Community Participation in Planning Social Infrastructure Delivery in Ghana’s Local Government: A Case Study of Shai Osudoku District

Abstract

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.