Kwame Ameyaw Domfeh

Performance Appraisal or Praising Performance? The Culture of Rhetoric in Performance Management in Ghana Civil Service

This article examines the practice of performance appraisal as a critical element of administrative culture in the Ghana Civil Service (CS). It relies on three focus group discussions with senior civil servants to analyze the practice and its implications for performance of civil servants in Ghana. The article argues that: leadership seldom gives the needed attention to this administrative practice; the process lacks objectivity; it is fraught with superstition, spirituality, and fear; appraisers are rarely trained; and civil servants only become more interested in performance appraisals (PAs) during promotion-related interviews. The article therefore concludes that this process has become rhetoric rather than an important practice and that performance only gets praised rather than being appraised. The article recommends an overhaul of the PA system by integrating it into a holistic performance management program; integrating PA training into civil service mandatory training programs; and the revision and computerization of the PA system.

Managing the environment in a decade of administrative reforms in Ghana

Since Ghana gained political independence from British colonial rule in 1957, the country has had a number of administrative reforms that covered varied subjects, including ministerial restructuring, decentralisation, revision of schemes of service and pay and grading systems, motivation and civil service legislation. The past decade (1990‐2000), especially, has witnessed sustained efforts at reforms to improve the public sectors policy‐making, service delivery, and oversight and accountability roles. For Ghana to achieve the objectives of these reform initiatives, the country needs to effectively manage all the constitutive elements that contribute to the goals of sustainable development. This study set out to examine the efforts being made to reform the system of environmental management in Ghana, since the costs imposed on Ghanaians and the economy from environmental degradation are enormous and can greatly impede the growth towards sustainable development.

Localising and sustaining poverty reduction: experiences from Ghana

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine poverty and poverty reduction at the local level using the Hohoe Municipality and Sefwi‐Wiaso District, both in Ghana, as a case.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a survey method, collecting data from 180 farmers on the various aspects of the topic to form the basis of the study. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were used as the data collection instruments.Findings – The study found that, although many poverty reduction initiatives have been undertaken in Ghana, their impact on the poor farming communities has been very minimal. The failure of these poverty reduction policies could be attributed to the non‐involvement of local people in the process of policy formation. It also revealed that the number of poor people and the degree of poverty might be higher than the details captured by official statistics and publications.Research limitations/implications – The paper is biased towards farmers. It did not consider other sectors of the Gha...

Compliance and Enforcement in Environmental Management: A Case of Mining in Ghana

Environmental regulatory agencies are an important element in regulatory policy design and its implementation. In this regard, it is incumbent on them to enforce and monitor environmental regulations, as increased monitoring and inspections can increase compliance. The research presented here has identified a number of factors that impede effective monitoring and enforcement by environmental regulatory institutions in Ghana. I also propose that direct external control and the threat of punishment by regulatory agencies are not the sole mechanisms that motivate regulated organizations to work toward the attainment of environmental goals and objectives. In some instances, regulated organizations implement a policy of voluntary compliance in the service of their committed objectives. Furthermore, the watchdog behavior of local communities plays a crucial role in sensitizing mining firms about the impact of their activities on the environment. In this study, in addition to voluntary compliance, traditional authorities and other informal organizations have been effective in controlling and ensuring environmental compliance by mining organizations.

Is sustainable development achievable in Ghana? An analysis of Ghana’s development policy achievements and challenges

Since the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 and the subsequent publication of the Brundtland report in 1987, Ghana has embarked upon the path of sustainable development (SD) through the development and implementation of policies deemed necessary to safeguard the environment and promote socio-economic development. Despite this commitment, the country is still characterised by poor environmental and human health, poverty, poor sanitation, low access to potable drinking water, energy, and high population growth. This paper uses sustainability frameworks to investigate the achievability of SD in Ghana. The key policies related to SD issues such as the environment, poverty reduction, health, water and sanitation, energy and population growth are analysed and the main achievements and challenges identified. The paper asserts that SD of Ghana could be a passing fad if issues confronting the country’s sustainability are not addressed. The paper provides policy recommendations and strategies that will enable policy-makers to effectively tackle the SD challenges in the country.

Health insurance and quality of care: Comparing perceptions of quality between insured and uninsured patients in Ghana’s hospitals

BackgroundThe introduction of health insurance in Ghana in 2003 has resulted in a tremendous increase in utilization of health services. However, concerns are being raised about the quality of patient care. Some of the concerns include long waiting times, verbal abuse of patients by health care providers, inadequate physical examination by doctors and discrimination of insured patients. The study compares perceptions of quality of care between insured and uninsured out-patients in selected hospitals in Ghana to determine whether there is any unequal treatment between insured and uninsured patients in terms of quality of care, as empirical and anecdotal evidence seem to suggest.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 818 out-patients was conducted in 17 general hospitals from three regions of Ghana. These are the Upper East, Brong Ahafo and Central Regions. Convenience sampling was employed to select the patients in exit interviews. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distributions, means and standard deviations, were used to describe socio-economic and demographic characteristics of respondents. Factor analysis was used to determine distinct quality of care constructs; t-test statistic was used to test for differences in quality perceptions between the insured and uninsured patients; and regression analysis was used to test the association between health insurance and quality of care.ResultsOverall, there was no significant difference in perceptions of quality between insured and uninsured patients. However, there was a significant difference between insured and uninsured patients in respect of financial access to care. The major quality of care concern affecting all patients was the problem of inadequate resources, especially lack of doctors, lack of drugs and other basic supplies and equipment to work with.ConclusionsIt was concluded that generally, insured and uninsured patients are not treated unequally, contrary to prevailing anecdotal and empirical evidence. On the contrary, quality of care is a concern of both insured and uninsured patients.

Transdisciplinary approach to natural resource governance research: a conceptual paper

Purpose Natural resources in contemporary times are mostly managed by a collaborative governance approach which hinges on complex institutional designs [rules, norms and strategies]. Many studies have been designed and carried out to assess collaborative governance, and the various institutional designs underpinning them. The main object of this paper is to unpack the methodological gaps in natural resource governance research [with emphasis on co-management] and to conceptualize the appropriateness of Transdisciplinary (TD) research approach. Design/methodology/approach the paper adopts a critical stage review of relevant theoretical and empirical literature on natural resource governance. It discusses the complexities inherent in natural resource governance and juxtaposes these with the inherent weaknesses in methodologies employed by existing studies on the concept. We make a case for a TD research methodology that links scientists, practitioners and society in a joint problem design and solution proce...

‘Complex crisis’ and the rise of collaborative natural resource governance: institutional trajectory of a wildlife governance experience in Ghana

Natural resource governance is underpinned by institutions which evolve ‘circumstantially’ over time. An attempt at understanding the contemporary institutions and governance structure of a resource requires an in-depth ethnographic enquiry. Adapting a four-phase institutional analysis framework, this study discusses the evolution and adaptation of wildlife governance structures and institutions using the unique experience of Boabeng–Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana. The study adopted a transdisciplinary research approach which was participatory and consultative. The key observations are that: wildlife institutions have gone through three main evolutionary phases, a pre-collaborative phase, which was exclusively underpinned by informal institutions; a critical juncture stage, where contextual challenges led to an adaptive response; the third and contemporary phase is a collaborative governance regime, where the erstwhile informal institutions have been complemented by formal state structures and institutions to synergistically enhance viability of the wildlife species. In spite of the problems posed to community members by the monkeys (wildlife), the study still observes a cordial human–wildlife relationship. Based on the study outcomes, we derive four key conclusions which have implications for institutionalism and natural resource governance.