RESTRUCTURING THE INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE STRUCTURE IN GHANA: ADDRESSING DONOR FATIGUE, REDUCING DEPENDENCY, AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63456/jpslg-2-1-37Keywords:
Global assistance, Power Dynamics, Ghana, Civil society, Sustainable development,, Donor FatigueAbstract
Ghana has long relied on international assistance to support some of the country’s economic and social development particularly through civil society. However, donor fatigue, characterized by a decline in external aid due to shifting priorities and economic constraints of donor countries, poses a significant challenge to sustainable development. This paper explores the need for restructuring the international assistance system in Ghana to reduce aid dependency and enhance long-term sustainability. Key strategies include strengthening domestic resource mobilization, fostering public-private partnerships, enhancing governance and accountability, and promoting self-reliant economic growth. The paper also examines the role of alternative financing mechanisms, such as impact investing and regional collaborations, in ensuring sustainable development. By transitioning from aid dependence to a more resilient and self-sustaining economy, Ghana can mitigate the risks associated with fluctuating donor support and foster long-term progress. The paper will also map-out, track and keep a database for how much funding comes into the country as well as monitor and evaluate how these resources are distributed in the spirit of accountability. This will also help to determine the distribution of roles and how the government can pursue and break the dependency on foreign assistance. Using a quantitative research design, data will be collected through questionnaire from 750 respondents and analyzed using simple statistics such as pie charts, bar charts and histograms. Overall, this research is significant as it contributes to the existing knowledge on utilizing donor assistance in Ghana and provides insights into how civil society organizations and the international aid architecture can develop and implement sustainable sensitive policies and programs.
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