From government to governance in addressing local 'wicked' problems in Ghana: a panacea or a route to nowhere

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to explore whether the policy change of moving from government to governance in addressing environmental issues is a solution to the problem or not based on the perspectives of environmental policy actors at Amansie West District in Ghana. The study method was qualitative with 16 interviewees who were purposively selected. The results of the study indicated that the policy actors perceived the policy shift to be a solution because it has several benefits which include guaranteeing collaborative efforts among actors, providing credibility, promoting the sharing of innovative ideas, and ensuring financial sustainability. However, there are challenges such as different actors with different motives, different ways of understanding problems and situations, and differences in resources endowments among the actors. All these contribute to mistrust, poor coordination and poor communication. Nonetheless, it was concluded that it was worth having the policy shift.