Low recognition of Informal Youth groups in the solid waste management value chain

Facts

Anecdotal evidence suggests 80% of Accra’s workforce is employed in the informal sector, and it is estimated that about 30% of this group works in the waste management sector.

–  75% of informal waste collectors handle around 70% of household waste in Accra (Banares-Sanchez and Wiskamp,

2025)

–     Waste management contracts are often awarded to a few large formal companies under monopolistic frameworks that fail to effectively serve low-income and informal settlements (Ampong et al., 2024).

–    The level of satisfaction among households with the services provided by these few private formal companies is

low (AMA Waste Management Department, 2021; Yakubu et al., 2024)

–     92% of the informal solid waste service providers do not belong to any association, although 48% indicated the desire to join an association/cooperation

Goal:

Promote Ghanaian urban centers as habitats for a

Prosperous, healthy, safe population and globally

Competitive engines of sustainable development by 2035.

Instead, ………..                                  

It   is   about   exploring   social,   governance   and   economic pathways to achieving developmental goals while keeping in mind the needs of present and future generation

People & Economy

i. Access and inclusion

ii. Affordable and Safe Shelter

iii. Livable

iv. Job Friendly

Environment

i. Low Carbon

ii. Disaster Resilience

iii. Managed Waste

iv. Green

Vision:

Inclusive,   Safe,   Resilient   and   Sustainable   Urban

Settlements

Goal:

Promote Ghanaian urban centres as habitats for a

prosperous,  healthy,  safe  population  and  globally

competitive engines of sustainable development by

2035.

Waste management situation in Accra

Facts

–  Accra generates about 1500 tons of solid waste per day (Ghana landfill guidelines,

July 2002), of which only about 55% is collected and disposed.

– A study (Government of Ghana 2020) on the composition of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) conducted by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (Waste Management Department) showed that about 53% of the waste stream consists of organics.

– It is further estimated that over 90% of Accra’s waste that is collected ends up in landfills, according to the same study (Municipal Solid Waste Characterisation and Landfill Emission Measurement in Accra).

Environmental blight, suc

Low recognition of Informal  Youth groups in the solid waste management value chain

Facts

–     Anecdotal evidence suggests 80% of Accra’s workforce is employed in the informal sector, and it is estimated that about 30% of this group works in the waste management sector.

–  75% of informal waste collectors handle around 70% of household waste in Accra (Banares-Sanchez and Wiskamp,

2025)

–     Waste management contracts are often awarded to a few large formal companies under monopolistic frameworks that fail to effectively serve low-income and informal settlements (Ampong et al., 2024).

–    The level of satisfaction among households with the services provided by these few private formal companies is

low (AMA Waste Management Department, 2021; Yakubu et al., 2024)

–     92% of the informal solid waste service providers do not belong to any association, although 48% indicated the desire to join an association/cooperate

harassmeny law

Low infrastructure finance due to low IGF (property tax) mobilisation

Facts

–     Property  records  are  incomplete,  making  the  implementation  of  property  rating difficult (incomplete, outdated valuation lists, which hinder accuracy)

–    There  is  weak trust among  citizens/taxpayers  in the  MMAs revenue  systems and valuation processes and systems.

–  Low compliance with property tax payment due to the poor relationship between

collection and low and poor urban service delivery

An estimated USD37.2 billion is required annually to fund Ghana’s infrastructure needs, including investments in energy, telecommunications, transport, solid waste management, and water. This exceeds the government’s current capital expenditure by a scale of almost 40:1.

 low

Over-reliance on

▪The   ACRC   approach   is   a   collaborative   and   holistic

approach  to  urban  development  research  and  urban

reform.

▪It  integrates systems thinking with political analysis to

generate insights that can support urban reform efforts

What is theory of change                       

• Theory  of  Change  is  essentially  a  comprehensive description                                                 and  illustration   of  how   and   why  a desired change is expected to happen in a particular context

• It is an explicit theory of how and why it is thought that                            an intervention produces outputs, leading to outcomes and impacts.

What are the pathways for driving urban reforms?

The   ACRC   approach   identifies   four   preconditions   for   urban

transformation

▪Political commitment from the elite

▪Citizens who are mobilised

▪Developing the short and long-term state capacity

▪Identifying and building formal and informal reform coalitions

Political commitment from the elite

✓What are the processes that drive elite commitment on a long-

term and robust basis?

Citizens who are mobilised

✓Are   there   citizens   who   are   challenging   how   resources   are

distributed?

✓Are  these  individuals  and  groups  looking  for  more  equitable

ways of distributing resources?

Developing the short and long-term state capacity

✓Do  state  actors  have  the  needed  capacity  to  deliver  on  their

mandate?

✓ Can  knowledge  institutions  produce  people  who  understand

participation, co-creation and co-production?

✓Can these actors think at both neighbourhood and city scales?

Identifying and building formal and informal reform

coalitions

✓Are  there opportunities and platforms that can bring together formal and informal reform coalitions?

✓ How can we identify and support agencies and individuals that come together to agree and push for change?

Action research 1: Women-led Zero Informal Waste Cooperative

▪ The Women-led Cooperative for Zero Waste solution will provide transparency and control of the waste and recycling operations within the settlement.

▪ Integrating existing informal solid waste collectors.

▪ Provide Infrastructure and facilities by constructing a community composting facility and working with the Waste and Agriculture Departments of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

▪ Policy   Advocacy   for   gender-responsive   waste   management   at   the   city   level,   emphasising   the

importance of gender considerations in waste management planning and jobs.

▪ Establish Community Engagement and Participation platforms.

▪ Capacity Building: Training and capacity-building programs will be at two levels (state and non-state actors).

Action research 2: Empowering Ghana’s Youth through Waste: Organising Informal

Solid Waste Service Providers for Decent Work and Inclusive Urban Services

▪ Organise the informal solid waste service providers across the city of Accra and build their capacity.

▪ Strengthen the voice and bargaining power of the informal solid waste service providers.

▪ Advocate for the recognition of informal solid waste service providers in municipal waste planning and policy.

▪ Demonstrate  collaborative  and  decentralised  models  of  waste  service  delivery  involving  informal

actors.

▪ Contribute to the broader policy advocacy agenda for a devolved and inclusive reforms in urban waste economic governance

Action research 3: Enhancing Property Tax Administration

in  Ghana:  Community  Valuation  Assistants  and  Citizens

Education for Improved Governance

▪ Support the registration (rating and valuation) at Ga West Municipality

▪ Pilot property registration  (valuation at Amasaman Zonal Council

▪ Target 44,000 properties (from the 5000)

▪ Educate property owners and local citizens on property tax payment

▪ Jointly identify and train Community Valuation Assistants

Political

Review          and          harmonise

AR 1 and 2

The review of the LI 1961 and

Valuation problem but have no

training     module     can     be

Political

Review          and          harmonise

AR 1 and 2

The review of the LI 1961 and

Valuation problem but have no

training     models     can     be

Decentralised

Planning

AR3

The   action   research   seeks   to

promote   revenue   mobilisation

through  property  identification

Interfacing     the     improved

national    property    address

system  with  the  dLRev  will

enhance                        property

– Activity 3

Address   discrepancies   in   the

National   Address   System   to

support better service delivery

and       revenue       mobilisation

across the country

Decentralised

Planning

AR 1 and 2

The effective operationalisation

of    the    roles    of    the    youth-

led/women  led     MSW     in  the

solid  waste  management  value

chain    requires    the    siting    of

Factoring    these    provisions

into    land    use    plans    and

zoning       frameworks       will

ensure       land       availability,

enhance land use conformity

and      minimise      land      use

– Activity 4

Review, implement and enforce

Management of the transfer

sites   must   be   inclusive   or

Decentralised

Planning

Enhance decentralised planning

through the application of ICT,

other        tools,        and        skills

development

–    Activity 3

Upgrade      LUPMIS      into      a

national system as a spatial and

development                   planning

AR3

The   action   research   seeks   to

promote   revenue   mobilisation

through  property  identification

and valuation.

Upgrading    and    integrating

the  LUPMIS  with  the  dLRev

will        enhance        property

identification   and   valuation

by   providing   some   of   the

attribute   data   needed   on

properties.

Fiscal

Decentralisation

AR3

The   action   research   seeks   to

promote   revenue   mobilisation

through  property  identification

and valuation.

Scaling up lessons that will be

learnt      from     the      action

research     will     offer     cost

effective         approach         to

developing       such       digital

solutions        for        property

–    Activity 3

Develop     Options,     including

Fiscal

Decentralisation

Develop appropriate modalities

to    transfer    rating    valuation

operations to MMDAs

AR3

The   action   research   seeks   to

promote       community       trust

through       the       training       of

Community Valuation Assistants

The  training  modules  must

be co-created with the Land

Valuation    Division    of    the

Lands Commission and must

supervise   the   train   of   the

–    Activity 2

Strengthen Systems for Quality

Assurance       by       the       Land

Fiscal

Decentralisation

Develop appropriate modalities

to    transfer    rating    valuation

operations to MMDAs

AR3

The   action   research   seeks   to

promote       community       trust

through       the       training       of

The training modules can be

adopted by the Unit to train

new   staff   as   well   as   the

lessons   learnt   replicated   in

Local            Economic

Development

Promote     Financial     and

Non-financial   Services   to

MSMEs to be competitive

–    Activity 3

Build           capacity           of

Cooperative Societies and

small                     businesses

associations  to  be  active

participants in LED

AR1 and AR2

The action research 1 and

2       seeks       to       form

cooperatives     for     the

youth    led/women     led

MSW operators.

MMDAs must institutionalise and women

led  tricycle  cooperatives  as  the  official

interface for all operator engagement.

Prioritise cooperatives registered and operating within an assembly’s jurisdiction should  be  recognized  for  licensing, training, and policy dialogue.

Cooperatives should be allocated waste management contracts for designated waste zones to ensure operational sustainability.

Local            Economic

Development

Promote     Financial     and

Non-financial   Services   to

MSMEs to be competitive

AR1 and AR2

The action research 1 and

2       seeks       to       form

cooperatives     for     the

youth     led/women     led

The   need   to   integrate   Youth-led   and

women-led  zero-waste  cooperatives  into

LED  Strategies  to  afford  them  access  to

training,      market,      and      procurement

opportunities.

–    Activity 3

Build           capacity           of

Cooperative Societies and

small                     businesses

associations  to  be  active

participants in LED

▪We    acknowledge   that   different   actors   are   already

operating within the urban spaces we are working

▪We look for opportunities to leverage what already exists

or is ongoing to create a critical mass.

▪We acknowledge that we are contributors to the change

process and do not claim full ownership