College of Art and Built Environment

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    A Model for the Development of Tender Price Indices in the Ghanaian Building Industry
    (KNUST, 2017-11-01) Kissi Ernest
    The pricing of construction resources has remained a critical challenge to project stakeholders for decades and the situation has exacerbated in recent times due to various economic recessions and fluctuations in both developed and developing countries. However, the quest of gaining value for money is hinged on an effective and efficient pricing regime. In Ghana, many project disputes can be attributed to ineffective pricing strategies that are not based on realistic data. Over the years, historical data have been perceived by researchers and practitioners as an effective basis for pricing of future projects. Although, historical data have been developed into various indices that are used in updating cost, cost planning, fluctuation analysis among others in developed countries such as United State of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Hong Kong, Finland, South Africa, developing countries such as Ghana are yet to take advantage of such a development. In addition, construction professionals in Ghana are faced with the challenge of determining the initial cost of projects at the early design stages due to lack of effective indices for such analysis. The motivation for this research is to develop a model for the development of tender price indices (TPI) that would facilitate easy and early prediction of the initial cost of building projects. Thus, the specific objectives of this study were to: determine the critical barriers to tender price indices development; key determinants that account for tender pricing; develop tender price indices; determine the effect of economic indicators on tender price indices and to develop a model for predicting the tender price indices. The research made use of mix method; both qualitative and quantitative methods. Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), five factors were generated as critical barriers to tender price indices development; poor procurement and estimating, erratic external and project conditions, data unavailability, technological implications and weak knowledge base. The study used Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) which enabled the establishment of the relationship between tender price and tender price indices. Based on a conceptual framework, economic indicators that have effect on TPI were analysed using multiple regression analysis, which highlighted three significant indicators including Producer Price Index, Exchange Rate and Interest Rate. Further analysis which involved the use of excel spreadsheet in conjunction with the Laspeyres formulae helped in the development of Tender Price Indices and was later validated using fifteen projects. The validation of indices revealed that a margin of error (± 3%) and a deviation (5.32%) must be considered in its application. Subsequently, a model was developed using Autoregressive Integrated Moving-Average with Exogenous variables (ARIMAX) for continuous prediction. Generally, this study has shown the need to employ effective and efficient pricing systems in the Ghanaian building industry by developing an index which will facilitate the estimating of the initial cost of building projects. In addition, it has determined the barriers to TPI development and determinants that account for pricing which will contribute to construction management knowledge both in practice and theory. Furthermore, the study has therefore activated the need for policy makers and building industry professionals to take a critical look at pricing building projects due to the wider implications it has on the national economy and development. Notwithstanding the immense contribution the study makes to both practice and theory, the study is circumscribed by excluding prime cost and provisional sums. Lastly, the model will serve as a guide to practitioners in predicting prices of tenders. It is therefore recommended that further studies should be conducted to include both the prime cost and provisional sums. In addition, the study employed non-residential educational buildings in the development of the TPI. Hence, it is suggested that further studies should consider other types of buildings such as residential and commercial.
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    Asante art and culture in the administration of Asante traditional medicine in the Ashanti Region
    (KNUST, 2020-10) Ababio, Stephen
    The primary aim of the study was to investigate the role art and culture play in the administration of traditional medicine in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and to analyse the positive aspects of the medicine so as to help erase the negative perception that exists about it. The primarily intention of the study stems from the fact that art and cultural activities that serve as a vehicle for curing diseases have almost been completely overlooked when it comes to the analysis and appreciation of traditional medicine. Even though the arts and cultural elements are interwoven with the medicine, their linkage have not been appreciated by a large number of people to the point of even portraying it as evil or fetish. The qualitative method of collecting and analysing data was utilized. In the selection process, the respondents were first accessed by the help of the chain method. They were then purposively sampled and categorised into four different strata due to their varied characteristics. In all, a sample size of 90 was used for the study. Interviews and observation were the main data collection instruments used. Results showed that, the art and cultural elements are indispensable and have great medical ethos relevant to the medicine. The traditional medication is a doable platform for redeeming people physically, psychologically and spiritually. The medicine will forever be part and parcel of the people of Ashanti Region and for that matter Ghanaian healthcare delivery system, since it is practised in the context of the religion and forms part of the people’s culture. In view of this, the government and the stakeholders should give recognition to these diviners and spiritual healers by dedicating special health facilities for them to operate in and providing them with the necessary needs like what they have been providing for the orthodox health centres. Moreover, the Ministry of Health with support from government and the stakeholders should affiliate the traditional numinous centres to the orthodox ones. These two centres should work hand in hand where spiritual cases which cannot be cured by the orthodox centres will be referred to the traditional hospital and vice versa.
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    Asante Art and Culture in the Administration of Asante Traditional Medicine in the Ashanti Region
    (KNUST, 2020-10) Ababio, Stephen
    ABSTRACT The primary aim of the study was to investigate the role art and culture play in the administration of traditional medicine in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and to analyse the positive aspects of the medicine so as to help erase the negative perception that exists about it. The primarily intention of the study stems from the fact that art and cultural activities that serve as a vehicle for curing diseases have almost been completely overlooked when it comes to the analysis and appreciation of traditional medicine. Even though the arts and cultural elements are interwoven with the medicine, their linkage has not been appreciated by a large number of people to the point of even portraying it as evil or fetish. The qualitative method of collecting and analysing data was utilized. In the selection process, the respondents were first accessed by the help of the chain method. They were then purposively sampled and categorised into four different strata due to their varied characteristics. In all, a sample size of 90 was used for the study. Interviews and observation were the main data collection instruments used. Results showed that, the art and cultural elements are indispensable and have great medical ethos relevant to the medicine. The traditional medication is a doable platform for redeeming people physically, psychologically and spiritually. The medicine will forever be part and parcel of the people of Ashanti Region and for that matter Ghanaian healthcare delivery system, since it is practised in the context of the religion and forms part of the people‘s culture. In view of this, the government and the stakeholders should give recognition to these diviners and spiritual healers by dedicating special health facilities for them to operate in and providing them with the necessary needs like what they have been providing for the orthodox health centres. Moreover, the Ministry of Health with support from government and the stakeholders should affiliate the traditional numinous centres to the orthodox ones. These two centres should work hand in hand where spiritual cases which cannot be cured by the orthodox centres will be referred to the traditional hospital and vice versa.
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    Museum education in Ghana
    (KNUST, 2020-01) Amoako – Ohene, Kwasi
    ABSTRACT Since 1957, Ghana has establish several museums under the Museums and Monument Board and these museums are required to play social, educational and economic development of a nation. However, it is distressing to note that with the highly endowed museum assets of Ghana, such as the Cape Coast Castle Museum, Ghana National Museum, Fort Appolonia Museum of Nzema History and Culture, the Elmina Castle Museum, Ho Museum, Bolga Museum, Wa Museum, Museum of Science and Technology, and The Head of State Museum both in Accra, the nation ought to be receiving more and contributing to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product. Significantly, the museums are not doing well in the areas of satisfactory visitor experience and education. There appear to be sketchy ideas and a no concretized framework to guide museum education in Ghana. In this view, this study sought to study the state of the museums under the Ghana Museum and Monument Board and also assess visitors experience and education and finally develop a framework that would enhance a better museum education in Ghana. Employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study used a triangulation of Observations, Interviewed and Questionnaire to assemble data from the field. Extensive visits to Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC in the United States and particularly Smithsonian Museum of African Art, as well as Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio also in the US and studies on Kenya Museums and British Museum were made to understand their models and frameworks. The Ghana Museum and Monuments Board were involved in Focus Group Discussion on the phenomenon. These study unveiled the state of the museums which led to the design of a framework for GMMB. The state of the facility and collections even though they harbour the culture and identity of the Ghanaian societies, most of them are in deplorable state. This calls for much attention from the museum management and government to come out with a strategic plan to salvage an asset of great importance to the development of the nation. On the satisfaction of museum audience experience the study unveiled that it is undeniably unsatisfactory. This therefore resulted in the development of an educational framework which is hinged on five main pillars of educational strategy. It is however recommended that the Ghana Museum and Monument Board adopts the framework to enhance its educational activities.
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    Impact of land use / land cover changes on African Savannah elephant’s (loxodonta africana) use of the Red Volta valley corridor
    (KNUST, 2019-11) Sumaila, Haruna Acheriga
    The Savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) is one of the threatened mammal species in the world and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red lists criteria as its population has drastically declined. Its population decline is largely as a result of habitat loss due to agriculture extension and other human related land use changes. The Red Volta Valley is one of the important migratory corridors established to connect the elephant ranges in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, and Togo. This study therefore aims to assess the changes in land use/ land cover systems and its effects on the savannah elephants use of the Red Volta Valley Corridor. Field survey and community participatory GIS methods were used to mark locations of elephant’s presence. Using MaxEnt algorithm and 8 explanatory variables (), elephants habitat use within the corridor were modelled for 1988 and 2018. The study revealed a significant land use/land cover changes within the thirtyyear period as bare soil increased by 174.9 km2 representing 233.8% followed by a reduction of 169.1 km2 representing 26.6% in open savannah /Agricultural Land. Riverine vegetation also reduced by 55.1km2 depicting 38%, with water indicating a reduction of 2.3 km2 that is 9%. Contrary, to expectations, Close Savana however increased by 51.3 km2 representing 32%. Suitable habitat predicted by MaxEnt in 1988 reduced by 155.54km2 . The study revealed a reduction in the suitable habitat of the elephant by 15% as a result of the changes in land use / land cover types. Also, most suitable path used by elephant across the frontiers of Togo, Ghana and Burkina Faso showed significant changes in the vegetation cover types on it and increase in length by 1km from 1988 to 2018.