<p>This research aims to assess the role of Social Funds&rsquo / organizational and institutional characteristics for community participation processes in development projects. The research is based on a case study of the Peruvian Social Fund, FONCODES, and utilizes a qualitative data collection approach. It mainly relies on semi-structured interviews with FONCODES&rsquo / staff and community members, unstructured interviews with experts, and analysis of operational documents. The research concludes that several organizational and institutional characteristics affect community participation in FONCODES projects but the direction of this influence depends on how specific areas of the organization&rsquo / s context are structured as well as on political variables in the institutional environment.</p>

<p>In South Africa, governance structures in the form of clinic committees, hospital boards and district health councils are intended to provide expression to the principle of community participation at a local and district level. They are meant to act as a link between communities and health services and to provide a conduit for the health needs and aspirations of the community to be represented at various local, districts, provincial and national levels. This study aimed to assess the functioning of health governance structures in the form of clinic committees. Specifically, the study sought to ascertain the number of clinic committees associated with public health facilities in three provinces in South Africa namely the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu Natal and to identify the factors that are perceived by clinic committee members to either facilitate or impede the effective functioning of clinic committees.</p>

Depuis les années 1980, les projets intégrés de conservation et de développement (PICD) sont des modèles fonctionnels de développement durable. L’écotourisme est une de ces stratégies, combinant les objectifs sociaux et économiques de développement pour les populations locales dans un contexte de conservation des ressources naturelles. Cette maîtrise étudie un projet écotouristique réalisé dans la zone de transition du parc national Huascarán (Pérou) dans deux communautés quechuaphones, Vicos et Humachucco. Un PICD « réussi » combine la participation et la satisfaction des besoins de la population tout en contribuant à la conservation des écosystèmes. Cette étude a donc deux objectifs principaux : 1) une analyse de la participation pour mieux comprendre si et comment ce projet a su impliquer les populations et pour connaitre les facteurs favorisant un partenariat entre différents acteurs du projet; 2) une analyse des impacts environnementaux, économiques et socioculturels de l’écotourisme pour déterminer si les besoins des populations et les objectifs du projet ont été atteints, apportant ainsi une nouvelle dynamique à la communauté. La méthodologie combine les approches de l’écologie culturelle, de l’approche exploratoire et de l’étude de cas. Les données sont issues du terrain de recherche, soit des données écrites, de l’observation participante et des entretiens semi-dirigés. Elles ont été traitées en utilisant différentes grilles d’analyse. Les résultats démontrent que, malgré un manque de clarté et de transparence, de nombreux efforts ont permis de favoriser la participation et d’impliquer la population locale, créant des impacts économiques favorables. / Since the beginning of the 1980s, Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDP) have offered a functional model of sustainable development, and have become an attractive option for international donors. Ecotourism is one of the strategies that can be used to combine social and economic development of local communities with natural resources conservation. A successful ICDP combines community participation while meeting local peoples’ needs and sustaining ecosystems. This research analysed an ecotourism project which had been developed with two indigenous Quechua communities within the buffer zone of the Huascarán National Park in Peru. The research aimed at two main objectives: 1) an analysis of community participation in order to investigate levels and type of community involvement in the various stages of the project, and in order to find out whether or not a successful collaborative partnership has been created among the different stakeholders; 2) an analysis of the environmental, economic and socio-cultural impacts of this ecotourism initiative to determine whether communities’ needs have been addressed and to find out whether the project gave rise to innovative dynamics within the villages. The methodology employed in this study combines different approaches, such as cultural ecology, an exploratory approach and case study analysis. Field research was carried out and data were collected using semi-structured interviews, participant observation and literature analysis. Different analytical frameworks were employed for data analysis. The results of this study showed that the initiative has encouraged local participation and enhanced community involvement. However, results also revealed a lack of clarity and transparency.

Purpose: The study focused on investigating the uses of the term “public participation” to clarify an important public policy concept for health governance as a firm foundation for theory building, policy and practice. Key questions concerned: What counts as participation? Who counts as a participant? And, is there legitimated space for dissent within this concept? Method: A combined methodology (Rodrigues, 2006) for the concept analysis of public participation use was adopted after three methods were extensively studied. Procedures were detailed for a systematic, random sampling of the professional, academic, theoretical and empirical literature from 1990 to 2012. Four disciplinary literatures (social work, sociology, political studies, and nursing) relevant to the field of health were surveyed. The databases furnished 336 documents, out of which 120 were randomly selected for study. Each document was read for construct definitions to ascertain the essential features and the contextual basis of the concept. Two distinct analysis phases were performed. Documents were divided by content into either theoretical or empirical studies, then, sorted into use areas. Findings: Analysis found three typical uses (intended, borderline, and contrary) characterized as prudent, spurious, and pernicious types of public participation. Pernicious types account for 40% of the literature surveyed, spurious types account for 37%, followed by prudent types at 23% (though most were failed examples). Normalized inconsistencies between purported ideals and their application were found across all the disciplines. A suggested polarization between theory and practice was strongest in the social work literature, while the nursing literature was striking for its consolidation of spurious and pernicious types. In short, a probability sampling of the literature suggests marginal and contrary uses of the concept predominate in the field. A Trichotomy of Public Participation Use is presented based on the determining criteria found, indicating the need to: affirm constituency interest in participant constructions for open negotiation, not just discussion; admit conflict and dissent as indicators of a healthy functioning democracy; privilege the interests of the poor in public participation designs and practice; and secure commitment from authorities to tie public participation mechanisms to the policy process in representative systems. Implications: The scope of this concept has contracted and continues narrowing by way of normalized contradictions that are well circulated within major discourses. Unless we are prudent with our thinking and theory building, the conceptual architecture for public participation is merely repackaging the master narrative to more effectively disseminate the logics of neoliberalism.

A number of development strategies and programmes are currently being explored in South Africa as a part of a renewed ihitiative to overcome the imbalances persisting from the apartheid era with respect to development, wealth, income and opportunity, and in order to address problems increasing unemployment brought on by the decline of traditional employment sectors. Local Economic Development (LED) is one such strategy that seeks to utilize local resources and skills in order to promote economic growth and create employment opportunities. Similarly, tourism, which has become one of the most critical forces shaping the world's economy, has been recognised as a potential growth alternative in South Africa, and is being increasingly implemented into LED strategies across the country. Although the studies that have identified the link between tourism and LED are increasing, it is clear that research on the topic remains limited. This research therefore contributes to the existing literature, and investigates how three localities in Kwazulu-Natal have identified the tourism potential of the locally available natural resources, and how different actors have embarked on tourism-based projects that have sought to achieve LED. A series of semi-structured interviews formed the principle research method and information was obtained over a period of a year from a number of key stakeholders and role-players in each case study. It was found that all three case studies have created employment opportunities and have empowered local communities through skills development and training. This research attempts to highlight the potential opportunities and limitations of the pursuit of natural resource-based tourism as a catalyst for local economic development, such that other localities that are seeking to adopt a similar approach may learn from these experiences. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 2003.

Municipalities are faced with the major task of providing water services to their local residents. Dissatisfaction regarding water services in South Africa has been manifested in protests staged by communities. However, service delivery is still reflecting a backlog. This study aims to describe the current situation and challenges facing Greater Tubatse Local Municipality and the roles of the major players regarding water services. The study indicated that the residents of Praktiseer have no sustainable potable water. The critical part of this inquiry is to establish whether the local municipality has strategies in place to deal with the identified problems. Access to clean water and sanitation is essential to health. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa mandates the local governments to ensure the provision of water services to their communities in a sustainable manner. This study also defined the roles of the local municipality within the context of the existing legislative framework. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The intensifying nature and extent of disasters together with the associated devastation and astronomical costs required to manage the rippling effects of disasters, enunciates the national and international focus on disaster risk reduction. Further the ever evolving and complex dynamics of risk as the decisive contributor to disasters has heightened the urgency to pursue effective disaster risk assessment as a prerequisite to inform the disaster risk management planning and disaster risk reduction intervention processes. A structured and systematic approach to disaster risk assessment assists in maintaining rigour thus promoting the quality and validity of the process and its outcomes. Appropriate models serve as valuable tools in enabling this methodological perspective to undertake disaster risk assessment. The nonexistence of an appropriate disaster risk assessment model in South Africa has initiated the emphasis and purpose of this study thereby underscoring the critical need for the development of an effective, holistic and integrated disaster risk assessment model for local government in South Africa. In spear heading the process towards the development of an appropriate disaster risk assessment model, the research commenced with establishing and asserting the fundamental link between disaster risk assessment and disaster risk reduction as an avenue to contextualise and ground the key issues in effective disaster risk reduction. The exploratory analysis engaged in presenting a theoretical construct of disaster risk assessment examined the core components informing the disaster risk assessment process. This discussion led to the comparative review of three disaster risk assessment models viz the Community-Wide Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (CVCA) Model, the Community-Based Risk Reduction Model and the South African Disaster Risk Assessment Model interrogating the significant characteristics, structure and application of the models. The results of the comparison of the above three models provided the necessary insight for the development of the disaster risk assessment model for local government in South Africa. Further influenced by the outcomes of the applied research on the critical analysis of the current disaster risk assessment practice within the four selected municipalities representing local government in South Africa; viz eThekwini Metropolitan, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan, Bojanala District and Stellenbosch local Municipalities. Through the data coding, classification and interpretive process, constructive and correlated research findings were immanent guiding the final development of the integrated disaster risk assessment model for local government in South Africa. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Management and Administration))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Municipalities are faced with the major task of providing water services to their local residents. Dissatisfaction regarding water services in South Africa has been manifested in protests staged by communities. However, service delivery is still reflecting a backlog. This study aims to describe the current situation and challenges facing Greater Tubatse Local Municipality and the roles of the major players regarding water services. The study indicated that the residents of Praktiseer have no sustainable potable water. The critical part of this inquiry is to establish whether the local municipality has strategies in place to deal with the identified problems. Access to clean water and sanitation is essential to health. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa mandates the local governments to ensure the provision of water services to their communities in a sustainable manner. This study also defined the roles of the local municipality within the context of the existing legislative framework. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The intensifying nature and extent of disasters together with the associated devastation and astronomical costs required to manage the rippling effects of disasters, enunciates the national and international focus on disaster risk reduction. Further the ever evolving and complex dynamics of risk as the decisive contributor to disasters has heightened the urgency to pursue effective disaster risk assessment as a prerequisite to inform the disaster risk management planning and disaster risk reduction intervention processes. A structured and systematic approach to disaster risk assessment assists in maintaining rigour thus promoting the quality and validity of the process and its outcomes. Appropriate models serve as valuable tools in enabling this methodological perspective to undertake disaster risk assessment. The nonexistence of an appropriate disaster risk assessment model in South Africa has initiated the emphasis and purpose of this study thereby underscoring the critical need for the development of an effective, holistic and integrated disaster risk assessment model for local government in South Africa. In spear heading the process towards the development of an appropriate disaster risk assessment model, the research commenced with establishing and asserting the fundamental link between disaster risk assessment and disaster risk reduction as an avenue to contextualise and ground the key issues in effective disaster risk reduction. The exploratory analysis engaged in presenting a theoretical construct of disaster risk assessment examined the core components informing the disaster risk assessment process. This discussion led to the comparative review of three disaster risk assessment models viz the Community-Wide Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (CVCA) Model, the Community-Based Risk Reduction Model and the South African Disaster Risk Assessment Model interrogating the significant characteristics, structure and application of the models. The results of the comparison of the above three models provided the necessary insight for the development of the disaster risk assessment model for local government in South Africa. Further influenced by the outcomes of the applied research on the critical analysis of the current disaster risk assessment practice within the four selected municipalities representing local government in South Africa; viz eThekwini Metropolitan, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan, Bojanala District and Stellenbosch local Municipalities. Through the data coding, classification and interpretive process, constructive and correlated research findings were immanent guiding the final development of the integrated disaster risk assessment model for local government in South Africa. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Management and Administration))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This dissertation seeks to investigate the nature and extent of community participation in health education decision making for Torres Strait Islander girls at one Queensland high school. As such, the study is concerned with identifying stakeholders in health education for girls, describing the ways in which stakeholders participate in health education decision-making, and identifying the factors that promote or inhibit community participation in health education decision-making. The question presupposes several standpoints: firstly, that Indigenous communities want to participate in education decision-making and, secondly, that community participation would be desirable in producing good outcomes for Indigenous students. Thus, the literature review is concerned with critiquing discourses of community participation in Indigenous education, the effects on educational outcomes of Indigenous students when community participation is enabled, and reviewing previous research on educational decision-making in health education in Australia. Given the necessity for emancipatory research methodology in Indigenous research contexts, a critical ethnographic case study approach was chosen to investigate the research questions at a high school in the Torres Strait; building a critical case record from field notes, interview data, and documents. Using Carspecken's (1996) stages of data analysis, primary records were reconstructed and dialogically negotiated with participants, to describe system relations. Such an approach allows for power and control relations between researchers and research participants to be explicated, giving voice to usually marginalised groups, such as Indigenous students. This approach was also congruent with specific Torres Strait Islander research protocols, informed by Ailan Kastom, which were necessary to sensitively and successfully undertake the research. Data analysis was informed by a framework of Indigenous community participation theory, derived from Soliman (1995), Heslop (1998 ), Ministerial Advisory Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education (1999) and Stewart (1999), together with curriculum theory, from Bernstein (1976; 1990; 2000). This approach constituted a unique adaptation of Bernstein's pedagogic discourse theory to a Torres Strait Islander educational setting. The findings indicated that there was strong desire by community members, including students, to participate in health education decision-making at Bluewater High. However, the ability of different stakeholder groups to participate in health education varied, with teachers exercising the most power, and students the least. An in-depth, contextual analysis, in which pedagogic decision-making occurred, enabled a number of immediate and long-term recommendations to be developed. It is envisaged that these recommendations will enable greater community participation in health education decision-making for girls at Bluewater High, and more generally in other Indigenous educational settings.