Community Participation in Solid Waste Management Policy-making Process at the Local Government Level In Cape Coast Metropolis

Abstract

ABSTRACT “The study aims at examining community participation issues with regards to Ghana’s solid waste management policy making process at the local governance level in Cape Coast Metropolis. The mixed method and embedded design were used for this study. Convenience sampling and purposive sampling were used for the study to obtain a total of 217 respondents. Questionnaires were used for data collection from assembly members and unit-committee members and the other respondents were interviewed. Statistical tools such as means, standard deviations, percentages and frequencies were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that community members do not take part in decision making regarding solid waste management in Ghana. Members of the communities are only presented with policies on sanitation and laws to comply with without being engaged on how the policies are drawn. The results also indicate that socio-political, trust, community awareness and inclusiveness are factors that drive or facilitate the participation in the solid waste management policy making process at the local governance level. The study found that politicization, lack of awareness of programme and lack of inclusiveness in the policy-making process are the major obstacles that hinder community participation. It was thus recommended that the management of the assembly should maintain credibility in the implementation of the various measures to enhance community participation in the solid waste management policy-making process. The study also recommends that the Metropolitan assembly should take the sensitization and education of the general public seriously.”