Resilient development impacts could be assessed: A case in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Urban projects featured with resilient development have become popular, whereas limited studies have been invested in evaluating the impacts of these projects. A debate exists, asking if these impacts could ever be captured and verified. This communication paper argues that project impacts could be demonstrated, by specifying (1) the relatable literature, measurements, and rational assessment criteria, (2) a confined assessment timeframe, and (3) available scientific data sources. The paper derives the assessment experiences of the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID), supported by the World Bank, in view of the above argument. Through a mixed-methods approach with two waves of investigation, the assessment experiences successfully capture the pre-intervention indicators that GARID may lead. The assessment experiences also provide in-time recommendations toward GARID's implementation, advancing more inclusive stakeholder engagement. The fruitful results confirm the paper's argument. Meanwhile, having third parties to conduct impact assessments could uncover non-supervised project outcomes and challenges that typical official reports would not investigate. Encouraging commitments to impact assessments of international development projects like GARID would help southern cities move toward inclusive prosperity.