Maintenance Of Buildings Of Public Institutions In Ghana. Case Study Of Selected Institutions In The Ashanti Region Of Ghana.

Maintenance Of Buildings Of Public Institutions In Ghana. Case Study Of Selected Institutions In The Ashanti Region Of Ghana.

Chapter One

Background To The Study And Problem Environment

Preface

Physical structure constitutes a high proportion of the country’s investment. It’s thus of primary significance that these installations which include public structures are maintained in order that they can serve both the architectural and aesthetical functions for which they’re erected. The physical appearance of structures housing public institutions in part constitutes the base upon which the society makes their original judgment of the quality of services to be offered.

One of the critical problems defying the casing assiduity in Ghana is the poor conservation practice( Afranie and Osei Tutu, 1999). The part of Public Institutions in National development can not beover-emphasized. still, in malignancy of the heavy investment in public structures, Public institutions allow their structures to watch for themselves without any sustainable conservation plan to save the quality of the structures. The continued effective and effective performance of public institutions depends on the nature of their structures in addition to other factors similar as enhanced conditions of service, provision of the needful toolsetc.

Public Institution structures correspond of both lodging( domestic accommodation) andnon-dwelling( office accommodation). Both domestic structures as well as office structures are prone to blights due to their endless and lengthy operation. All rudiments of structures deteriorate at a lesser or lower rate dependent on accoutrements and styles of construction, environmental conditions and the use of the structures( HMSO 1972).

According to Seeley 1987, neglect of conservation has cumulative results with fleetly adding deterioration of the fabric and homestretches of a structure accompanied by dangerous goods on the contents and inhabitants. thus, structures are too precious means to be neglected in this way. In his scale of requirements proposition Maslow( 1954) identifies five introductory requirements which are organized into consecutive position of significance in an thrusting order. He linked physiological requirements as the most

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introductory requirements of mortal beings which include air, food, water, sanctum( casing), coitus and sleep.

BS 3811( 1984), define ‘ conservation ’ as “ The combination of all specialized and associated executive conduct intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform its needed function. ”

conservation brings about bettered application of structures icing the loftiest safety norms. It must be emphasized that further rather than lower conservation work is necessary if the value and amenity of the nation’s structure stock was to be maintained. A good conservation system is also a good disaster mitigation system. also, a well operated system of conservation for structures and outfit has the effect of being a veritably effective disaster mitigation measure in terms of cost and installation operation. It ensures the most profitable way to keep the structure and outfit in the stylish of form for normal use, given the original design and accoutrements (httpwww.oas.org en cdmp).

conservation, which can also be explained as the nonstop defensive care of the fabric, contents and settings of a place can be distributed according to why and when it happens, as corrective conservation, which is necessary to bring a structure to an accepted standard. Planned conservation is work to help failure, which recurs predictably within the life of a structure similar as drawing gutters or oil. exigency Corrective conservation deals with work that must be initiated incontinently for health, safety, security reasons or that may affect in the rapid-fire deterioration of the structure or fabric if not accepted( for illustration, roof repairs after storm damage, graffiti junking, or repairing broken spectacles).

When structures are neglected, blights can do which may affect in expansive and avoidable damage to the structure fabric or outfit. Poor conservation has redounded in damage and deterioration to some public structures in Ghana. Neglect of conservation especially in relation to replacing electricity lines after thirty of use can also give rise to fire and safety hazards, which could affect in the Institution retaining the structures being set up liable for any injuries and damages. Another case in point is the Job 600 erected by Ghana’s first PresidentDr. Kwame Nkrumah to host

the Organization of African Unity meeting in 1965 has its main structure relatively rundown and has been under addition for numerous times now. The present state of this public structure could be attributed to lack of conservation and neglect after being put into use.

Problem Statement

numerous Ghanaian public structures are frequently deficiently maintained and windows and doors and other structure rudiments and installations constantly show substantiation of lack of conservation and form.

Some domestic and office structures of public institutions haven’t seen any significant conservation or show little signs of conservation since they were constructed, some dating back to the social period. This has redounded in similar structures being in a dilapidated state with some being abandoned. This lack of conservation by the authorities and inhabitants of these installations frequently leads to reduced lifetime of these structures( Melvin, 1992), which always master the purpose for which they’re put up i.e. to insure that the nation’s stock of structures, both as a factor of product and accommodation, was used effectively as possible.

The problem of power of these structures, where inhabitants regard it not as their own property but a state property and handle it without due care largely have redounded in the state in which utmost public structures find it. In some cases inhabitants don’t fete the structure as their property and hence have unresistant attachment in relation to the effective use and conservation of the structure.

utmost services, especially those outside the capital megacity, Accra, are dilapidated and demanded the introductory musts and installations similar as restroom due to its state of deterioration of a performing office. still new structures are being put up every now and also without giving a study to the conservation of the old structures which have been neglected. Frequent visits to the Ministries area of the Kumasi megalopolis which houses these public institutions by this experimenter depicts the hating situations in some public institutions with the structures showing cracks on the walls, rotten rustic members, oohing roofs and missing louver blades, faded and discoloured face coating( oil).

Lack of conservation of some police structures including police cells in recent times have redounded in jailbreaks in some police stations in the country leading to the escape of hardened culprits in guardianship, some educational institutions especially introductory seminaries holding classes in the open air at the mercy of the rainfall.

Vital documents in some of these public institutions haven’t been spared due to poor ornon-maintenance of the structure. The dilapidated nature of the domestic installation has also left the parcels of the inhabitants at the mercy of the rainfall. These problems arising out of the present situation as far as conservation of structure in the public sector is concerned lowers morale of the labour force and goes a long way to reduce the effectiveness of the labor force.

In view of these, it has been considered necessary to study the conservation of public structure in Ghana to identify the factors contributing to the current state of structure in the public institutions since structure possessors are decreasingly beginning to accept that it isn’t in their stylish interest to carry out conservation in a purely reactive manner but that it should be planned and managed as efficiently as any other commercial exertion.

Exploration Questions

In embarking upon similar study, certain questions should be answered before any believable conclusions can be drawn. The following questions were posed.

1. What are the current state/ position ofnon-maintenance of domestic structures of the public institutions in Ghana?

2. What are the reasons or factors that have reckoned for non conservation of public structures?

3. What conservation programs and practices are in place as far as public institutions are concerned and the capacity of mortal resource of their conservation department?

4. How can public institutions insure continued conservation of their structures in order to retain their current stock of structures as well as ameliorate on their condition?

Exploration Objects

1.4.1 General Objective

The study is generally anticipated to estimate the structure conservation practices being employed in public institutions and its effect on the structure as the druggies of the structure.

Specific objects of the study are to

1. Assess the current condition and state of structures of public institutions

2. Identify the underpinning top causes of poor conservation of public structures.

3. Analyse the conservation policy and practice and capacity of the conservation department of public institutions.

4. Make suggestions and recommendations towards the relinquishment of effective conservation policy and inventions that would address the structure conservation problem in public institutions.

exploration defense

This study is essential in the sense that it would not only contribute to knowledge and proposition, but will also contribute to good conservation practice in the public institutions in Ghana. This is because the study will essay to find out the factors that have contributed to the present state ofnon-maintenance of public structures some of which have been abandoned due to its state of deterioration and recommend applicable remedial conduct to be taken.

likewise the study will help directors of public institutions to come apprehensive of the current state of their structure structure and its effect on the safety and health of labor force and also to put in place acceptable innovative measures to help new structures put up to suffer deterioration which eventually lead to increased cost in restoring these structures to their original state.

It’ll give a critical and logical perspective for appreciating the factors affecting the opinions to carry out conservation. In addition, the study will bring to the fore the major inhibiting factors in the conservation of public structures in Ghana.

With adding demand for effectiveness and effectiveness from workers in the public sector by the crowd, this study will essay to establish the relation between the present countries of public structures in relation to the social and profitable impact to public workers.

Compass of the Study

The study was limited to domestic structures of named public institutions in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It examined the conservation of domestic structures of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Health Service nursers diggings and those of University of Education- Winneba, Kumasi lot.

Limitations of the Study

Data gathering suffered due to detention in getting responses due to the schedule of work of especially labor force of the GPS. In addition records keeping was a problem for all the institutions surveyed similar that in some situation experimenter had to collate the number of structures himself. This also redounded in difficulty in relating the structures.

Notwithstanding the below limitations, the study results haven’t been affected and therefore are believable, dependable and useful for any purposes of evaluation and feedback. This was made possible because experimenter supported especially the GPS in putting up a data base for its domestic structures in the study area.