Development is the highest priority for the government and people of Ghana today.  This requires the design of organization for development decision-making structures, roles and procedures for policy formulation, project planning and implementation.

Hence effective politic administrative machinery depend on proper institutional arrangements, relationship among institution (both governmental and non-governmental) and effective coordination of activities of individuals, bodies and agencies in the District.

Effective and efficient governance of development thus is an integral component of the overall process of District Development.  Institutional structure for plan implementation which constitutes essential ingredient for governance of development for promoting local level planning and decision making has been adequately catered for in Local Government Law of 1993 Act 462 where adequate provisions for effective attainment of the goals of decentralization are enshrined.

Proper governance of development is thus envisaged to culminate in increase production, community development provision of basic needs, increased District building capacity which will necessitate frequent and subtle adjustments between essential national philosophies and enhance community aspirations as well as accentuating management of development as a politic – technical activity. 

Structure of the Kwabre District Assembly
The District Assembly is the highest political and administrative authority with the onerous task of plan preparation and implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

The Kwabre District until 1988 was part of the Agona / Kwabre District council with its headquarters at Agona.  A legislative instrument promulgated by the erstwhile Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) established Kwabre District.  In addition to exercising political and administrative authority, the District Assembly, according to Local Government Act 1993 Act 462 is empowered to provide guidance, give direction to and supervise all other administrative encumbrance in the District.

The Assembly performs its functions through the Executive Committee and a network of sub-committees.  The Executive Committee exercises executive and co-ordinating functions of the Assembly while the sub-committees collate and deliberate on issues relevant to their functional areas.  The sub-committees are:

•    Economic Development
•    Social Services
•    Works
•    Finance and Administration
•    Justice and Security

Key Departments
For administrative effectiveness, the District Chief Executive (DCE) is supported by a secretariat or central administration referred to as the office of the District Assembly.  This is headed by a District Co-ordinating Director (DCD) who reports to the District Chief Executive (DCE) and is in charge of the day to day administrative of the Assembly.

The central Administration of the Office of the District Assembly is broadly made up of two (2) departments.
•    General Administration and Finance
•    Planning and Budgeting Co-ordinating Unit.

The Decentralized Departments in the District are:
•    Education
•    Social Welfare and Community Development
•    Works
•    Physical Planning
•    Finance
•    Disaster Prevention
•    Health
•    Agriculture
•    Specialized Unit of the Central Administration
i.    Birth and Death Registry
ii.    Information Service
iii.    Statistical Service

Apart from the above departments, there are others which are present in the District including National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Non formal Education Division (NFED) Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana National Fire Service.

The task of the realizing of the aspirations of the people in the District depends on the effective implementation of the District Assembly’s responsibilities. This is to be executed with close collaboration co-operation and involvement of the both governmental and Non- governmental organizations, the private sector and individual entrepreneurs.

Sub District Structures
There are eleven (11) Area Councils in the Kwabre District.  The basic problem facing these Area Councils is the lack of office staff to man these offices.  Again some of the councils are grappling with the problem of office accommodation.  These two basic problems coupled with others make the operations of the sub- District Structures very difficult. The Assembly have started putting up Office accommodation for the Area Councils and the Community Based Rural Development Project (CBRDP), is supporting the District to build up the capacity of four number Area Councils in the District. 

Traditional Authority
Traditional Authority, which is embedded in the chieftaincy institution, is perhaps the oldest and much revered institution in the country.  The positions traditional status spheres of influence of chiefs in the Kwabre District unlike other areas, present a complex interwoven web-like phenomenon.

Some of the traditional rulers are ‘Abrempong’ who fall directly under the Asantehene, as exemplified by the chief of Adanwomase whilst other chiefs come under the jurisdiction of Kumasi Traditional Chiefs and owe much allegiance to them for example Swedru.  The third category of the traditional rulers falls under paramount chiefs such as Mampong and Nsuta.

NGO’S
Non-governmental Organization exists to supplement the efforts of the District Assembly to accelerate the pace of Development.  NGO’s are potential source in the provision of funds, materials training and machinery for project execution.

Kwabre District has not benefited so much from non-governmental organizations.  However, few projects have been provided by the Cambodian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in some few selected communities.

Multi- latral  Co-opration
The District is a beneficiary of the KFW / CWSA sponsored water and sanitation project.  The programme, which started in 2004, provided 50 boreholes in 30 communities and 50 household latrines. Currently the project is providing so Boreholes in 33 Communities with 200Household and 17 Institutional Latrines.

Again the District is also benefiting from another water and sanitation programme under the sponsorship of the African Development Bank.  Under the programme, 125 boreholes, 40 institutional latrines and 4000 household latrines would be provided.

Under the programme the District is expected to contribute 5% of capital cost towards the provision of the facilities while the beneficiary communities contribute same towards the provision of the facilities.

Participation of Citizenry
The District Assembly in collaboration with the Government Accountability Improvement Trust (GAIT) have supported the formation of a Civic Union in the District.  Again there are 42 Registered Civil Society Organizations (CSO) currently operating in the District.

The Civic Union and the Civil Society Organizations have collaborated with the District in many ways to deepen the democratization process.

The Civic Union collaborated with the Assembly to organize community Fora and Town meetings in the various communities.  The fora served as a platform for the key members of the Assembly to interact with community members so as to address all questions bordering their minds.

Again the Civic Union in collaboration with the District Directorate of Education has been organizing fora on Education to bring all stakeholders together so as to improve the quality of Education in the District.  The Civic Union has been facilitation the interaction between the Assembly and recognized groups and Associations during budget preparation so that a compromise could be reached on the fee fixing resolution of the Assembly.

Security
There are four Police Stations in the District.  These stations are found in the following towns

•    Mamponteng
•    Antoa
•    Kodie
•    Asonomaso

The basic problem facing the Police Service in the District is lack of residential accommodation for the officers and men.


HIV / AIDS
The first case of AIDS in the Kwabre District was diagnosed in 1990 and by the year 2005 on estimated number of 84 people were HIV positive.  Past three (3) years was 180 and the prevalence rate was 2.2%.


As can be seen from the table, the reported AIDS cases in 2003 were 24.  In 2004 it increased to 72 and shot up to 84 in 2005 totaling 180 in the 3 year period.  This gives an average of 60 cases per year.

The criterions increase in the number of HIV / AIDS cases calls for more aggressive strategies to combat the menace.

The District recognize the fact that HIV/AIDS is a developmental issue and requires multi sectoral and multi disciplinary approaches for solutions to be effective.  We need to prevent the disease from infected and affected and we need to put structure, systems and processes in place to enable the intervention to be successful.

In view of the above, the District has put in place a strategic framework to accelerate the implementation of the multi sectoral HIV programme (MSHAP) under the sponsorship of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC)

The Assembly projects a total revenue of ¢75,166,000,000.00bn out of which ¢15,429,000,000bn is expected to be generated from local sources as indicated over the plan period.  An amount of ¢59,737,000,000.00bn is to be source from DACF and donors including KfW, African Development Bank and World Bank to finance the provision of bore holes and the construction of Institutional and Household Toilets in throughout the District.

The Plan period envisages a total expenditure of ¢78,416,000,000.00bn as shown in the table below.  It shows a deficit gap of ¢3,250,000,000.00bn, which the Assembly’s increased revenue mobilization effort will help close.

The Assembly plans to embark, among others, on a massive District wide revaluation of commercial and residential properties that would greatly boost revenue generation.
Refer to pdf file for tables.