KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY KUMASI DECENTRALISATION A TOOL FOR GRASSROOT DEVELOPMENT A CASE STUDY OF ASUTIFI DISTRICT By Emmanuel Kwadwo Antwi B.A (IRAI ) A Thesis submitted to the Institute of Distance Learning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Of COMMONWEALTH EXECUTIVE MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Institute of Distance Learning July 2011 1 CERTIFICATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work towards CEMPA and that, to the best of my knowledge , it contains no material previously published by another person nor materials which has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the University, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. .................................................................. .............................. ................................ Student Name Signature Date Certified by: …………………………..……………….. …………………… ………………….. Supervisor name Signature Date Certified by: ……………………………………………… …………….. …..………… Head of Dept. Name Signature Date 2 ABSTRACT Various initiatives designed to put in place decentralized mechanisms for rural development offer possibilities for building on the essential principles of integrated rural development while avoiding problems associated with an over-centralization of government functions and responsibilities. This thesis examines the role of decentralization as a tool for grassroot development in Asutifi District as a case study. A comprehensive review of various literature in connection with the study was done based on the objectives of the study one of which is understanding decentralisation and how it has been used as a tool for grassroot development in Asutifi district. Both questionnaires and personal interviews were used to solicit responses from respondents and also employed purposive and convenience methods of sampling in the execution of the work. The study has a research population of 75 who responded to issues raised in the study. Some of the major findings of this work were the fact that for decentralisation to benefit the local people in terms of grassroot development, government should not only have an ideological commitment to develop the local level but be prepare to engage actively, with local to challenge local elite resistance and Government must ensure implementation of policies which support grassroot development. 3 TABLE OF CONTENT TITLE PAGE CERTIFICATION..............................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………….….iii TABLE OF CONTENT…………………………………………………………........…iv LIST OF TABLE……………………………………………………..………………...vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................viii CHAPTER ONE 1.0.Background to the study……………………………………………………………...1 1.1 Statement of the problem………………………………………………………..……9 1.2 Objective of the study……………………………………………………...……..…10 1.3 Specific Objective………………………………………………………………......10 1.4 Research Question………………………………………………………………......10 1.5 Methodology………………………………………………………………...…........10 1.6 Scope of the study…………………………………………………………..…........11 1.7 Significant of the study………………………………………………………….......11 1.8 Organisation of the study……………………………………………………..……..11 CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………...…….13 2.2 Definition of decentralization……………………………………………..………...14 2.3 Types of decentralization…………………………………………………………...15 2.4 The role of decentralisation in grassroot development……………………………...18 2.5 Effect of decentralisation on the development of Asutifi District…………………..21 2.6 District development goals and objectives………………………………………….21 2.7 District development goal……………………………………………………….…..21 2.8 District development objectives…………………………………………………….22 2.10 Policies and practices of decentralization in Ghana…………………………….....28 2.11 History Decentralisation in Ghana……………………………………………..….29 4 2.12 Legal framework…..……………………………….………………………...……30 2.13 Sub-National Government structures………………………………………….…..33 2.14 District Assemblies…………………………………………………………….….33 2.15 Regional Co-ordinating Councils…………………………………………….…...34 2.16 Sub-District Structures………………………………………………………….....34 2.17 National Co-ordinating Institutions……………………………………………..…35 2.18 Powers and functions of District Assemblies………………………………….….36 2.19 Powers of District Assemblies…………………………………………...……..…37 2.20 Functions of District Assemblies……………………………………...………..…37 CHAPTER THREE 3.0 Introduction................................................................................................................39 3.1 Study Design..............................................................................................................39 3.2 Research Population..............................................................................................39 3.3 Sampling Size......................................................................................................40 3.4 Sampling Procedure.............................................................................................40 3.5 Decentralised Department..........................................................................................41 3.6 Assembly Members....................................................................................................41 3.7 Opinion Leaders.........................................................................................................41 3.8 Data Collection Instrument.........................................................................................42 3.9 Sources of data....................................................................................................42 3.10 Data Presentation......................................................................................................43 3.11 The Asutifi District..........................................................................................43 3.12 Population size and growth rates...........................................................................44 3.13 Population by settlement-rural urban split.............................................................44 3.14 Health facilities...............................................................................................44 3.15 Water.....................................................................................................................45 3.16 Electricity..............................................................................................................45 3.17 Post and Telecommunication................................................................................45 3.18 Roads.....................................................................................................................46 3.19 Schools..................................................................................................................46 5 3.20 Occupational distribution......................................................................................46 3.21 Vegetation............................................................................................................47 3.22 Agriculture...........................................................................................................47 3.23 Animal production...............................................................................................48 3.24 Geology and mineral available............................................................................48 3.25 Mining............................................................................................................49 CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………....……50 4.1 Presentation of findings………………………..……………………………...……50 4.2 Responses from Assembly Members and departmental Heads………………..........50 4.13 Responses from Opinion Leaders and Community Members…………………..…57 4.25 Discussion……………………………………………………………………..…...63 CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………....66 5.1 Summary ……………………………………………………………………………66 5.2. Conclusion………………………………………………….……………………....67 5.3 Recommendations…………………………………………………………...…...…68 References Appendix 6 LIST OF TABLE Table 2.1 Project by Sectors in Asutifi………………………………………….….….25 Table 4.4 Understanding decentralization………………………………………………53 Table 4.5 Functions of the district assembly……………………………………..…..…54 Table 4.6 Activities of the decentralized departments…………………………….……54 Table 4.7 Degree of responsiveness by the Assembly………………………….……...55 Table 4.8 Policy making at the district assembly……………………………….………56 Table 4.9 Capacity for development…………………………………………….……...56 Table 4.10 Distributed of Resources at the District………………………………….…57 Table 4.11 Results of decentralization in development…………………………….…...58 Table 4.12 Project embarked on by the Assembly ……………..…………………...….58 Table 4.15 Understanding decentralisation……………………….………………..…...59 Table 4.2.3 Functions of the district assembly…………………………………….…...60 Table 4.2.4 District Assembly Election…………………………………………………61 Table 4.2.5 Dissemination of Information………………………………………….…..62 Table 4.19 Understanding of Responsiveness…………………………………………..62 Table 4.20 Understanding Development………………………………………….….....63 Table 4.21 Capacity to ensure Massive Development…………………………….…....63 Table 4.22 Levy of Local Taxes…………………………………………………….......64 Table 4.23 Decentralisation and grassroot development………………………………..65 Table