ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
The rich or the poor: who gains from public education spending in Ghana?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the incidence of public education subsidies in Ghana. Since the late 1990s, Ghana’s government has increasingly recognized human capital as key to alleviating poverty and income inequality, causing dramatic increases of government expenditures to the education sector. At the same time user fees have been introduced in higher education while basic education is being made progressively free. The question then is, whether these spending increases have been effective in reaching the poor and to what extent? What factors influence the poor’s participation in the public school system? Design/methodology/approach The authors address the key issues by employing both the standard benefit incidence methods and the willingness-to-pay method. Findings The results give a clear evidence of progressivity with consistent ordering: pre-schooling and primary schooling are the most progressive, followed by secondary, and then tertiary. Own price and income elasticities are higher for private schools than public schools and for secondary than basic schools. Practical implications Given the liquidity constraints African governments face yet there is the need to improve the human capacity of the countries, this study offers solution to how to optimally allocate the educational budget. Originality/value The use of policy simulations to ascertain the incidence of public spending on education is innovative as far as previous studies in Africa is concerned.

Source: UG
The Right to Health and Constitutional Imperatives for Regulating the Exercise Of Pharmaceutical Patents Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa

The last half-century has spawned a considerable debate about human rights and its regime complex.1 This regime complex consists of a web of interlocking national laws, constitutions, customs and practices, judicial decisions, and international and regional agreements regarding human rights. Also prominent in the human rights rhetoric is a growing body of academic literature describing human rights norms as: jus cogens, global morality, obligations erga omnes, universal entitlements, the ‘veritable Magna Carta’ of humanity, and the inherent dignity and worth of humans.2 In legal circles, the concept of human rights has attained a high priority status in the hierarchy of international legal norms as compared with private interests in pharmaceuticals. Indeed, human rights norms are universal ideals that transcend any limitations and inadequacies associated with the Western concept of property ownership that supports the grant of exclusive rights over knowledge goods, such as medicines, to patentees (which include many pharmaceutical companies). Equally, the concept of human rights is immune to the criticisms levelled at the globalised patent regime and its workings in Sub-Saharan Africa (hereinafter SSA or Africa).3

Source: UG
Rights and the Limits of Public Interest Law: Ghana’s Reaction to a Messy World Phenomenon.

Currently international financial and development organizations are seeking to enforce the social welfare commitments made by the government which have been consistently deferred and neglected despite constitutional guarantees. In a parallel movement Public Interest Lawyers in Ghana are adapting the concept of rights-based approaches (“RBA”) to development, using the tools and arguments of the neo-liberal rule of law and extending beyond them to re-envision citizenship, empower citizens, and articulate citizen demands against their government for political, social, economic, and cultural transformation. This paper traces the history of legal advocacy in Ghana from human rights during the military period, to more traditional domestic litigation against the government after the 1992 constitution, to the new conception of public-private partnerships and citizen advocacy under RBA. The paper identifies the constraints on and the opportunities for Public Interest Lawyers who must both assist government in implementing policies to promote individual rights and encourage citizens to achieve social transformation through grassroots means.

Source: UG
The Rights Of Internally Displaced Persons In Africa: The Case Of Cote D’ivoire

This study aims at highlighting the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the grave violations of human rights they are victims of and the multiple difficulties they find themselves in for being forcibly displaced, on the one hand, and the absence of internationally recognized legal instruments on the rights of IDPs and institution with the specific mandate of protection and assistance to internally-displaced persons (IDPs), on the other hand. This work focuses on Cote d’Ivoire as a case-study. It aims at finding the extent to which the absence of specific legal instruments and institutions for the protection and promotion of the rights of IDPs has affected the case of IDPs in that country. To do so, the work reviews the international bill of rights comprising the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and their implementation mechanisms. In addition, the work examines, inter alia, the provisions of international humanitarian law (in particular, the four Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols) and the African human rights protection system to determine the alternate ways that can be found to ensure IDPs the full enjoyment of all their human rights. Finally, the work examines the new African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons and its effectiveness or otherwise in filling the gaps and weaknesses identified in the international system. The findings conclude that though there is no internationally recognized Convention on the rights of IDPs, IDPs’ rights can be deduced from existing provisions and can be enforced through existing mechanisms. With respect to the African Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons, the work concludes that it serves as an important instrument to anchor the rights of IDPs in treaty law and that it is an effective protective mechanism for IDPs in African and can serve as a guide for other regional systems or the UN. However, it also possesses its own weaknesses which the work seek to expose and address. The study ends by recommending to the international community, including United Nations, its agencies and partners, governments and civil society organizations to take certain practical steps towards the elaboration of a Convention on the protection and promotion of the rights of IDPs and designate or create a UN agency with the mandate of protection of IDPs.

Source: UG
The rights-based approach to development: Potential for change or more of the same?

This article discusses the implications of the adoption of rights-based approaches (RBAs) to development by the UN and its agencies, bilateral development agencies and international development NGOs. While this has allowed human rights language into the world of development programming, a development which has been met with much approval, sceptical voices argue that the development industry has taken the high-minded concerns of human rights instruments and moulded them to its own purposes and that not much is likely to change in policies and programmes. Given the critique of the RBA on grounds of its refusal to interrogate economic liberalisation, its implied reliance on the legal apparatus and its exaggerated claims, it is open to question whether it will deliver development based on human rights. The concerns raised about the RBA signal the need for caution on the part of feminists, especially in the light of how the development industry has digested previous analyses and approaches.

Source: UG
A Rights-Based Critique of Poverty Production and its Impact on Human Security in the Less Industrialised World

The paper adopts a rights-based approach to analyse poverty and development in the less industrialised world. This approach links up with the poverty production debate (as opposed to poverty reduction) which contends that the proper framework for analysing poverty is to understand that agents, not institutions or processes, are responsible for generating poverty. The link between poverty production and human rights is established by the fact that the process or means adopted to produce poverty and the end-result of the process both lead to violations of human rights. The process takes place and thrives in the absence of an existing human rights framework or within the context of a weak or weakened human rights regime. Therefore, it is contended that the starting point for the analysis of the relationship between human rights and poverty production is to understand the socio-political environment in which poverty production thrives. A related facet of the debate is the impact of poverty production on human security. A weakened rights framework sidelines the ordinary people in policy-formulation as to what the needs of the community are or should be. This situation consequently threatens the very basis of human security – human survival, fundamental freedoms and the ability of a people to utilise their potentials to develop themselves and their community. This rights-based analysis of poverty production is used to contend that mere institutionalization of democratic structures and the adoption of the poverty reduction approach on their own are not necessarily effective means to fighting poverty. The kind of democracy that prescribed for implementation in Africa and proposed as the means to fight poverty only meets the nominal standards. It does not offer space for a robust enjoyment of rights which will enable ordinary individuals to form effective civil society and community- based organizations with the goal of, among others, exposing the forces that engender poverty and fighting against these agents of poverty production. The poor and marginalized remain deprived of the means to contribute to their self- and community-development and to share in the benefits of development on an egalitarian basis. In light of this, the paper recommends, among others, that the existing rights framework found in the constitutions of countries coming out of non-democratic to liberal democratic regimes be re-examined and reforms made to enable the establishment of a people-centred and indigenised approach to rights exercise. This way, the role played by poverty and marginalization in denying access to participation in development by ordinary sectors of the society will be addressed. While different poverty production factors are identified, the focus of this paper is on corruption.

Source: UG
The rise and fall of a dot-com pioneer in a developing country

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of dot-com pioneers in developing countries to complement the experience of their counterparts from the developed world as documented in the dot-com boom and bust literature. Beginning from this literature, dot-com phenomenon in the developed world has attracted much research. However, despite some entrepreneurial attempts to promote the innovation in the developing world, less is known about dot-coms there. Design/methodology/approach: The study follows interpretive case study methodology and actor-network theory to understand the formation, initial success and final failure of a dot-com pioneer in the developing country of Ghana. Findings: The developing country dot-com pioneer transferred e-tail technology from the developed world. The under-developed infrastructure in the developing world forced the technology to be adapted to local context. The firm managed to succeed temporarily by engaging with actors from both the developed and the developing world. It, however, collapsed largely due to inflation in its developing country context, which rendered its stockless business model with purchasing on order to deliver economically unfeasible as purchasing prices outrun sales prices. Research limitations/implications: The findings are based on historical reconstruction of events which may differ from current circumstances. The study, however, demonstrates how pioneer dot-coms in developing countries may have fared and offers implications for research and practice. Practical implications: Stockless e-business model with purchase on order to supply may not be economically feasible under inflationary conditions as purchase prices may outstrip sales prices. Entrepreneurs need to pay attention not only to the virtual world but also the physical world which equally contribute to e-business practice. Originality/value: The paper is the first attempt to offer insight into the experiences of developing country dot-com pioneers to complement the literature from the developed world. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Source: UG
The Rise of Gated Housing Estates in Ghana: Experiences from three Communities in Metropolitan Accra, Ghana

In metropolitan Accra, Ghana’s economic and administrative hub, the global phenomenon of the gated housing estate is burgeoning, representing a substantial part of the new housing market. It has a recent history dating back only to the neoliberal era of the mid-1990s. Because it is a new phenomenon in Ghana very little is known about the motivations and contentment of residents, interactions within and outside the gates, and perceptions toward gated residents. This paper takes the ﬁrst step by providing empirical insights from three communities (Manet Court, Devtraco Villas, and Regimanuel Estate) located in Metropolitan Accra. The data suggest that perceived concern for security is the primary motivation for the residents to live in these communities. Contrary to ﬁndings of other studies, the current research reveals that there are appreciable levels of interaction among the residents in these communities, although such interaction exists purely on the economic level, with gated housing estates providing a considerable level of low-income employment opportunities to surrounding residents. The paper concludes by identifying some of the key urban planning challenges that have so far accompanied gated housing development.

Source: UG
The Rise of the Video Film Industry and its Projected Social Impact on Ghanaians

Celluloid film production in Ghana dating back to the colonial period gave way to video film production in the mid 80s. The article discusses the factors that contributed to the rise of video as a production format and the associated issue of influx of Nigerian movies in the face of poor quality local ones. The paper examines critically the dominant themes of the video films and its effects on viewers and calls for improved production technique to safeguard the industry.

Source: UG
Risk assessment framework for cumulative effects (RAFCE)

Introduction: Regional environmental risk assessment is a practical approach to understanding and proactively addressing the cumulative effects of resource development in areas of regional importance. However, regional assessment is methodologically complex, and frameworks to identify and prioritize regional risk issues to guide effective management decisions are lacking. This research develops a risk and impacts-based cumulative effects assessment framework for scoping regional cumulative effects issues to guide present and future project and regional assessment. We operationalized the framework dubbed Risk Assessment Framework for Cumulative Effects (RAFCE) to assess the risks and impacts of proposed mining development in the Ring of Fire region of Northern Ontario, Canada. Methods: Methodologically, we built on existing studies to understand the key valued ecosystem components (VECs) impacted by mining; organized an expert Bowtie Risk Assessment Tool workshop and interviews to identify regional risks and define the VECs impacted by mining; and developed an impact prioritization model that helped quantify and prioritize impacts of mining. Results and Discussion: RAFCE enabled us to: a) identify drivers and impacts of cumulative effects and potential preventive and mitigation measures for effective cumulative effects management and b) describe, quantify, and rank the major impact and components of regional interest. Using RAFCE, we can identify and prioritize impacts that are cross-cutting, multisector-driven, synergistic, and relevant to a region, visualize and understand the risk management process, identify policy and management issues to prevent risks or mitigate impacts, and ultimately inform resource allocation for effective regional cumulative effects assessment outcomes. RAFCE is suitable for engaging diverse stakeholders in planning for regional cumulative effects assessment.

Source: UG
Risk assessment of criminal offenders in Ghana: An investigation of the discriminant validity of the HCR-20V3

The frequency with which assessment for risk of criminal offending is requested across mental health and criminal justice systems in Western countries is historically unprecedented. However, information concerning risk assessment practices and research in Sub-Saharan Africa is virtually nonexistent. In filling this gap, the present study discusses the prospects and challenges of risk assessment for criminal offending in Ghana, focusing on the criminal justice system, mental health system, and institutional record keeping. Secondly, data obtained from interviewing prisoners, their parents/legal guardians, and prison officers were used to score the Historical Clinical-Risk Management-20 version 3 (HCR-20V3) to discriminate between recidivists (n = 60) and non-re cidivists (n = 60). The results reveal significant and positive correlations between HCR-20V3 ratings and re cidivism that ranged from 0.35 (clinical presence) to 0.69 (historical relevance). The area under curve (AUC) values of the HCR-20 ratings similarly ranged from 0.69 (clinical presence ratings) to 0.88 (historical presence ratings). The historical presence and relevance ratings achieve good and a near-balanced sensitivity and spe cificity (e.g., 75 versus 88), with the latter also adding incrementally to the discrimination. The clinical and risk management ratings, however, did not add incremental validity to the discrimination. Although the exclusion of the items measuring mental and personality disorders, the small sample size and the use of retrospective design have the potential to undermine the findings reported here, this preliminary study on structured risk assessment in Ghana demonstrates the feasibility of administering risk assessment instruments by interviewing multiple informants

Source: UG
Risk assessment of criminal offenders in Ghana: An investigation of the discriminant validity of the HCR-20V3

The frequency with which assessment for risk of criminal offending is requested across mental health and criminal justice systems in Western countries is historically unprecedented. However, information concerning risk assessment practices and research in Sub-Saharan Africa is virtually nonexistent. In filling this gap, the present study discusses the prospects and challenges of risk assessment for criminal offending in Ghana, focusing on the criminal justice system, mental health system, and institutional record keeping. Secondly, data obtained from interviewing prisoners, their parents/legal guardians, and prison officers were used to score the Historical- Clinical-Risk Management-20 version 3 (HCR-20V3) to discriminate between recidivists (n=60) and non-recidivists (n=60). The results reveal significant and positive correlations between HCR-20V3 ratings and recidivism that ranged from 0.35 (clinical presence) to 0.69 (historical relevance). The area under curve (AUC) values of the HCR-20 ratings similarly ranged from 0.69 (clinical presence ratings) to 0.88 (historical presence ratings). The historical presence and relevance ratings achieve good and a near-balanced sensitivity and specificity (e.g., 75 versus 88), with the latter also adding incrementally to the discrimination. The clinical and risk management ratings, however, did not add incremental validity to the discrimination. Although the exclusion of the items measuring mental and personality disorders, the small sample size and the use of retrospective design have the potential to undermine the findings reported here, this preliminary study on structured risk assessment in Ghana demonstrates the feasibility of administering risk assessment instruments by interviewing multiple informants.

Source: UG
Risk assessment of vacuum-packed pouched tuna chunks during industrial processing using ISO 22000 and HACCP systems

Risk analysis was conducted during processing of Vacuum-Packed Pouched Tuna Chunks using HACCP systems. The hazards likely to occur and their levels of severity and chances of occurrences were identified. Critical control points, critical limits, control and preventive measures, corrective actions for non-conformances and verification procedures were evaluated and documented. ISO 22000 Analysis Worksheet was also employed for determination of some prerequisite programmes (PrPs) and compared with the HACCP decision tree table for determination of Critical Control Points (CCPs). The PrPs were the main difference between the two systems. The major hazards identified were the probable contamination with spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms - Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus; foreign materials - metal residues and sand; chemical contaminants - heavy metals, histamine and cleaning detergent residues, before, during and after processing. Using the HACCP decision tree, eight CCPs were identified, namely: fish receipt (CCP 1), frozen storage (CCP 2), racking and staging (CCP 3), metal detection (CCP 4), vacuum sealing (CCP 5), thickness rolling (CCP 6), retorting (CCP 7) and bulk incubation/seal testing (CCP 8). The incorporation of PrPs in the ISO 22000 made the system more flexible by reducing the number of CCPs (8 in the HACCP system) to 4 without compromising safety of the product.

Source: UG
Risk attitudes and asset diversification: Evidence from Ghana

Attitudes toward risk influence an individual's decision-making with significant implications for economic outcomes and yet there is limited understanding of the relationship between risk attitude and economic decision-making in developing countries. This paper estimates the influence of risk aversion on asset diversification using data from a large nationally representative sample of Ghanaian households. The results show weak association between risk aversion and asset diversification. Furthermore, relatively stronger positive associations are found for rural compared with urban households, but these positive associations disappear after controlling for locality-fixed effects. These findings highlight the importance of addressing rural-urban disparities.

Source: UG