Improving access to safe water, adequate sanitation and proper hygiene are on the frontline of eforts to combat related diseases and their accompanying efects. Using a household survey, focus group discussion and key informant interviews, the authors explored how rural livelihoods could be improved through water and sanitation interventions. The study revealed a complex web of configuration between water and sanitation interventions and rural livelihoods. The study found that the provision of...
Economic development has been advocated as vital to Africa's integration in the world economy. Using a Labour and Employment Relations perspective as well as institutional and cooperative theories, I propose a conceptual model that links institutional alliance for skill development (ASD) proximally to labour market systems, and distally to economic development of African countries. The nature, outcomes of ASD, and contributions to economic development are discussed. Finally, I offer propositi...
Policy dialogues have become topical in the development arena in recent time. This arose, in part, from the concern for issues on rights and marginalisation. Methodologies for dealing with such dialogues are however rare. In this paper, we make an effort to contribute to this 'grey area' by presenting one experience as a case study. We start the paper by making an entry through endogenous development as a paradigm shift for development intervention. We highlight the need for co-evolution of k...
Social cash transfers as a strategy for poverty reduction acquired prominence in Latin America but spread later to the rest of the developing world because earlier poverty reduction strategies did not make many gains. Most studies on cash transfer schemes seem tilted towards evaluating their impacts while neglecting the arguments surrounding their design and operations. As such, this paper reviews some of the debates that engulf social cash transfers as a form of social assistance. The review...
The desire of my students in the University for Development Studies - Ghana, for knowledge and information, and some practical guide to practitioner conduct motivated me to do this paper. 1 start by giving a theoretical exposition to the concept of endogenous develop- ment and link it up with current issues of globalisation and poverty. I briefly dis- cuss ongoing work on among European institutions and professors that suggest shifts in Europe from exogenous to endogenous development. Encoura...
This paper utilizes household level data to ascertain the capacity-building role of District Assemblies (DAs) in the Northern Region of Ghana with emphasis on indigenous sheanut producers. One hundred and three (103) respondents were interviewed in three Districts of the Northern Region of Ghana during the 200112002 farming season. The study reveals that women constitute the primary producers and sellers of sheanut products in the Region. Poor access to finance (credit) is the most severe con...
This study used the stochastic frontier model to examine the technical, allocative and economic efficiency of maize production in northern Ghana using cross-sectional data for the 2011/2012 cropping season. Conventional inputs such as farm size, seed, fertilizer, labour and weedicides were statistically significant and had positive effects on maize output in northern Ghana using the Cobb-Douglas functional form. The mean estimates were 85.1%, 87.8% and 74.7% for technical, allocative and econ...
Global debates on social protection have raised concerns about the appropriateness of the targeting approach for better inclusion. This study contributes to these debates by exploring the specific challenges associated with the targeting mechanism adopted by the Ghana Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty (LEAP) program within the Upper West Regional program district of Wa Municipality of Ghana. Qualitative data on beneficiaries’ perceptions and experiences with the LEAP programme were col...
Governance of international migration, which involves cross-border movement of people from adjoining countries and intra – and extra-regional non-adjoining countries, is currently a topical global issue. South-North and South-South are the commonest directional migratory flows; eighty percent of the latter is cross-border, a widespread phenomenon within the Southern African Development Community. Over the years, the popular view in South Africa has been that African migrants mainly negative...
Poverty reduction has become so topical that it appears no proposal for multinational or bilateral funding receives any attention unless there is evidence of how the project would reduce poverty especially among women and children. The Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRSI) document revealed that the three northern regions of Ghana are still in the leading pack of administrative regions contributing approximately 40% of the poor in Ghana. This paper examines the nature, dimensions and failu...
This paper entails an analysis of the spatial organization of small-scale industries in the Kasena-Nankana District of Ghana within the context of regional development and decentralization. It examines the driving forces that give rise to the existing spatial pattern, assesses the spatial and functional linkages of such industries and determines the their implications for district development planning in Ghana. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, the paper ...
Abstract Stakeholders’ participation in construction projects is key for its success. Decision making is an integral part in a project. This paper purposed to examine influence of stakeholders’ participation in decision making on performance of construction projects in Kakamega County, Kenya. The scope of this paper covered construction projects funded by National Government- Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) in public secondary schools in Kakamega County Kenya. Data collection was ...
Abstract This study examines the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church's response to the management of youth dropout rates in Nyamira County, Kenya. Youth disengagement from the educational system has profound implications for their social and academic outcomes. Recognizing the significance of addressing this issue, the SDA Church, as a central institution in the community, plays a vital role in providing effective solutions. Using a critical youth development lens, the study investigates how a...