ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
National Headquarters for VOLU, Kumasi

The scheme aims at providing a detailed and comprehensive survey and documentation of the Profile, nature of operations and methods of operation of the Voluntary Workcamps Association of Ghana - V.W.A.G (VOLU). It also aims at examining the social, economic and political impact of the Association in the Ghanaian context and the international community as well, that will ultimately lead to the design of the National Headquarters for the Association (VOLU), the sole client for the scheme. 02 SCOPE Based on the foregoing objectives, the scheme is intended to provide for a “Multi- Functional” National Headquarters with facilities to administer operations of the association Nation-wide, provide hostel accommodation with its ancillary facilities for comfort-living, provide informal education and training, and generate income as well. 03 TARGET GROUP The facility apart from being the administrative seat of Volu and thereby making it the main users, it is also anticipated .o b used by other youth organisations, the general public, students, travellers - both local and foreign, religious group, public and private institutions. 04 FINANCIERS Funding for the project is expected to come from these sources; a) VOLU Members b) C.C.LV.S. (Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service) based in Paris-France. c) National Youth Council d) National Trust Fund e) Other Doner Agencies 05 METHODOLOGY - Research approach in the form of interviews, personal observations, trends study, existing situation study, technical requirements, user requirements and making references. - Documentation of data Collected - Analysis and synthesis of data collected taking congnisance of comparative studies leading to making definite design proposals for the eventual design of the “National Headquarters for VOLU”.

Source: KNUST
National Housing Policies and Housing Delivery in Ghana: Analysis of Building Material Policy and Implementation Outcome

Housing as a social need performs a vital role in economic development. Unfortunately, however, the delivery of housing worldwide has not been able to meet demand. Many developing countries, including Ghana, have realized that one of the major causes of the delivery shortage is the high cost of construction attributable mainly to the high prices of building materials. These building materials, majority of which are imported consume between 50-70 percent of the total cost of construction. To address the problem of high construction cost, policies regarding the development, promotion and utilization of locally developed building materials have been pursued by government since 1 970s. Research institutions like the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) and the Department of Housing and Planning Research (DHPR) both in Kumasi have been established to pioneer the development and promotion process. Efforts made by Research Institutions have resulted in technical progress in the provision of Micro-Concrete Roofing Tiles (MCRT), Clay Bricks and Roofing Tiles and the use of lime as stabilizing material inter-alia. Unfortunately however, the objectives of the policies are not realized due to lack of adequate resources for the research institutions, lack of proper policy planning and implementation methods and poor societal perception of locally developed building materials among others. Utilization levels of the locally developed building materials among both private and public estate developers are very low. Reasons advanced by these developers for such low levels include the lack of confidence in the technical durability of the materials, unreliable supply of the materials resulting in high utilization cost and delays and societal perception of the materials as “poor man’s materials”. Public sensitization and education on the comparative advantages of the local building materials over the traditional ones, adequate financial support from the government to the research institutions and producers, the proper planning and implementation of building materials policies and government leadership in the use of these materials through the District Assemblies and other public projects are issues that would have to be vigorously pursued to enhance utilization levels of the local materials.

Source: KNUST
National House of Chiefs, Kumasi – Asennua

The National House of Chiefs Will be a special parliament house for carrying-out and co-ordinating all Chieftaincy related activities in Ghana. The riches of Our Ghanaian Culture and the fact that the majority of the populace are within the Rural Areas and their close association with chieftaincy accentuates the need for an adequate facility capable of ensuring preservation of Cultural Heritage and to make efficient the organisation of chiefs within the Nation’s Economic Recovery Programme. The House will therefore be a microcosm of the Nation ‘S cultures, a symbolic indigenous socio-political authority with the aim of developing unity in the indigenous political set-up and in modern political trends.

Source: KNUST
National Legislative Framework for Development Planning in Ghana

The government in Ghana has never been successful in attempts to introduce integrated development planning. This has been exacebated lack of planning legislation that emphasizes an integrated planning process. Community participation in decision- making has never been encouraged nor made mandatory in the plan- making. As a result of lack of community participation the national policies have never been tested at the local level for their relevance, practicability and acceptance. There has also been lack of political-technical interaction at all levels of decision-making. The study is therefore focused on the identification of principles of planning upon which legislation should be prepared as a result of government policies, and the analysis of public acceptance and practicability of implementing government proposed legislation. The study was conducted by using an interview schedule to a selected sample of opinion leaders in Kwahu District and Accra. The main findings were the following: 1. Past: legislations on planning failed to meet the principles of planning that are necessary for decentralized development decision-making. 2. The proposed legislation meets the principles of planning. 3. The principles upon which the legislation is based is basically accepted by the public officials and the communities. 4. Community participation is already being introduced though limited to labour and financial contribution to development. The conclusion that can be drawn is that the government policy on development and decentralization and proposed legislation is accepted by the public and the transfer of power to the District Assemblies should be done gradually.

Source: KNUST
National Olympic Sports Complex - Accra

The National Olympic Committee in collaboration with the National Sports Complex has proposed the construction of a Sports Complex at Abeka. This proposal was deemed necessary because of the growing need to expand our existing sports facilities once and for all to enhance both local and international interest. This proposal has been highly recommended by the International Olympic Committee (I. C. C). Previous sports structures which were thought to be economical have now proved inadequate in its functions. It falls short, firstly due to the growing populace of sports among the young and old. Secondly as a means of national revenue it is unable to accommodate all spectators at major competitions, thereby proceeds have not hit its maximum. Such a complex is therefore necessary to forestall the setbacks. It is also a step in the right direction since it will attract International attention, on the continental scale initially, and ultimately global, Accra can then be in a position to bid as a prospective host city for major International Games in future if the economic situation is improved. This is in line with the objectives of the Olympic government in fostering international friendship brotherhood and equality. This can also be a source of foreign exchange and enhance tourism and cooperation with other developed and developing countries in the world. It is assumed financing of the project is partly by Joint technical cooperation with a technically developed country.

Source: KNUST
National population-based tuberculosis prevalence survey in Ghana, 2013

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) disease is one of the three main indicators used to assess the epidemiological burden of TB and the impact change of TB control; the other two are incidence and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of TB disease among adults in Ghana. METHODS: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was conducted. Participants were screened for TB using interview and chest X-ray (CXR). For those participants with cough 2 weeks and/or abnormal CXR, spot and morning sputum specimens were collected and examined by smear microscopy and culture. RESULTS: The study revealed that the prevalence of smear-positive TB among adults (age 15 years) was 111 (95%CI 76–145) and that of bacteriologically confirmed TB was 356 (95%CI 288–425) per 100 000 population. Males and older people had a higher prevalence than their counterparts. The majority of TB cases were smear-negative and had an abnormal CXR without reported chronic cough. CONCLUSION: The survey revealed much higher TB disease burden than previously estimated. This implies that the programme needs more effort and resources to find undiagnosed and unreported cases. The higher proportion of smear-negative and asymptomatic TB cases suggests the need to revise the existing screening and diagnostic algorithms.

Source: KNUST
Native Bradyrhizobium Strains From Ghana Can Enhance Grain Yields of Field-Grown Cowpea and Groundnut

The existence of large population of ineffective native rhizobia and inconsistent performance of exotic strains in Ghanaian soils necessitate the need to identify effective and locally adapted elite strains for enhanced legume-rhizobium symbiosis.This study was designed to test the suitability of two previously selected potential elite Bradyrhizobium strains for use as inoculants on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in multilocation experiments. Field experiments were set up at 26 locations (12 planted with cowpea and 14 planted with groundnut) in the Northern region of Ghana. Four treatments were applied at each location: inoculation with Bradyrhizobium strains KNUST 1002 and KNUST 1006, a positive nitrogen (+N) control and a negative control (without nitrogen or inoculation) arranged in randomized complete blocks with four replications. The results showed that inoculation with strains KNUST 1002 and KNUST 1006 promoted significant increases in grain yields of both cowpea and groundnut. On average, inoculating cowpea with strains KNUST 1002 and KNUST 1006 resulted in 63 and 52% increases in grain yield when compared to the negative control. Pod yields of groundnut, on the other hand, were significantly (p < 0.05) increased at 57% of the study locations with one or both test strains. Responses to inoculation were, however, highly variable across the different study locations (i.e., significant Treatment Location Interaction, TLI). A detailed analysis of this significant TLI based on the genotype main effect (G) plus genotype-by-environment (GE) interaction (GGE) biplot analysis revealed that location contributed 71 and 88% of the variation observed in cowpea and groundnut, respectively, and grouped the locations into mega-environments for cowpea. These results demonstrate that native elite Bradyrhizobium strains KNUST 1002 and KNUST 1006 have potential for use as inoculants to increase cowpea and groundnut production in Northern Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Natural capital policy and economic development in Ghana: development effect of the 1994 forestry policy in the Ashanti Region

ABSTRACT This thesis examines the effort to attain economic development in Ghana through natural capital. It evaluates natural capital policy in the context of global policies in developing countries. Suggestions from literature indicate that good natural capital policy is capable of improving the well-being of the poor and should be an area of high priority for natural resource-rich developing countries. The history of natural capital policy spanning over one hundred years in Ghana, made it a country of choice for empirical evidence and consequently the most prominent natural capital policy in the country -forestry policy. The study, mainly quantitative, used both primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained through the administration of questionnaire to household heads, selected through a two-stage probability sampling procedure, in forest communities in the Ashanti Region. Secondary data were obtained mainly from the Forestry Commission of Ghana’s annual reports. The conceptual framework was based on economic criteria for evaluat ing inclusive wealth creation through forestry policy implemented in Ghana. Three analytica l techniques were employed, namely: efficiency analysis based on the Policy Analysis Matrix, cost-effectiveness analysis and equity analysis based on Lorenz curve, and Giniindex assessments. The thesis found that for all its life, forestry policy in Ghana had been driven by the normative forest science paradigm. Forestry policy in the Ashanti Region has met neither the necessary (efficiency) nor sufficient (equity) conditions for economic development. Therefore forestry policy has not been a driver of economic development in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, thereby serving as a drag on national economic development. The almost absolute silvicultural approach to forestry policy must give way to a more holist ic approach at all stages of the forestry policy process to provide the needed driving force for economic development in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Natural resource dependence and economic growth in SSA: are there threshold effects?

The debate on the natural resource curse hypothesis has attracted the attention of policy makers and policy analysts for the past few decades. However, the empirical findings on such a hypothesis have proven inconclusive. Our study investigates the threshold effects of natural resource dependence on economic growth in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) using both aggregate and disaggregate data from 1990 to 2019 by employing a threshold effect model. The results indicate a double threshold effect of natural resource rent on economic growth. In particular, below 6% of GDP, aggregate natural resource rent exerts a significant negative effect on economic growth. However, as the rents increase above 6% to about 15% of GDP its negative effect on economic growth significantly reduces. In addition, beyond 15% of GDP natural resource rent exhibit a substantial significant positive impact on economic growth. Further, the disaggregated data reveal that forest rents exhibit a strong weighty adverse effect on economic growth at all levels of thresholds. The study recommends that governments within the sub region need to put in policies to ensure that natural resources generate at least 15% of GDP annually to promote growth.

Source: KNUST
The nature and administration of claims in the Ghanaian Construction Industry

The study was to discover the nature of claim administration in Ghana’s construction industry with the rationale of bringing out the appropriate approach to claim administration. Contractual claim requires a proper procedure for claim preparation and administration in construction industry in order to make contractors as well as clients obtain value for money. The methodology adopted for the study is a survey approach were contractors in the construction industry was interviewed using structured and unstructured questionnaires. The responses were analyzed using SPSS which were presented in tables and graphs. The contract administration discoveries involve late notification of claim, and inability to agree on causes of claim. The leading mode of dispute resolution practice in Ghana is mediation and conciliation. The source of information in contract administration is minutes of meetings, clients’ correspondents and letters. The study shows that in order to obtain smooth administration of claims, the contractor, with the assistance of the technical men, should be able to identify the claim, inform the client immediately and substantiate it and the client should be able to confirm it and give the necessary solution to it. From the study, it was discovered that the leading cause of claim in Ghana is delay as caused by clients which was followed by lack of adequate documentation of claim by some contractors which most of the time bring about disputes in determination of claim since evidence cannot be agreed upon unless otherwise proven through proper documentation. Delays and modification of design through late instruction takes more than 50% of the causes of claims by contractors. It is recommended that consultants in collaboration with the clients should analyze their needs critically before the design in order to avoid the incessant modifications. Also, the study recommends that clients, after notification by the contractors, should respond immediately within reasonable time in order to avert delays. The contractors as well as clients should document all contractors’ claims in order to minimize the delays in contractual claims administration.

Source: KNUST
Natural Capital Policy and Economic Development in Ghana: Development Effect of the 1994 Forestry Policy in the Ashanti Region

This thesis examines the effort to attain economic development in Ghana through natural capital. It evaluates natural capital policy in the context of global policies in developing countries. Suggestions from literature indicate that good natural capital policy is capable of improving the well-being of the poor and should be an area of high priority for natural resource-rich developing countries. The history of natural capital policy spanning over one hundred years in Ghana, made it a country of choice for empirical evidence and consequently the most prominent natural capital policy in the country -forestry policy. The study, mainly quantitative, used both primary and secondary data. Primary data were obtained through the administration of questionnaire to household heads, selected through a two-stage probability sampling procedure, in forest communities in the Ashanti Region. Secondary data were obtained mainly from the Forestry Commission of Ghana’s annual reports. The conceptual framework was based on economic criteria for evaluat ing inclusive wealth creation through forestry policy implemented in Ghana. Three analytica l techniques were employed, namely: efficiency analysis based on the Policy Analysis Matrix, cost-effectiveness analysis and equity analysis based on Lorenz curve, and Giniindex assessments. The thesis found that for all its life, forestry policy in Ghana had been driven by the normative forest science paradigm. Forestry policy in the Ashanti Region has met neither the necessary (efficiency) nor sufficient (equity) conditions for economic development. Therefore forestry policy has not been a driver of economic development in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, thereby serving as a drag on national economic development. The almost absolute silvicultural approach to forestry policy must give way to a more holist ic approach at all stages of the forestry policy process to provide the needed driving force for economic development in Ghana.

Source: KNUST
Nature and Causes of Labour Turnover among Senior And Junior Staff of Golden Star Resources Wassa Mines

The study was conducted to investigate the nature and causes of employee turnover among senior and junior staff of Golden Star Resources Wassa Mines. It aimed at describing the nature and identifying the causes of employee turnover among the senior and junior Staff employees of the company. Using exploratory and descriptive designs, 65 employees comprising 30 senior staff and 35 junior staff employees of the company were selected to participate in the study. Questionnaires were used to gather the required data which were analysed into mean, standard deviations, percentages and frequencies. The study found, among other things, that the employees were not happy about the rate of employee turnover in the company. Some of the causes of employee turnover were the unsatisfactory wages and salaries in comparison to other firms; job alternatives, job commitment, mismatch between hired labour and regular employees and unhealthy ethics and culture in the organisation and lack of opportunities to pursue higher education. It is accordingly recommended that conditions of service should be improved to prevent resignations in Golden Star Resources Wassa Mines.

Source: KNUST
The Natural Durability, Anatomy and Chemical Composition of the Stem and Branch Woods of Two Commercial Hardwood Timbers [Aningeria robusta (A. Chev) and Terminalia ivorensis (A. Chev)].

To enhance wood economic value and effective utilization, knowledge of its properties, which impact its service behaviour, is indispensable. The biochemical properties of the sapwoods and heartwoods along the stems and branches of T. ivorensis and A. robusta were studied to provide adequate information to enhance their efficient utilization, especially branchwood, whose use could widen the raw material base of the timber industry. Macerated samples and microtomed sections (radial, longitudinal and tangential), TAPPI and field tests respectively were employed to determine tissue dimensions and proportions, chemical component percentages and the natural durability. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to test for differences between axial and radial position and tree portions and correlation and regression analysis were used to determine the relationships among the biochemical properties. Stemwood recorded wider vessel lumen diameter, greater fibre and vessel proportions with less parenchyma than the branchwood. Fibre length, diameter, lumen diameter and double wall thickness were greater for T. ivorensis stemwood (1296.7-1508.6, 19.8-23.4, 13.3-17.3 and 6.0-6.5µm respectively) than branchwood (1046.0-1116.5, 19.2-21.2, 13.1-15.2 and 5.7-6.3µm respectively). Similarly, A. robusta stemwood recorded greater values (1182.9-1302.3, 22.9-23.9, 15.3-18.6 and 6.2-7.6µm respectively) than branchwood (995.1-1145.3, 20.1-22.42, 15.1-17 and 4.9-5.6µm respectively). Fibre proportions decreased up their stems (51.5-42.5%) and branches (51.2-40.0%). Their sapwood and heartwood vessel and parenchyma percentages were greater at bases than top. Vessel lumen diameters increased with stem height but decreased along branches. T. ivorensis had 39.0-41.9%, 18.1-23.6%, 31.6-32.9% and 1.58-9.9% and A. robusta 39.1-40.5%, 32.6-34.0%, 24.9-26.6% and 0.37-1.6% cellulose hemicellulose, lignin and extractives percentage respectively. the amounts were greater for stemwoods, except for more branchwood hemicellulose percentages. Extractives and lignin were also greater for heartwoods than sapwoods, which also had more cellulose and hemicelluloses. A. robusta was rated non-durable; it was completely degrade; lost 100% weight and hardness. Natural durability of T. ivorensis decreased with height along the stem and branch, was greater for stem heartwood (moderately durable to very durable) than branch heartwood (moderately durable) and for heartwood than sapwood. Chemical components were great determinants of natural durability, while the anatomical features were poor determinants of natural durability for T. ivorensis. The biochemical properties of the branchwoods of T. ivorensis and A. robusta, compare favourably with their stemwoods and with utilizable hardwoods. The branchwoods could suitably be utilized to avoid wastage and increase the raw material base of the wood industry.

Source: KNUST