NEGOTIATION SKILLS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA: A CASE STUDY OF THE VOLTA RIVER AUTHORITY PROJECT
Abstract
The provision of reliable energy is a fundamental requirement for the sustainable development of most developing countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The conceptualization and management of development projects should be guided by the theories of sustainability and its three pillars: the economy, society and environment. The Volta River Hydroelectric Project (VRP) in Ghana, which comprises a dam and a power plant, represents a classic example of sustainability failure. This was principally due to the fact that the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the United States of America (USA) multinational companies involved in the project did not apply sound ethical standards and effective strategies and tactics of negotiations. The demands of the US multinationals and financiers involved in the project were largely incompatible with the long-term development interests of Ghana. In addition, the weakness of the negotiating capacity of GoG vis-à-vis the multinationals and the international financiers was a major reason why the VRP has become a big failure in terms of sustainable development. Building adequate negotiating capacity is vital if Ghana and the other countries in SSA are to effectively engage their international development partners in win-win-win manner.
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