The Planning and the Management of the Community School Alliance (CSA) Project: (Case Study of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District, Ghana)
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- Examine the nature of community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED
- Determine the factors that affect community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED
- Evaluate how community participation promotes effective project planning and management
- Recommend strategies that will improve the functioning of the CSA Project.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The concept of participation
The concept of participation does not have a universal definition. However, it can be understood on the basis of different ideologies which reflect the goals that participation might achieve (Chilisa and Preece, 2005). Participation can be understood as instrumental or transformative in the achievement of an agenda or programme. On one hand, participation is regarded as instrumental whereby it increases the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of formal development programmes (Mayo & Craig, 1995). The broad goals of development are valid but institutional practices are not working. However, this can be improved by direct involvement of the beneficiaries. On the other hand, participation is seen as part of a more transformative agenda which might be antidevelopmental (Esteva & Prekash, 1998). Thus, development itself is flawed, and only by valorising other non-hegemonic voices that meaningful social change occurs. According to Cohen and Uphoff (1977), participation can be interpreted as sensitising people to make them more responsive to development programmes and to encourage local initiatives and self-help; involving people as much as possible actively in the decision-making process which regards their development; organising group action to give to hitherto excluded disadvantaged people control over resources, access to services and/or bargaining power; promoting the involvement of people in the planning and implementation of development efforts as well as in the sharing of their benefits; and in more general, descriptive terms; the involvement of a significant number of persons in situations or actions which enhance their well-being, e.g. their income, security or self-esteem. Much as the various definitions of participation vary in focus and levels of community development there are some key principles that they have in common. They all agree that participation is: Not sought through coercion; human-centred; involvement of people in decision-making; and collective sharing of the fruit of development interventions (Oakley & Marsden, 1984; Kropp, 1984).
Participation has been categorised in three broad forms as contribution, organisation and empowerment (Oakley, 1991). Participation as contribution is the dominant interpretation. Participation in development projects in the Third World is seen as voluntary or other forms of contribution by rural people to predetermined programmes and projects. Health, water supply, education, forestry, environment, infrastructural and natural resource conservation projects, for example, predominantly stress rural people’s contributions. There has been a long argument in the development literature and practice that organisation is a fundamental instrument of participation. Few would dispute the contention but would disagree on the nature and evolution of the organisation.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine the planning and the management of the community school alliance project. Ajumako-enyan-Sssiam district, Ghana forms the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
TEST OF HYPOTHESIS
H0: there is no nature of community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED.
H1: there is nature of community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED
HYPOTHESIS 2
H0: there are no factors that affect community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED.
H1: there are factors that affect community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the planning and the management of the community school alliance. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of the planning and the management of the community school alliance
Summary
This study was on the planning and the management of the community school alliance. Four objectives were raised which included; Examine the nature of community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED, determine the factors that affect community participation in the planning and management of the CSA Project in the AEED, evaluate how community participation promotes effective project planning and management and recommend strategies that will improve the functioning of the CSA Project. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam district, Ghana. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The community had the opportunity to participate in the identification, planning and the implementation as well as the management of the CSA Project at the community level. The community participated in the CSA Project by contributing resources such as land, labour, materials, artisans, money and ideas to the project. The reasons for the contribution of resources towards the CSA Project were for the love for quality education, support for the development of schools in the community and as the community’s matching fund. The CSA Project was sensitive to community participation as an approach to community development
Recommendation
- Community members should be encouraged to comprehensively participate in all facets of the project life cycle in order to ensure project sustainability.
- The planning and management of all development projects by policy makers, development partners, and government should create room for the interest and involvement of beneficiaries.
- Communities should be encouraged to contribute human, material and financial resources towards the planning, implementation and management of community based projects.
References
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