Ministry Of Local Government Research Articles

Reviewing the Adequacy of Zambia’s Legal Framework for Local Authorities Revenue Mobilization

An increase in sources of local authority’s revenue in both developed and developing countries has compelled governments to develop policies and laws aimed at guiding local authorities in revenue mobilization. The Zambian government, to be specific, has over the years developed quite many laws for this venture. In addition to the constitutional provision, other pieces of legislation guiding local authorities’ revenue mobilization in Zambia include; the Public Finance Management Act, No. 1 of 2018, Local Government Act, No. 2 of 2019, the Property Transfer Tax (Amendment) Act, 2019, Market and Bus Station Act. No.7 of 2007, the Valuation Surveyors Act, the Rating Act No. 21 of 2018, and the Personal Levy Act of 1996. This paper explores the adequacy of Zambia’s Legal Framework for Local Authorities Revenue Mobilization. The respondents were purposively sampled from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Government, the Decentralization Secretariat, and the Local Authorities. Moreover, the various sources of local authorities’ revenue and pieces of legislation are discussed. Zambia has an adequate legal framework guiding local authority revenue mobilization. It is for this reason that local authorities are encouraged to adhere to the legal framework at all costs if they are to effectively generate revenue and play an effective role in enhancing development.

EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT SERVICES ON DEPRESSION REDUCTION OF PEOPLE WITH ALBINISM IN RWANDAA CASE OF HEALTH ALERTS ORGANIZATION

Background: Individuals living with albinism face unique challenges, including living situation, socioeconomic status, and the effectiveness of the health education on their mental well-being. Creating focused interventions and support networks for this susceptible group requires an understanding of how these variables interact and how depression is affected by them. The goal of this research is to better understand the intricate interaction between these factors and how it affects the mental health of albinos in Rwanda. Three main goals served as the foundation for this investigation: finding out how common depression is among Rwandans who have albinism. to identify risk factors for depression in Rwandan individuals who are albinos. Also to look at how well health education programmes work in Rwanda to raise awareness of depression among those who are albinos. This research was guide by Disability Model, Eriksons Psychology Development Theories. Materials and Methods: Using a quantitative cross-sectional design and independent variables including gender, age, religion, place of residence, socioeconomic category, parental situation (living with parents or as orphans), and health risk factors like suicidal ideation, the mixed methods study evaluated the prevalence and factors linked to depression among individuals living with albinism in Rwanda starting in September 2023. Additionally, individual interviews were used to gather qualitative data in order to assess the efficacy of health education programmes aimed at reducing depression in the study population. In order to determine the components linked to depression, quantitative studies were conducted using logistic regression models. In the research with 75 participants, all individuals were considered as respondents using census sampling technique and these were the people living with albinism beneficiaries of the Health Alerts Organization, a Rwandan non-profit organization. Results: Most were young, female, and faced various life challenges. A significant majority experienced depression (69.33%), with occupation, literacy, socio-economic category, and facing challenges showing associations in bivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that being in socio-economic category III was protective against depression (OR 0.11) while facing challenges substantially increased the odds (OR 48.15). Our study reveals a high prevalence of depression among individuals, particularly those dealing with life challenges. Occupation, literacy, socio-economic status, and challenges were linked to depression in our analysis. Socio-economic category III seemed protective, while challenges significantly increased risk. These findings emphasize the necessity for tailored interventions and support for mental health disparities, especially among vulnerable populations facing adversity. This study holds a significant importance for associations supporting individuals with albinism, providing insights into their mental health issues and specific support needs. Counselors benefit from a clearer understanding of the psychological challenges faced by this group. Conclusion: The findings can aid the Ministry of Health in planning and potential legislation to address mental health concerns among individuals with albinism, while the Ministry of Local Government can use them to develop a national social protection policy and enhance public awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with albinism.The recommendations derived from the study findings and conclusions are directed towards various stakeholders, each aiming at improving the mental health and overall well-being of people with albinism in Rwanda.

Application of E-Services in the Urban Local Government in Bangladesh: A Study on Rajshahi City Corporation

Public sector information and communication technology (ICT) has a long history of using mainframe operations in the 1970s and microcomputing in the 1990s. It is recognized by the Government of Bangladesh that ICT has a development impact, as it enhances access to information, the quality of public service delivery and strengthens good governance practices. Since the ending of 2019, the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic has revived the importance of e-governance. In the initial stage of this climacteric period when people were socially distanced, restricted in quarantine, and not interacting face-to-face with each other created a whale of a ponderosas of e-governance in Bangladesh. Without any doubt, e-governance is the prime catalyst for urban development. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is one of the oldest and leading municipalities in e-governance adaptation in Bangladesh. RCC, jointly with the local government division under the ministry of local government, has introduced e-governance through initiating an electronic birth registration information system (EBRIS) in 2001. This is one of the best paradigms for adapting e-governance at the urban local government level in Bangladesh. As a part of e-governance, RCC has launched Smart Auto-Rickshaw Management System (SARMS) to reduce traffic congestion on city roads. The study, based on primary sources of information, seeks to assess the role of SARMS in reducing traffic congestion on city streets as part of e-governance. In order to properly implement e-governance in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), researchers have come up with two recommendations for e-service providers following two broad sections. A rich ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite for providing e-services to the recipients. This study is based on empirical research. This first section of this paper is equipped with the details of the respondents, overall opinions of the respondents on e-governance are covered by second section, the third section is depictured the status of e-services in RCC. However, the last section is enclosed by the specific opinions of the respondents on EBRIS and SARMS.

Public Perception on the Level of Effectiveness of Climate Change Communication Channels in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Climate change communication remains a vital issue globally in view of the increasing concerns on the adverse impacts of climate change. Using a total of 327 Ghanaians, this research investigated public perception on the level of effectiveness of climate change communication channels in the country. Simple random and convenience sampling methods were employed to select respondents who filled a set of questionnaires. In analyzing the data, cross tabulation, means, standard deviations, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test were employed. Though many respondents believed climate change is already harming local communities, they were dissatisfied with the existing institutional, legal and regulatory frameworks for addressing climate change impacts. Also, the respondents believed that local authorities, the media and political officeholders were not actively addressing climate change impacts. Radio, television, and social media platforms were perceived as generally effective climate change communication channels in Ghana. However, respondents were lowly satisfied with the overall level of effectiveness of climate change communication channels in the country. Significant differences existed in the views of respondents on the effectiveness of climate change communication channels used in Ghana based on gender (Z score=-2.022, P<0.5). Similarly, there were significant differences in the views of respondents on the effectiveness of climate change communication channels and their level of education (X2 =23.763, P<0.05). The Ministry of Environment, Science and Innovation should team up with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Information to develop a more comprehensive program aimed at promoting behavior and social change towards climate change adaptation and mitigation. The Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies should liaise with community radios to come up with measures to promote the use of climate change communication channels based on the unique demographic characteristics and socio-cultural contexts of target audience.

Management of Land Resettlement Records in a Rural Village in Zimbabwe

Land records are considered proof of ownership, right to land ownership, and boundaries. Land records provide two types of important evidence. First, they often document family relationships. Second, they place individuals in a specific time and place. This study sought to examine the management of land resettlement records in one of the rural districts in Zimbabwe (this rural district will be anonymously referred to as the “Village”). The research problem was triggered by the heirs of a late neighbour who were on the verge of losing their homestead due to lack of documentation stating the ownership of their acquired land. It remains uncertain whether proper records management practices are being adhered to in this rural village. Therefore, this article sought to determine the types of records created at this village. Furthermore, the article meant to establish the processes and procedures involved in the management of land resettlement records at this village and also to identify if there are challenges faced in the management of such and what these are. The constructivism paradigm and a qualitative research methodology were applied. A case study design was used. The findings revealed that the records were kept at the village clerk’s homestead. The major challenges identified were the lack of proper records management systems, the lack of storage facilities, the invisibility of the governmental archival support structures such as the National Archives of Zimbabwe and trained records officers. The study recommends a collaboration between the National Archives of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, including the Village being researched, so as to train them about proper records management practices.

Unearthing Elements Associated with Electoral Violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia

This study explored elements associated with electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The study rids on case study design which was employed on a targeted population that comprised 28 participants. The data were generated through interviews and document review. The main findings of this research were that electoral violence was associated with low socio-economic status, hunger for power, political immaturity and cadreism, selectivity in the application of the law by the law enforcement agencies, low education background and ethnicity. Further, the study found that high population density coupled with bad road network was difficult to police during election period. Therefore, this study concludes that electoral violence impacts the electoral process negatively as electorates are subjected to exercise their political rights under hostile conditions. Thus, among others, it is recommended that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should speed up the process of creation and enhancing of youth skills training centers so as to help them acquire necessary surviving skills in lower income Constituencies as youths were cited to be perpetrators of violence due to them being exposed to poverty and high levels of unemployment.

E-birth Registration in Raj Shahi City Corporation, Bangladesh: Problematics and Inferential Solutions

The purport of this study is to address electronic birth registration information system (EBRIS) programme in RCC with its existing problems. Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is one of the leading municipalities in e-governance adaptation in Bangladesh. As a part of e-governance, RCC, jointly with the local government division under the ministry of local government, has initiated electronic birth registration information system (EBRIS) in 2001 with the financial and technical support of UNICEF. Based on inference, researchers have recommended some possible solutions for solving these problems. As empirical research, this study, based on primary and secondary sources of data and information, has found some problems existed inside the EBRIS programme incorporated in RCC.

An Exploration into the Psychological Effects of Vending on Children Whose Parents are Vendors. A Case of Ruwa

This study focused on the various psychological effects of the behaviours of vending parents which affect the lives of their children. The study also sought to find out how vendors’ children were affected psychologically by the activities of their parents who are vendors. The objectives of the research were to: examine behaviours of vending parents towards their children in Ruwa and explore behaviours of emotional and intellectual development exhibited by children whose parents are vendors in Ruwa. It also considered the impact of the physical environment on the psychological development of children of vending parents. The qualitative paradigm was adopted for this study and an exploratory research design was employed. The study population was six hundred (600) and the sample size was made up of sixty (60) participants recruited for this study, twenty-eight (28) were vendors and forty-two (42) were children of vendors. The research used observations and in–depth, interviews to obtain primary data Twenty-two (22) participants returned the questionnaires. Since street vendors and their children are found in specific areas dotted around Ruwa, the study used a purposive sampling method. The study established that parents who are vendors did not have time with their children, exposing them to street life and vending. This affected the behavior of children as they were influenced by the environment more than the parents. In addition to that the parents’ behaviours towards their children also showed some negative and positive reactions which shaped the development of these children. The study recommended that the government through the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare should put policies that cater to the social welfare of disadvantaged children, the Child Protection Act should make it an offence for a parent or guardian who uses a school going age child to sell commodities in the street. The Ministry of Local Government and Town Planning through the Ruwa Local Board should create a playing space for children while their mothers are vending. Libraries need to be constructed to cater for learners, especially those who are in high school, and to create space for children in their planning of marketplaces. Setting up play centres and toilets at all vending points, stall markets designated vending points to accommodate children of vending parents.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE UP -TO- DATE CORPORATE USAGE OF PUBLIC SECTOR TENDERING PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES :A CASE STUDY OF THE MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS IN ZIMBABWE

This research study evaluated the use of tendering in public sector procurement using the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works (MLGPW) as the case study in Zimbabwe. The objectives were to explore the current extent of tendering procedures on influencing the acquisition of goods and services at competitive prices; assess the effect of tendering on the quality of products and services; and examine the impact of tendering on the security of supply at the MLGPW. Contemporary literature was reviewed in line with the research purposes. The study adopted a quantitative approach and an explanatory survey design. The target population was MLGPW employees in the procurement function. Questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 61 respondents selected using systematic sampling. Data analysis performed using SPSS revealed that tenderers scout for opportunities to reduce costs in their value chain to enable them to submit the lowest price. It came out that attempts by tenderers to outcompete each other induce self-drive to reduce costs for fear of losing contracts. The study found that tendering embeds minimum technical scores and quality standards which have to be met as part of the pre-selection process thus enhancing quality. It was revealed that tendering affords opportunities to negotiate favorable delivery terms for public entities as conditions for awarding the tender which enhanced the security of supply. The research study concluded that tendering has a strong positive influence on lowering the cost of goods and services, quality of products and security of supply for public entities. This study recommended that the MLGPW priorities tendering as the public procurement process for goods, services, utilities and works; deepen procurement negotiation skills and capabilities with its procurement staff; and develop collaborative supplier relationships. It was suggested that a further study could be conducted with a higher number of public ministries entities such as the ministry of trade and commerce, ministry of primary and secondary education and ministry of health and child welfare.

Records management for open government at Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Botswana

The purpose of this paper is to help records and information management professionals of organisations for both the public and private sector to understand the role good records keeping brings to the attainment of open government. This paper complements open government through the application of a records management perspective to an analysis of the records management practices. Conversely, the study adopted a mixed methods approach to collect data from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) that consisted of purposively sampled respondents. The target population consisted of 54 respondents. Forty-five questionnaires were distributed, with 33 successfully completed and returned to the researcher. Similarly, nine Heads of Departments (HoDs) were scheduled for interviews and only five interviews successfully continued as planned, and the study included appropriate documents for analysis. The study’s findings showed that there is a lack of good records management overall at the MLGRD, which emanated from unskilled records management staff. Similarly, the study identified MLGRD staff manning the records management division to being incapable of managing digital records. Furthermore, the findings revealed that there is no proper infrastructure to manage digital records and that there is no records management policy to be used to guide on good records keeping practices. Based on the findings, the study, among others, it is recommended that the records management staff of the MLGRD should be upskilled to have records management competencies, especially in digital records keeping, and that the MLGRD should acquire ICT infrastructure to support good digital records keeping practices.

Settlement as a determinant for community’s resilience to local economic development in Ghana

Local Economic Development (LED) is the main anchor through which economic development is achieved by building entrepreneurial capacities and improving opportunities for economic growth and citizens’ quality of life, especially in rural settlements. In Ghana, the implementation of LED is under the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development (MLDGRD) through the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) at the local level. The implementation of LED contributes significantly to Ghana’s economic growth, business creation, and employment generation. LED is therefore identified as essential to sustainable development and poverty reduction in rural settlements in Ghana. However, the challenges of poor implementation of the LED policy are financial constraints to implement LED activities at the local level, performance action of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) towards LED, and limited exploration of the sanitation value chain LED efforts at the local level. The poor capacity of small-medium micro enterprises (SMMEs) and smallholder farmers have often affected the successful implementation of LED activities at the local level. Hence, this paper seeks to identify the determinants for resilience in Local Economic Development in Ghana. The paper further provides an overview of the LED challenges in Ghana. Finally, this paper recommends appropriate theoretical frameworks that integrate the determinants for the resilience of Local Economic Development to address the identified challenges of LED, leading to poverty reduction in Ghana.

Impact of Human Resources Budgeting on Human Resource Management Accountability in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Ashanti Region

The Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies in Ghana have adopted, have been practicing Human Resource Budgeting for effective accounting of human resources. However, little is done to determine its impact on Human Resource Management Accountability. This study, therefore, focused on the impact of Human Resource Budgeting on Human Resource Management Accountability in Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The study purposively sampled Heads of Departments since they have the responsibility of supervising, directing, coordinating the activities of other employees within the MMDAs. The study collected primary data from 387 Heads of Departments in 43 MMDAs in the region. The study employed mean and standard deviation for descriptive analysis. The study employed a structural equation model for the estimation of the impact of Human Resource Budgeting on Human Resource Management Accountability. The sex, educational level, and years of experience of the respondents were controlled for in the model estimation. Human Resource Budgeting in the MMDAs was occasionally done. Human Resource Budgeting had a significant positive impact on Human Resource Management Accountability in the MMDAs. Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should see Human Resource Budgeting as a strategic tool for enhancing Human Resource Management Accountability in MMDAs. For this reason, Human Resource budgeting practices should be enforced to the latter.

The roles of elected female members of reserved seats in union parishads :

Union Parishad (UP) is the lowest tier of the Local Government of Bangladesh which bridges between people and government to ensure people’s participation in governance system. Therefore, from the last two decades government has been emphasizing on enhancing political emancipation of women in local government. To promote female leadership in grass-root level, Ministry of Local Government established a provision in the Local Government Act of reserving 3 (three) seats for women in UPs. This reformation enabled the female leaders to be elected in the UPs by a direct vote of the people. This research intends to explore the roles played by these elected female members of the studied UPs. It was conducted following a qualitative method and interview technique. Face to face interview has been taken from 45 female members of 15 UPs in Dhamrai Upazila, Dhaka with semi structured questionnaire. The study found that most of the respondents are contributing to development related project, social safety net program, controlling early marriage and dowry, family planning and female health-related program, awareness building of hygiene and sanitation, adult literacy etc. At the same time, it is found that significant numbers of the elected female members are not conscious about their responsibilities and even though they do not have any idea about UP manual. Finally, it revealed the obstacles in their workplaces, the challenges in their families, local societies, and recommended probable measures to overcome such situations. Besides, securing female leadership and active representations in the UPs can include the backward women in the mainstream of development and decision-making process which will undoubtedly contribute enormously to women empowerment.

Making Cities Resilient in Ghana: The Realities of Slum Dwellers That Confront the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

Over the past three decades, various countries and stakeholders have aimed at having cities that can better handle natural and human-made disasters, protect human life, absorb the impact of economic, environmental and social hazards and promote well-being, inclusive and sustainable growth. This paper investigates how informal ties result in in-filling and the creation of slums in the context of efforts to make cities resilient in Ghana using the Accra Metropolis as case study. The United Nations Habitat classification of slums was used to purposively select two slum settlements in Accra for the study. The study used mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect data from April 2018 to August 2018. Quantitative data was collected from 400 slum dwellers while qualitative data was collected from eight focus group discussion sessions and in-depth interviews with at least one senior official from related institutions such as Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH), Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development (MICZD), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Police Service, and Ghana National Fire Service. Descriptive techniques were used for the analysis. The findings are that informal ties contribute to in-filling in slums. Slum dwellers do not plan to return home, they are not involved in land use decision making and the slums have opportunities and challenges to the slum dwellers and AMA. The AMA should avoid forced eviction of slums and rather enforce development control bye-laws, implement slum upgrading programs, and involve slum dwellers in upgrading programs. Slum dwellers must cooperate with AMA to make Accra resilient. The mainstreaming of the issue of slums in all urban development agendas needs to be given the needed political and policy attention by central government and all stakeholders.

Reflecting the Ancient Administrative Tendencies of the Oyo Kingdom in Modern Local Government System

Globally, the debate on the adaptability of traditional institutions into local governance is ongoing. A school of thought believes that traditional institutions foster local government administration especially in mobilizing grassroots support through its traditional strategies. Another school characterized administrative practices of traditional institutions as anachronistic and undemocratic. While synergy among these views is desirable, this study investigates the extent to which tendencies of traditional institutions are reflected in the modernised local government administration. Respondents were selected from Atiba Local Government Council, the Community Leaders, and the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters in Oyo State with a total population (304) and sample size (152). Primary and secondary sources were employed for data collection. The study revealed traditional institutions partake in security administration (80.6%) and information management (84.4%) but not so active in project monitoring (93.3%), on overall the study reported that roles allotted traditional institutions were not statistically significant, c2 (6, 670)=0.414, p > 0.05. The study further established that effects of the traditional institution are more prominent in; effective two-way communication between the grassroots and local government (89.5%), promotion of peace and order (93.3%) but less prominent in collaborative governance (91.1%), it was revealed that effect of traditional institutions on local governance is not statistically significant, c2 (6, 670)=0.007, p > 0.05. For the tendencies of traditional institutions to be harmoniously reflected in the local government administration, institutional and constitutional reforms are hereby recommended.

An Investigation Into Medical Waste Management Practices In Hospitals In Northern Peninsula Malaysia

The main aim of the study was toinvestigatethe medical waste management practices located in the north part hospitals in Malaysia. The northern part includes (Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Perak States). A questionnaire survey was mainly used for gathering information concerning different medical waste management aspects by identifying training services, segregation, and containers, storage, collection, transportation as well as ward attendants. Forty (40) hospitals (public and private) located in the above-mentioned stateswere targeted. The sample size of the whole study was 250 questionnaires; these questionnaires came from different hospitals where they located in the states of Penang, Kedah, Perlis, and Perak. As results, it was found from the analysis that although training programs were offered in the most places, there were not common centralized areas for training and even not applicable at all by 3.5% within the hospitals surveyed in Penang state accordingly to the administrative questionnaire. However, ongoing training programs either for old or new workers had been not identified. The responsibility for the waste to get segregated obviously not practiced by clear designated staff. Other numbers of problems that hospitals are facing in terms of medical waste managementinclude lack of sacks which are not totally subjected to tear, lack of provisional measures carried out to prohibit liquids running out from waste and not enough protective gear were used by workers. From the results of this study, it was clear that medical waste had not received sufficient attention according to WHO recommendation standard. Therefore, it was concluded that the majority of the examined areas had shown lack of practices in terms of segregation, collection, storage and transportation in dealing efficiently with medical waste management. In addition to that, all the interested parties (government, hospitals and workers at healthcare facilities) wrer recommended to implement a safe reliable medical waste management strategy, not only in legislation and policy formation but also particularly in its monitoring and enforcement, which can be achieved by the cooperation of Ministry of Health, Environmental Quality Authority, Ministry of Local Government, and Non-Governmental Organizations working in the same fields.

A Scientific Approach to the Densification Debate in Bergen Centre in Norway

The municipality of Bergen in Norway aims to densify fifty per cent of new housing within the city’s central parts. The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation ordered and financed an investigation to be carried out by the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and the consulting firm Asplan Viak to give research-based input to the densification strategy debate in Bergen. This article demonstrates how the Space Syntax method can be applied to urban densification strategies in urban planning and policy making. The Geographical Information System (GIS) is used to obtain, select, and aggregate operational information. First, the spatial attributes that constitute an area’s attractiveness were registered. Then, this analysis was modelled after the Spacescape® method. Next, the Space Syntax methodology was applied to predict to-movement and through-movement flow potentials. Finally, through weighting the relevant parameters, including impediments such as land ownership, twelve areas were identified as having major potential for transformation based on their overall score. As it turns out, the spatial structure of the street and road network is the underlying driver for how and where to densify. Now, the challenge is how to apply this knowledge into current planning practice.

Impact of Land Act of 1995 on Customary, State and Church Lands

The article sets out to examine the concept of customary or traditional land within the context of Zambia’s dual land system that is categorized as: customary/traditional land. In turn, the traditional land is controlled, allocated, and regulated through the Chiefs. Then there is formal land that is owned and controlled by the State through the Commissioner of Lands who works in consultation with the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and its District Councils. The article will thus examine the history of dual land system in Zambia; and will further evaluate the Land Act of 1995, whose purpose was to propose a wave of new land system reforms. The latter was intended to establish a more efficient system of land tenure conversion in Zambia. The article also examines the administration of conversion process of traditional/customary and State land. The article sets out on the premise that without effective tenure conversion policies in administering land, sustainable development in both traditional or customary and State areas will be hampered. To this effect, the issue of boundaries in customary or traditional communities will be discussed as a way of building territorial integrity and land management in customary land, through cadastral surveys that is apparent with the rise in population and demand for market-based activities in rural areas. The article will argue that without clearly defined systems of administration and demarcation of boundaries, between customary/traditional and State/formal lands in Zambia, this process will be prone to more land conflicts hindering socio-economic progress. Hence, the aim of the article is to investigate how the United Church of Zambia’s land has been administered and managed, considering the fact that most of its land is based both in customary/traditional areas that are controlled by the Chiefs and formal or State lands that are largely controlled by the government institutions. The methodology that will be used in or der to examine how the United Church of Zambia manages and administer its land will be qualitative methodology. The article will conclude that there is need for the United Church of Zambia to develop a land management policy that will assist the Church to manage and administer its lands that is both located in the traditional and government areas. Above all, the Church needs to ensure that leasehold conversion that is both customary and traditional authorities through the local Chiefs and the government through its Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, Commissioner of Lands, together with the Ministry of Local Government are legitimately acquired.

Medical waste management at three hospitals in Jenin district, Palestine.

Medical wastes are considered hazardous because they may possess infectious agents and can cause unsafe effects on the environment and human health. This study is to analyze and evaluate the current status of medical waste management at Jenin's district in light of medical waste control regulations recommended by the World Health Organization. The results demonstrated that the average hazardous healthcare waste generation rate ranges from 0.54 to 1.82kg/bed/day with a weighted average of 0.78kg/bed/day. There was no established waste segregation of healthcare waste types in all hospitals, and these wastes were finally disposed of in a centralized municipal sanitary landfill, namely Zahrat Al-Finjan. The results suggest that there is a need for activation and enforcement of medical waste laws. This can be achieved through cooperation among key actors: Ministry of Health, Environmental Quality Authority, Ministry of Local Government, and Non-Governmental Organizations working in related fields. Additional remediation measures proposed to tackle the problematic areas of medical waste management in Jenin's district hospitals are addressed. Some recommendations to minimize potential health and environmental risks of medical waste are also introduced.

Factors Affecting Citizens’ Participation in the Decentralization Process in Ghana

Participation in decision-making is the root of democratization, as democratization is widely believed to be rooted in decentralization. As such, citizens’ participation in the decentralization process will bring governance closer to the people. The focus of the study was to explore the factors that affect the citizens’ participation in Ghana’s decentralization process. The researcher used the case study design for the study. Both questionnaire and interview protocol were used for data gathering. One hundred and six people in the area were conveniently sampled to become respondents in the study. For the method of data analysis, the researcher used tables and percentages. The study found out that the office of the DCE and how the DCE is selected, Assembly Members and Unit Committee Members of the district assembly and the motivation given them, internal funds mobilization, cooperation among stakeholders, education given to the citizens and others were the factors that generally affected the programme in the Central Tongu District. The study recommended that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development should establish monitoring mechanisms to assess the extent citizens’ engagement/participation in the decentralization process and addresses depilating factors that hinder the citizens’ participation in the decentralization process in the CTD and beyond CTD.