Assessment of Adherence to Formal Rules in Resource Distribution in Ghana: The Case of the Ghana School Feeding Programme in the Birim South District

Abstract

Ghana adopted the School Feeding Programme in 2005. The programme was designed to impact on agriculture, rural poverty and education by using domestically produced food items to provide at least one hot nutritious meal to school children in poor communities. The Birim South District Assembly started the programme in 2006/2007 academic year with four schools but as at the time of the study this number has increased to twenty three. The main objectives were: to assess the extent to which the stakeholders of the programme adhered to the selection criteria for both schools and caterers; and to assess the monitoring procedures in place to ensure quality service delivery. The study was conducted in twenty one of the twenty three beneficiary schools. Using one-on-one interview, the views of the key stakeholders were obtained and analyzed using the interpretivist approach. The study found that the implementation of the programme had not adhered to the policy guidelines in the selection of both the beneficiary schools and caterers. Key stakeholders in the programme had been sidelined. There were no strong procedures to ensure quality service delivery by the caterers. The exclusion of the community had cost the community commitment which could have ensured sustainability of the programme. The study therefore recommends the setting up of implementation committees at both district and school levels to include all stakeholders of the programme and mandate the head teachers to monitor the activities of the caterers.