ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Assessing the role of the actors along the cassava value chain in selected communities in Mampong in the Ashanti Region

The root and tuber (R&T) chains in Ghana has been noted to be underdeveloped. Processing is limited to traditional food stuff, mainly cassava based. The cassava value chain was also marked by weak governance within (i.e. self-regulation) and outside (e.g. laws, rules and regulations). The study which sought to assess the role of the actors along the cassava value chain in the Mampong Municipality was conducted using both formal and informal open and close ended questionnaires with cross section of the people in the municipality as well as observation techniques for the primary data. Also secondary data from publications, published and unpublished research documents were sourced. In all 75 farmer households, 10 cassava processors and some support service providers were interviewed using the quota sampling technique. Also 12 farmer field fora sites and upgrading of one cassava processing centre into a good practice centre which serve as the medium through which farmers, processors and other stakeholders learn to share knowledge and skills using focus group discussion approach. For instance, the respondents asserted that, the introduction of new and improved roasting stove has increased the output per worker per day from 45 kilo grams to 100 kilo grams which was about 150 % increase. In relation to cassava production, an acre of land produces between 18-21 tons which was far higher previous output of 9-12 tons per acre. The study revealed that, the challenges facing the cassava value chain industry in the municipality includes; weak governance for associations, low working capital, no grading and standards for processes cassava products, and inefficient market for the cassava produce. It was recommended that, producers and processors as well as MoFA agencies in the cassava industry in the municipality should endeavour to build strong farmer groups/associations and intensify marketing search to identify new markets by adopting promotional strategies and distribution channels, for instance, liaison with pharmaceuticals, textile industry and the brewery companies to supply cassava flour to them in large quantities.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Community–Based Ecotourism in Some Selected Communities in the Ashanti Region

The Community Based Ecotourism destination of the selected communities in the Ashanti region has witness tremendous attraction over the years from both domestic and international tourist. This paper critically assesses the socio-economic implications of the ecotourism development in the lives of the people in the selected communities. In particular, the level of public awareness, major contributing factors to the socio-economic impact of ecotourism and the level of local participation of the residents towards ecotourism development were examined. Data were collected by the combination of structured questionnaires, direct field observation and interview from key stakeholders including, the host communities, tourists, wildlife division of the Forestry Commission, Ghana Tourism Authority and FORIG. In all, one hundred and fifty (150) respondents were contacted. The study involved the use of both qualitative and quantitative design to gather the information. Although, findings reveals that, level of awareness is high in the community but below average outside the locality. The results from the regression analyses carried out on the impact of participation on the social and economic wellbeing of community members within the ecotourism sites show that the wellbeing of the members have improved. Also, ecotourism potentials within the three areas have the capacity for job creation, poverty reduction, economic growth and general transformation of the area if all the stakeholders such as the government, NGOs, individual and the general public are committed to the development of this worthy industry by improving the existing infrastructure, enhance image of the destination and intensify the level of awareness. The study recommends that stakeholders must initiate the promotion of tourism awareness programmes in the region; an expansion in the local tourism industry to ensuring massive community participation and the development of attraction sites.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the sources of finance in the public health institutions (a case study of Volta Regional Hospital)

The study sought to assess the sources of finance in the public health institutions with the aim of analysing the sources of finance for the public health institutions and to determine the other sources of finance for the health institutions with particular study of the Volta regional hospital. As a result, public health institutions basically finance the bulk of their healthcare expenditures from a number of sources which include general taxation, social insurance contributions, private insurance premiums, out-of-pocket payments/user fees and donor contributions from well known organizations. Therefore, the methodology adapted by the study was based on secondary data of unpublished five years financial report and interview guided questions for the entire members of the hospital management team of the Volta Regional Hospital. However, the data of the study revealed that all the financial resources were insufficient, delay of inflows and other alternative sources were unsustainable. Furthermore, the studies recommended that the finance gap should be filled by increasing the inflows of the traditional sources through special taxes, timely inflows and must find sustainable other alternative resources by intensify appealing for funds from health Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Bill Gate’s Global Health Foundation and others. In generally terms, the hospital received 97.53 percent of total expected revenue which is insufficient to meet the operational activities. Therefore, the hospitals must be financially resource to remove any healthcare inefficiency and ineffectiveness which may lead to low health productivity.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the spatial distribution of health facilities in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Inequalities in the distribution of health facilities have resulted in varying levels of accessibility to health care facilities in the country. Health facilities are better distributed in the southern part of the country compared to the three northern regions. The distribution of health of facilities is also comparatively better in urban areas compared to rural and deprived areas. As a result, accessibility to health facilities is better in southern Ghana and urban areas than the three northern regions, as well as rural and deprived areas. In the case of the northern part of the country it appears that since independence not much has been done in terms of investment in social infrastructure by successive governments compared to the southern part of the country. This study sought to investigate the issue of spatial inequality in the distribution of health facilities by using the Eastern Region for a case study. It described the distribution and accessibility to health facilities in the Eastern Region. The causes of inequalities in the distribution of health facilities in the region were also examined. Quantitative techniques have largely been used. Purposive sampling technique was also used. The study revealed that there are inequalities in the distribution of health facilities in the Eastern Region. The skewed distributions of health facilities are to the disadvantage of rural and deprived districts such as Birim North and Kwahu North in the Afram Plains while largely urban districts such as New Juaben and East Akim are comparatively better in terms of the distribution of health facilities. As a result accessibility to health facilities is poor in rural and deprived districts in the region compared to the largely urban districts. Lack of political will, conflicts such as chieftaincy dispute, lack of self initiatives by communities and difficulty in meeting population threshold for requirement for establishing facilities tend to cause inequality in the distribution of health facilities. Based on these findings it has been argued that the solution to the problem inequality in the distribution of health facilities lies in the expansion of health infrastructure, the intensification outreach health services, timely release of funds, and early resolution of conflicts among others.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the sources of finance to the Liberia water and sewer corporation.

The sources of finance utilized by the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation were explored in this study. The study employed a single case study approach where the Managing Director served as the sole participant for the study. Through a structured interview guide, the study was able to ascertain both the internal and external sources of finance available to the Corporation as well as the challenges encountered in assessing finance for the Corporation. According to the findings of the study, the internal sources of finance utilized by the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation included connection charges and tariffs. On the other hand, external sources of finance utilized by the Corporation included subsidy, donations, grants and loans from International Donor Agencies. The challenges encountered in accessing internally generated funds include water theft, inadequate metering and billing as well as leakages and delay in the payment of bills. However, the challenges encountered in accessing funds from external sources included donor conditionality and bureaucracy. The study further found that, as a result of these challenges, the Corporation is unable to expand its services to new customers. The study therefore recommended that, since illegal activities is a prominent challenge to generating internal funds for the Corporation, there is the need to set up a team solely responsible for monitoring illegal connections and executing various forms of punishment to perpetrators in order to serve as a deterrent to others. The study also recommended for effective partnerships with International donors and also good management of funds received from such donors.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Sustainability of Raw Water Supply in Nawuni River for Tamale Metropolis and Environs

Water supply service arguably is the most essential of all public service in Ghana and any obstruction to its delivery threating human survival. A major challenge to water supply is the rapid urbanisation that has increased demand for water in the urban areas; putting pressure on service provider to meet demand of urban dwellers. Perennial water shortages in Tamale is linked to several factors including the inability of the service provider to keep pace with the demand of the rapidly increasing population of the city. Looking forward, this situation could be exacerbated by competing water uses upstream the city supply source and natural climate variation. Assessment of the reliability of water supply to satisfy future demand is therefore crucial in order to plan and make informed decisions towards preventing possible future water crises. This study investigates the sustainability of water supply to Tamale metropolis and environs using Water Evaluation and Planning Model (WEAP). Operating on the basic principle of water balance, WEAP can be applied to municipal as well as agricultural water systems, complex or single catchment system. The assessment was made based on the analyses of the following scenarios: Reference scenario, Scenario 1: High Population and Socio-economic growth, Scenario 2: Intensifying upstream water use and Scenario 3: Extended Dry Climate under above scenarios. The alternative scenarios were then evaluated which aimed at possible future situations up to the year 2035. The model results revealed that, intensifying upstream water use as projected in the study do not have impact on the downstream water availability for sustainable water supply for Tamale Metropolis and environs. However, the assessment based on Scenario 1: High Population and Socio-economic growth results showed significant value (229 million cubic meter) of Unmet Demand in year 2035 for Urban and rural demand site; indicating that there will be shortage of water in the future if this scenario occurred. Finally, under Scenario 3, where supply and resources data was adjusted using the Water Year Method to see how natural variation in climate data (stream flow, rainfall etc.) affect demand and supply, the results showed that, the water demand will outstrip raw water supply by 2029 when Extended Dry Climate is inherited from scenario 1: High population and Socio-economic growth. In 2030, there is deficit of supply of 10 million cubic meter which increased to 342 million cubic meter in 2035 under Urban and rural demand site. It is therefore recommended to investigate possible options of water storage reservoir to mitigate the effect of extended dry season.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the succession practices among retail business owners in Ghana: a case of selected SME owners in Adum, Kumasi.

The continued existence of a business enterprise after it has been handed over to successive generations is a desire among business owners globally. This phenomenon is key to sustainable economic development of every country and the world as a whole, since retail businesses form an integral part of every national economy. This thesis focused on exploring the grooming of possible successors of retail businesses in Adum, Kumasi to take over the businesses. The overarching aim for this research was to understand the age-old problem of low survival rate of most business enterprises in Ghana after the business is transferred from the first generation of ownership. Grooming of successors is an important step in the process of the succession planning which focuses on the training of the next generation for takeover. The study was a qualitative research, using a semi-unstructured interview guide, thirty-five (35) interviews were conducted with selected businessmen and women in Adum, the Central Business District in Kumasi, Ghana. The study revealed that unlike in the past, a lot of emphasis is now placed on the formal education of would-be successors by the incumbent business owners. Furthermore, once a child reaches adolescence, he or she is taken through the rudiments of operating a particular business until he or he is of age. The study recommends a framework for succession planning which should include strengthening the process of grooming to ensure continuity of the business to enhance economic development. In this way, retail businesses and other businesses within the informal sector of the economy can develop and exist over a longer period of time. Conclusively, it came to the fore that most SME owners think about succession but not necessarily plan it.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the supply chain management practices of agrifood companies to minimize waste: A case study of blue skies Ghana limited

Supply chain management has become a major part of the management systems of various firms due to the numerous benefits associated with supply chains in today’s business environment (Yeboah et.al., 2014). The perishable nature and short shelf-life of horticultural products, make the management of the supply chain processes associated with them very important since improper management could easily lead to the wastage of large volumes of fruits and vegetables. The study had three objectives: to identify all the processes involved in the supply and distribution of agri-food products at Blue Skies Ghana Limited, to determine the inefficiencies and problems associated with it and to establish practices that will aid to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the supply chain management processes at Blue Skies. A purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study which had a population of 35 respondents however only 31 questionnaires were validly completed and retrieved. The tools used for analysis were mean score ranking and relative importance index. The data was then presented in tables and pie charts. The study revealed that the main problems causing bottlenecks in the Blue Skies supply chain were lack of good roads and infrastructure, lack of adequate storage facilities and availability of only small land holdings to farmers. It was also discovered that volume and delivery flexibility as well as return on investment were the key performance indicators that were not being met by the firm. Lastly, it was brought to light that in order for Blue Skies to have a more efficient supply chain they must put measures in place to ensure good customer relationship management as well as review their logistics plan.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Status of Water Point Sources Case Study: Ejisu- Juaben Municipality

Ghana and the world at large have committed themselves to attaining universal water coverage by the year 2015. Since the advent of this target, the focus has been on provision of water and increase in coverage rather than on type of water point sources; their location, quality, functionality and sustainability and for that matter little or no data exist on these factors. This study therefore sought to achieve these by mapping the water point sources within chosen study area, Ejisu-Juaben municipality, to provide technical information for sustainable management. In order to attain this objective, water point sources within the study area were identified and mapped, their quality as well as functionality was assessed. Finally factors affecting the sustainability of the water point sources were also identified. A period of three months was used for data collection and sampling within fifty four (54) communities out of eighty eight (88) based on four municipal zones (division). A total of 415 water point sources were identified and mapped using a Global Position System (GPS, DR Garmin) and water point mapper. The results showed that Boreholes (60%) and hand dug wells (39%) are the main water point sources within the municipality with 1% rain harvesting. Also, 54% of the water point sources are privately owned and managed (constituting 59% funding) and the remaining 46% being community owned with 34% funding from Government, 1% from NGOs and the remaining (6%) by the communities themselves. In terms of functionality, 11% of the water point sources were not functioning as a result of low yield, faulty pumps and high iron concentrations. A total of 114 water samples were analysed for physico-chemical and bacteriological quality. Bacteriologically only 6 (3 hand dug wells and 3 boreholes) of the sampled water point sources were within WHO guideline and this poses a threat to health. Generally, the average pH of 5.41 (indicating acidity) was not within WHO guideline of 6.5-8.5. However, Bowohomoden, Juaben, Peminase, Kwaso and Kubease recorded traces of iron and high levels of turbidity. From the interviews conducted, Community participation (community ownership), private partnership, managerial practices (water boards and unit committees) constitute the positive factors enhancing ASSESSING THE STATUS OF WATER POINT SOURCES. CASE STUDY: EJISU-JUABEN MUNICIPALITY ASANTEWAA PATRICIA MSc THESIS Page vi sustainability whereas lack of spare parts, technical experts and lack of financial support for operation and maintenance were identified as the negative factors affecting sustainability of water point sources. It is however recommended that CWSA should educate the people on how to disinfect their water point sources to avoid any future outbreak of water related diseases.

Source: KNUST
Assessing the Sustainability of Selected Agro-processing Companies in Ashanti Region

The agro-processing industry is an important contributor to Ghana’s economy and identified as a major investment opportunity sector for the country. This study was conducted to obtain information on the financing practices and preferences of companies in the sector, examine how their market influences input cost, pricing approach and profit, and also evaluate the challenges within the industry, in an attempt to assess their sustainability. The study was conducted using a survey, and focused on companies operating in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The survey was conducted with 30 agro-processing companies who answered questions related to their current debt and equity financing, financial preferences for operational and investment activities, and challenges facing them. Statistical analyses of the responses were performed. The results showed that the major source of equity financing for agro-processing companies was their own funds. Respondents however, preferred to be financed using long term debt. This revealed a financing gap between how agro-processing companies currently finance themselves and how they would have preferred to be financed. The size of their market influenced their input cost. Bigger markets had electricity and labour as their highest input cost after raw materials. Smaller markets had certification cost, gas and government taxes as their major input cost after raw materials and electricity. The pricing approach for smaller markets were based on cost plus while for bigger markets the price approach was determined more by market price. Relatively higher profit margins were observed for companies operating in the bigger markets as compared to the smaller markets. High interest rate was the most important challenge to accessing debt financing. Cost and availability of electricity were the most important challenge facing the industry thereby making cost of production high. Competition and market constraints were the next most important challenge facing the industry. The study therefore provides necessary recommendations that can help make the agro-processing industry more sustainable.

Source: KNUST