Ghana's Decentralization: Two decades and still crawling?

Inkoom, Daniel Kweku Baah

doi:10.1057/dev.2011.68

Cited by 17 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Since decentralization and community participation are integral to achieving local development priorities (González Rivas, 2014), more emphasis should be placed on the need for increased proactive steps. This view is widely held among development scholars and practitioners who are constantly pleading for active community participation in development projects, considering the immense importance of ensuring sustainable grassroots development (Inkoom, 2011) as well as a democratic environment for the key stakeholders of the projects (Mohammad, 2010). Indeed, it has become a global agitation and movement with the recognition of the role of community participation in the development process and the implications of the comprehensive and participatory principles of equality, awareness, empowerment, and development (Davids, 2012).…”

Section: Background Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Community Participation at Local Development Projects in Bangladesh: Experience from Union Parishad Governance Project

Ara,

Seddiky,

Basit

et al. 2024

ESJ

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The study aimed to develop an approach for effective community participation in local development projects. Researchers conducted a field study in Sunamgonj district, one of the most vulnerable areas in Bangladesh, and collected information from Union Parishads (UP) chairpersons and members, secretaries, committee members, and local beneficiaries through interviews, and FGDs using purposive sampling and analyzed them employing thematic analysis method. Study findings revealed that although UP is considered as a close- knit community-based organization in terms of the nature of development work and geographic location, yet inclusive decentralization and democratic environment have not been established at the local level institutions for enhancing a meaningful community participation at local level development projects due to outsider interferences, nepotism, lack of knowledge and information, top-down bureaucratic decisions, gender discrimination, and corruption. It is believed that the model of meaningful decentralized participation system would help to mobilize the comprehensive local development process.

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Section: Background Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Community Participation at Local Development Projects in Bangladesh: Experience from Union Parishad Governance Project

Ara,

Seddiky,

Basit

et al. 2024

ESJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Ghana has practiced a decentralized unitary governance system since 1988 and is regarded as a successful example of decentralization and local governance in Africa (Ahwoi, 2017; Awortwi, 2016; Resnick, 2017). The primary objectives of Ghana’s decentralization include facilitating community participation in national development and enhancing communication between the national government and local communities (Inkoom, 2011). The decentralized governance system designates local assemblies, namely metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), as the coordinating units for local development planning and implementation (Ahwoi, 2017).…”

Section: Theoretical and Conceptual Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘New Wine in Old Wineskins?’—Understanding the Framing of SDGs in the Local Government Context in Ghana

Annan-Aggrey

Arku

2023

Progress in Development Studies

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This study examines local government officials’ perspectives on framing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Ghanaian context. The emerging themes suggest a dualistic framing of the SDGs by local actors, with the SDGs framed, on the one hand, as part of ongoing development programming and, on the other hand, as a framework that facilitates local development and provides a standard for local development. Framing the SDGs as ‘new wine’ in the ‘old wineskins’ of existing local development programming risks watering down the SDGs’ ambition through localization. However, framing the SDGs as local development facilitators enables innovations embedded in the SDGs’ ‘new wine’, to enhance the ‘old wineskins’ of existing development.

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“…Countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and lately South Sudan have embraced decentralization or devolution in their governance systems. In this regard, the African decision makers seeking to prioritize democratic outcomes are often reserved by the possible influences of decentralization for national amalgamation and steadiness (Inkoom, 2011). They also incorporate deconcentration and delegation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Decentralization Policy on Service Delivery by Local Governments in the Republic of South Sudan: A case of Jubek State

Claudio¹,

Mango²

2021

IJRISS

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This article concerns the effects of decentralization on service delivery in Jubek State of South Sudan. The study adopted both descriptive survey research design and explanatory research design to identify, analyze, and describe the relationship between governance decentralization and service delivery. The study population was 1890 local government officials from Jubek State. This study used multiphase sampling technique to select the subjects of study. Both stratified random sampling technique and simple random sampling techniques were adopted to get the sample of counties and local government officials to be included in the study. A sample of 330 respondents was selected for survey. Out of the 330 respondents, 275 completed the questionnaire survey giving a response rate of 83.3%. Cronbach's alpha was used to test for internal reliability of each variable used in the study. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 23 to generate descriptive statistics.The study used tables to analyze the association between governance decentralization dimensions and service delivery variables. The findings revealed that governance decentralization had a positive significant effect on service delivery in local governments in Jubek State, Southern Sudan. Specifically, the study found out that financial decentralization (mean 3.06 at Cronbach's alpha 0.703), administrative decentralization (mean 4.03 at Cronbach alpha 0.813), citizen participation (mean 3.57 at Cronbach alpha 0.702) and social accountability (mean 3.99 at Cronbach alpha 0.714) practices, for the 7 items examined, all had positive and significant effect on service delivery. However, social accountability had a significant effect on service delivery independently but not jointly. From these study findings, it is concluded that governance decentralization had a positive significant effect on service delivery. Thus the study makes a policy recommendation that the financial decentralization, administrative decentralization, citizen participation, social accountability practices need to be facilitated to improve service delivery in local government in Jubek State.

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Ghana's Decentralization: Two decades and still crawling?

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Enhancing Community Participation at Local Development Projects in Bangladesh: Experience from Union Parishad Governance Project

Enhancing Community Participation at Local Development Projects in Bangladesh: Experience from Union Parishad Governance Project

‘New Wine in Old Wineskins?’—Understanding the Framing of SDGs in the Local Government Context in Ghana

Effects of Decentralization Policy on Service Delivery by Local Governments in the Republic of South Sudan: A case of Jubek State

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