ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Institution of Management and Administration - Kumasi

A cursory glance at the performance of the existing training institutions, especially when compared with a couple of foreign examples, clearly revealed that their impact was not being affectively felt. This was attributed to a number of reasons, Firstly, the concentration of all the existing training. Institutions in the southern part of Ghana were to the detriment of potential users in other parts of the country. Secondly, some of thee, because of their international commitments could not afford to devote satisfactory attention to the nation’s needs. Thirdly, modern means of instruction involving the use of computers for instance were not being fully explored. Having established the need for another training institute, a comparative study of a few local and foreign examples helped arrive at an optimum number of participants that could be trained at any given time — 200. Residential accommodation is proposed for 120 participants. To avoid the problem created by locating all the existing training institutions in the Greater Acorn Region, all the other regions were explored in terms of levels of government employment, population growth, location and concentration of industries as well as accessibility. The Ashanti Region emerged as the moat suitable choice. Out of three alternatives, sites within the Ashanti Region, the one at Chirapatre along the Lake Road was chosen for satisfying the site selection criteria. The facilities provided comprise basically an administration block, an academic area including a computer centre, a catering section, a maintenance unit, a hostel as well as housing units for junior and senior members of staff. The Computer Centre was proposed not only because computers were an aid to management and decision -making at different levels and in different fields, but also because they were seen as a means of achieving optimum resource allocation and utilization to increase productivity. The objectives of providing staff housing units, inter alia, were to attract prospective members of staff and retain them. The whole project which is to be implemented with the technical and financial assistance of the U.N.D.P will be expected to be realised within eight years after commencement.

Source: KNUST
Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (I.R.N.R.), U.S.T. Kumasi

The development of any nation depends to a large extent on the availability and judicious use of her human and natua1 resources. Natural resources per-se would not bring development. With proper management, resources can be exploited to maximise present and future benefits of mankind. On the other hand careless and unregulated exploitation of these resources may bring high short term returns at the cost of their eventual destruction. Many countries of the third world and particularly those in Africa have been guilty of improper management of their resources. This has resulted in desertification of once fertile lands at an alarming rate. For instance the Sahara Desert is now spreading at an annual rate of nearly 50 kin a year in certain sahelian countries. Resources of the savannas water and forests have been attacked in the same calous manner with the result that certain useful plant and wildlife species are now threatened by imminent extinction. For instance in Ghana alone it is estimated that about 5.2 million hectares of the country’s 6.2 million hectares of unreserved closed forest will eventually disappear under alternate land use, unless a substantial reafforestation programme is carried out.1 In 1973 about 30,000 hectares of unreserved forest was lost during the Operation Feed Yourself Programme At the present rate of exploitation, shortage of timber will occur in the long run because 40% of wood for consumption and export comes from unreserved forest areas. Projections further indicate that 50 years from now, Ghana’s wood requirements would be 77 million cubic. metres and it would be necessary at that time to have about 550,000 hectares of forest plantations to meet the country’s needs. Coming to the savanna areas too, it is estimated that about 881 km2 of savanna woodland are lost annually to cropping and pasturing and there is the need to institute special tree planting measures in this zone to help arrest the southward drift of the, Sahel into Ghana. Considering the enormity of the problem, forest plantation programmes have since 1983 been carried out within and outside the forest zone. The Danish Aid Agency (DANIDA) has offered assistance worth $1 .5 million for the implementation of a five year tree planting project in the Upper East Region to cover experts, vehicles and. equipment. Ghana government’s contribution for the first year implementation of the project is worth l.5 million. The species of trees being planted (which include albida) is aimed at supplementing the inhabitant’s fuel-wood requirements and to enhance the community awareness of watershed protection and erosion control. In conclusion one may say that management of our resources seems to be in crisis. The problems requiring urgent solution and the Possibilities of finding proper solutions are not reconcileable. The general attitude has in consequence also entered into a crisis. The Institute of Renewable Natural Resources therefore represents conscious efforts by the elite to establish rational management of our resources

Source: KNUST
Institutional Arrangements for Private Sector Involvement in Solid Waste Collection-a Case Study of Five Cities in Ghana

The study focuses on the institutional arrangement of private sector involvement in solid waste collection in five cities in Ghana namely Accra, Kumasi, Tema, Sekondi- Takoradi and Tamale. The specific objectives of the research were to identify the institutional structure, roles and responsibilities of the actors involved in solid waste collection, to assess the legal arrangement for involving the private firms in solid waste collection, to assess the financial arrangements for involving the private firms in solid waste collection and to assess the regulatory framework for involving the private firms in solid waste collection. The research was based on twenty five (25) waste companies in Accra, Kumasi, Tema, Sekondi-Takoradi and Tamale (five largest cities) of Ghana. Data were collected from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies private waste collection companies through administration of questionnaires and also semi- structured interviews with the heads of waste management departments and other key informants. The data collected was analysed and the bottlenecks of the existing legislation, contract, regulation and financial arrangements for involving private companies in solid waste collection were identified. The research revealed that there are institutional arrangements (Contractual, Financial and Regulatory) in place for the involvement of private sector in Solid Waste Collection. The companies operated under two main types of contract which are Franchise and Service contracts. The duration of the contract types awarded to companies are 2 years and 5y?ars for Franchise and Service contracts were respectively. The private companies involved in the solid waste collection are given the opportunity to renew and others undergo competitive bidding. Nineteen (19) companies receive subsidies from the Assembly for the house-to-house service and six (6) companies do not. Regulatory framework was assessed based regulation of quality of service, monitoring of companies compliance to regulations, quantity of waste collected, supervision by the Assemblies and Assemblies adherence to the regulations in the contracts signed with the companies. The conclusions drawn from the research were that the house-to-house service is better than the communal, duration for Franchise is 2years and Service is 5years but companies do not undergo competitive bidding when contract expires and assemblies are not able to pay companies on time and this leads to poor service delivery. Also Companies and Assemblies do not strictly adhere to contract obligations, laws on sanitation are available to sanction offenders but are not strictly enforced and user fees set are not reasonable to recover cost especially the medium to low class residential areas.

Source: KNUST
Institutional in-service training: a study of three polyclinics in the Accra Metropolitan Area

One of the goals of the Ministry of Health, Ghana is to promote health and prevent disease among the people of Ghana. In-service training has been identified as one of the strategies to be used to achieve this goal. In the Medium Term Health Strategy Towards Vision 2020, the need for a sustainable IST system to improve staff performance and hence quality care was emphasized. This was followed by the In-Service Training Policy, launched in 1997 by the Ministry of Health. A study was undertaken between August and November 2001, to determine if staff training need is being met, problems encountered in the organization of 1ST and the mode of evaluation of 1ST at three polyclinics (Adabraka, La, and Maamobi polyclinics) in the Accra Metropolitan Area. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire administered to health workers and interview guides administered to heads of the polyclinic and 1ST coordinators at Maamobi polyclinic and at the regional and metropolitan training units. The health workers did not fully understand their role in the determination of training need. Only three (3) health workers were involved in the planning of IST at the polyclinics. The problems encountered in the organization of IST at all the three polyclinics were the same. IST programmes at the institutions were interrupted by external training programmes. Delays in the release of funds resulted in crash programmes being organized and invitations to attend training outside the polyclinics arrived late hence, the wrong caliber of staff were selected for the training. IGF was used for IST activities in the absence of GOG and DPF. A significant proportion of the health workers indicated lack of incentives (Maamobi 47.1 per cent, Adabraka 34.2 per cent and La 20.3 per cent) as one of the problems faced whilst attending IST. IST courses organized at the polyclinics were of a shorter duration and covered a larger proportion of health workers. Information on past IST activities at the polyclinics could not be traced because of the absence of well-organized training information system. There were no IST coordinators at Adabraka and La polyclinics but Maamobi polyclinic had an IST coordinator. Though other training facilities were available, the training unit at Adabraka needs to be upgraded. Evaluation of training was only done immediately after training and there was no schedule for subsequent evaluation. It is recommended that health staff would be trained to play a more effective role in training needs identification. Training funds are to be set up to enhance training programmes at the polyclinics. Standard evaluation schedules are to be formulated and training information systems are to be set up at all the polyclinics.

Source: KNUST
Institutional response to the promotion of small scale industries in Ghana

During the colonial and post-colonial period, Small Scale industries (SSIs) have unnoticeably played a very important role in the economic development of the country. The unrecognized role emphasized the fact that policy formulators underscored the importance of the Small Scale sector in the economic development of Ghana. The sector provided and has continued to provide: • goods and services for local consumption, • employment, • income and foreign exchange, and • labour and raw material for medium and large industries. Changes in both the national and international economic climate have led to the recognition of the role of the Small Scale industrial sector in the national economic development and growth. Hence, government policies are directed towards the growth and development of SSIs. The objectives of this study are to identify the institutions which promote the growth of the SSIs, assess the linkages and co-ordination among them and institutional support they offer to SSIs. In undertaking the study, four categories of institutions were studied namely: regulatory institutions, development institutions, promotional institutions and financial institutions. These institutions so established are not equipped well and encouraged to spread their tentacles well to cover the rural SSIs. Efforts at increasing their coordination and linkage are not the best particularly the financial and regulatory institutions. In all, 150 SSIs based in Greater Accra, Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions were selected and interviewed. In addition, various non-governmental organizations were consulted. For the SSJs and the institutions established to promote growth and development to perform well they should be a science and technology plan, favourable economic policies, easy access to institutionalized credit, effective ways of transferring research findings and a national committee for Rural Small Scale Enterprises. While conceding the fact that enough time and funds were not available to fully digest the study exhaustibly, I wish to state that this study will be of immense help to both researchers and policy formulators and implementers who would use it as the basis for either further research to advise public and private stakeholders in the development of SSIs.

Source: KNUST
Institutions and economic growth: evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

To provide the fundamental cause (s) of the growth problems of sub-Saharan African countries, this dissertation uses a panel of 39 sub-Saharan African countries from 2005-2009 to estimate the effect of institutions, geography, investment, population, gender equality and openness to foreign trade on economic performance. The results from the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel data estimator - two-step system generalised method of moments (GMM) provide robust findings as compared to results from ordinary least squares and least squares dummy variable estimation since the former is able to account for potential problems like autocorrelation or heteroskedasticity within panels, endogenous regressors, attenuation bias and the like whereas the latter estimators do not. For a given level of initial per capita GDP and these variables, output per worker is enhanced by higher level of transparency, accountability and corruption control in the public sector. Thus after controlling for the effect of these variables, sub-Saharan African countries are poor not necessarily because of low investment level, high population, gender inequality, geography or being more or less opened to international trade, but because of worse institutions. On a whole, this thesis provides robust evidence on the effect of institutions in the public sector on income per capitain the sub-region.

Source: KNUST
Instructional Media as a tool for ensuring quality teaching and learning for pupils in the Junior High Schools (Selected schools in the Kumasi Metropolis)

Conventional instructional resources are not generally available in many Junior High Schools in Ghana. Where such resources are available, some JHS teachers lack the requisite skills and creativity to use them effectively in their teaching. Some teachers also lack innovation in finding suitable local substitutes to help their pupils understand their lessons. This leads to the teaching of abstract lessons, misunderstanding of concepts and skills, and ineffective learning that negatively affect learner performance and teacher output in terms of what is taught and learned by means of instructional media. Qualitative Research Method was used with questionnaire, observation and personal interviews to collect data on how instructional media available in the sampled schools are used in teaching Mathematics, English language, Agricultural Science, General Science, ICT, Visual Arts, Home Economics, French, Twi, Social studies and Pre-Technical Skills and their impact on pupils’ learning. It was realized that, instructional media are generally not available in the Junior High Schools in the Kumasi metropolis. While few teachers have visited the Teachers Resources Centre in Kumasi, environmental resources such as internet café, chief’s palace, found objects or farms are not considered as instructional media for classroom use. Lack of wall charts, models, and other conventional media to complement the use of chalkboards and textbooks in the schools is making it difficult for teachers to offer quality teaching to promote high academic achievement for Junior High School pupils. Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service should ensure the supply of instructional media for use by teachers for effective teaching and learning. Such media could include locally produced materials generated by teachers and resource experts for better lesson delivery. Excursions and field trips can serve as a major means of exposing Junior High School pupils to the environment as a learning resource for firsthand information and experiential learning. In-Service training, workshops and seminars should be organized to orient Junior High School teachers to improvise alternative instructional resources and the right ways to use them during lessons. This research was carried out to understand what and how instructional media are used by Junior High School teachers in the Kumasi metropolis.

Source: KNUST
Integer linear programming model of commodity trading: A case study of Obuasi and Techiman Central Markets.

The goal of every commodity trader is to maximize his/ her profit, but what should traders do to maximize their profit? In this thesis the wholesale spot prices of six agricultural commodities in Obuasi and Techiman Central markets were examined. The trader purchases commodities from one market place and sells in the other market taking into consideration the spot price of the commodities in questions. In this thesis we are interested in finding the volume of the six commodities to be purchased from Techiman and sold in Obuasi central market to make maximum profit knowing the demand of those commodities. Linear programming Solver (software) was used to solve real trader’s problem of a trader in the presence of some constraints

Source: KNUST
An integrated approach to orebody modelling for mine planning and design

Effective exploitation of mineral deposits depends to a large extent on the accurate modelling of the orehodies within it. In this thesis, various concepts of orebody modelling such as sectional, block and wireframe concepts have been reviewed. The string notion, which integrates the various concepts of orebody modelling within the framework of the SURPAC mining sotftware has been explained. The string concept has been used to model the Akof Golden deposit which is a hypothetical mine. The integration of standard exploration data consisting of lithological, survey and assay information to obtain accurate orebody model has been demonstrated.

Source: KNUST
Integrated agro – industrial co-operative, Damongo

Many rural development projects are plagued with difficulties related to lack of requisite financial inputs and poor management. The rural area has continued therefore to be an area of official and unofficial neglect. It is characterized by social and economic backwardness. Showing in ignorance, abject poverty, lack of infrastructure, disease etc The purpose of this scheme was to conduct an effective study of the rural reset tied farmers of among in the Northern Region of Ghana and make proposals that will change their socio-economic situation for the better. This design thesis is expected to address two major issues. Firstly, the re-organisation of the resettles into a multi-purpose co-operative resettlement; and secondly, the establishment of a co-operatively owned processing factory (Agro-Based). These two factors, it is expected, when simultaneously and harmoniously implemented will lead to the total development of the socio- economic environment of the resettles. The need to bridge the socio-economic gap between the Rural-Urban environments has come as a result of the stark realisation that National Development is meaningless without indepth consideration of the rural sector. The rural sector contributes a greater percentage of the Gross Domestic Product and engages about 71% of the economically active population in the country. There is therefore emphasis placed on rural development strategy that is self-supporting and rejuvenating. The Co-operative system has been found in this study to be strong and effective rural development strategy,

Source: KNUST
Integrated Bioethanol and Bioelectricity production from Ghanaian Seaweed Biomass

This study investigated the potential of integrating bioethanol and bioelectricity production technologies as an efficient means of maximising seaweed biomass utilization. It particularly sought to examine optimal conditions for the production of bioethanol from selected seaweeds, the bioelectricity potential of seaweed residue using microbial fuel cells and the sustainability of the integrated bioethanol and bioelectricity technologies on seaweeds. The motivation for this work is the growing concerns over the dire food securities issues that could occur from the continued use of edible biomass such as maize, cassava and sugarcane in commercial bioethanol production. The study was conducted through the screening of pretreatment methods, optimisation of dilute acid and enzymatic hydrolysis, screening of yeasts strains and screening of ethanol production pathways with seaweeds as substrates. It also included the evaluation of power generation, internal resistances and substrate consumption from microbial fuel cells fed with seaweed bioethanol residue and; an Energy Return on Investment analysis of various seaweed bioenergy production scenarios. The study established that the optimal ethanol yields for Ghanaian seaweeds, U. fasciata, H. dentata and S. vulgare were 5.06, 2.44 and 3.69% dry matter, respectively. This was obtained via the SHF pathway through enzymatic hydrolysis with an optimal cellulase dosage of 8 filter paper unit/g dry biomass and fermentation with S. cerevisiae SI17, C8T17 or PT17 yeast strains. The study also found residues from seaweed bioethanol production to be efficient substrates for use in microbial fuel cells since, it yielded power densities between 0.46 and 0.50 W/m3 which were comparable to sodium acetate by up to 52.62%. The integrated approach to seaweed biomass utilization was considered successful since waste generation was reduced to as low as 24.43% from a potential 79% from seaweed bioethanol production alone. It further established that the production of both bioethanol and bioelectricity from Ghanaian seaweeds would be sustainable based on the Energy Return on Investment value of 4.2 obtained after a Life Cycle Assessment of the bioenergy processes. The study further established that the production of bioethanol alone from seaweeds would not be sustainable commercially despite a net gain in energy from its Life Cycle Assessment.

Source: KNUST
An integrated approach to orebody modelling for mine planning and design

Effective exploitation of mineral deposits depends to a large extent on the accurate modelling of the orebodies within it. In this thesis, various concepts of orebody modelling such as sectional, block and wireframe concepts have been reviewed. The string notion, which integrates the various concepts of orebody modelling within the framework of the SURPAC mining software, has been explained. The string concept has been used to model the Akof Golden deposit which is a hypothetical mine. The integration of standard exploration data consisting of lithological, survey and assay information to obtain accurate orebody model has been demonstrated.

Source: KNUST