problems facing District Assemblies vary from district to district, but some of the common problems concern the following
Funds.
The District Assemblies Common Fund receives at least five percent of the total government revenues of Ghana. This money is for development and is distributed among all the District Assemblies in the country by the Ministry of Local Government. District Assemblies also keep the funds they collect through taxation, for example, entertainment duty, gate licenses. Out of, this money the Assemblies have to provide items such as schools, clinics, markets, and feed to furtherfurthering social and economic developınent in the district.
One way of solving the funding problem is to attract investment from companies or NGOs. Only some development projects are suitable for this kind of investment.
Skilled people
Lack of skills is a major problem in most districts. Examples of the skilled personnel required to administer projects and carry out necessary work are project managers, accountants, surveyors, planners, and architects.
These skills require a high level of academic and practical education.
Districts often also lack trained staff to work in administration.
The skills required include project management but may also involve.
Equipment
Some districts lack basic equipment for administration, particularly communications equipment such as typewriters, computers, telephones, and vehicles to provide transport for necessary journeys in the district and beyond. This hampers any efforts to administer the district efficiently.
Development projects
Planning is a very important and skilled activity. To plan a project, the planning department needs to consult local people to identify the most pressing needs, what funding is available, and be aware of possible problems which may be encountered in implementing the plan.
The plan which is drawn up must be clear and unambiguous, so that everyone involved knows exactly what is wanted, however equipment cost, and how long it should take to put in equipment.
Before planning individual projects, the planning department needs to be certain that these will tit into an overall development plan for the district. A district development plan will be prepared either by officials or the District Assembly or by a consultant.
In a development plan, the main development priorities of the district, such as education, agriculture, industry, etc.
Reference is made to other development policies so that the district plan does not conflict with national or regional development goals. Data will be collected on all the priority areas identified, e.g. by discussions or interviews with those involved.
These data will be analyzed to identify the key areas in which the district should concentrate its development efforts. For each proposed project, a budget is decided, as well as a monitoring and evaluation plan.
