Development Goals And Objectives

Introduction

The first two chapters discussed the GPRS I as implemented in the district and the district’s priorities for GPRS II. This chapter spells out the district development goal for the planning period 2006 to 2009. It also outlines the goals for all the sectors and the sub-sectors of the district economy as well as objectives and strategies to achieve them.

The district’s goal for GPRS 1 saw the provision of basic infrastructure in the various communities. The goal was to ensure that all inhabitants of the district had access to basic services. These covered the areas of education, health and other economic infrastructure like agro processing machines. School buildings were provided to replace old and dilapidated ones. The broad goal of the district for the period 2006 to 2009 is "achieving accelerated growth through enhanced access to basic social and economic services for poverty reduction and equity".

Development Projections for 2006

The district total population from the 2000 PHC was 122,595 and is estimated to be 143,867 in 2005 and 163,512 in 2009. Those within ages 0-14 are estimated to be 62,438 and 70,964 in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Those between 15 and,64 are estimated to be 72,797 in 2005 and 82,737 in 2009. 

The aged, that is those 65 years and above would be 8,632 in 2005 and 9,811 by the end of the planning period, 2009. The district’s male population is estimated to be 75,530 and 85,844 in 2005 and 2009 respectively. For females, the figures would be 68,337 and 77,668 respectively. The projection for population growth rate is to reduce it from 3.2 percent to 2.7 percent by 2009.

 In the health sector, the projections are; establish 8 CHIPS Zones and build five medical laboratories, one district hospital and one DHMT Block by the year 2009. Those in school going age by the year 2009 would be 10,562. Already, most of the communities with primary schools and other facilities such as water did not get them based on their population and the required standards which would have disqualified a number of them.

 For this reason, no new school would be established within the period. Only existing ones would be upgraded with reference to physical infrastructure. In the area of teachers, 11 additional trained teachers were received district wide in 2006. That of 2008 would be 50 additional teachers sponsored by the assembly 10 by World Vision. The same goes for 2009. 

The Youth Employment programme has also employed 227 pupil teachers to augment the trained teachers in the district and 300 people in the agricultural sub-sector. Others would also be employed for the health sub-sector. The projections here are to make 99 SMCs effective and reduce the drop out rate from 4.5 percent. Others are, 20 teacher accommodation and 20 early childhood centres built.

With funds from donors through the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and the DA all communities would be served with potable water by the end of 2009. All 56 WATSAN Committees would be reconstituted and trained. Twenty public toilets would be provided. With respect to the built environment, every new building in the settlements with population more than a 1000 would have a building permit.

Private Sector Competitiveness

In agricultural sector, there would be promotion on the use of improved planting materials in all 8 ACs. Animal health services would also be rendered in all ACs. Similarly, there would be dissemination of proven technologies on Cocoa and Oil Palm production for industries. There would be provision of 40 agro processing facilities to small scale entrepreneurs.

Ghana Telecom would extend their mobile phone services to the district capital in 2007. A number of roads have been captured from 2007 to 2009 by the Department of Feeder Roads. The first 20 km of the Daboase to Ateiku road has been captured for implementation on 2007. 14 communities would be served with electricity under the SHEP 4 programme. These are

Adanse, Brofoyedur, Ateiku, Old Subri, New Subri, Essamang, Edukrom and Jerusalem. The rest are Abetemasu, Enyinabrim, Manpongso, Senchem, Ekutuase, Atobiase and Edwenase.
For tourism development, two tourism fairs would be undertaken and four tourist sites developed. To curb environmental degradation in schools at least 50 trees would be planted in all schools.

Effective supervision, monitoring and evaluation of education activities in the schools¦    Check teacher and pupil absenteeism

Institute   regular   comprehensive   assessment   of   pupils   through   common examinations acaarsge motivation of teachers through teachers’ award* Regularisation of science technology and mathematics education clinic Provide additional school buildings
Provide additional classroom infrastructure Provide additional teachers to deprived schools Construct 20 early childhood development centres Construct 20 teachers’ quarters.

Encourage the learning of science and mathematics through organization of termly in service training for teachers in Mathematics and Science

Whip up the interest of communities to own the schools to encourage effective management

In the area of water and sanitation, the goal is to improve sanitation and access to potable water and the following are the specific objectives;

• To ensure that every community has a borehole or hand dug well with pump by the end of 2009
• To reconstitute and train all 56 WATSAN Committees in the district
• To construct 20 public toilets by the end of 2009
• To disseminate information on hygiene to every communities at least annually through Ministry of Information vans
• To purchase sanitation equipment for all 24 communities with population over 1000

Strategies

Purchase sanitation equipment for all 24 communities with population over 1000

• Organise refuse disposal site in every community
• Encourage the construction of household toilets
• Organise retraining for all WATSAN Committees

Purchase wheelbarrows, shovels, Wellington boots, gloves and waste bins

• For housing, the goal is to improve the housing condition with the following as the objectives;
• To promote the construction of toilets facilities in houses through IEC half yearly in every community
• To complete the drainage system in Daboase
• To ensure that every new building in settlements with population over 1000 has a building permit

Strategies

Better the functioning of the Statutory Planning Committee

Ensure that all new buildings have permits

Private Sector Competitiveness

The goal for the agricultural sector is to promote sustainable agriculture, thriving agri¬business and improved human livelihood. The objectives are as follows;

To facilitate modernisation of agricultural production to achieve food self sufficiency and food security

Crop development Strategy

• Promote the production and use of improved seeds and planting materials in all 8 ACs
• Promote efficient post production management systems
• Promote soil fertility management systems for sustainable crop production

Livestock Development
Strategy

• Improve livestock nutrition in all 8 ACs annually
• Promote non-traditional livestock production
• Improve animal health service delivery to small holder resource poor farmers
• Intensify disease control system for zoonotic and scheduled disease
• To facilitate production of raw materials for industry
  

Strategy

Disseminate proven technologies on cocoa and oil palm in all eight ACs

To facilitate the production of agricultural commodities for export

Strategy

• Disseminate proven technologies to farmers
• To strengthen institutional capacity of MOFA

Strategy

Technical skills training
Infrastructural Development

1.     To establish, strengthen and maintain intra sectoral linkages

Strategy

• Organise farmer’s day annually
• Disseminate information on agricultural policy, programmes and projects
• Collaborate with other stakeholders on the fight against HIV/AIDS
• In the area of industrial development, the goal is to strengthen the economic base in the district. The objectives are;
• To ensure that FBOs and individuals have 40 agro-processing equipment

Strategy

• Encourage banks to operate in the district.
• Encourage NGOs / CBOs and bilateral organisations to increase access to credit For tourism, the goal is to identify and promote district tourism potentials with the as the following objectives;
• To create a website for ecotourism potentials in the MWED.
• To develop four additional ecotourist sites
• Undertake 2 Tourism Fairs within the planning period

Strategy

• Support the development of the Domama Shrine and the Pra islands
• Liaise with the MLGRDE in the creation of a website
• Liaise with GTB in organising the tourist fair
  

The goal in managing the environment is to promote sound environmental practices has the following as the objectives;

• To ensure that at least each school in the district plant at least fifty trees before 2009
• To undertake Strategic Environmental Appraisal for all projects Strategies
• To commit the head teachers in tree planting
• Liaise with the forestry services division in the planting of trees
  

There is also the goal to improve economic and social infrastructure. The objectives are;

To rehabilitate all major roads

To improve access to mobile phone services form GT and Areeba in the district capital

To extend electricity to 14 more communities Strategies

Liaise with telephone service providers to expand network in the district

Liaise with timber firms to reshape feeder roads within their areas of operation

Strategies

• Acquiring medical laboratory equipment for Mpohor Health Centre which has a provisional room for use as a laboratory
• District Assembly putting up structures for Medical laboratories at Daboase and Ateiku Health Centres and together with other financiers acquiring medical laboratory equipment for them
• Acquiring basic equipment and logistics for the establishment of 5 CHPS zones and attaching Community Health Officers to the zones
• Organising a big forum on the establishment of a District Hospital and following up on the forum
• Carrying out repair works on all existing health centres
• Member of Parliament and DCE lobbying for posting of Medical; Assistants from the Ghana Health Service headquarters into the district
  

Planning a career development for bonded Diploma Nurses for the district

Establishment of SDHT offices and organising frequent training programmes for heads of sub-districts, sub-district Co-ordinators and other sub-district staff

• Routine provision of health services
• Intensification of out-reach programmes
• Diversification of the content of health education programmes
• Frequent monitoring trips to the sub-districts
  

Good Governance and Civic Responsibility

The goal is to improve the institutional capacities of the assembly and its sub-structures to effectively deliver its services. The objectives are;

• To construct 8 Area Council Offices by the end of 2009
• To employ 2 persons to man the 8 AC offices by the end of 2009
• To provide adequate funds for the running of the AC offices by the end of 2009
• To upgrade the skills of the assembly’s manpower every year
• To provide accommodation for all DA staff by the end of 2009
• To provide additional office accommodation for all units by the end of 2009
• To dissemination on governance in all communities
• To upgrade the skills of assembly members annually
• To construct a DHMT block by the of 2009
  

For the generation of more revenue, the goal is to improve revenue mobilization in the district. The objectives are;

• To improve the capacity of 58 revenue officers in the district annually
• To ensure the collection of all ratable revenue annually
• To ensure that expenditures are within budget
  

Strategies

• Organize monthly management meetings
• Organise annual training programmes for revenue collectors
• Organise annual training for assembly members to upgrade their skills
• Provide logistics for collectors
• Undertake monthly monitoring and evaluation for all projects
• Purchase two additional vehicles
• Purchase six computers and accessories for offices
  

Monitoring And Evaluation Arrangement

Monitoring and evaluation form a vital component in the preparation of plans. This chapter discusses how the plan would be implemented and evaluated over time with assigned responsibilities at each stage. The monitoring and evaluation process ends with a feed back mechanism for subsequent planning.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The community and AC monitoring teams would submit progress reports to the DA, while the TMET would submit a monthly report to the DA and a quarterly report to the RCC. The district assembly shall have annual reviews of all activities undertaken in the district together with all the assembly members. This process would include mechanisms to evaluate all spending made on activities, projects and programmes to ensure that value is obtained on expenditure made.

 Format for Monitoring and Evaluation

Standard monitoring format in annex 8 and 9 would be used in gathering information. This describes the project and its location as well as the sector in which it is to be implemented. The estimated amount as well as the actual spent is indicated. This is followed by the contractor’s name and address and expenditure to date. 

The start and end dates are equally stated with the progress of work. It ends with a column for remarks on the status of implementation. This format would be used by the district’s monitoring and evaluation team comprising the District Planning Officer, the District Works Engineer, the District Budget Analyst and the Works Sub-Committee Chairman of the assembly. 

Approaches to be used in the data collection would include meetings with the community members to ascertain the impact of programmes on their poverty situation, focus group discussions so that impacts especially on the would be seen.

Development Problems

Ummary of Key Development Problems, Issues and GAPS Identified from the Situational Analysis

The analysis of the current situation of the Mpohor Wassa East District gives a number of problems in various sectors of the district’s economy. The following is a summary of all the development problems existing in the district and have been categorized under the three pillars of the GPRS II.

 Human Resource Development

1.     Poor standard of education

2.     Poor housing conditions and facilities

3.     Skewed location of health institutions in the district and inadequate number of clinicians

4.     Inadequate potable water

5.     Inadequate information on the vulnerable and excluded

District Development Priorities

The previous chapter was a review of GPRS 1 and the current situation of the district together with a summary of key problems. This chapter focuses on the district development priorities and covers the three pillars of the GPRS II namely; Human Resource Development, Private Sector Competitiveness and Good Governance. It emphasises the specific areas the district would focus on in its efforts to develop.

Human Resource Development

The district has a high human resource potential with 50.6 percent of the population between 15 and 64 years, that is; 62,033 in 2005 and estimated to be 82,737 in 2009. There is poor standard of education in the district. There are high dropout rates which contribute to inadequate skilled man power. 

This is because parents are not committed to send their children to school, and also inadequate number of trained teachers partly because of the lack of accommodation facilities. This has called for the sponsoring of more by the DA to augment the existing number and accommodation facilities would be provided for the various schools. Also, School Management Committees (SMC) strengthened in the schools.

The provision of quality health care would be emphasised during the period. More health personnel would be sponsored for training over the period to man all the existing health institutions which would be rehabilitated within the period.

In the area of water and sanitation, about of 36.3 percent of the population do not have access to potable water and almost 8 percent do not have any organised toilet facilities. There is also the problem of indiscriminate dumping of refuse and disposal of liquid waste are done indiscriminately.  

The inhabitants would be encouraged on the maintenance of hygienic conditions in their environment and more people would have access to potable water and this would lead to a reduction in the number of communicable diseases. The housing situation is very poor in the district. 

The houses are prone to collapse under heavy rainfall and storms because of the poor building materials. Basic facilities like toilets, kitchens, drains and electricity are not available in most houses. The operations of the Statutory Planning Committee would streamline housing standards.

Priorities for Private Sector Competitiveness

Since the bulk of the district’s workforce is involved in agriculture. However, farmers are faced with obstacles like erratic climatic conditions, inadequate planting materials and access to credit and post harvest losses. The rest are the use inappropriate technologies, post harvest losses and weak marketing systems among others. 

There is therefore the need to improve upon methods of farming, access to credit and inputs and introduce irrigation facilities. Appropriate technologies would also be disseminated to the farmers. The road net and conditions would also be improved to link producers to marketing centers.

Small-scale industrial activities are not very well developed in the district because of poor skills on how to start up small-scale enterprise coupled with non-availability of start-up capital. For this reason a Business Advisory Centre (BAC) has been established in Daboase. This centre conducts training in entrepreneurial skills development.

Though the district has great potentials for ecotourism development, very little has been tapped. The rock shrine in Domama which saw some development in GPRS I, would be
consolidated and undeveloped attractions such as those in Ateiku and Nsadweso when developed would open the district up.

The forest is being depleted as a result of logging and mining activities. There is therefore the need for greater involvement of all stakeholders in the management of the forest resources. Access to essential services is poor in the district. In settlements like Ateiku and Atobiase, facilities like electricity, telecommunication, postal and banking services have to be developed or improved.