Implementation dynamics of local economic development: Comparative empirical experiences from Ghana’s local governance system

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 609-624
Author(s):  
Akpeko Agbevade
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Tenure System ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Land Tenure System

There has been an age old assertion that once public policies are formulated, the policies will automatically be implemented to achieve their stated objectives. To unravel this, the article through comparative empirical analysis discussed the dynamics that influenced local economic development implementation in Ghana. It emerged that four key dynamics: politics, leadership commitment and will, land tenure system and administrative, institutional and procedural mechanisms differently shaped local economic development implementation in the three local government units. Whereas these factors promoted local economic development implementation in some of the assemblies, it hindered its successful implementation in others. The findings of this article are of significance to local economic development and local governance practitioners and politicians as they strife to implement local economic development policies.

scholarly journals Local Economic Development Strategies and Challenges: A Comparative Empirical Evidence from Ghana’s Local Governance System

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akpeko Agbevade
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Land Tenure System ◽  
District Assemblies ◽  
Economic Development Strategies

Local level economic development has eluded Ghana since independence. This was because most policies were centralized. As a result, focus was shifted to local economic development. This article comparatively examined the local economic development strategies implemented in three of Ghana’s Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. Using the mixed method and multiple case study approaches of research, the study sampled a total of 533 respondents across the three Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and analyzed data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The study gleaned that the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies implemented similar local economic development strategies which could be categorized into contemporary local economic development and traditional local economic development approaches. Challenges such as inadequate finance, land tenure system, lack of modern equipment among others were identified. The provision of a central pool for financing local economic development, harmonization of locality development policies, de-politicization of local economic development policies, the adoption of change management strategies in Ghana’s local governance system, effective land tenure system are recommended for the success of local economic development in Ghana.

scholarly journals Intersectoral and Intermunicipal Cooperation as a Tool of Supporting Local Economic Development: Selected Examples from the Forest and Wood-Based Sector in Poland

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Wanat ◽  
Tomasz Potkanski ◽  
Jan Chudobiecki ◽  
Elzbieta Mikolajczak ◽  
Katarzyna Mydlarz
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Intermunicipal Cooperation ◽  
Competitive Activities

Intersectoral and intermunicipal cooperation are still underdeveloped spheres of public and economic development policies. Academic discussions are invariably focused on pro-competitive activities, the economic efficiency of which is not always sufficient. In this paper the authors attempt to identify factors leading to cooperation between local government authorities and economic entities, focusing on examples from the forest and wood-based sector in Poland. These processes are analysed in the framework of the New Institutional Economy, both in the theoretical and practical context.

scholarly journals Influence of Land Tenure System on Social Economic Development of Households in Kajiado North District

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Wilson G. Ngotho ◽  
Dr. Maureen Kangu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Multiple Linear Regression Model ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Tenure System ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Land Tenure System ◽  
Social Economic Development

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the land tenure system in Kajiado North District on social economic development of households in the area. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive research design. The study population was 108, 538 households in Kajiado North District. The study adopted the adjusting formula of Fisher of 1998 to arrive at the sample size of 384. The sample was selected through stratified random sampling that yielded 384 respondents. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the data using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 20.  Results: The study found that land fragmentation had a negative significant relation with the socio economic development of households in Kajiado North District. Infrastructure development on the other hand was found to have positive significant relationship withthe socio economic development of households in Kajiado North District.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The findings of this study are useful to the National Land Commission and County government of Kajiado in their quest to ensure proper implementation of various land reform requirements and improving the welfare of the residents.

The Growth Machine across the United States: Business Actors’ Influence on Communities’ Economic Development and Limited–Government Austerity Policies

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 462-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lazarus Adua ◽  
Linda Lobao
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Growth Machine ◽  
Limited Government ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Scale Down

The growth machine (GM) perspective has long guided urban research. Our study provides a new extension of this perspective, focusing on local business actors’ influence on communities across the United States. We question whether GM–oriented business actors remain widely associated with contemporary local economic development policies, and further, whether these actors influence the use of limited–government austerity policies. Conceptually, we extend the GM framework by bringing it into dialogue with the literature on urban austerity policy. The analysis draws from the urban–quantitative tradition of large–sample studies and assesses localities across the nation using the empirical case of county governments. We find local real estate owners, utilities, and other business actors broadly influence U.S. localities’ economic development policies. We also find some evidence that these actors’ influences in local governance are related to the use of such cutback policies as hiring freezes, capping of social services, expenditure cutbacks, and sale of public assets. Local Chambers of Commerce are particularly associated with cutback policies. Overall, the findings suggest that where local GM actors are influential, communities are more likely to adopt business–oriented economic development policies, limit the growth of social services for the less affluent, and scale–down the public sector.

scholarly journals Problems and Prospects of Subsistence Agriculture among Peasant Farmers in Rural Area

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-55
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
Subsistence Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Practice ◽  
Tenure System ◽  
Land Tenure System ◽  
Peasant Farmers

Agriculture has been the major source of livelihood in Nigeria, primarily because the environment is favorable for Agricultural practice. On the basis of climate, topography and vegetation the country is divided into five agricultural zones, namely Dry sub humid, Sub-humid, very humid and swamp/flood. Subsistence agriculture formed the major system of farming in the olden days which provide food crops for human consumption, while surplus are transported to the local markets for sale. Subsistence agriculture also forms the basis upon which all other system of farming are built. Hence, this paper examines the problems and prospects of subsistence agriculture in Ibarapa East local Government Area of Oyo State. Ten farming centres were used as samples in the area. Questionnaires were used to collect relevant data. Percentage and T-test distribution techniques were used to analyze the data. The findings show that there is low agricultural production in the study area as a result of problems such as shortage of fund, land tenure system, inadequate transportation system among others.

scholarly journals Supporting local governance and local economic development – some experiences from Swaziland

2016 ◽  
pp. 4-16
Author(s):  
Terry Parker
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
West Africa ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The Third ◽  
Project Documentation

In the December 2012 issue of this Journal, Lucy Slack and Susan Rhodes (2012) of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) introduced a new CLGF programme focussing on improving governance and service delivery at local level in selected Commonwealth countries in Southern and West Africa and South Asia (CLGF no date; CLGF 2015). The initiative is in the third year of its four-year lifespan and it is opportune to examine progress made so far towards achieving the development aims sought by the programme funders, CLGF and partners in 2012. This contribution will explore the operationalisation of the programme to date through a snapshot of implementation in one country under the Southern Africa component of the programme, Swaziland. It will briefly describe how the project emerged, what it intends to achieve, examine progress to date and conclude with some observations around what has been learned so far. The paper draws on the author’s work as Regional Adviser for the CLGF Southern Africa Programme based in Pretoria and project documentation (see Acknowledgements). 

scholarly journals Intersectoral and Intermunicipal Cooperation as a Tool for Supporting Local Economic Development: Prospects for the Forest and Wood-Based Sector in Poland

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Wanat ◽  
Tomasz Potkański ◽  
Jan Chudobiecki ◽  
Elżbieta Mikołajczak ◽  
Katarzyna Mydlarz
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Spatial Economics ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Intermunicipal Cooperation ◽  
Functional Areas ◽  
Competitive Activities ◽  
Development Prospects

Intersectoral and intermunicipal cooperation are still underdeveloped spheres of public and economic development policies. This also applies to the natural economy to a large extent. Scientific discussions are invariably focused on pro-competitive activities, the economic efficiency of which is not always sufficient. In this paper the authors attempt to identify factors leading to cooperation between local government authorities and economic entities focusing on the forestry and wood-based sector in Poland. These processes were analyzed within the framework of the Spatial Economics and New Institutional Economy, both in the theoretical and practical context. The aim of the research was to identify the ability to create intersectoral and intermunicipal partnerships in already existing and newly established functional areas, as this may determine the development of the forestry and wood-based industry.

scholarly journals Intersectoral and Intermunicipal Cooperation as a Tool of Supporting Local Economic Development: Selected Examples from the Forest and Wood-Based Sector in Poland

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leszek Wanat ◽  
Tomasz Potkanski ◽  
Jan Chudobiecki ◽  
Elzbieta Mikolajczak ◽  
Katarzyna Mydlarz
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Economic Efficiency ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Intermunicipal Cooperation ◽  
Competitive Activities

Intersectoral and intermunicipal cooperation are still underdeveloped spheres of public and economic development policies. Academic discussions are invariably focused on pro-competitive activities, the economic efficiency of which is not always sufficient. In this paper the authors attempt to identify factors leading to cooperation between local government authorities and economic entities, focusing on examples from the forest and wood-based sector in Poland. These processes are analysed in the framework of the New Institutional Economy, both in the theoretical and practical context.

What's a City to Do? Explaining Differences in Local Economic Development Policies

1992 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnold Fleischmann ◽  
Gary P. Green ◽  
Tsz Man Kwong
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Development Policies

Incomplete Fiscal Decentralisation: An Impediment for Local Economic Development in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-105
Author(s):  
Audrey Smock Amoah ◽  
Imoro Braimah ◽  
Theresa Yaba Baah-Ennumh
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Fiscal Decentralisation ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
Government Level

For the past three decades Ghana’s democratic decentralisation policy has sought in vein to establish a local government system capable of pursuing Local Economic Development (LED). One of the major impediments has been the insincere implementation of fiscal decentralisation for the local government to provide the enabling environment for LED. This paper employed primary and secondary data from the Wassa East District Assembly (WEDA) to assess the progress so far in Ghana’s fiscal decentralisation and its effect on LED. The paper highlights the potential benefits of LED and the incapacitation of the District Assembly by the Central government for LED financing. The paper again reveals the effects of the constraints of fiscal decentralisation on LED at the local government level and makes policy recommendations towards effective fiscal decentralisation for improvement in LED.

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