The meaning of SMEs are differently explained from one country to another. This implies that, SMEs has no single or unique definition (Ackah & Vuvor, 2011). However, the meaning/definition of SMEs are grounded on three major condition, these are; the nature (size) of business, the number of people engaged in the day to day administration of the business and the capital used in the operation of the business set up. In the context of Ghana, SME can be explain as a business setup or firm that ha...
Providing sanitation in rural communities in Ghana has become a huge challenge. Funds from the Government remains scarce while external or, for that matter, international donor support for sanitation in many instances have become ineffective. In today's world, where sanitation is on the high level of technology, it is sad to note that there is a silent crisis called poor sanitation which is affecting the health, well being, dignity and development of millions of people. This study explored th...
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...
Despite the increasing cost of supplying potable water to poor rural communities under Public-Private partnership models, mainstream literature has very little to offer about the effectiveness of these and other emerging models in capacity building projects for local participation in the determination and collection of water tariffs. This study adopted the before-and-after and the cross-sectional study designs to assess the effectiveness of the Tri-sector Partnership model in pro-poor water t...
Rapid population growth and low economic standards of living have had consequences for agricultural land resources in Ghana. Land shortage and poverty taken together lead to non-sustainable management practices which contribute to the direct causes of land degradation. Land degradation in turn contributes to low and declining agricultural productivity which also contributes to the continuing or worsening poverty levels in Ghana. The Bongo District of the Upper East Region is no exception. The...
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...
Abstract/Overview Agriculture is a leading source of employment for rural populations in Kenya. Through a mixed methods approach, this study sought to investigate youth participation in smallholder livestock production and marketing in Baringo County. The specific focus is on how social norms and micropolitics enable or constrain participation of particular groups of young people. The study established that personal choice, preference for paid over unpaid labour and gender norms in asset ...
This study focused on the effectiveness of communication channels in tertiary educational institutions in the Northern Region of Ghana using the University for Development Studies in Tamale as a case study. A case study research design and mixed method approach was used to guide data collection and analysis. A sample size of 285 was used out of a target population of 1,077 staff based on Krejcie and Morgan’s formula. Most of the respondents were young people aged between 26 and 45 years, mo...