ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessment of prison life of persons with disability in Ghana

Background: Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are a unique group that are often overlooked in many developing countries due to systemic weaknesses, lack of political commitment and inadequate support from government and non-governmental agencies. The population of these individuals is however steadily on the increase and currently corresponds to 15 % of the world population. Although much data exist on lifestyle and conditions of prisoners with disabilities in the western world, scanty information is available in Africa. In Ghana, there is insufficient data on the occurrence and social characteristics of prisoners with disabilities. The purpose of this current study was therefore to identify the occurrence, types and causes of disabilities among prisoners serving sentences in Ghanaian prisons. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey conducted in the Male and Female Regional Prisons in Kumasi, Sunyani and the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, from November to December 2011. PWDs were selected y prisons officers and interviewed using structured questionnaires on variables such as socio- demographic characteristics, causes of disabilities and accessibility to recreational facilities. Ethical approval was obtained from the security services and the Committee of Human Research Publications and Ethics (CHRPE) of the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Results: We screened 6114 records of prisoners of which 1852 (30.3 %) were from the Kumasi Central Prisons, 3483 (57 %) from the Nsawam Medium Security and 779 (12.8 %) from the Sunyani Central Prisons. A total of 99 PWDs were identified with the commonest disability being physical, followed by visual, hearing, speech, mental and albinism. Most of the disabilities were caused by trauma (68.8 %) followed by infection (16.7 %), and drug related mental disabilities (6.3 %). Fifty (50.5 %) out of the 99 PWDs were not provided with assistive devices although they admitted the need for such. Conclusion: The present study has demonstrated the occurrence and conditions of PWDs in Ghanaian prisons. Major stakeholders including government agencies and other organisations could develop policies that would improve the conditions and livelihood of prisoners with disabilities in Ghana

Source: KNUST
Assessment of procurement function and corporate planning strategy of public limited liability companies in the sekondi-takoradi metropolis of ghana

Copious evidence supports the relevance of the procurement function and corporate planning strategies in institutions globally. This study contributes by assessing the effect of the procurement function on corporate planning strategies of public limited liability companies in the Sekondi Takoradi metropolis. The study used a questionnaire as data collection instrument to collect data from various categories of staff of the various professionals of public limited liability companies in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis. The study employed questionnaire administration to collect data from total of 50 respondents (n=50); 10 Heads of Departments, 20 Sectional Heads, 10 staffs and 10 neutral respondents who were purposively and randomly selected. The study utilized ordinary least square (OLS) regression to estimate the compliance level and the relationship between procurement function and corporate planning strategy. The findings revealed that both procurement practices and compliance level had a positive effect on corporate planning strategy and both were statistically significant at p

Source: KNUST
Assessment of procurement management challenges with in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies - case study of Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem

The aim of this study was to assess the procurement challenges in KEEA Municipal Assembly. With this aim, two (2) objectives were set which were to identify the procurement challenges in KEEA Municipal Assembly and to identify the causes of the challenges encountered in the Municipal Assembly. In achieving the two (2) objectives, literature review was carried out to which elaborated on the challenges and the causes of the challenges facing procurement management in the municipal and district assemblies. Based on the review, a questionnaire survey was conducted in which forty-six (46) questionnaires were retrieved and used for the data analysis. The data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages and mean score ranking. From the analysis, it was realized that, inadequate qualified personnel and the market structure assessed by colleagues favors the tendering process were the most significant procurement challenge. This was followed by political influence and deficiencies in professional knowledge and skills. Also, from the analysis, it was realized that, the major causes of the challenges in procurement included delays in the implementation of the procurement decisions, unavailability of funds in the procurement departments and bureaucratic process in procurement. Based on the findings, it was recommended that, the organization or assemblies in particular should consider procurement activities as one of the activities which should be into consideration and be given priorities. The government of Ghana should not neglect the procurement department and should not take it by granted. Also, it was recommended that the government of Ghana should plan for program to all municipal and district Assemblies to provide training on public procurement procedures

Source: KNUST
Assessment of Productivity Management Practices on Ghanaian Construction Sites

There are undue cost overruns, delays and loss of productivity associated with the delivery of major capital construction projects in most developing countries. However, productivity measurement remains one of the basic techniques for efficient and effective performance. With the continuous increase of competition in the construction industry coupled with increasing cost of labour, construction contractors are continuously searching for ways of eliminating waste and increasing productivity. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess productivity measurement practices on construction site, which was guided by these research objectives namely: to assess the important attributes to productivity measurement, to identify factors affecting productivity and to establish ways of improving the technique in general. On this basis, critical review of literature was done, leading to questionnaire design. Questionnaires were administered to D1K1 contractors purposively. Data collected from the survey was analysed using descriptive statistic and Kendall’s Wallis test. Findings of the research point out to the fact that, curbing construction delay, increasing in output rate, motivation of workers and improving company’s performance were the most significant factors for which a company will implement productivity measurement techniques. In addition, plant and equipment, site organization, government policy, materials and labour force, proper planning were also classified as factors which affect the practices of productivity measurement among various construction firms under studied. Moreover the research revealed that for efficient and effective practices of productivity, the following should be put in place namely: improved health and safety, proper materials handling, workers motivation, proper site layout and setting targets for workforce. The research therefore, recommended that workers should be trained in the area of productivity measurement, through seminar and workshop. Furthermore, a research can be done by including the other classes of contractors.

Source: KNUST
An Assessment of Project Communication Management on Construction Projects in Ghana

All the various stages of construction rely on professionals transferring appropriate and relevant information to develop a buildable design that meets the client’s requirements. As the project unfolds and the design is realized, information in the form of drawings, specifications and construction methods must be communicated from one expert to another. Therefore, using an appropriate communication method and communication medium to resolve construction and design problems is essential. In order to fully appreciate communication in the Ghanaian construction industry, the following questions were articulated for the research: how have project professionals communicated on construction projects in Ghana? How do project professionals value communication on projects. Also, the research sort to find out whether project communication has any effect on project delivery in Ghana. The research sampled 97 professionals working with consultants, project clients and contractors with D1K1 classification. The research established that within the Ghanaian construction industry, there is a strong appreciation of the importance of project communication and its importance within the industry. Indeed, various levels and channels of communications have been established within the construction industry notably the communication between the clients and consultants or consultants and contractors. In spite of that, there have been many hindrances to effective communication on construction projects in Ghana. These includes; poor listeners, poor leadership, unclear communication objectives, unclear channels of communication, ineffective reporting system, ineffective communication between the parties on the project, stereotyping and language difficulties. Finally, the research established that poor communication had resulted in project delays, project cost overrun and project abandonment. Project communications was also shown to strongly affect the performance of professionals within the construction industry.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of project closing procedures at Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority-Tema

It is estimated that Ghana loses up to $25 million annually via unfinished projects. This amount is equivalent to 667 additional three-unit classroom blocks per year which would accommodate an estimated 70,000 students (Williams, 2017). At the same time there are projects which take too long to close even though these projects would have been better identified and marked as not-to-be-pursued. The aim of this study is to assess project closing procedures adopted by Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) in closing projects. Specifically, the thesis seeks to look at best practices for project closure process, to document project closure procedures adopted by GPHA, and to compare project closure procedures of GPHA with the best practice. The research methodology adopted for this study is qualitative, whiles data was collected through interview of project managers and supervisors at GPHA. Deductive approach to data analysis resulted in a number of funding’s. Documentation requirements, complete drawings; final project report, provision of people trained on operating product of facility, customer training, and project audit were some of challenges with project closing procedures adopted by GPHA. The procedures most appropriate for closing projects at GPHA emphasizes on communication between the different parts of the project like steering committee, managers, developers and analysts. Comparison of project closing procedures of GPHA compare with best practices indicates that GPHA meet best practices in closing project looking at this specific aspect

Source: KNUST
An assessment of project communication management on social support projects A case study of Action Aid Ghana

Communication is very vital in the quality of the relationship, trust and collaboration among social support project teams and stakeholders. Most literature suggests that, effective communication in project management is key to achieving improved project performance hence the need to use the appropriate communication tool for project success. To appreciate the role of communication in the delivery of social support projects, this project work aims at understanding the communication needs of project teams, their preferred communication channels and possibly determine the causes of communication barriers. The research used census on 96 project professionals and stakeholders working with NGO‘s, as project managers, project accountants, consultants and other stakeholder such as the law enforcement agencies in DOVVSU, CHRAJ etc. The research established that, project professionals who manage social support projects do appreciate the importance of project communication and its importance especially within the NGO sector. It was found from the study that, different channels of communications have been established, notably formal communication between project teams and stakeholders using emails, letters and telephone. Despite all this, there have been many challenges to effective communication on social support projects. Some of these barriers includes; poor listeners, poor leadership, unclear communication objectives, unclear channels of communication, ineffective reporting system and language difficulties. Again, the research established that cultural and political interference and lack of available resources are key factors with a higher tendency of affecting the performance of professionals within the NGO sector if not properly managed. It is upon these facts recommendations are made to a quarterly trainings or workshops on communication management for all staff members of organizations especially project team members.

Source: KNUST
An assessment of project communications management in the Ghana land administration project phase ii (LAPII)

Failure to deliver successful projects has been at the top of the list of management concerns for many years, and ineffective communication has been identified as one of the main reason why most projects fail. This study was an empirical investigation into the assessment of Project Communications Management in the Ghana Land Administration Project Phase II (LAP II). In order to achieve the aim of the study, the following objective were advanced; to identify the various communication channels employed in the LAP II; to identify the challenges encountered in the management of the communication channels; and to identify effective ways of managing the communication channels. The research depended largely on primary data source from sixty-five respondents using questionnaires. The target population constituted about two hundred stakeholders of the Land Administration Project. The non-probability sampling technique was used in this study. At the end of the study, the various communication channels employed in LAP II in their order of ranking or magnitude of occurrence were Meetings, Seminars/Workshops, Daily Team Briefings, Reports, E-mails, Focus Group Discussions, Social media (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), Panel Discussion, Notices/posters, Presentations, Advertisement, Brochures/newsletters, Town Hall Meetings, Newspaper and Video Conferencing. The challenges encountered in the management of the communication channels were: Lack of free flow of information; Difficulties in accessing information on the internet; Delays in receiving information; Ineffective reporting system; were perceived to be most challenging because their relative importance index values fell above the minimum importance threshold value of 0.700. Poor quality of printed materials, unclear communication channels and unclear Communication Objectives were perceived not be challenging because their relative importance index values fell short of the minimum importance threshold value of 0.700. Lastly, the study identified some strategies that were used to effectively manage the communication channels which include; Clear Chain of Command, Communication with Teams, Executives and Leadership; Regular Team Briefings; Avenues for Knowledge Sharing and documents; Use of Mobile Technology among Team Members; Bottom-up Approach to Communication and Use of Multilingualism during workshops/seminars. It can therefore be concluded that, in project communication management, the choice of theiii right communication channel and appropriate communication tools are key ingredients in ensuring effective communication delivery. It is therefore recommended that project managers/team leaders consider the design and deployment of the right communication channels and tools for the successful implementation of their projects.

Source: KNUST
An Assessment of Procurement Procedures on Project Cost Performance: A Case Study of Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly.

Procurement procedure adopted hugely influences the overall cost of the project. To address such concerns, this study sought to assess the effects of procurement procedures on project cost performance in the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly. Using snowball sampling technique, a total 70 questionnaires were administered to management staff, finance officers, planning officers and engineers’ in various departments in the assembly. 60 completed questionnaires collected from the survey were analyzed using relative importance index. The findings revealed ensuring price competition, enhances transparency and ensures accountability as the most significant impacts of procurement procedures on project cot performance. Also, design and build and two-stage procedure procurement approaches were considered by the respondents as the most important procurement procedures. The findings and recommendations of this study may be beneficial to procurement professionals and policy makers who are in search of innovative means to improve project cost performance. It is recommended that further research could be conducted on examining the relationships among the various significant procurement procedures through a structural equation modelling.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of project management processes in Scholarly Book Publishing in Ghana

Scholarly books are essential materials for teaching, learning and research purposes. Over the years, the writing and publishing of scholarly books in Ghana have seen improvement in the midst of challenges that militate against scholarly authors and publishers. People across Africa consume scholarly works in excess of production and this reinforces the application of project management processes to enhance the quantity and quality of scholarly books published within schedule, cost and scope. The sampling technique adopted was purposive sampling to gather rich data from the sample size of fifteen respondents. The research was purely qualitative which used semi-structured interview; case study was the design framework adopted and the data were analysed with narrative and content analysis. The study aims to explore project management processes in enhancing the traditional processes of scholarly book publishing in Ghana and addresses three objectives: to establish traditional processes of scholarly book publishing; to identify inherent barriers and to develop project management methodology to mitigate against barriers in the processes. The study begins by giving a background to the subject and the understanding of thesis was advanced with an empirical, theoretical and conceptual review of literature on traditional processes of scholarly book publishing and project management processes. The study shows the traditional processes of scholarly publishing which constitute manuscript acquisition, editorial development, acquisition of ISBN, production and marketing. It identifies major barriers which constitute acquisition of substandard manuscripts and limited number of quality manuscripts, funding for scholarly book projects, expensive nature and delay of peer review and editing, lack of publisher’s control over contents and difficulties of marketing, distribution and sales which involves poor marketing of scholarly books leading to poor sales and the emergence of systemic problems or lack of synergy among scholarly publishers, authors and lecturers; unidentified target readership; the expensive nature of intensive marketing/ selling strategies of scholarly books in Ghana; lack of interest for most bookshops/ booksellers to take stock of scholarly books and sell and duplication (photocopying) and use of smart phones to capture scholarly books by students tend to pose some limitations on the publishing of scholarly books in Ghana. The study develops project management methodology to mitigate the identified challenges that inhibit the effectiveness of the traditional processes and to introduce predictability into the publishing of scholarly books.

Source: KNUST
Assessment of project monitoring and evaluation practices on construction projects in Ghana.

The aim of project delivery is to make sure the primary objectives are accomplished. And this is immensely affected by project monitoring as well as evaluation. These play an important role in achieving project success. Howbeit, the execution of these in our local construction industry, i.e. Ghana, has witnessed a great deal of hindrances, difficulty and objections. This has therefore resulted in the poor performance of construction firms all over the country. The purpose of this study is to find and evaluate the various practices, barriers faced by projects and the drivers that push for the implementation of monitoring and evaluation practices of construction projects in the construction industry. The study used quantitative research methodology and a field survey design as well as literature review. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered for relevant response from the major stakeholders in the Ghanaian construction industry in Accra using purposive sampling. The quantitative data was analysed using the one sample t-test and mean score ranking in SPSS. The results indicated that, the practices mostly used in the construction industry are; the use of participatory monitoring approach which is important for guiding decision making as well as project mapping which communicate what task needs to get done and which resource will be allocated to complete in what timeframe. The results again indicated that, the barriers to monitoring and evaluation are; dominant use of donor procedures and guidelines in monitoring, not incorporating lessons learned which is a cost effective project management tool to bring together any insights learned during any project for a future project, improvement of PM&E targets which are not in line with the requirements and estimations of proposed recipients, sustainability is often not considered and lack of a thorough national database PM&E framework are the barriers . The results also indicated that, project budget, which is the total amount of money that is allocated for the project, the extent of participation and capacity for M&E, project scope and size and the duration are mostly the drivers for monitoring and evaluation. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on the challenges to effective monitoring and evaluation of construction projects. The drivers identified are important in driving the application of project monitoring and evaluation and should be taken note of. It is therefore recommended that, a best practice framework can be done on the implementation of project monitoring and evaluation practices.

Source: KNUST