ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
An assessment of contract management practices in public institutions: a case study of University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA)

Effective and efficiency in the procurement process is very important in all the sectors of the economy, much more, in the public sector where numerous inefficiency and ineffectiveness are recorded. The Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), provides guidelines for contract management. However, even though indicated as a problem, contract management has received very little research attention both by the PPA and researchers who are interested in procurement issues. The limited research has created limited knowledge on the importance of contract management to the public institutions in Ghana. The main aim was to assess the effectiveness of contract management practices in public institutions with reference to University of Professional Studies, Accra. A non- probability sampling technique, that is convenience sampling was adopted in selecting the samples of the study. Out of the 25 questionnaires sent out to respondents, 20 giving a response rate of 80%, were retrieved and used for the study. The results of the study show that adherence to the agreed terms of the contract by all parties, good contract management record keeping, contracting decisions involving all relevant parties, supplier information o data file, standard contract management manual are important in effective contract management. It was discovered that the major weaknesses of organization's contract management were lack of training and capacity building, inadequate risk management plan and more attention is giving to the initial stages of the procurement cycle (tendering, sourcing, awarding). Finally, the researcher recommends that training and capacity building, adequate risk management plan, contract-management structures, roles and responsibilities need to be clearly defined.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of construction claims on project performance in Ghana

The occurrence of construction claims is inevitable given the nature of contracts formed, their complexity and the number of parties involved. However, adequate management and control of these claims ensure that construction projects are kept within budget and also avoid unnecessary delays. This is a quantitative study that was conducted in some construction firms in the Accra metropolis in the Greater Accra region with an aim of assessing the effect of construction claims on project performance in Ghana. Hence, structured questionnaires were used to obtain data to ascertain the construction claims factors, implications and strategies to control construction claims. A total number of fifty-five questionnaires were administered and fifty were retrieved representing a response rate of 90.91%. Relative Importance Index rankings was the main tool used for analysis. The findings of the research revealed that the main construction claim factors, such as late instructions, competition in terms of time, cost, quality and environmental problems, combination of design errors and scope increases and payment and budgetary. However, the main construction claims controlling strategies were: record keeping, knowledge of contract and planning and scheduling were also ascertained. The main implications of construction claims on project performance were disclosed as cost overrun of project, result in an increase in project cost, leads to abandonment of projects, rework and demolition and idling of project resources. It was therefore recommended that parties to a construction project should ensure adequate record keeping at every stage, thorough knowledge of contract and adequate planning and scheduling of all activities before project commences.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of consumption and postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables in some selected boarding Senior High Schools in the Northern Region of GHANA

This study was conducted to assess the level of consumption and postharvest handling of fruits and vegetables in some selected Boarding Senior High Schools in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study involved both a survey and a laboratory work. Two sets of questionnaires were used to collect information from 450 students who were randomly selected from 15 Schools, (five from each of the 15 schools) made up of 75 kitchen staff and administrators. The study revealed that, majority of the respondents had adequate knowledge of fruits (98.8%) and vegetables (97%). Only 4% of the students consumed fruits in schools in times of glut as compared to the 96% of students who consumed vegetables. The students’ ranked mango (97.3%) and tomato (94.8%) and the kitchen staff ranked pepper (90.2%) as their top choice of fruits and vegetables. Sources of vegetables to the Schools were the market (93.3%) and school garden (6.7%). The price (98.7%) of the fruits and the quality (82.3%) of vegetables were the most important determinants that influenced their choice to be purchased. It was revealed that, only 8.98% of kitchen staff washed their vegetables with a mixture of water and vinegar which was a challenge in terms of contamination. The 46% of the schools using refrigerators was also a challenge in terms of storage. A Microbial study carried out on samples of vegetables (tomato, okro, pepper and onions) from 8 schools revealed that vegetables samples from Chereponi SHS and Ghana SHS had significantly (P<0.01) high Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus count than Tamale SHS. Samples from four schools had significant count of E. coli and Staphylococcus and the rest recorded lower count, however, the values for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus recorded by all the vegetables samples were within the acceptable limit 1.0x104 or less than 4 cfu as stated by Centre for Food Safety, (2007) and Ghana Standard Board (2009).

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Copper and Zinc in Cocoa Growing Areas in East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana

There is an increasing awareness that trace elements and heavy metals present in soil at concentrations above threshold values have negative effects on human health and on the environment. The accumulation of trace elements in the soil is known to restrict the soil’s function, cause toxicity to plants, and contaminate the food chain. This paper reports the concentration of copper and zinc in soils and cocoa beans in the East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Sampling was done in 100 selected cocoa farms. Soil pH, percentage organic matter, copper and zinc were determined at different depth of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm. The results of the study revealed that the pH of the soil was more acidic at depth 15-30 cm than at depth 0-15 cm and percentage organic matter was also higher at depth 0-15 cm than at depth 15-30 cm. The mean concentration of copper expressed in mg/kg at soil depth 0-15 cm ranged between 0.283±0.179 and 0.526±0.254 and at soil depth 15-30 cm ranged between 0.210±0.093 and 0.415±0.228. The mean concentration of zinc expressed in mg/kg at soil depth 0-15 cm ranged between 4.46±2.18 to 12.61±5.74 and at soil depth 15-30 cm ranged between 2.18±0.86 and 8.44±5.30. Although, the concentration of copper and zinc at depth 0-15 cm was generally higher than at depth 15-30 cm their mean difference was not significantly different (p-value > 0.05). The concentration of copper in the cocoa beans recorded values ranging between 0.879 mg/kg and 0.005 mg/kg whilst the concentration of zinc in the cocoa beans also recorded values in the range of 0.15 mg/kg to 0.01 mg/kg. Concentration of copper in the cocoa beans was always higher than that of zinc across all the sampling sites and their mean difference was statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). The concentration of Cu and Zn in the cocoa beans obtained in this study were below the maximum recommended limits set by WHO/FAO and hence pose less or no risk upon consumption, thus, the cocoa beans were not polluted by the Cu nor Zn. The concentration of copper and zinc were higher in the cocoa farm soils than that of the control and their mean difference was significant (p-value < 0.05). Soil acidity was found to increase with decreasing organic matter. The mean pH at soil depth 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm differ significantly from percentage organic matter at depth 0-15 cm and at depth 15-30 cm respectively (p-value < 0.05). Pollution Index analysis suggests copper and zinc to have serious impacts on the farm soils. There was a strong positive association between the concentrations of Cu and Zn in the cocoa beans and the farm soil. It is expected that the results from this study would be relevant for all trace elements studies in cocoa farms.

Source: KNUST
The assessment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development of Anglogold Ashanti (Ghana) : A case study of the Obuasi municipality

The process of gold mining and extraction of minerals has been on going in the Obuasi municipality for almost a century, with the exception of the high rock accumulations found within the municipality and its polluted environment. The settlement has practically nothing to show for the large amounts of mineral deposit it sits on. The study explored AngloGold Ashanti´s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and its impact on the lives of the local people. Questionnaires were administered to household members in four major communities within the Obuasi municipality where mining shafts belonging to the AngloGold Ashanti Company are located. Interviews were also held between the researcher and opinion leaders in the selected communities to gather their views on the issue. Though the AGA Company has increased its financial allocations towards CSR, impacts on the local people is very minimal as they are not involved in the design and implementation of the projects.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of copper and zinc in cocoa growing areas in East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana

There is an increasing awareness that trace elements and heavy metals present in soil at concentrations above threshold values have negative effects on human health and on the environment. The accumulation of trace elements in the soil is known to restrict the soil’s function, cause toxicity to plants, and contaminate the food chain. This paper reports the concentration of copper and zinc in soils and cocoa beans in the East Akyem Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Sampling was done in 100 selected cocoa farms. Soil pH, percentage organic matter, copper and zinc were determined at different depth of 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm. The results of the study revealed that the pH of the soil was more acidic at depth 15-30 cm than at depth 0-15 cm and percentage organic matter was also higher at depth 0-15 cm than at depth 15-30 cm.The mean concentration of copper expressed in mg/kg at soil depth 0-15 cm ranged between 0.283±0.179 and 0.526±0.254 and at soil depth 15-30 cm ranged between 0.210±0.093 and 0.415±0.228. The mean concentration of zinc expressed in mg/kg at soil depth 0-15 cm ranged between 4.46±2.18 to 12.61±5.74 and at soil depth 15-30 cm ranged between 2.18±0.86 and 8.44±5.30. Although, the concentration of copper and zinc at depth 0-15 cm was generally higher than at depth 15-30 cmtheir mean differencewas not significantly different (p-value >0.05).The concentration of copper in the cocoa beans recorded values ranging between 0.879 mg/kg and 0.005 mg/kg whilst the concentration of zinc in the cocoa beans also recorded values in the range of 0.15mg/kg to 0.01mg/kg. Concentration of copper in the cocoa beans was always higher than that of zinc across all the sampling sites and their mean difference was statistically significant (p-value<0.05).The concentration of Cu and Zn in the cocoa beans obtained in this study were below the maximum recommended limits set by WHO/FAO and hence pose less or no risk upon consumption, thus, the cocoa beans were not polluted by the Cu nor Zn.The concentration of copper and zinc were higher in the cocoa farm soils than that of the control and their mean difference was significant (p-value<0.05). Soil acidity was found to increase with decreasing organic matter. The mean pH at soil depth 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm differ significantly from percentage organic matter at depth 0-15 cm and at depth 15-30 cm respectively (p-value <0.05).Pollution Index analysis suggests copper and zinc to have serious impacts on the farm soils. There was a strong positive association between the concentrations of Cu and Zn in the cocoa beans and the farm soil. It is expected that the results from this study would be relevant for all trace elements studies in cocoa farms.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Cost and Time Impacts of Public Sector Construction Projects in Ghana

This thesis assesses cost and time impacts of construction projects in Ghana. It is a key issue, because many project managers of construction industries have recently started to utilize innovative cost and time impact assessment methods that provide new incentives for improving construction quality. These emerging strategies place an increasing pressure on decision makers in the construction industry to search for an optimal resource utilization plan that minimizes construction cost and time while maximizing its quality. Thirty (30) selected project supervisors of LESTAKO Company Limited and BEROCK VENTURES in the Greater Accra Region were interviewed with a well detailed questionnaire to elicit responses on the cost and time impacts on construction of projects. The research study revealed that cost and time impacts are inevitable on construction projects such that they are inherent in all of project construction’s undertakings. Additionally, the paper revealed that the issue of cost and time impacts on project construction could be managed by using construction recognized and accepted methodologies which identifies and quantifies the overall impact to the project. The research concludes that, on accounting for each of the strategies explained in the survey, it is clear that there is still a need for innovative research in the area of forecasting systems in project construction with regards to cost and time. Again, there is the lacking of many aspects in forecasting methods implemented by today’s Project Managers in Ghana. In a challenging construction industry nowadays, to have accurate forecasting methods require an approach that would gather subjective data and consider experts’ experience and knowledge. In this regard the paper recommends that an effective and efficient procurement system should be established within projects. Procurement has the potential to cause major delays to construction projects. Therefore, procurement process should be improved in order to avoid supply delays and chaos in the construction delivery process in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Cost Management Practices for Small Scale Building Contractors in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

The construction industry is an important element in our socio-economic growth as a country. It is said to require huge capital investment by virtue of its nature. One key player in the industry is the contractor who operates as a firm or company. The contractor is responsible for the execution and production of the required project. In Ghana the construction industry is made up of about 95% Small Scale Building Contractors (SSBC) who by their nature operate in an informal manner. One major challenge of them has to do with the management of their cost which determines whether or not the stay in business. They are required to put in place cost management practices that will help their survival, level of profitability and growth. The purpose of this research was to assess the cost management practices adopted by these contractors and suggest measures to improve upon them. As part of it, critical factors inhibiting the use of their chosen cost management technique was determined. The contractors targeted in this research are the D3K3 contractors registered on the Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractor of Ghana (ABCECG) database within the Greater Accra Region. Quantitative design was adopted with the use of structured questionnaires which was responded by Quantity Surveyors, Site Engineers, Site Supervisors, Managing Director and other professionals who play cost management roles within the firms. Consensus approach was utilised to gather information from all or almost the entire population of contractors within the stated category. In all 45 contractors were targeted and questionnaires distributed to. Out of which 40 responded to the questionnaires representing 88.89% response rate. The data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics by employing SPSS (version 23) and Excel worksheet. In the discussion of the results, mean score ranking, one sample t-test and Relative Importance Index (RII) were used in analysing the data. All the contractors admitted to using some of a cost management technique. The frequently used ones are as follows: budgeting, resource management, variance analysis, estimation etc. The research also indicated that the following factors: technology issues, quality of data, use of traditional techniques, lack of collaboration of participants, poor resource management, lack of communication etc were inhibiting the use of the cost management technique. Recommendations such as communication among the various sections of the company, the use of qualified personnel, and the use of tried and tested practises etc should be adopted to attain effective cost management system.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of credit analysis models in micro finance delivery in Ghana: the case of selected Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)

MFIs in the recent past had been successful in providing sustainable lending to SMEs. The research work sought to analyse the credit analysis models/methods used by the MFIs in assessing the credit risks of their clients. The study further sought to identify the strengths and limitations of the models of credit analysis. Five (5) MFIs were selected as case study for the research and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from the Management and Credit Staff of the selected MFIs. The data was then organized and assembled into a diagrammatic network that helped the researcher to recognize relationships and patterns in the data and drew the relevant conclusions. It was found out that the use of a program design based on group model with key features of joint-liability and social sanctions, dynamic incentives, collateral substitutes, regular payment schedules were common to all the credit methodologies of the MFIs. The group lending models helped the MFIs to shift the screening and monitoring of loans to the borrowers, thereby reducing processing costs and credit risks. The researcher recommended that the introduction of incentive schemes towards good record keeping, setting up of research departments, offering of specific and relevant training to clients and the use of a hybrid of empirical models and the innovative models by the MFIs could help improve their credit decisions, ensure sustainability of their models and also improve credit portfolio quality.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of credit delivery in microfinance: a case study of First Allied Savings and Loans Limited

First Allied Savings and Loans Ltd. which was established in 1996 as a Non-Bank Financial Institution have attracted a growing attention in Ghana. FASL has nine branches throughout the country. FASL commenced operations with the mission of offering convenient access to efficient, innovative and responsive financial services to the micro and small scale entrepreneur on a sustainable basis for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders. FASL offer their clients a variety of products and services. FASL has four major lending products: Commercial (Individual) loan, Susu, Allied Mpontu and Travel Credit. The study mainly sought to assess the responsiveness of customers to the products of FASL and the extent to which the Microfinance programme has also sustained the institution. A random sampling technique was adopted. Two hundred and fifty customers and staff of FASL were sampled to administer the questionnaire. All the two hundred and fifty people to whom the questionnaires were administered responded and thereby given a 100% response rate The study revealed that, the microfinance scheme at FASL has helped low-income men and women to overcome the formidable barrier in gaining access to mainstream financial services and has also sustained the institution. The study, therefore recommended the need to set up an authorized body that would be charged with the regulation, supervision and the development of the microfinance sector.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of credit management process of credit unions: (A case of societies in Obuasi municipality)

This research investigates the credit management processes that are employed by credit unions to sustain their business performance. The purpose of this study is to examine what tools, interventions and standards are exercised in credit unions. Moreover the skill set and level of credit management personnel is assessed as well as the gaps in the credit management processes. The overall principle of this research is to observe if these processes are sufficient enough to sustain their business performance or do they need to be updated. The survey was concentrated on five societies in Obuasi Municipality in order to obtain an insight into their daily credit management process. To complement this survey, interviews were conducted. The key results underline that credit unions appear to be deficient in the credit management department; namely in the areas of experience, academic qualification of credit committee members and the consistency of areas interventions use by credit unions. Moreover, the lack of technology operated in the loan decision process is apparent. Therefore more complex and sophisticated models are a prerequisite if credit unions are to maintain financial stability. In spite of this a number of arduous challenges will face credit unions to implement these changes as their ethos and social duty must be considered. This study therefore provides an insight into this topic and helps promote further research into same. In general, this research has a practical value to it as it will disseminate the findings to the survey participants. Subsequently, these credit unions can incorporate the recommendations from this study into their credit management processes in order to sustain their performance.

Source: KNUST
An Assessment of Credit Management Practices at Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) Branches in the Eastern Region of Ghana

This study assessed credit management practices at ABD branches in the Eastern region of Ghana. This was carried out by analysing the process of accessing credits; credits control processes and credits collection strategies. This was done against the background that there was huge debts as a result of nonperforming loans affecting the financial status of the bank. The descriptive survey method was used for the study. Sample size of 81 members of staff was drawn from the 101 staff in all the six ADB braches in the Eastern region of Ghana. The cluster sampling method taking into consideration each branch as a cluster was used to identify individual sample units for the study. Two main sources of data were used for the study namely the primary and secondary sources. Questionnaires were used as the main instrument to collect the primary data on access to credit, credit control processes and credit collection strategies. Among the major findings of the study are; the main factors influencing access to credit are the stringent policy guidelines as well as the credit worthiness of the customers. A major credit control process was the process of ensuring compliance of internal guidelines. A major recommendation of the study was the need to adopt flexible policy which can improve access to credit.

Source: KNUST