Use of Participatory Action in Public-Private Partnership in the Provision of Housing for Key Workers - Dissertation Example

Whether to alleviate poverty, jumpstart the economy, or improve the quality of life of the people, providing housing for the workers and ordinary employees with the support of the public and private sectors is a major undertaking of a developing economy. (Mason 1996, p. 176)

People in Ghana are not refugees; neither are they nomads. The value of housing is a basic human need but housing is a precious commodity that is difficult to grasp. In other words, post-colonial Ghana has relatively failed in its housing policy: the 1986 National Housing Policy and 1992 National Shelter Strategy both did not succeed (Obeng-Odoom 2013). However, several administrations have tried to put up housing programs for city residents, employing public-private partnerships although those are still in the implementation stage (Obeng-Odoom, p. 108).

Housing leaders and experts have called for secondary mortgage solutions to solve the growing problem of housing in Africa. Experts also recommended that the private sector, especially the banking industry, should provide financing in the form of home equity loans, to help solve the housing problem. (Obeng-Odoom 2013, p. 109)

• Objectives

There are several objectives why this dissertation was conceived:

• To define the parameters of participatory action between public and private sectors in the provision for key workers;
• To identify and find the roles of the various stakeholders in the public and private partnership for housing provision;
• To define and identify corporate social responsibility of firms;
• To define and explain the concept of participation in public and private partnerships.
  • Hypothesis

Participation to attain citizen power, with the support from private and public sectors, is an essential instrument in the success of housing programs in Ghana and other developing countries.

1. Arnstein’s ladder of participation

            Sherry Arnstein (2006) espoused the belief that participation from the citizenry creates ‘citizen power.’ There are some conditions to creating citizen power from participation. Following Arnstein’s theory, participation must be provided with power in order to attain a real outcome of that participation. She cited how in 1968 French students displayed this idea of citizen participation with corresponding power by exhibiting posters about participation. The students relayed their message that participation becomes empty if it does not earn power.