TITLE:
A Review of Plan Implementation Management Practices in the Bekwai Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana
AUTHORS:
Mohammed Abubakari, Gertrude Asokwah, Jonathan Mensah Dapaah, Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah
KEYWORDS:
Development, Experiences, Implementation, Ghana, Management, Participation, Practices, Plan
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.4 No.2,
June
7,
2016
ABSTRACT: Implementation is very vital in planning. This crucial aspect of planning (implementation) can
only be achieved when appropriate goals and definite objectives are translated into executable
strategies. This study aims at evaluating projects planning, implementation and management
processes in the Bekwai Municipal Assembly, highlighting their strength and weakness and coming
out with recommendations to inform future policy formulation. The case study designs with a
sampled population of 310 participants, involving 300 household heads and unit committee
members who were enrolled for the study. The study purposively engaged 10 participants from
key units within the Assembly’s structure. The results of study demonstrate poor, unsatisfactory
level of participation of concerned stakeholders at the grass root level in plan preparation and
implementation. The study established that, statutory funding for the Assembly was not forthcoming.
At the time of the conduct of the study, the District Assembly Common Fund, the major
source of delegated funds for capital expenditures of the various MMDAs had been in arrears for
over the past year. Notwithstanding these challenges, the Assembly has consistently been performing
tremendously well in the FOAT (Functional Organizational Assessment Tool. Community
level involvement in monitoring and evaluation of developmental projects was non-existing as
none of the community members and unit committee members indicated their engagement in
project monitoring and evaluation. Harnessing the resources potentials and opportunities of the
Municipal remains the way forward towards expanding the revenue base of the municipality.
Concerned stakeholder involvement is key to facilitating development. This could be done by
adopting technologically inclined models such as mobile texting, employing the services of information
vans and radio stations. The objective of realizing development project sustainability would be met if communities’ level education is provided on the need for their participation in
plan preparation, implementation and management in a symbiotic manner.