Abstract:
This study contends that consensus-building, open dialogue, and the promotion of an active civil society are key ingredients to the long-term sustainable development and well-being of many communities. The study assessed stakeholders’ involvement in the preparation of the district development plan in the Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. A mixed-method approach was employed in the study. For the quantitative approach, the simple random sampling technique was used to select 120 respondents from Saltpond, Mankessim, and Anomabo. For the qualitative aspect of the study, the purposive sampling method was used to sample key informants such as assembly members, municipal planning coordinating unit members, and unit committee members. Questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data respectively. A key result of the study was that stakeholders within the municipality were largely uninformed of the Medium-Term Development Plan and its preparation process. Consequently, participation in the process was low and dominated by elites. Second, an assessment of the 2014-2017 Medium-Term Development Plan for the assembly also revealed that it generally suits the needs of the municipality. However, it suffers from some significant prioritisation disparities with respect to specific areas within the municipality. The study recommends that the Municipal Planning Coordinating Unit should erect notice boards within communities to educate its stakeholders. However, such notice boards should have pictorial presentations to enable the less educated stakeholders to also understand and appreciate such information.
