST
Performance Appraisal as a tool for improving productivity of staff of Ghana Education Service: A case study of selected public Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis

Performance appraisal is said to include all formal, systematic assessment of how well employee are performing their jobs in relation to established standards and the communication of that assessment to employees. It is also viewed as any procedure that involves setting work standards, assessing the employees’ actual performance relative to those standards, and providing feedback to employees with the aim of motivating him/her to eliminate performance deficiencies or to continue to perform above par. It needs to be conducted with all fairness, seriousness and regularity due to several benefits it accrues to organization, such as identification of employees strength and weakness and improvement of quality work life style by increased understanding of managers and their staff. Thus performance appraisals have become a powerful tool for increasing motivation, improved work practices and productivity, if conducted in a constructive, open and supportive manner in any organization or institution. However, it is not conducted properly and regularly in GES and this has led to slow progress as well as low productivity of GES staff. It is in the light of these circumstances that the study was undertaken with the main objective of ascertaining the extent to which performance appraisal can be used as a tool to improve productivity of teaching staff of some selected Senior High Schools in Kumasi Metropolis. Questionnaires were the instrument used to collect data and Microsoft Excel software was used for analysis and presentations were made accordingly. The study revealed that GES system of appraisal has positive correlation with productivity or output of teachers yet there were not enough resources available for an effective performance appraisal system. It was also detected that appraisals were fraught with favouritism and suffer from poor supervision to some extent in spite of management’s high commitment. Recommendations made by the researcher to GES and selected senior high schools include, provision of requisite resources to ensure effective and increased productivity through effective performance appraisal system, objective assessment of performance to reduce favouritism, timely and constructive communication of feedback, and documentation of the performance appraisal process to serve as the basis for refresher courses.

Source: KNUST
Performance appraisal as a tool for organizational productivity and growth at Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (Gpha) – Port of Tema.

Performance appraisal is a process of assessing or evaluating the performance of employees on their job in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses so as to improve upon their performance. The Ports and Harbour industry all over the world aim at efficiency. As a result, performance appraisal plays an important role in determing the performance of staffs at Ports and Harbours thereby contributing to the efficiency of Ports and Harbour. The study was intended to assess how management uses performance appraisal as a tool in Tema Port and its contribution to its productivity and growth. The objective of the study were; first, to find out the design and implementation of performance appraisal at Tema Port. Second, to find out the importance of performance appraisal at Tema Port. Third, to identify problems or challenges encountered when conducting performance appraisal and fourth, to find out whether performance appraisal contributes to the productivity and growth of Tema Port. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used to gather information for the study. Questionnaires were administered to employees at Tema Port and interviews were also conducted to seek information for the study. Result from the study revealed that only the human resource department was responsible for the design and implementation of performance appraisal. Again, it was revealed that the time feedback were given to appraises were not consistent. Furthermore, the performance appraisal was characterized by biases and impartiality during the appraisal process leading unacceptable ratings scores. It was recommended that the Human Resource Department as Tema Port should involve other stakeholders such as appraisers and appraises during the design of appraisal and its implementation. This will make both appraisers and appraises have vested interest in the appraisal programme therefore attach all the seriousness it deserves. This will also go along way to reduce the incidence of biases and impartiality since appraises are well educated on the programme. Feedback should also be given to all appraises at a specified period and in a conducive atmosphere. All supervisors should have a formal training on how to appraise. Finally, the Human Resource Department of iv Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority should endeavour to have a yearly appraisal report to serve as an official document for performance appraisal.

Source: KNUST