The Annual plan presented in this section, sets out in more details actions to be taken by both the public and private sectors in the implementation of projects selected for the first year, 2006-2007 of the Four-Year Medium Term Development Plan (2006-2009). It is the plan, which guides the District Assembly to spend money on development projects and it is therefore tied to the Annual Budget of the Assembly.

The plan shows the details for each project in terms of when construction should begin and end in the year, which organisation or institution or department is to take action and the cost of the project concerned.

The projects were selected on the basis of ongoing works in the district, projects whose implementation would facilitate the realisation of the projects of the four-year Medium Term Development programme, those with short gestation period and whose costs could be accommodated in the first year development budget, and those which satisfy the immediate needs of the people.

The projects selected for the first year, 2006-2007 are indicated in Table 4.2(see page 96). They are presented in line with micro/district economy, production and gainful employment, human resource development and basic services, programmes for the vulnerable and excluded and good governance.

District Goals

• To explore the economic potentials in the District
• To increase revenue base of the District.

District Objectives 

1. To improve the communication network (Road and Telecommunication facility) in the district,
2. To facilitate the development of Poverty Alleviation Programmes.
3. Connect 50 No, communities to the national electric grid
4. Ensure that the District is hooked to the Information, Communication & Technology (ICT),
5. Create employment and job creation centre for the youth
6. Establish a financial institution-Rural Bank

Four Year Proposal

This part of the District Development Plan for Saboba District Assembly provides a statement of the four-year plan proposals. As an introduction to the presentation of the plan proposals, the development goals and themes, development framework, and the perspective plan of the district are first indicated. In line with the format for the preparation of the medium-term programme, the following issues are covered, namely:

• The goal of the medium term 4-year development plan;
• Private sector development;
• Human resource development and basic services, including infrastructure development, human settlements and service centres; 
• Good governance and civic responsibility.

The goals and objectives of the plan proposals and the various programmes or packages are presented in relation to the provisions of the Ghana Growth Poverty Reduction Strategy 11 (2006-2009). This is followed by in Part IV with the implementation schedules focusing on the four-year district investment programmes, administrative and institutional arrangements, the annual action plan and monitoring and evaluation plan.

Development Goals and Themes

In line with guidelines provided in the National Development Policy Framework (NDPF) and Ghana Growth Poverty Reduction Strategy II (GPRS II) Themes, the District Assembly and other stakeholders undertook the process of goal formulation. The goal formulation stage in the planning process serves as a link between problem definition, identification of opportunities and constraints and the plan formulation stages. 

This stage of the planning process also attempts to establish a scope within which development efforts to be concentrated over the medium term perspective. The approach adopted in this study has been to define medium term goals that are in conformity with overall national development aspirations. Following this, various development themes are defined and set of strategies also spelt out dealing with the identified development themes.

Formulation of development goals and the derivation of development themes serve as the point of intervention in the development planning process. A Goal is an anticipated desired state, which reflects a general improvement of the condition or conditions of an individual organisation or political entity, from a poor state to a better one in the medium to long-term. Goals are, therefore, the long-term aims of society, which must be pursued in order to ensure the sustainability of the development process. 

These goals, however, need to be supported by objectives. These are the more specific, precise, short-term aims that must be realised in order to achieve the goals. Development themes, on the other hand, are the key issues or the most critical needs arising out of these goals, which must be tackled in order to bring about the deserved improvement in the quantum and quality of life of the people.

The effectiveness of such interventions, however, depends on the understanding and knowledge of the existing conditions of the target district with regard to the development problems, opportunities, constraints and the development priorities. Among the development problems identified in the district and as presented in Part II of the District Development Plan are:

1. Low levels of incomes of the people;
2. Low revenue base for the district Assembly;
3. Inadequate social, technical and economic infrastructure;
4. Poor transportation linkages; and
5. Poor environmental conditions - both built and natural.

Against this background, the district’s development priorities include the following:

• Improvement in education;
• Improvement in health facilities;
• Provision of potable water;
• Extension of electricity to other parts of the district;
• Development of agricultural facilities;
• Setting up of a District Rural Bank;
• Improvement of the road net-work in the district;
• Improvement in transportation system;
• Development of human resources base; and
• Providing peace and security.

In order to alleviate the problems and, hence, meet the needs cited above, development goals have been formulated for the district.

District Development Goals

As indicated in the foregoing, the NDPF provides a 4-year perspective for the entire nation and by implication it provides such a perspective for Saboba District Assembly (SDA). Consequently, using Ghana Growth Poverty Reduction Strategy II Themes (2006-2009) as the basis, the district’s medium-term goals can be described as follows: A liveable environment with long, healthy and productive life for all the people with enhanced opportunities for employment, shelter and leisure; 

District in which the benefits of development are equitably distributed, with reduced intra district and inter seasonal variations in income; Booming district economy with agricultural gross domestic product
maximised and growing at a growth rate two times higher than the current level; Reduced district population growth rate from the current 2.7 per cent to about 1.5 per cent per annum, implying that per capita incomes may rise to levels approximately two times higher than the current 2006 levels; and

District in which science and technology will be at the fore-front of
managing and controlling socio-cultural, agricultural and other production-based problems of individuals and all district residents.

District Development Themes

In line with the development goals outlined above, the following development themes are derived from the district. These development themes are set bearing in mind the basic development theme outlined in Ghana Growth Poverty Reduction Strategy II Themes (2006-2009), namely private sector development, human resource development and good governance and civic responsibility.

The development themes of the district are:

• Private sector development;
• Human resource development;
• Good governance and civic responsibility

Essential steps required for the transformation of the district economy to the one envisaged through the above development themes include:

Private Sector Development

1. Promotion of a robust, diversified and commercially-based agricultural sector;
2. Development of strong functional linkages between a commercially-based agricultural sector and an efficient, technologically - progressive and market-oriented industrial sector;
3. Changing agricultural technology and restructuring rural society;
4. Diversification in agricultural production and services;
5. Application of appropriate production technologies in small scale industrial activity;
6. Provision of basic economic and social infrastructure in deficient areas;
7. Reduction of disparities in incomes and standard of living between rural and urban areas;
8. Development of a hierarchy of settlements with those at each level providing services appropriate to their population sizes.
9. Development of tourism
10. Provision of farm incomes to producers comparable with non-agricultural earnings;
11. Ensuring food security and adequate nutrition for all district residents;
12. Maximising opportunities for the creation of productive employment;
13. Supply of inputs to manufacturing, health, and tourism;
14. Reduction in the incidence of poverty;
15. Increasing average incomes and reduction in income disparities;
16. Rehabilitation and spot improvement of feeder roads; and extension of electricity to other parts of the district

 Human Resource Development

• Provision of basic education to the youth and eradication of adult illiteracy;
• Increasing opportunities for technical and vocational training, including improved apprenticeship schemes;
• Provision of basic economic and social infrastructure in deficient areas;
• Promotion of maintenance culture among the people in the district;
• Ensuring effective co-ordination of all relevant institutions in planning, developing and managing district infrastructural facilities;
• Ensuring adequate access to good drinking water for all communities;
• Provision of adequate residential and office accommodation for the staff of the District Assembly;
• Improving the quality of housing in the district;
• Development of efficient market centres;
• Provision of health facilities in deficient areas;
• Extension telephone services to other parts of the district;
• Promotion of the use of family planning methods.

The goals, development themes and strategies outlined above form the basis for the next phases of the plan preparation. Essentially, these entail the preparation of medium-term and short-term (annual) plans for the district.

Development Framaework

This section presents the development framework as a prelude to the formulation of the three-year medium-term plan proposals for the district. A development framework represents the overall scope within which the development of the district would take place. It is prepared against the background of the documented development problems and potentials, development goals and themes that will lead to the desirable state of the district at the end of the planning period. The development framework thus provides guidelines for the preparation of the plan proposals and thus focuses on:

• Private sector development,
• Human resource development;
• Good governance and civic responsibilities

Human Resource Development

The human resources development and basic services programme of the district development plan seeks to ameliorate social deprivation as it puts in place interventions to increase the access of the disadvantaged to social and welfare services and to enhance the capacity of the district to meet the social needs of the people. To this end, the framework of social development outlined in this section, examines such critical issues as the future population to be served, health needs, educational requirements and housing unit.

Population Projection

Population forecast of a given region or district depends on three vital demographic variables, namely: fertility, mortality and migration rates. Good assumptions made about these variables enable a good projection. Saboba District, however, lacks basic data on these vital demographic statistics.

Due to this deficiency, the ratio method was used to project the population of the district in relation to the country’s population. The assumptions made below are therefore in relation to the country’s projected population, as well drawing an analogy from Gushiegu District, which is a neighbouring district with similar characteristics. The projections are based on the 2000 population and housing census of all the towns in the district.

The ’Demographic Projection Computer Model’ (Demoproj 3) was used to project the country’s population for the next four (4) years 2006-2009. The assumptions underlying the projections are as follows:

The ratio of the district’s population to the country will grow at a constant rate throughout the plan period;

The fertility rate of Ghana, 5.5% will remain constant up to the year 2009 then decline from that level to between 5.4% and 5.0% at the end of the plan period (a decline of 0.5%); 

The mortality rate of 6.6% (child mortality) will remain unchanged till the year 2009 and then decline by between 2.5% - 3.5% per quinquenim during the entire plan period. Also the country’s life expectancy at birth 58 years will remain constant till the year 2009 and assumed to rise to 65 years; 

The migration rate in the district will be insignificant during the first and second quarters of the plan period. Immigrants will increase during the last quarter of the plan period due to the provision of development projects in the district; 

The age cohorts of the district will not change significantly for the second and third year and then conform to the age cohorts of the analogous districts till the end of the plan period.

The age dependency ratio of 1:1 in 2000 will remain the same in 2006 indicating a large potential work force to feed less than proportionate dependency age group. This could lead to higher savings, hence higher standard of living if an enabling environment for job opportunities is created coupled with increased productivity.

The population density of 35 persons per square km in 2000 will increase to 39 persons per square km and 49 persons per square km in 2006, and 2009 respectively. Even though this increase falls below the national rate, this calls for effective management of land use to ensure even development.