The unintended consequences associated with non-inclusive participation are a key structural challenge facing Ghana’s decentralisation efforts over the past 25 years. This article uses a social transformation framework to examine the planning process in the delivery of social infrastructure. The qualitative descriptive design that draws from the naturalistic paradigm provided an in-depth exploration of stakeholder participation in planning social infrastructure delivery. Results suggest that the planning process is initiated by the district assembly within a legal framework and for which local participation is by invitation. The article argues for the setup of a local management team as part of the structure for social infrastructure delivery.
AdebayoO., OjedokunO., AyeniO., & OlowuT. (2018). Enhancing community participation in the planning, implementation and management of social infrastructure in Nigeria. International Journal of Social Science Research, 3(2), 16–25.
2.
AhwoiK. (2010). Local government and decentralisation in Ghana. Unimax Macmillan.
ArgyF., LindfieldM., StimsonB., & HollingsworthP. (1999). Infrastructure and economic development[CEDA Information Paper No. 60]. Committee for Economic Development of Australia.
5.
AyeeJ., & AmponsahN. (2002). The district assemblies and local governance: Reflections on the 2002 local elections. Local Government in Ghana: Grassroots participation in the 2002 Local Government Elections. Department of Political Science.
6.
Berger-BartlettH., & CraigT. (2002). The challenges of stakeholder participation: Examples of evaluation projects from the youth justice context[paper presentation]. 2002 Australasian Evaluation Society International Conference, Wollongong, Australia. https://evaluationcanada.ca/distribution/20021030_berger-bartlett_heidi_craig_toni.pdf
7.
BoonE., BawoleJ. N., & AhenkanA. (2013). Stakeholder participation in community development projects: An analysis of the quadripartite model of the International Centre for Enterprise and Sustainable Development (ICED) in Ghana. Community Development, 44(1), 38–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2011.651729
8.
BourneL., & WalkerD. H. T. (2006). Visualizing stakeholder influence: Two Australian examples. Project Management Journal, 37(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/875697280603700102
9.
BrettE. A. (2003). Participation and accountability in development management. Journal of Development Studies, 40(2), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220380412331293747
10.
ChirenjeL. I., GilibaR. A., & MusambaE. B. (2013). Local communities’ participation in decision-making processes through planning and budgeting in African countries. Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment, 11(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10042857.2013.777198
11.
CohenJ. M., & UphoffN. T. (1980). Participation’s place in rural development: Seeking clarity through specificity. World Development, 8(3), 213–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(80)90011-X
12.
CooperT. L., BryerT. A., & MeekJ. W. (2006). Citizen-centered collaborative public management. Public Administration Review, 66(s1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2006.00668.x
13.
CornwallA. (2008). Unpacking ‘Participation’: Models, meanings, and practices. Community Development Journal, 43(3), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bsn010
14.
CreswellJ. W. (Ed.). (2007). Five qualitative approaches to inquiry. In Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (pp. 53–84). Sage Publications.
15.
DobrovolskaO. (2018). Contemporary paradigm of sustainable development: The evolution of formation and development. Environmental Economics, 9(1), 69–82. https://doi.org/10.21511/ee.09(1).2018.06
16.
Effective Interventions Unit. (2002). Effective engagement: A guide to principles and practice. http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/158647/0043039.pdf
17.
ErlandsonD. A., HarrisE. L., SkipperB. L., & AllenS. D. (1993). Doing naturalistic inquiry: A guide to methods. Sage Publications.
18.
FlemingB. (2009). Participation is the key to empowerment. In BartleP.(Ed.), Participation in appraisal. Community Empowerment Collective. http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/par-ben.htm
19.
Ghana Statistical Service. (2014), 2010 population and housing census[District Analytic Report]. https://www2.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010_District_Report/Ashanti/KMA.pdf
20.
GuptaK. (2011). A practical guide to needs assessment. John Wiley & Sons.
21.
InnesJ. E., & BooherD. E. (2004). Reframing public participation: Strategies for the 21st century. Planning Theory and Practice, 5(4), 419–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/1464935042000293170
22.
Inter-American Development Bank. (2010). Social infrastructure in Peru: A review of community participation in planning, implementation and monitoring. Inter-American Development Bank. https://publications.iadb.org/bitstream/handle/11319/4354/Social_Infrastructure_in_Peru.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
23.
KennyM. (1997). Participation in development: The question, challenges and issues a symposium background paper. https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/233/1/Participaion_paper.pdf
24.
KimH., SefcikJ. S., & BradwayC. (2017). Characteristics of qualitative descriptive studies: A systematic review. Research in Nursing and Health, 40(1), 23–42. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.21768
Maple Consult. (2010). Study of review metropolitan municipal and district assembly development planning, budgeting and capital budgeting processes[Final report]. Accra.
27.
MathborG. M. (2008a). Effective community participation in coastal development. Lyceum Books.
28.
MathborG. M. (2008b). Understanding community participation. Effective community participation in coastal development (pp. 7–24). Lyceum Books, Inc.
29.
MoschkovichJ. N. (2019). A naturalistic paradigm: An introduction to using ethnographic methods for research in mathematics education. In KaiserG. & PresmegN.(Eds), Compendium for Early Career Researchers in Mathematics Education (pp. 59–79). Springer.
30.
MuntR. (2002). Building community participation. Stronger Families Learning Exchange Bulletin, 2, 3–5.
31.
NakuD. W. C., KihilaJ., & MwageniE. A. (2021). Towards programs sustainability: An exploration of socio-economic determinants for effective community participation in development programs in Tanzania. International Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 7(3), 61. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijsdr.20210703.13
32.
NeergaardM. A., OlesenF., AndersenR. S., & SondergaardJ. (2009). Qualitative description–the poor cousin of health research?BMC Medical Research Methodology, 9(1), 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-9-52
33.
NguyenT. H. D., ChilesheN., & RameezdeenR. (2018). External stakeholder strategic actions in construction projects: A Vietnamese study. Construction Management and Economics, 36(8), 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2018.1432866
34.
Overseas Development Administration (ODA). (1995). Note on enhancing stakeholder participation in aid activities. Overseas Development Administration. http://www.euforic.org/gb/stake2.htm
35.
PrellC., HubacekK., & ReedM. (2009). Stakeholder analysis and social network analysis in natural resource management. Society and Natural Resources, 22(6), 501–518. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920802199202
36.
PrettyJ. N. (1995). Participatory learning for sustainable agriculture. World Development, 23(8), 1247–1263. https://doi.org/10.1016/0305-750X(95)00046-F
37.
SandelowskiM. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description?Research in Nursing and Health, 23(4), 334–340.
38.
SanyareF. N. (2013). Decentralised local governance and community development: Empirical perspectives from Northern Ghana[Doctoral dissertation]. https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/decentralised-local-governance-and-community-development-empirica
39.
SmithL. B. (2003). Public policy and public participation engaging citizens and community in the development of public policy. http://www.phacaspc.gc.ca/canada/regions/atlantic/pdf/pub_policy_partic_e.pdf
40.
TerimanS., YigitcanlarT., & MayereS. (2011). Sustainable urban infrastructure development in South East Asia. Green Technologies, 1059–1071. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-60960-472-1.ch427
41.
TeoM. M., & LoosemoreM. (2011). Community-based protest against construction projects: A case study of movement continuity. Construction Management and Economics, 29(2), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/01446193.2010.535545
42.
TerimanS., YigitcanlarT., & MayereS. (2011). Social infrastructure planning and sustainable community. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/40205/
43.
ThomiW., YanksonP., & ZanuS. (2000). A decade of decentralization in Ghana: Retrospect and prospects. EPAD Research Project and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
44.
TodaroM. P., & SmithS. C. (2012). Population growth and economic development: Causes, consequences, and controversies. Journal of Economic Development, 11, 285–290.
45.
UN-Habitat. (2006). Analytical perspective of pro-poor slum upgrading frameworks. UN-Habitat.
46.
United Nations Development Group (UNDP). (2014). Delivering the post-2015 development agenda. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/1909UNDP-MDG-Delivering-Post-2015-Report-2014.pdf
47.
United Nations Development Group (UNDP). (2016). The sustainable development goals are coming to life. https://www.eg.undp.org/content/dam/egypt/docs/Publications/Docs%20SDGs/UNDG_The%20Sustainable%20Development%20Goals%20are%20Coming%20to%20Life_July2016.pdf
48.
WaiS. H., YusofA. M., IsmailS., & NgC. A. (2013). Exploring success factors of social infrastructure projects in Malaysia. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 5, 4. https://doi.org/10.5772/55659
49.
WidianingsihI., & MorrellE. (2007). Participatory planning in Indonesia: Seeking a new path to democracy. Policy Studies, 28(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/01442870601121320
50.
World Bank. (1996). The World Bank participation sourcebook. http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/sourcebook/sb0100.html
