Institutional reforms, democratic participation and decentralized development in Ghana: the Sissala district as a case study

The failures of centralized planning and development governance in Africa have provided the basis for arguments for institutional reforms, decentralisation, democratic participation and the spread of development benefits. This paper explores two interrelated questions with regard to Ghana's ongoing decentralization efforts, namely: (i) whether institutions have been sufficiently reformed to allow for democratic participation of all interest groups in the development process?, and (ii) whether democratic participation, per se, guarantees a decentralized approach to development planning and management and a trend towards socially and spatially equitable development? Based on the lessons drawn from the Sissala District of the Upper West Region of Ghana as a case, the study concludes that institutional reforms that aim at authentic decentralisation may not necessarily result in democratic participation or decentralised development that addresses issues of social and spatial equity. A central recommendation is that government needs to enforce the bottom-up planning process and conscientise local people to participate effectively in the district development process. Ghana Journal of Development Studies Vol. 2(2) 2005: 15-3