ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Valuation of human capital in the sports industry: A study of the Ghanaian football sector

The main purpose of this study is to understand the factors that are taken into account when quoting transfer fees for players as an element of human capital valuation. The study adopted an exploratory research approach by interviewing local football clubs in Ghana in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the subject. From the research, it is revealed that human capital valuation is very prominent in the football sector through the proposal of transfer fees. The goal of football clubs is to achieve significant capital gain on resale of players. It is also found that local football clubs consider a lot of factors in proposing player transfer fees. However, the main factor that affects all the others is the performance of the players. Responses gathered also indicate that clubs do not have a specific valuation model to use after considering all the factors to propose transfer fees. Transfer fees inevitably have a speculative dimension. Recommendations made for the study was based on a derived model which considered all the factors that clubs taken into account when proposing transfer fees.

Source: Ashesi
The wealth of plastic recycling: A comparison between plastic recycling companies in Accra and one in Gauteng, South Africa, for improvement purposes

Accra, the capital city of Ghana is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. This has led to the daily generation of about 2,000 tons of municipal waste. Accra faces a situation in which plastics, the second largest component of waste produced is disposed of primarily through dumping and landfills although plastics do not decompose. However, recycling which is a preferable alternative for disposing of plastics and a profitable industry accounts for about 5% of the waste disposal methods used in Accra. The objective of this paper is to describe the current state of recycling in Accra and draw lessons from a recycling company in Gauteng, South Africa, in order to improve upon the plastic recycling industry in Accra. Non – probability sampling was used to select recycling companies in Accra to partake in the study. A South African plastic recycling company was also involved in the study in order to understand at first – hand the processes involved in plastic recycling in South Africa. The findings show that the plastic recycling industry in Accra is largely unstructured. The technology available to plastic recycling companies accounts for the major difference between the output of the companies in Accra and the company in Gauteng. As such, the government of Ghana should support this sector by partnering with the companies in order to equip them with advanced technology as their activities contribute to the sanitary conditions that exist in Accra.

Source: Ashesi
What user experience considerations will go into the design of a government portal in Ghana?

Governments all over the world have identified the need to use Information Communications Technology in governance. Electronic governance or E-governance is the use of information and communication technologies in government to provide public services [1]. The use of government portals in E-governance for the dissemination of information and government services is gaining grounds. In Ghana, this practice is not new, in fact there a number of government portals in existence to meet the rising demand of Internet users in Ghana. This research focuses on the user experience considerations needed in designing a government website in Ghana. Key findings were obtained through qualitative research methods which applied questionnaires, user interviews, interviews with subject matter experts and testing of prototypes to arrive at a set of principles suitable for designing a Ghanaian government website. Findings from the synthesis of the various methodologies show a set of principles that reflect what users want on a government website as well as the current government services that should be automated to enhance the user experience of Ghanaian government website users.

Source: Ashesi
Who foots the bill for quality autism education? - An exploratory study on the role of social entrepreneurs in financing early intervention programs for children with autism in Ghana

This dissertation explores the role of social entrepreneurs in financing the educational needs of children with autism in Ghana with three goals in mind: to expose the need for financing autism education, to identify the role of social entrepreneurs in financing quality education of children with autism, and to assess the feasibility of existing financing models employed in other countries to the Ghanaian context. Review of existing literature reveals the focus on the role of the state or government in financing special education, ignoring the fact that most governments cannot adequately meet these special education needs. Also, parents of children with special needs struggle financially to educate them, leaving a funding gap in the provision of quality special education. The theoretical framework of social entrepreneurship is utilized to explore ways in which this funding gap can be filled. Interviews were conducted and the findings from the data collected indicated that financing autism education remains a challenge for parents and special institutions. The findings affirm the need to focus on social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility in meeting the financing needs of children with autism. Suggestions for further research centre on exploring ways in which corporate organizations can create social change through intentional and meaningful corporate social responsibility undertakings.

Source: Ashesi
Will the free Senior High School policy reduce poverty in Ghana?

Several government policies have been implemented in the quest to enhancing educational access in Ghana. A recent one is the free SHS system that was introduced in 2017. The goal of the free SHS system is to reduce poverty by eliminating household need to pay fees for senior high education, especially for the poor who it had been shown are not accessing education because of the costs. This paper investigated whether the free SHS system will reduce poverty in Ghana. Using 2017 cross-sectional data from GLSS round seven, the study employed a quantitative approach through descriptive analysis and simulations in achieving the aims of the research. The descriptive analysis revealed that there still exists a bias between poor and the non-poor, rural and urban areas as well as deprived and least-deprived regions in Ghana with regards to their consumption of secondary education. The simulated effect of the free SHS policy was a 2.56% and 0.76% decrease in poverty headcount rate for urban and rural households respectively. The total poverty rate also decreased by 0.86% from 23.4% to 23.2%. The fall in poverty levels implies that the increase in consumption on secondary education (because of the subsidy) lowered poverty rates as more people can afford education. Despite the decrease in poverty rates, the issue of targeting government subsidies remains a problem. There still exists some disparity as poor and rural households receive the least amount of the government subsidy.

Source: Ashesi
The willingness of cocoa farmers to insure their farms against production risks – The case [of the] Upper West Akim District of the Eastern Region Of Ghana

Cocoa production contributes largely to Ghana’s export earnings. Cocoa farmers in Ghana face both price risks and production risks. Ghana’s cocoa sector faces negligible price risk because the government pays a fixed producer price. However the cocoa sector is faced with different forms of production risks due to pest and disease, climate change, variations in weather patterns and outbreak of bush fires among others. Cocoa farmers in the Atiwa District, known to be one of the major cocoa producing districts in Ghana face these uncertain production risks that cause crop failures leading to low production yields. Therefore, one strategy to mitigate such risks is to insure their cocoa farms against uncertain risks to hedge against crop loss. Insurance helps to measure risk and protect farmers against crop failures. This study evaluated the major production risks faced by cocoa farmers in Ghana, the extent of the awareness of cocoa farmers in general insurance products, identified the factors that influence the willingness of cocoa farmers to insure their farms and identify the average price cocoa farmers are willing to pay to insure their farms. A random sampling approach was used to sample 133 cocoa farmers in the Upper West Akim District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A Contingent Valuation Model is used to infer the utility maximization levels and design an appropriate questionnaire to measure the willingness of farmers to adopt crop insurance. Using a probit and logistic model, age and other income sources of cocoa farmers were found to influence the willingness of farmers to adopt crop insurance.

Source: Ashesi
Working capital management in trading and manufacturing firms in Accra and its effect on liquidity and profitability - a focus on inventory and trade receivables

Even though, the SME sector plays a major role in the development of the Ghanaian economy, yet they are faced with huge challenges including inadequate financing and poor working capital management. Working capital management is expected to enhance the profitability and liquidity of enterprises. The aim of this study is to explore the working capital management practices of SMEs using inventory and trade credit as factors. The study was qualitative (descriptive) using structured questionnaires and interviews to gather data from thirty (30) participants, and also quantitative, using accounting ratios as a measure of liquidity and profitability. The five C's were used as a standard practice for trade receivables management. Formal record keeping on inventory, stock take, the use of cash and sales budgets, the application of inventory management tools and order cycle delivery time were discussed as practices for managing inventory. Dependent variables; gross profit ratio, operating profit margin and return on total assets were used as measures of profitability, whiles current ratio, quick/acid test ratio, cash ratio and net working capital were used as measures for liquidity for a three year period. The findings showed that SMEs make a good attempt at managing working capital well through the adoption of effective inventory and trade receivables management practices. The firms selected show signs of stable profitability and adequate liquidity. The firms exhibited a high recovery on debt and also recorded high levels of inventory which increased their current assets relative to current liabilities.

Source: Ashesi
Workplace bullying and its impact on productivity

Workplace bullying has been identified as a major occupational and social problem that has been in existence for ages. It is considered damaging, continual and long lasting where one party exerts some negative influence and supremacy over the other party. This study examined the impact on workplace bullying on employee productivity which eventually affects the productivity of a firm. Specifically, this study addresses the impact that it has on a target‟s ability to perform through exploring bullying from the viewpoint of both targets and witnesses. The study attempts to answer one key question. “Does workplace bullying have an effect on productivity?” Focusing on bullying in 7 Multinational Companies in Ghana, 29 targets and 21 witnesses to bullying formed the sample with the aid of self-administered questionnaires. Findings suggest that bullying does affect a target‟s productivity and ultimately an organisation‟s productivity as was noted by most of the respondents (86%). Moreover, most respondents reported that they were least productive (52%) due to bullying at work. Also, findings indicate that as a result of bullying in the organisation, duties and responsibilities are not performed to maximum potential, hence leading to a loss in productivity. The study does not only establish these facts but provide in-depth knowledge, useful efforts to identify, prevent, reduce and combat workplace bullying in order to prevent loss in productivity.

Source: Ashesi
"Catch the bus": Facilitating transportation to and from the Ashesi campus in Berekuso

This report presents a transit information system which provides information on the Web, via SMS and to Android based mobiles. The system relies on a web hosting service as a backbone, and it aims to facilitate transportation in all locations in which this transit information system is being used by making transit information available to commuters. This system was developed and tested with a network of privately owned vehicles in Ashesi University College in Ghana. A custom designed GPS application which logs its GPS coordinates to a web hosted service was developed for an Android based phone and placed on a vehicle. Users can query information from this web hosted service by installing an application on their Android-based phone, via SMS with any non-GPS enabled cell phone or via the web. Details on Requirements Gathering, System Design, Implementation, Testing and an outline of future work are reported. This system uses the available technology at disposal to provide a solution to the persistent lack of transit information in developing countries.

Source: Ashesi
A Brand Strategy & Communication Plan for Theovision International to Raise Funds Through Rebranding & Repositioning of the Organisation

Theovision International is a faith-based not-for-profit whose mission is to use cutting-edge oral techniques to spread God’s word and love in indigenous languages throughout Africa and beyond. The problem the consulting team presented with was that Theovision struggled to manage and engage its donors. However, an internal and external analysis and a comprehensive needs assessment revealed that Theovision, although it had existed for over 32 years, had low brand awareness and low visibility. This project aims to provide Theovision with a strategy that would allow it to increase the number of donors and turn its one-time donors into recurring ones. After extensive research, a three-step strategy was proposed to solve the challenges faced. The three step strategy included fundraising through partnerships with local churches and corporate institutions, a brand strategy that allows it to target a wider audience and a social media strategy.

Source: Ashesi
A cash and token paid entertainment content streaming site

People that cannot afford subscription to paid and ad-free media hosting sites always have to deal with random and un-seamless popping up of ads as they browse, while viewing content on free media hosting sites, and mostly, these free media hosting sites lack current content such as recently released movies or songs. The solution proposed in this paper is a cash and token paid entertainment content streaming site with undisruptive ad hosting. In this site, users can access up to date content (songs, movies, comedy clips, and TV Shows), all they need to do is pay for the content in tokens, and they obtain the tokens by either converting their cash into tokens, or by watching ads hosted on a specified page within the site (Users can make a choice to visit this ads page or not, and hence do not incur random popping up of ads while browsing). The aim of the solution is to accommodate users that cannot afford money-paid media hosting sites but desire to watch up to date content with minimum or no disruption from ads, and it achieves so by creating a fair playing field between ad-owners and content viewers by sharing some of the revenue generated from hosting ads with the ad-viewers.

Source: Ashesi
A centralized repository to enhance customer service using data mining and machine learning

In the quest to reduce customer churn rate and retain existing customers, organizations have resorted to investing fortunes in their customer care services, which proves to be a relatively cheaper means of staying in business. In this regard, this project sought to explore a less costly way of providing quality customer care services to an organization’s clients in order to keep them satisfied. As it stands today, there is a growing number of digital customer care owing to the fact more clients have increased their online interactions. Organizations with customer satisfaction as priority have invested in these e-care services to better serve their customers. The gap identified however is the lack of a centralized repository to store and track all concerns raised by customers. To bridge this gap, a prototype of a trouble ticketing system was developed to allow clients to issue trouble tickets whenever faced with a difficulty. This system in addition integrates and monitors company systems using Nagios IT Infrastructure Monitoring, conducts sentiment analysis with Datumbox Machine Learning Framework, analyzes and generate reports on the efficiency of the organization in dealing with their customers. Since the world today revolves around making sense out of previous occurrences to forecast the future and prepare adequately towards it, this system finds patterns in the errors received in order to make predictions on which category of services provided by the company is likely experience more error logs using the Amazon Machine Learning Web Service.

Source: Ashesi
A cheap and portable wireless incubator for premature babies

The leading cause of child mortality globally is prematurity. These deaths mostly occur due to unavailable or high cost of keeping babies in clinical incubators, which provide controlled environment for premature neonates. The aim of this project is to develop a cheap and portable wireless incubator for premature babies. The project focuses on reducing the causes of preterm death and, as such, incorporates measures to minimize such factors. Hence, the incubator’s other functions are to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and malaria. It has sensors to monitor vital environmental conditions of the incubator. It sends this information to the pediatrician to keep track of conditions that might affect the health of the baby. In order to maintain the set temperature continuously, the incubator can be powered from the grid and a battery used as an alternative. When in use, the battery is monitored with a battery level indicator. The incubator can maintain a constant temperature of 37C and when the power supply is removed, it maintains that temperature for a minute and then gradually drops in temperature. A basket is used as the incubator’s bassinette. The electronic components are cased and attached to the outside of the basket which makes the incubator portable. Buckwheat hulls was used for the mattress to help reduce SIDS caused by soft bedding which can lead to suffocation. The baby will be kept in the basket with the required dimension to reduce SIDS by avoiding instances of the baby rolling and having a face-down sleep as well as prevent bed sharing. A treated mosquito net is employed to reduce malaria.

Source: Ashesi
A clinical support application to foster collaboration between community health nurses and medical specialists

Community health nurses of the CHPS program find themselves operating in remote environments sometimes, and are cut off from the training sessions and specialist interaction that colleagues in urban areas are exposed to. This means for them that they are unable to provide quality healthcare to the communities they serve in some instances. Because of this, there is little faith in the program by the community members who tend to travel long distances to urban areas, where they believe they will receive good health care. To improve upon the performance of community health nurses, a mobile application is proposed for their use. This mobile application would foster collaboration between the nurses and specialist and also provide clinical support and educational materials for these nurses. The benefits of this application are access to clinical advice and professional development of community health nurses and better access to healthcare by communities.

Source: Ashesi
A Comparative Analysis and Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithms for Malware Detection

The increasing complexity of malware has become a threat to the security of individuals, businesses, and institutions that operate in cyberspace. New malware variants are regularly being created with obfuscation techniques to steal confidential information and cause harm to users' computers while evading detection. Due to this, malware detection and analysis are critical components of Cybersecurity. This study documents the processes undertaken to perform a comparative analysis and evaluation of the current machine-learning algorithms for malware detection and analysis to determine the most efficient model. Efficiency was measured in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, specificity, f1 score, index of balanced accuracy, and Matthews correlation coefficient. The findings indicate the Random Forest classifier is the most efficient as it outperformed the other algorithms studied. The study also identified factors that enhanced the performance of machine learning models, concluding that feature selection using Recursive feature elimination and handling imbalance in the dataset using Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique improve model performance.

Source: Ashesi
A Comparative Study of Large Language Model Approaches in the Nutrition Therapy of Ghanaians With Sickle Cell Disease.

Modern Digital Diet Managers offer various artificial intelligence-driven services to help people with special dietary needs or diseases make smarter decisions regarding their food intake and overall nutrition. Computer Vision and Recommendation systems are among the popular artificial intelligence methodologies used in managing the diet of Diabetics, Hypertensives, and Cancer patients; however, this technology is yet to be adopted in the nutrition therapy of Sickle Cell Disease(SCD), especially in Africa, where 80% of SCD cases are located, and 1 in 4 people suffer from the disease. [1] This study conducted an experiment aimed at comparing and contrasting sickle cell dietary advice reports generated by two distinct artificial intelligence systems, System B: A Large Language Model with prompt data obtained from a Knowledge Graph, and System A: A Large Language model augmented with a vector database. Speed was measured using the time difference between sending a request and receiving a response, while the accuracy of the reports was validated by assessing the number of factually accurate responses and mathematically accurate responses. Although System A performed much faster than System B by an average of thirty seconds, accuracy is of greater importance than speed in non-emergency healthcare. The research found that System B, the system that incorporates a knowledge graph for information retrieval, performed much better at giving factually accurate and mathematically accurate responses, than System A, which made use of a vector database.

Source: Ashesi