COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN GHANA

Abstract

Over the years, governments have sought for alternative ways of providing the needs of communities since resources from central governments cannot meet the needs of all. As such, several approaches have been tried over time. Government first adopted the supply approach but in its search for alternatives, community participation in the planning of infrastructure development was advocated for. Community participation approach in the planning of infrastructure helps to generate or mobilize enough resources from both central government and the community towards the implementation of projects. Moreover, community participation also helps to ensure sustainability of the projects implemented since communities play a management role. In this study, we were able to establish a direct linkage between community participation and increase in school enrolment, access and utilisation of educational infrastructure. While there were improvements in community interaction and educational infrastructure sustainability, the quality and nature of educational infrastructure provided by the communities were lamentable in most cases. In this study, we recommend that the major challenges that affect community participation and management must be gradually plunged through continuous education and sensitisation. Again, in order for community participation in educational infrastructure to be very effective, there must be a critical assessment of stakeholder power in the context of the nature and type of participation and management being rolled out.