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Exploring school manager accountability practices in financial and material resources utilisation and implications on school performance in selected public secondary schools of the Copperbelt province of Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration and Management.This study scrutinized a range of accountability variables among secondary school managers to assess the impact on school performance in selected public secondary schools in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. This was done by analysing management practices and tools in relation to the
utilization of material and financial resources. Using a descriptive study design of the quantitative approach, the study collected data through three
sets of questionnaires which were administered to fifty (50) school managers, fifty (50) accounts assistants, and fifty (50) store officers. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The data were also subjected to inferential statistics such as the Pearson Product Moment of Correlation to determine the significant relationships among the variables. This was done using Statistics Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 26), SmartPLS software, and Pearson regression analysis. The findings were presented as frequency tables, percentages, means, and variations. The study established that School managers conscientiously control financial and material resources through budgeting and reapportioning resources to priority areas. The study also spot-lighted standard accountability practices employed by most school managers including the use of asset registers, stores ledgers, payment vouchers, goods received vouchers, stores requisition, bank reconciliations, receipt books, bin cards, cash books, bank statements, cheque registers to monitor and control material and financial resource utilisation. The overarching outcome of the study is that there are generally high levels of school manager accountability in utilising financial and material resources. Peculiarly, it was established that there was no significant relationship between school manager accountability and school performance in this particular study. School performance was found to be largely average despite the high levels of school manager financial and material resource
accountability. The study, therefore, recommends that the Ministry of Education should strengthen monitoring of financial and material resource utilization in schools especially at end-user -points at department and section levels. MoE should ensure that school managers are trained in financial management. The researcher suggests further research by future researchers on financial and human resource accountability practices in primary and community schools
A comparative study of Tonga and Ila.
Get PDFThis is degree of master of arts in linguistic scienceThis study investigated some linguistic variations of the two languages namely, Ila spoken in Namwala, Itezhi-Tezhi, Mumbwa districts in the central parts of Zambia and Tonga spoken in Gwembe, Sinazongwe and Maamba districts in the southern and central parts of Zambia. The aim of the study was to establish the linguistic variations and similarities in terms of the phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical parameters between the two languages under study. The data were collected using qualitative method. It was collected through using the eight informants. Four were from Namwala District in Maala and banamwaze areas. The other four informants were from Sinazongwe, Maamba and Gwembe Districts in Southern province. Participants were given lists of words and sentences in English each one of them. They were asked to provide the equivalents in each given language. Data fromTonga were provided through the researcher’s intuition being a first language speaker. The Data was verified by three other speakers of Tonga as first language. Ila was provided through the Native speakers of the language and was verified by the other two speakers of Ila as first language. Introspection was also used as the researcher is conversant with Ila. Furthermore, the Data were then recorded on digital recorder and later were transcribed. The researcher used a notebook to record words and sentences that were captured by observations. The data analysis of all the data collected was conducted in line with the objectives of the study of the two languages. Thereafter, the findings were analysed and later interpreted according to the levels of linguistic analysis applied in the study. The major findings of the study were that Tonga manifested variations and similarities at various levels of linguistic analysis in relation to Ila.There are few differences between Ila spoken in Namwala and Tonga spoken in Maamba, Gwembe and Sinazongwe districts. In addition, the study found that there were lexical differences exhibited among the two languages, followed by syntactic and phonological variations which were found to be few between the two languages. Tonga and Ila shared more similarities in terms of their morphological structure and lexical. Among others, one of the major recommendations made was that a large scale study, beyond the current one on comparative of Tonga and Ila languages be carried out in order to include other languages from Lake Tanganyika and Zimbabwe so that the conclusions to be made would be based on all forms of the Tonga and Ila languages therefore
The risk of exposure to aflatoxins through consumption of nshima made from maize meal in selected areas of Lusaka district.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Food Safety and Risk AnalysisMaize and its products, such as maize meal, are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. Maize is the staple crop of Zambia and is widely consumed as thick porridge, commonly called nshima. Previous studies have reported high levels of AFs in maize produced in Zambia. However, no study has determined the risk of exposure to AFs through the consumption of maize nshima. This cross-sectional study was designed to determine the risk of exposure to aflatoxins through the
consumption of maize nshima in households in the Lusaka District. A questionnaire was administered to households to investigate dietary consumption patterns and revealed that most Zambians consumed nshima twice a day, prepared from either breakfast or roller maize meal. It was also noted that males aged 18 years and above consumed more nshima per day (360 – 980g) than children and female adults. The Zambia Bureau of Standards Laboratory recorded aflatoxin
concentrations ranging from 0.2 μg/kg to 150 μg/kg in breakfast (flour from polished maize grain) and roller (flour from whole maize grain) meal samples from 2019-2022. This was used as secondary data for determining the risk of exposure to aflatoxins during this study. The risk of exposure was estimated using the Model Risk Software® using the estimated daily intake of maize nshima and secondary aflatoxin data as input parameters. The maximum exposure of 80.2 to
aflatoxins was highest for the males compared to other age groups. The risk was further characterized using the margin of exposure (MOE). The MOE was < 10000 for age categories, thus indicating potential adverse health effects, with the highest MOE of 0.005 recorded for the males. The high levels of AFs in maize meal and high exposures accentuate the need for preventive measures. Particular attention should be given to raising awareness of the impact of aflatoxin risk
exposure and setting maximum allowable limits in maize meal considering maize product consumption patterns in Zambi
Role of empathy in counselling grieving widows and widowers in Lusaka district, Zambia.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Counselling.The study sought to explore the role of empathy in counselling grieving widows and widowers in Zambia. The study objectives were to: to ascertain how Cognitive empathy as a counselling technique helps widows and widowers to pass through grieving period; to describe how Emotion empathy as a counselling technique helps widows and widowers to pass through grieving period; and to describe how Compassionate empathy as a counselling technique helps widows and widowers to pass through grieving period. Since this was a qualitative study intended to describe role of empathy in counselling grieving widows and widowers in Zambia, a descriptive survey design was used. The study population comprised widowers and widows in Lusaka District. The study used purposive sampling techniques to select the respondents. The sample comprised 5 widows and 5 widowers. In-depth interview guides were used to collect data from the participants. Results showed that empathy, particularly cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy are instrumental counselling techniques in helping widows and widowers pass through grief. Cognitive empathy is used to accurately understand the emotions of the individual, emotional empathy is used to give a support system to the grieving individual and compassionate empathy is used to show sympathy, concern, and compassion for the grieving individual. All the subcategories make up empathy in general and none precedes the other. All of them occur at the same time for empathy to be effective. In addition, the study found that grief counselling is best done a counsellor of same gender as the widow or widower. On the basis of the findings, the study recommends an introduction of formal psychosocial support groups in communities that have a professional counsellors and others of the same gender who are going through loss and
grief of a spouse
Determinants of stillbirth in the five general hospitals of Lusaka, Zambia: a case-control study.
Get PDFThesis of the degree of Master of Public HealthBackground: About 98% of stillbirths that occur globally are recorded in low- and middle-income countries, where south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa account for 77% of the reported cases. An estimated 2.6 million stillbirths were reported every year since 2000. Recent data suggests a 25.5% decline from 24.7 to 18.4 per 1000 live births worldwide. Despite this reduction, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) still recorded the slowest decline. Stillbirths are a consequence of multifactorial factors, and majority of them especially in low resource setting have no causal assignment. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the determinants of stillbirths among women who had childbirth at the five general hospitals of Lusaka, Zambia. Methods: This was a multi-facility based study conducted at Kanyama, Chipata, Chawama, Matero and Chilenje. An unmatched case-control study was designed at a ratio of 1:4. Cases (stillbirths) were consecutively enrolled, and controls randomly selected within 24 hours of occurrence of a case. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Summary proportions and frequencies for cases and controls were obtained from descriptive statistical analyses. Univariate analysis was conducted to obtain the crude association between stillbirth and independent variables. Multiple regression was used to assess determinants of stillbirths. A p-value of 2 (AOR = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.07 – 7.54) had higher odds of stillbirth compared to women with parity ≤ 2.Conclusion: this study revealed that babies with higher birth weight ≥2500g had higher risk of mortality probably attributed to haemorrhage. Antepartum haemorrhage, and previous stillbirth were noted as significant determinants of stillbirth. Program implementers should consider strategies that can mitigate these determinants to reduce stillbirth
Piloting a web based rabies surveillance system in Lusaka and Kasama districts.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Science in Tropical Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis.Rabies is one of the most feared Zoonoses, nearly always resulting in fatal acute encephalitis. In humans, the incubation period of rabies is highly variable, ranging from days to years, with an average of 2–3 months. At the moment, rabies is underreported in humans at a rate of 1:60, and this rate may even be much higher for animal rabies incidence. There is huge potential for mobile technologies to improve health care and public health service delivery especially in resource-poor settings. Utilization of mobile phones and ICT technologies to improve disease surveillance in public and animal health has been reported in other countries, including China, Madagascar, Uganda, and Kenya.
The cross-sectional study was applied with a sample size of thirty-six (36) veterinary clinics and districts health offices. The study was carried out in three stages; (i) evaluation of the surveillance tool before piloted; (ii) Piloting the tool; and (iii) assessing tool’s effectiveness in rabies surveillance after being piloted. The study used semi-structured questionnaires to assess the effectiveness of the tool in rabies surveillance. Quantitative data was coded, manually processed, entered and analyzed using computer software SPSS version 16.
Most respondents 50% (18/36) indicated that the tool was easy to use and 55.6%, (20/36) indicated that the tool was very important in rabies surveillance. Of the 32 respondents, 21 (65.6%) of them Agreed that the tool facilitated timely reporting and 53.1% (17/32) agreed that the surveillance tool facilitated completeness of reporting, most respondents 50% (18/36) agreed that reporting using this surveillance tool can be a cheaper way of notifying an outbreak. The Tool was also assessed for data quality improvement and most of the participants, 47% (17/32) agreed that the tool can help improve data quality.
The study looked at piloting the rabies surveillance system and the design of the system promotes the integration of Public Health and Animal Health Surveillance. The study deduced that the tool was easy to operate, facilitated timely and completeness of reporting, was cost effective and improved data quality. As a result, it has great potential for use as a highly effective tool in rabies surveillance. Implementation of low cost mobile technology in rabies surveillance which can be used offline and without a smart phone in order for surveillance to be cost effective
An assessment of the quality of service delivery in microfinance companies in Zambia : case study of totten gram fin services.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Business Administration (MBA).This study aimed to assess the quality of service delivery in Microfinance Companies (MFIs) in Zambia, using Tottengram Fin Services as a case study. The microfinance sector in Zambia faces challenges such as donor dependence, rising operational costs, low client retention, high staff turnover, and a decline in service quality, leading to suboptimal MFI performance. The study analysed customer perceptions of service quality in Zambian MFIs and its link to client retention, evaluated operational challenges, and identified measures for enhancing service quality and sustainable performance. The SERVQUAL model was used as the theoretical framework, with independent variables including organizational factors, regulatory environment, and
customer expectations, and dependent variables like quality of service delivery. A qualitative research approach was adopted, with data collected from 3800 customers and 150 employees from Tottengram Fin Services' five branches. The major findings revealed that responsiveness, professionalism, transparency, personalized approach, continuous improvement, and feedback mechanisms were key factors in customer perceptions of service quality. Operational challenges included limited access to financial infrastructure, insufficient technological capabilities, inadequate human resources, limited financial resources, and regulatory constraints. Measures to enhance service quality and sustainable performance included customer-centric approach,
technology adoption, skilled workforce, continuous training, strategic partnerships, and monitoring and feedback mechanisms. Recommendations include conducting regular customer satisfaction surveys, addressing operational challenges, investing in technology infrastructure, providing comprehensive staff training programs, and fostering strategic partnerships with NGOs, government agencies, and technology providers. These recommendations can guide MFIs in Zambia to improve service quality, overcome operational challenges, and achieve sustainable performance
Effects of corporate governance on an organization’s performance : case of competition and consumer protection commission.
Get PDFThesis of Master of Business Administration Degree.This study investigated the effects of corporate governance practices on organizational performance, focusing on the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) as a case study. By analysing the relationship between corporate governance structures, processes, and outcomes, this research aimed to provide insights into how effective governance influences the performance of regulatory bodies. The study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods
to examine the CCPC's governance framework and its implications for operational efficiency, regulatory effectiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction. Key findings highlight the significance of transparency, accountability, board composition, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement in shaping organizational performance within regulatory agencies. The research contributed to the existing literature on corporate governance and organizational effectiveness,
offering practical recommendations for enhancing governance practices to optimize performance outcomes in regulatory contexts. To provide answers to the specific objectives of the study, a case study research design was adopted in which the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission was regarded as the single entity being studied. To create a primary source of data, probability sampling procedure were used to select sample size of 62 respondents from the Commission employees. The study applied questionnaire and in-depth interview for accurate purposes to collect data from selected sample and then analysis of those collected data was done quantitatively and qualitatively based on the data collected. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed from this study show that the CCPC apart from being complied with practice of good corporate governance, also its practice of corporate governance, the organizational performance improvement occurs through having an effective board of directors, accountability, transparency, audit committee and separating the role of the board chairman and the Executive Director. The revealed findings show the Commission’s balanced board size and the audit committee have a strong positive relationship to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s performance while the separating role of the board chairman and the Executive Director has a strong positive relationship to the Commission’s performance in a long run. The study provided recommendations for performance improvement to the management and to the board of the Commission. Also, further recommendations for further
studies were given in the research
Assessment of sunflower (helianthus annuus l) for phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted mine tailings: a case study of Nampundwe mines tailings dam.
Get PDFThesis of master of science in Sustainable Mineral Resource Development.Mining is the main source of export income and contributes significantly to the Zambian gross domestic product. Besides its contributions to exports, the mining industry plays a pivot role in the economic and socio-political development of Zambia. It also provides essential mineral based raw materials to the local industry. However, mining activities have led to a generation of heavy metals laden wastes which are released into the environment in an unsustainable way causing the contamination of the ecosystems and posing a risk to human health. Most mining companies have not employed any rehabilitation or remediation program for the heavy metal laden wastes. For this purpose, this study was conducted to assess the potential of sunflower for phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted Pyritic mine tailings. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology in the remediation of mine tailings that uses tolerant plants species to clean up contaminated sites. It uses plants with high biomass and sunflower has been identified as such. These plants can extract, transfer, sequester and stabilize a variety of metals through mechanisms such as phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytoaccumulation and phytovolatilization. In this study, pot experiment was conducted by growing sunflower (Helianthus annuus L) in pyrite mine tailings and in agricultural soil as a control. The study showed that the concentration of Cu reduced from 40.76mg/kg to 36.59mg/kg, Zn reduced from 3.58mg/kg to 3.49mg/kg andFe reduced 23.70mg/kg to 10mg/kg respectively in the mine tailings after six (6) weeks. Analysis of harvested sunflower (roots, stems, leaves) showed that sunflower could remove heavy metals from the tailings and the highest removal efficiency was 56.16% and the highest translocation factor was 0.25. Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that sunflowers have the potential to remediate contaminated pyritic mine tailings and phytoremediation is a viable and efficient technology to treat soils contaminated with heavy metals