Abstract:
Increasing population growth and rapid urbanization over the years have outpaced socio-economic infrastructures needed to give communities a minimum standard of living. Bridging the gap therefore requires the active participation of communities in social development projects. Unfortunately, previous studies have found that communities are not adequately involved in the decision-making process of projects that affect their lives, thereby raising the questions about project sustainability and the approaches to urban community development.
Urban community development approaches in developing countries and particularly in Ghana thus have been criticized as top-down development approach which results in lack of community involvement, misplaced priority and lack of community ownership of projects. As a result of these, development practitioners and researchers have advocated for bottom-up development approach with focuses on participatory approach to urban community development.
Using Ga East Municipality as a case study, a survey was conducted by administering questionnaires to 80 representatives of organized groups. In addition, the Development Planning Officer, Presiding Member and five members of the Social Service Committee were interviewed to examine the role community members play in social development projects, the extent of their participation, their perceptions on development and how community participation affect project identification and implementation.
The results of the study showed that a large proportion of the respondents participate in social development projects by helping to outline the pressing challenges facing the community, providing the resources to help solve those challenges like labour, and also seeing themselves as part of the projects and owning them. Community development was also seen as the responsibility of the government, Assembly and community members. The crosstab analysis revealed that participation significantly affects project identification and implementation. Based on the findings, the study recommended for the Assembly to ensure high and consistency in participation by community members in development projects.