Assessment of the Administrative Process in the Management of Maintenance Project Execution on Trunk Roads (A Case Study of Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), Volta Region) By Abu Mohammed (PG 2018308) A thesis Submitted to the Institute Of Distance Learning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of COMMONWEALTH EXECUTIVE MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION September, 2012 ii DECLARATION I hereby declare that this submission is my own work towards the Executive Masters of Business Administration and that, to the best of my knowledge, it contains no material previously published by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree of the University, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text. Mohammed Abu (PG 2018308) …………………. Signature Date Certified By: S.K. Enninful …………………….. Signature Date Certified By: ………………………… Prof. I.K Dontwi Signature Date Dean, IDL iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my wife and children who through their understanding, has given me enormous support throughout my two years at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the Almighty Lord for making it conceivable for me to undertake this research work. My deepest appreciation goes to my supervisor Mr. S.K.Enninful and Mr. Jude Adjoe for their diligent effort in instructing and guiding me throughout the writing of this research work. I extend my warmest gratitude to Mr. Ben Honyenugah for the care and assistance he gave me throughout the writing of this project. Again, I express my appreciation to Mr. Richard Ahedor for his support in editing this research work. Finally, I wish to express my sincere thanks to all those names I cannot mention especially those who helped me in one way or the other; I will say may God bless you all. v ABSTRACT This research work was done in partial fulfilment for a Degree. The research objective was to assess the administrative processes employed in the management of maintenance project execution on trunk roads and the Ghana Highway Authority, Volta Region was used as a case study. It also tried to identify the challenges confronting the GHA in the maintenance of road projects. A field targeted investigation was adopted. Field data on user perceptions were sampled using administered questionnaires among GHA employees in the Volta Region. The sample population were the entire GHA staff in the Volta region but a sample size of thirty (30) was chosen for the study. This was because a judgmental sampling technique was used to select staff members who play various roles in maintenance project execution in the Region. The findings reveled that, GHA to a large extent, follow some bureaucratic processes as a public organization in the management of maintenance projects. However, most of the personnel directly involved in the management of maintenance projects are of the view that projects are executed without fixed completion dates and cost which seem very unusual. Probably, the long delays experienced in execution of maintenance projects coupled with extension of time and their attendant cost may justify their perception and GHA much work to change that perception. Furthermore, it is recommended that the road agencies in general needs to be mindful of the control of time and cost in their management of projects to improve the confidence that the workers and the entire public have in them. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title i Declaration ii Abstract iii Dedication iv Acknowledgement v Table of content vi List of Tables ix List of Figures x CHAPTER ONE: 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 1 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 5 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 6 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 7 1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 7 1.6 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY 8 CHAPTER TWO 10 LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1 INTRODUCTION 10 2.2 DEFINITION OF MANAGEMENT 10 2.3 EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT THEORY 11 2.4 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MANAGEMENT 14 vii 2.5 PROJECT MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT 17 2.6 ASSET MANAGEMENT IN ROAD PROJECT EXECUTION 19 2.7 COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING IN MANAGEMENT OF 21 PROJECT EXECUTION 2.8 ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT IN MAINTENANCE 22 PROJECT EXECUTION 2.9 OVERVIEW OF ROAD MAINTENANCE 24 2.10 FINANCIAL REFORM OF ROAD MAINTENANCE PROJECT 26 EXECUTION 2.11 INSTITUTIONAL REFORM OF ROAD MAINTENANCE 28 2.12 HOW TO INCORPORATE MAINTENANCE INTO PROJECT 29 AND SECTOR STRATEGIES 2.13 WHAT IS MAINTENANCE 31 2.14 WHY IS MAINTENANCE IMPORTANT 32 2.15 SUMMARY 34 CHAPTER THREE 35 METHODOLOGY 35 3.1 INTRODUCTION 35 3.2 THE STUDY AREA 35 3.3 POPULATION AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE 35 3.4 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE 36 3.5 RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS 37 3.6 RESEARCH DESIGN 37 3.7 DATA ANALYSIS 41 CHAPTER FOUR 42 ANALYSIS, DISCUSSION AND REPRESENTATION OF RESULTS 42 viii 4.1 INTRODUCTION 42 4.2 ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS 42 CHAPTER FIVE 53 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 53 5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 53 5.2 CONCLUSION 56 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS 57 5.4 DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH 60 REFERENCES 61 APPENDIX 64 QUESTIONNAIRE 64 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page Table 4.2.1a: Sex of Respondents .......... ...................... ................. 44 Table 4.2.1b: Age of Respondents ................ ................. ......... 45 Table 4.2.1c: How long have you been with Ghana Highways Authority......... . 46 Table 4.2.1d: What role do you play at Ghana Highways Authority?...... 47 Table 4.2.1e: How do you organize periodic road maintenance?.......... .......... 48 Table 4.2.1f: Which processes are used to execute periodic road maintenance? .. 49 Table 4.2.1g: Which practice(s) do you see as management of periodic maintenance of road? ……. .. .................. ......... 50 Table 4.2.1h: Do you agree that arrangement of departmental positions maximizes efficiency and provides employees with satisfying career opportunities at Ghana Highways Authority? ……. .. 50 Table 4.2.1i: Which issues & challenges affects the administrative process in the management of maintenance project execution on roads? …. ..51 Table 4.2.1j: Which challenges confront Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) in the maintenance of road projects?. ...... ........ ...... 52 Table 4.2.1k: In your view, which is the key role of GHA Maintenance Department? …….. …… …. .. 53 x LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure 4.2.1a: Sex of Respondents ................ .......................... ...................... 44 Figure 4.2.1b: Age of Respondents .............. ............. ............ ........... 45 Figure 4.2.1c: How long have you worked for your company .... ............... 46 Figure 4.2.1d: What role do you play at Ghana Highways Authority? .......... 47 Figure 4.2.1f: Which processes are used to execute periodic road maintenance?. 49 Figure 4.2.1i: Which issues & challenges affects the administrative process in the management of maintenance project execution on roads?..... 51 Figure 4.2.1j: Which challenges confront Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) in the maintenance of road projects? ……. …….. 52 xi