MPs use of the district assembly common fund in Ghana; 'Perception meets practice'

Parliaments generally perform functions including oversight, legislation, and representation. In many developing countries, the representation function portrays Members of Parliament (MPs) as Developmental agents in their communities. One of the main sources of funds for MPs in Ghana has been the District Assemblies Common Fund. The Constitution of Ghana has created the District Assemblies Common Fund to transfer financial resources from the central government to local governments. Out of this has been the creation of the MPs share of the District Assemblies Common Fund. The allocation is made to help MPs directly address developmental challenges in their districts. This study attempts to assess the MPs Common Fund from both citizens' as well as MPs perspectives. This is what we term 'perception meeting practice'.