Context, Culture, and Governance in an Informal Community in Ghana: A Case Study for Community‐Based Adaptation in Public Administration

ABSTRACT In its quest for development, Ghana must address socioeconomic challenges not of its own making, use resources it does not have, and apply externally imposed technocratic knowledge‐based solutions largely incompatible with Ghanaians' lived experience. Among the undesired and undesirable policy consequences are wide disparities in the development landscape reflected in marginalized settlements such as Old Fadama, the focus of this study. Drawing on prior empirical participatory action research that created a culturally responsive governance model, this theoretical paper further examines the effectiveness of the collaboration fostered between government and community residents to meet public health needs, particularly sanitation. The paper challenges dominant development paradigms and argues for creative community engagement based on insights from relational and public values‐based governance. The conclusion considers the implications for administrative practice, research, and theory in the context of development.