Development Projections

Projections have been made for the pan period 200 - 2009, with much emphasis on population and education ad their implications for development.

Population Projection

Using the 2000 population as the base year and a3.5 percent annual growth rate of the district population, the 2009 total population of the district is estimated at 214763. The projected population of the twenty major settlements in the district using the 2000 figures as the base year is shown in table 3.3. The geometric method was used to project the population.

Educational Projections 
Public Basic and Senior Secondary Schools

Table 3.4 shows the projected enrolment for pupils at the K.G, Primary and JSS levels for the plan period. In 2006 the total enrolment at he K.G level is 8580 and this figure is expected to rise to 12616 in 2009. At both the Primary and JSS levels the figures for 2006 are 23,307 and 7,443 respectively. The figures are expected to rise to 30,094 and 11,146 for the Primary and JSS levels respectively in 2009.
 
Table 3.5 also indicates that the required number of teachers at the KG level is 355, Primary, 608 and JSS level 420 for 2006. The projected requirement for teachers in 2009 for KG would be 516, Primary 874 and JSS 568. In table 3.6, the total demand for classrooms for schools in the district is projected to rise from 75 in 2006 to 128 in 2009. As indicated in table 3.7, at the SSS level, enrolment and demand for both teachers and classrooms are expected to increase over the plan period. 

Efforts would have to be made to meet these increasing demand for school facilities and teachers for the plan period if the human resources in the district are to be developed and harnessed for the development of the district.

Agricultural Projections - 
Arable land per-capita
The arable land per-capita may be calculated by dividing the total arable land available by the total projected population.
Thus, agricultural land                                   -   299015 hectares
Area under cultivation                                   -   82620 hectares
Food reserves                                               -   21155 hectares
Total District Arable Land                         -   402790 hectares
Total projected District population (2009)      -   214059 hectares
The arable land per-capita                             -   402790 hectares
                                                                            214059
                                                                            1.9 hectares/person
The arable land per capita is thus 1.9 hectares per head.

From table 3.8 it is expected that the consumption of some food crops would rise due to increase in population, awareness creation on some hitherto crops not used, for example soyabeans and changes in eating habits of the people in the district. For example, the consumption of yam and plantain is expected to rise from 30 and 35 percent from 2006 respectively, to 45 percent each in 2009. For soyabeans, the projected consumption rate is a low of one percent from 2006 to 30 percent in 2009.

District Prioritized Objectives and Strategies - 
Human Resource Development and Basic Services

The district goal for this theme is to ensure a well developed and healthy population with the ability to strive and sustain the private sector-led growth strategy. The objectives to achieve this goal are;

Education

1.    To construct 10 No. 3-unit JSS blocks with ancillary facilities by the end of 2009.
2.    To construct 15 No. 6-unit Primary school blocks with ancillary facilities by the end of 2009.
3.    To provide 2No. Model Day-Care Centres by the end of 2009.
4.    To rehabilitate 10 No. basic schools by the end of 2009.
5.    To train 100 Day Care Assistants by the end of 2009.
6.    To provide 10 No. Teacher’s accommodation by the end of 2009.
7.   To sponsor 400 Volunteer Teachers and Diploma in Basic Education Teacher Trainees by the end of 2009.
8.    To establish INo. Vocational/Technical institution by the end of 2009.

Strategies to achieve these objectives include:

1.    Construct Basic school infrastructure.
2.    Provide model Day Care Centres.
3.    Rehabilitate basic school infrastructure.
4.    Train Day Care Assistants.
5.    Provide accommodation for teachers.
6.    Sponsor trainee teachers.
7.    Provide infrastructure for Vocational/Technical institute.

Health

1.    To rehabilitate/upgrade 4No. Health Centres by the end of 2009.
2.    To provide 6No. Nurses quarters by the end of 2009.
3.  To provide/rehabilitate 500 boreholes fitted with pumps in 70 communities by the end of 2009.
4.    To assist 50 communities to provide 5000 household and institutional toilets, by the end of2009.
5.    To assist 40 communities to provide 60 No. public toilets by the end of 2009.
6.    To provide INo. Mortuary by the end of 2009.
7.    To assist 4 communities to provide recreational centres.
8.    To provide INo. Theatre by the end of 2009.

Strategies to achieve these objectives 

1.    Construct/rehabilitate health centres.
2.    Provide nurses quarters.
3.    Provide boreholes fitted with pumps.
4.    Assist communities to provide household and public toilets.
5.    Provide a mortuary and a theatre.
6.    Assist communities to provide recreational centres.

Environment

1.    To assist six communities to update and prepare development planning schemes by the end of 2008.
2.    To assist two communities to construct a total of 8km drains by the end of 2009.
3.    To provide 2 No. landfill sites by the end of 2008.
4.    To provide 2No. Sanitation treatment plants by the end of 2008.

Strategies to achieve the objectives include

1.    Prepare and update development planning schemes for communities.
2.    Assist communities to construct drains.
3.    Provide land-fill sites.
4.    Provide sanitation treatment plants.
 
Private Sector Development and Competitiveness

The district goal for this theme is to enhance productive activities in agriculture through increased extension services delivery, credit facilities and infrastructural support. The objectives to achieve the goal are;
1.    To improve 242.50km feeder roads by the end of 2009. The 242.50km road is made up of;
i.    Spot improvement    -    25.20km
ii.    Upgrading                -    51.20km
iii.    Rehabilitation           -    166.10km
2.    To construct/rehabilitate 10 No. markets by the end of 2009
3.    To provide 20 No accommodation units for District Assembly workers by 2009
4.    To assist 3000 farmers with credit facilities by he end of 2008
5.    To assist 3000 farmers with extension services by the end of 2008
6.    To assist 50 communities to access electric power by the end of 2009
7.    To provide 2 No. Lorry Parks by the end of 2008
8.    To assist 200 youth to undergo apprenticeship programme by 2009

Strategies to achieve the objectives are;
1.    Improve 242.50km feeder roads
2.    Provide markets
3.    Provide accommodation for workers
4.    Assist farmers with credit facilities
5.    Provide farmers with extension services
6.    Assist communities to access energy supply
7.    Provide lorry parks
8.    Provide assistance for unemployed youth

Good Governance and Civic Responsibility

The district goal for this theme is to provide a conducive environment that would enable people to freely participate in decision-making process in order to promote justice, security and peace.
The objectives to achieve this goal are;
1.    To provide 3 No. Office structures for the Police Force by the end of 2009
2.    To provide furnished office accommodation for nine Town/Area Councils by the end of 2009
3.    To furnish the DPCU and make it functional by the end of 2007
4.    To establish a data bank at the DPCU by the end of 2007
5.    To resource NADMO to purchase one fire hydrant and organise 12 public education by the end of 2009

Strategies to achieve the objectives include;
1.    Provide office structures for the police force
2.    Provide furnished office accommodation for Town/Area Councils
3.    Furnish and make the DPCU functional
4.    Establish a data bank
5.  Provide NADMO with resources to purchase a fire hydrant and to organise public education

Linking the District prioritized objectives to the MDGs
To determine whether the District prioritized objectives are compliant with the MDGs, the objectives have been linked to the MDGs.  

 National Development Focus

The identification of a focus enables an entity to concentrate on the available resources and options that would yield maximum results. The national development focus is "implementation of growth inducing policies and programmes which have potential to support wealth creation and sustainable poverty reduction".

District Development Focus

The Development focus for Sekyere East District Assembly is "implementation of sustainable policies and programmes in partnership with the private sector to improve living standard of the people".

National Development Goal

The national development goal is "doubling the size of the economy (in terms of real production) within the next decade and bringing the per-capita income of the average Ghanaian to a middle income level by 2015".

District Development Goal

The district development goal is "increasing the size of the local economy in terms of real production within the next four years and improving the income level of the average citizen to $700 by 2009.

Summary of National and District Development Goals
National

1.    Doubling the size of the economy in terms of real production within the next decade and bringing the per-capita income of the average Ghanaian to a middle income level by 2015.
2.    To ensure the development of a knowledgeable, well trained, disciplined and healthy population with the capacity to drive and to sustain the private sector-led growth strategy.
3.    To achieve accelerated growth through modernized agriculture led by a vibrant and competitive private sector.
4.    To empower state and non-state entities to participate in the development process and to collaborate in promoting peace and stability in the body politic.

District

1.    Increasing the size of the local economy in terms of real production within the next four years and improving the income level of the average citizen to at least $700 by the end of 2009.
2.  To ensure a well developed and healthy population with the ability to strive and sustain the private sector-led growth strategy.
3.  To enhance productive activities in agriculture through increased extension services delivery, credit facilities and infrastructural support.
4. To provide a conducive environment that would enable people to freely participate in decision-making process in order to promote justice, security and peace.

Goal Compatibility Analysis

To conduct a goal compatibility analysis, the numerals 1-4 would be used to represent both the national and district goals.

Criteria Adopted

The criteria adopted for the scoring include:
Highly compatible        2
Compatible                   1
Neutral                         0
Not compatible            -1
Highly incompatible     -2

From the compatibility analysis in table 3.2, none of the district development goals is in conflict with the national development goals.  All the goals (both national and district) are  compatible with each other. There would not be any conflict between the national and district development aspiration during the plan implementation.

Development Programmes
Development Programmes and Composite Programme of Action 

Development programmes have been formulated on the basis of the district development focus, goals, objectives and strategies stated under the thematic areas of the GPRS II. The development programmes have been formulated in a logical framework. (See table 4.1)

Joint District Development Programme

The district shares boundaries with a number of districts in the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Eastern regions. Development programmes that could be jointly implemented with these districts are in the areas of roads and tourism development. (See table 4.2)

Sustainability tools formulated for the programme
The four-year development programme entails the construction of some development projects like school blocks, office and residential accommodation, theatre, mortuary, toilets, roads, lorry parks, drains, drilling of boreholes and others. Large tracks of land and vegetation cover would have to be cleared in the process, thus causing destruction to the environment. 

To sustain the environment in the process of development within the plan period, some measures would have to be put in place. These include;

In the construction of school blocks, office and residential accommodation, theatre and mortuary, some trees would be planted to replace those ones destroyed. Grass would also be grown around the structures to protect the building and open spaces from erosion. Pavements would be provided as walkways to the structures.

Landfill sites would be managed such that environmental pollution in the surrounding areas would be minimized or completely avoided. Measures to be used include making sure that the sites are not the courses of rivers and streams, but just cavities. As frequently as possible, the refuse would be sprayed with chemicals to kill or eliminate all harmful infectious bacteria. Sites that would become full would be covered completely with sand and trees would be grown there to generate some vegetation cover.

Site (cadastral) plans would be prepared for projects in settlements that lack development planning schemes. Where there are development planning schemes, site and building plans would be prepared in relation to the schemes to ensure that structures are well distributed over space in order to avoid haphazard development. The schemes would make adequate provision for sanitary areas, parks and gardens and residential areas, lorry parks and markets. 

Boreholes drilled will be provided with soakaways, pumps so as to avoid contamination of the water. The surroundings of the boreholes would be provided with pavement as well as clean environment would be ensured.

Construction of both household and public toilets would be done in a way to avoid slopes so that water bodies down stream do not get contaminated. When full, the materials would be drawn and deposited in trenches purposely prepared for that and treated with chemicals to avoid environmental pollution.

During the construction of roads, some vegetation cover including big and smaller trees would be destroyed. After the completion of the roads, some trees would be planted along the roads to replace those ones destroyed in course of the construction.

In areas where drains would be constructed, care would be taken to ensure that sewerage from houses along the drain are connected to the main drains through the side drains. Care would be taken to ensure that the run offs and other sewerage do not terminate into water bodies.

With regards to the construction of markets, pavement blocks would be provided to check flooding and erosion.

 Development Priorities

Harmonized identified development issues linked to the thematic areas of the GPRS II
This section links the harmonized identified development issues to the thematic areas of the GPRS II.

Private Sector Development and Competitiveness

Inadequate social infrastructure like roads, housing and lorry parks

Inadequate economic infrastructure like markets and electricity

Inadequate agricultural inputs like credit and extension services

Human Resource Development and Basic Services

Inadequate potable water supply, sanitary and health facilities

Poor academic performance at the basic level

Inadequate development planning schemes for settlements

Good Governance and Civic Responsibility

Inadequate security infrastructure

Non-functioning sub-district structures

Low level internally generated fund

Prioritized Identified Issues

The prioritized identified issues include:

Inadequate potable water supply, sanitary and health facilities

Inadequate development planning schemes for settlements

Poor academic performance at the basic level

Inadequate security infrastructure

Inadequate socio-economic infrastructure like roads, housing, lorry parks, markets and electricity

Inadequate agricultural inputs like credit and extension services

Low level of internally generated fund

Non-functioning sub-district structures

Development Priorities
Having prioritized the identified issues, the final development priorities are selected and discussed under the thematic areas of the GPRS II.

Private Sector Development and Competitiveness

Construction/Rehabilitation of roads

Provision of accommodation for workers

Supply of energy to settlements

Provision of lorry parks

Provision of farm inputs, credit and extension services to farmers

Human Resource Development and Basic Services

Provision of potable water

Provision of health facilities (health centres and nurses quarters)

Provision of household and public toilets

Construction of drains

Provision of teachers’ accommodation

Construction of recreational centres

Construction/Rehabilitation of classrooms and model Day Care Centres

Training of Day Care Assistants

Preparation of development planning schemes

Construction of landfill sites and sanitation treatment plants

Establishing a Vocational Technical Institute

Good Governance and Civic Responsibility

Provision of security infrastructure for the police

Strengthen sub-district structures

Make the DPCU functional as well as furnish the DPCU

Establish data bank at the DPCU

Resource NADMO to purchase fire hydrants and to organise public education

Prioritized Key Issues Linked to Multiplier, Widespread and Linkage Effects
The prioritized key issues have been linked to multiplier, widespread and linkage effects in the district. (See table 2.1).