Evaluation of community participation in a rural development project
- Authors: Msutu, Ntombethemba Lungisa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9118 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015736
- Description: Finally, it is necessary to define the version of participation that is relevant to this study. In this study participation means involving all the members of the community and all the stakeholders and structures involved. Mainly the community members regardless of age, gender, disability and education should be involved from the initial stage of the project. These also include participation in meetings, because this is precisely where their needs are going to be established. The good thing about this is that their needs would voluntarily come from them in these community meetings. This therefore would give them a sense of ownership and be proud of their own project. This is something that would contribute to the project’s sustainability. How community members are going to contribute to this project should also be addressed. In this practice communities should try to avoid the tendency of the government imposing on rural communities ideas or what they need and how to achieve it. It should be kept in mind that at the end of the day these projects would be left at these communities, with the community members to look after them. The sustainability of these projects therefore depends on the community members. Community participation plays a very big role in rural development or any form of development. One needs to involve the community members in their own development project. This involvement should begin in the early stages of the rural development project, and continue throughout the project. Government agencies or officials should not impose their ideas in rural communities. It is very important for government agencies to do needs analysis and work with the rural communities. Forced contributions should be avoided by all means even if it involves labour or finances. Rural community members should be part and parcel of the project. According to Narayan (1995), the central argument for a participatory process is that involvement in decision‐making lets people exercise choice and voice more broadly in their lives, as well as in the more immediate context of development programmes that benefit them. Empowerment is thus, about the capacity building of individuals and the organisations that support them (Narayan, 1995:10).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Evaluation of community participation in a rural development project
- Authors: Msutu, Ntombethemba Lungisa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9040 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1665 , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Citizen participation
- Description: People have their own different understanding of the meaning of participation. Thus cannot put one meaning to participation. As a woman who grew up in the rural areas for most of my life, I have witnessed the problems in most of the rural development projects. I have first ‐ hand experience of how the unavailability of these projects has affected the rural communities at large, at the same time, I have witnessed how those who have managed to get some of these projects started have benefitted more ways than one way in these rural development projects. Some of these projects have become a success and some have failed dismally. What contributed to the success or failure of these very important projects needs to be examined. More importantly, the level of community participation needs to be evaluated. Relatively few studies have been conducted to evaluate community participation in rural development projects. Some, if not most of the remote villages in the Eastern Cape Province are still without those basic necessities the government has promised, such as the building of houses and provision of clean water. Another sad story is that not enough is done to educate and empower rural communities about their basic rights and needs. Hence, one of the focal points to the study is to scrutinize the level of participation of the community, as some may be suffering from ignorance, apathy and lack of motivation. to scrutinize their level of participation (community participation). As some may be suffering from ignorance, apathy and lack of motivation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011