Centre for Social Policy Studies
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Item Local Content Policy And Human Capital Development In Ghana’s Oil And Gas Upstream Sector(University Of Ghana, 2022-11) Agyemang, G.Ghana formulated the Local Content and Participation Policy in petroleum activities in 2010. One of the objectives of the policy is to develop local capability through education and skill development. Skills shortage among Ghanaians persists in the upstream sector, and the issue of human capital development is looked at. This study examined the local content policies on human capital development in Ghana’s upstream sector, with a focus on upstream firms’ local content initiatives and programmes on human capital development, how employees acquire human capital and the challenges faced, and the institutional framework on human capital development in Ghana’s upstream sector. Through a qualitative approach and a case study design, this study made use of a semi-structured interview guide and document sources to collect data. The study made use of data collected from participants in upstream firms, civil society organizations, the Petroleum Commission, the Ministry of Energy, the Local Content Committee, and members of parliament. The findings of the study revealed the facilitation of human capital development through localization and succession planning, the use of competency assessment and development tools, the establishment of a human capital development policy, and infrastructural development. Further, employees were acquiring human capital through internal training, external training, e-learning, and personalized learning initiatives. However, there were several challenges to human capital development, including a perceived deliberate delay in skills transfer, difficulty finding experienced professionals, the limited capacity of stakeholder organizations, a lack of employee motivation, and inadequate information on localization. The study argues that the implementation of the local content policy has enhanced the development of human capital in Ghana’s upstream sector; however, it has not translated into targeted employment outcomes. The institutional arrangements have aided the development of human capital, though there are gaps that need to be addressed. As part of the recommendations, the government of Ghana should facilitate the capacity building of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation to train more Ghanaians, and the local content regulations should specify the maximum number of years that expatriate employees can work in the country while the Petroleum Commission improves the monitoring of the progress of employees’ training and succession through direct communication with them.Item Political Dynamics In The Adoption And Implementation Of The Free Senior High School Policy In Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Yunus, A.The various political contexts under which free education programmes have been introduced in many developing countries account for the differences in the outcomes and benefits that such interventions have produced. Beyond the generic knowledge that politics matter when it comes to governments’ commitments and dispositions to implement effective education reforms, the explanatory factors and the analytical approach on how exactly these contexts shape policy process have not fully been explored and applied to many education interventions. The Government of Ghana introduced a free Senior High School policy with the goal of achieving a functional secondary education for all with specific key milestones to meet. The political context under which the policy emerged and the manner of its adoption and implementation, however, put policy goals at risk. This study set out to explore how competitive partisan-politics shaped the adoption and implementation of the Free Senior High School policy in Ghana. The study employed a mixed method approach collecting both qualitative and quantitative data through the use of a concurrent embedded design. In this regard, 21 in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders whilst 420 Survey questionnaires were administered on Parents, Students and Teachers. From a political settlement perspective, the study argues that Ghana’s competitive partisan-politics helped shaped the Free SHS policy design, prescription and implementation. This specifically accounted for government choice of a universal approach and a presumed comprehensive policy package among others intended to achieve multiple objectives including political expediency to gain electoral support. The pursuance of the political expediency explained the hurried implementation of the policy and also a blurred policy posture as well as the political control over implementation machinery including the creation of a Free SHS secretariat. These circumstances equally explain why a universal policy intervention was introduced even under a competitive clientelistic setting. All of these have varied implications on achieving ultimate policy goal of equitable quality secondary education for all as government prioritised to achieve visible short-term targets. The study also noted the inherent opportunities under an emerging dynamics in state power alternations in Ghana beyond the weaknesses in short-term development agenda usually associated with countries with competitive clientelism. It thus therefore recommends among other things, the need to leverage this potential in order to help achieve long term social transformation and development.Item Climate Change Adaptation Interventions by Non-Governmental Organisations in Savelugu Municipality and West-Mamprusi District in northern Ghana: Implications for Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Tahiru, A.The growing phenomenon of climate change poses severe threats to the livelihood of smallholder farmers in rural African communities such as in Northern Ghana. To avert this challenge, various governments have intervened to assist smallholder farmers to overcome the hurdles posed by climate change on their livelihood. Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) have played a significant part in complementing government efforts to boost farmers’ capacity to adapt to climate change in Northern Ghana. This study investigates NGO-led climate change interventions and their implications on livelihood adaptation among farmers in Northern Ghana. Situated in the general context of Ghana’s National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, the study explored factors influencing farmers’ participation in these interventions and their effects on their livelihood along with the key constraints militating against the implementation of these NGO-led interventions. Using a concurrent mixed method, the study collected quantitative data from 80 households that had benefitted from NGO interventions and 180 households which had not. This was complemented by community-focused group discussions and interviews with NGO staff and other key informants. The quantitative data was analysed using livelihood index, propensity score matching, binary logit regression and Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance while the qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study established that climate change interventions implemented in Northern Ghana after the year 2000 were mainly aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening farmers’ adaptive capacity through climate change awareness, diversification of the sources of livelihood and promoting indigenous practices. Household participation in climate change interventions was significantly influenced by gender of the householders, household income, average household farm size, households’ participation in decision-making at the community level and membership of farmer-based organisations. The major constraints to implementation of climate change interventions are high illiteracy among beneficiary households, shortage of land, difference in household needs, adverse weather conditions, short duration of interventions and corruption by NGO staff. The study recommends coordination among NGOs in the implementation of climate change interventions in the region to avoid duplication of resource and foster the achievement of all objectives of the Ghana National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. Also, farming households should form groups to promote their participation in climate change interventions. This will make it possible for them to access the market, credit sources and other farming inputs for effective climate change adaptation.Item Challenges and Coping Strategies of Migrant Women from Northern Ghana and Effects on the Wellbeing of their Children(University Of Ghana, 2018-07) Kpedator, M.The study’s main objective was to determine the challenges of northern migrant women in la Nkwantanang-Madina and how this affects the wellbeing of their children. It also looks at the strategies these women use to cope with their challenges as migrant workers in a new destination. Using a mixed method approach, qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from the women in their new environment in La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The study participants shared their experiences through in-depth interviews and a survey. All the interviews and the survey took place at the destination city -- La Nkwantanang-Madina. The findings indicate that the migrant women were exposed to various challenges ranging from poverty, unemployment, housing, language and ethnic discrimination. To deal with these frustrations, the women engaged in informal livelihood activities such as carrying of loads for a fee, food vending, domestic assistance and trading. The trickle-down effects of the mother’s challenges on their children include irregular school attendance, inability to afford a balanced meal on regular basis as well as negative health condition of their children. The study concluded that the northern migrant women engaged their children as providers of care for younger siblings. This denied some children access to basic education. The female migrants cope with their challenges using social capital and reliance on government social intervention strategies. The study’s main recommendation is that migrant’s children should be considered for targeted educational and health services to eradicate inequalities. The study also recommends advocacy for a comprehensive training programme for the women through adult literacy classes, health care, and vocational training.Item Social, Economic and Political Influences on Risk Factors of Non-Communicable Diseases in Ghana.(University of Ghana, 2018-12) Brenyah, J.K.Poor health, especially in developing countries like Ghana, remains a major developmental challenge. This has resulted not only due to lack of resources but also due to poor governance and misplaced priorities. Many studies have looked at the occurrence of diseases in Ghana and note that, non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, strokes, cancers and chronic kidney conditions have caused disabilities and also hold back economic development. Even though research findings show the need to reduce the occurrence of non-communicable diseases, not much has been achieved because, a greater part of the efforts are clinical and curative based rather than preventive. For example, the differences in social, economic and political influences on the risk factors for non-ccommunicable diseases have not been given the necessary attention. Differences in occupational hazards, stress, places of residence, educational status, poverty, income levels, government regulations, health care system, access to media, social protection practices and host of others influence the occurrence of noncommunicable diseases within the population. It is in line with this gap in the literature that this study investigated the social, economic and political influences on risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Ghana. It was a cross-sectional study with mixed method approach. The study employed three separate data sets: hospital databases of 6,422,865 patients’ records, the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2014 with a survey sample of 12,831 but filtered to obtain a sample of 4,122 for the current study and a qualitative data of 32 interviews. The qualitative data in 4 Regions in Ghana were conducted by taking life histories of people living with noncommunicbale diseases (In-depth interviews), key informant interviews were done with Health Care Professionals and Health Policy Makers, and 6 focus group discussions were conducted. Trend analysis was employed to ascertain a 5-year trend of non-communicable diseases using hospitals based data. Descriptive statistics were generated from both the hospital databases and the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2014. Probit regression analyses were also employed with a common alpha value (p = 0.05) and the differences in social, economic and political influences were discussed. Thematic analyses were also used as explanatory model on the differences in social, economic and political influences as well as the social protection practices to further explain the quantitative data. Concentration curves models were employed to assess the degree of distribution of social, economic and political influences on non-communicable diseases risk factors of alcohol consumption, tobacco use, dietary practices and physical inactivity.The study found that, not all the differences in social, economic and political influences were significant to the risk factors of non-communicable diseases. Among the significant associations, the study found statistically significant relationship between differences in educational status and alcohol consumption (p=0.009), differences in places of residence and tobacco use (p=0.000), differences in places of residence and physical activities (p=0.000), Differences in occupational status and alcohol consumption (p=0.000), differences in occupational status and tobacco use (p=0.000), wealth quintiles and alcohol consumption (p=0.007) and differences in access to media and dietary practices (0.009). The study noted that, poverty status was the greatest influence on all the risk factors of non-communicable diseases. Again, the study found out of the concentration curve models that, there was near equal distribution of unhealthy dietary practices among the rich and poor in Ghana with the rich more inclined to do so than the poor. Moreover, the concentration curve model revealed that, 40% of the rich performs 20% of physical activities and thereby implying that, physical activities are disproportionately concnentrated among the rich. The study noted that, there was a bit of concentration of alcohol consumption among the middle to upper weath quintiles. However, it was found that, wealth quintles and tobacco consumption were equally distributed implyimg that, wealth quintiles does not influence tobacco use. Again, the major social protection for the people living with non-communicable diseases was National Health Insurance scheme followed by remittances. In conclusion, the study found that, even though noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of hospitals admissions and deaths in Ghana, the reported cases decreased especially from 2013 to 2015 due to some initial policies taken to address non-communicable diseases occurrence by stakeholders. Key words: Social, Economic, Political, Influences, Risk Factors, Non Communicable Diseases, Ghana