The Role of Communication in Local Governance: Case Studies of Tema Metropolitan and Adentan Municipal Assemblies.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish the role of communication in eliciting participation from residents in local governance using the Tema Metropolitan and Adentan Municipal Assemblies as case studies. The study sought to find out the current communication relationship between citizens and their local authorities and to establish the participation level of citizens in these assemblies. This study was also to determine how local authorities can best communicate with citizens and the kinds of information residents prefer to receive from them. The researcher used case study within a qualitative approach to conduct the research. Officers from the assemblies were interviewed and communication documents were analysed to understand how the assemblies communicate with residents. A survey was then conducted among residents to find out the effectiveness of the communication activities undertaken by the assemblies The study showed that the assemblies were using multiple channels to engage residents and the participation level of residents was above average. On the other hand, data gathered from the survey showed that residents generally feel disengaged from the assemblies’ engagement activities.