Poverty Reduction Strategy and Reliability – a Case Study of Ghana

Can Poverty be eliminated or reduced in Ghana. Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) has been a major policy that has been embarked by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as an adjunct to Structural Adjustment Programme imposed on developing countries including Ghana. The Structural Adjustment Programme has been regarded by many economic commentators as a failure because it placed much emphasis on reduction of public spending. This has led to the growth of new emphasis on participatory development in an attempt to reduce poverty. This work analyses the extent of participatory research that has been used in producing the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) document, and the effectiveness of the different stakeholder views. The Ghana Poverty Reduction was meant to be participatory which would invariably empower the poor to participate in the development processes that affect their lives. Based on Participatory action research and desk study of a district in Ghana, the paper argues that the communities were not properly consulted for the projects that affect their lives. It placed much emphasis on participation as an important tool in research