ANALYSING THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECT EXECUTION IN THE AWUTU SENYA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY BY Richard Odei Akrofi (BSc. Public Administration) A Thesis submitted to the Department of Construction Technology and Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT NOVEMBER, 2019 DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the thesis. Richard Odei Akrofi (PG5321318) ……………………… ………..…………. (Name of student and ID) Signature Date Certified by. Dr. Kofi Agyekum …….………….……… …….………..…… (Supervisor) Signature Date Certified by. Prof. B.K Baiden ……………………… …………………… (Name of Head of Department) Signature Date ii DEDICATION To the Almighty God. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All Glory and honour be to the Most High God for bringing me this far in my life. Without him, I wouldn‟t have been able to make it to this far. Posterity will not forgive me if I fail to acknowledge the immense contribution of my supervisor, Dr. Kofi Agyekum for his guidance in the conduct of this work. To the study respondents, I am very grateful for your time. I also thank all the lecturers of the Department of Construction Technology and Management for the knowledge they have imparted to me. Finally, to my wife, siblings, family and friends who proved vital during my MSc studies as well as, in conducting of this research. God bless you all. iv ABSTRACT Infrastructural assets in a community or country determines the quality of life of the people. In view of the above, it has been on the policy directives of the government of Ghana to increase infrastructure assets delivery in the country through the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). The current study sought to assess the challenges faced by MMDAs in the delivery of infrastructure projects using the Awutu Senya District as a case study. Adopting a case study research design and qualitative research strategy, data was collected from key management personnel who play key role in developmental projects. The data collection was done using interviews. Data analysis was done using content and thematic analysis. From the results of the study, it was found that the Awutu Senya District Assembly embark on a number of developmental projects to meet the needs of their people. Despite the effort there still exist a huge infrastructure gaps that needs to be filled. This infrastructure gap was created as a results of inadequate funds. It was also found that the main challenges to infrastructure delivery by the assembly include political interference, Insufficient funds for project delivery, delay in release of funds by the Central government, abandonment of projects, lack of stakeholder involvement in project delivery, poor planning, delays in project delivery, project cost overruns, over awarding of contracts and delay in payment to contractors for work done. In view of the above it was recommended that the works done by the assembly should be devoid of political interference and conflict of interest. Moreover, adequate funds should be available before commencement of a project to avoid delays in project delivery and abandonment of projects. Stakeholders should also be involved in project planning and delivery. Keywords. Infrastructural projects; Challenges; Political interference; Project delivery etc. v LIST OF ABBREFIATIONS BOOT Built-Own-Operate- Transfer CIDA Canadian International Development Authority DA District Assembly DACF District Assembly Common Fund DANIDA Danish International Development Agency DBOT Design-Built-Operate and Transfer GETFUND Ghana Education Trust Fund IGF Internally Generated Funds JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency MMDA Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies NGO Non-Governmental Organisation PPP Public Private Partnership PWD Public Works Department vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ................................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................ v LIST OF ABBREFIATIONS............................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ xi CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .................................................................................. 1 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................................. 3 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Aim ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.3.2 Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 4 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................................... 4 1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................. 5 1.5.1 Contextual Scope ............................................................................................................ 5 1.5.2 Geographical Scope ........................................................................................................ 5 1.6 SUMMARY OF METHODOLOGY ................................................................................ 5 1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .................................................................................. 6 1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY....................................................................................... 7 1.9 STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH ............................................................................... 7 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................... 9 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 9 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 9 2.2 CONCEPTUAL REVIEW ................................................................................................ 9 2.2.1 Understanding Infrastructure .......................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Types of Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 12 vii 2.2.3 Infrastructure and National Development ................................................................... 13 2.2.4 Delivering Infrastructure .............................................................................................. 14 2.2.5 MMDAs and Infrastructure Projects Delivery in Ghana .............................................. 15 2.2.6 Financing of Infrastructure Project Delivery at the MMDAs ....................................... 16 2.2.7 The District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) - 1992 constitution, section 252 ..... 16 2.2.7.1 Internally Generated Funds (IGF) ............................................................................. 18 2.2.7.2 Donor Supports .......................................................................................................... 19 2.3 EMPIRICAL REVIEW ................................................................................................... 19 2.3.1 Challenges with Construction Infrastructure Delivery ................................................. 20 2.3.1.1 Financial Difficulties ................................................................................................. 20 2.3.1.2 Corruption .................................................................................................................. 20 2.3.1.3 Defective and Poor-Quality Works ........................................................................... 21 2.3.1.4 Influence of Processes by Political Heads ................................................................. 21 2.3.1.5 Poor Communication ................................................................................................. 21 2.3.1.6 Stakeholder Involvement ..........................................................................................