Since the 1950s, various paradigms of development have aimed to achieve improvement in the living conditions in the developing world (Africa, Asia and Latin America). Today the effects of globalisation have increased the gap between the information and technology haves and have-nots and development practice (born out of the paradigms developed over the last fifty years) now seeks to address issues such as access to Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the need for developing countries to participate in the global economy. The practice of development has and continues to raise debate, as Friberg and Hettne (1985 in Melkote and Steeves, 2001:19) note "there is no universal path to development. Each society must find its own strategy". Thus development projects have ranged in approach and focus. This research project examines the first year of the joint venture between the Media in Education Trust (MiET) and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education (KZNDE) to develop Education Centres Supporting Rural Development in KwaZulu-Natal. These education centres aim to address a number of development issues for rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Through these centres access is provided for schools and communities in the area to Information Communication Technology, teacher development programmes, educational materials (including textbooks), library services, skills development programmes (including Adult Basic Education and Training), youth programmes and HIV/AIDS education and support. This research examines the Education Centres project in relation to Development Communication Theory and the local and global development context. The local context focuses on the challenges faced by South Africa as a developing nation and the urban-rural divide. The global perspective is gained through examining the centres project in relation to the Millennium Development Goals. In order to examine the Education Centres, this research project examines three centres in KwaZulu-Natal and their objectives in relation to the issues of participation, access, sustainability and the economic and socio-economic impact of the development project. These issues relate not only to the local and global context for development but to the relationship between technology, education and development. This Education Centres project is still in the early stages and thus the challenges faced could still be resolved during the course of the project. The key challenges identified when examining the three centres in relation to the issues of participation, access, sustainability and the economic and socio-economic impact of the development project are the lack of physical resources currently available in the centres and the lack of Internet connectivity in two of the centres. These two factors restrict the centres from fully achieving their objectives in the context of access, participation, sustainability and the socio-economic impact of the project. The Education Centres project is scheduled to establish these Education Centres over four years. This research presents an analysis of the first year of the project, thus there is opportunity for additional research as the project progresses and this future research can more accurately examine if the Education Centres project is meeting its objectives in relation to the issues outlined in this research - those of access, participation, sustainability and the socio-economic impact of the development project. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

Development has been used interchangeably amid transformation, of the underdeveloped Third World countries, denoting a shift to meet the standards of the developed First world countries. According to authors, meaningful development requires meaningful involvement of the people being developed. According to the democratic government policies in South Africa, in order to address the needs of the community, the community being developed should be engaged from the planning stages to the implementation stages of the development in order to fully address their needs and to ensure the sustainability of the project. This is supported by literature as stated by Paul (1987) that Involvement of communities in project planning and implementation could become more efficient because of timely beneficiary inputs. The more local people are involved in development projects, the more sustainable the projects will be as the community owns and understands them better. The following study was conducted in order to establish the extent of the involvement of the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK) townships community in the Bridge City Project and how they benefit from the project. It looked at the role played by the INK inhabitants and how that fed into the sustainability of the project to sustain people’s lives. A qualitative research methodology was followed in this research project. To gather the needed data, questionnaires were used in conjunction with interviews. The general community, Bridge City employees, INK officials and a councillor were interviewed. The study findings indicated that the local INK people were not well informed about the developments in the Bridge City Project. Qualitative data collected indicates that the community felt that they were not given a chance to be involved in a more meaningful way. Some members were not satisfied about the level of their involvement therefore the issue of ownership of the project by the local community still has to be addressed. Nonetheless, respondents agreed that the project brought back hope and life to them and their future generations. The integrated design of the project addresses most of their needs including: poverty, crime, unemployment, health, education, transport and other necessities. There was an indication that the project would, after completion, provide all the necessary services while addressing the issue of poverty and hopefully, inequalities. The sustainability of this project relies more on the level of involvement of the community. Future research should look at whether the community has ultimately been more involved in a meaningful way and whether they have been allowed to be investors in the development projects in order to make them proper participants. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

One key principle in Mozambican rural development policy is community participation. Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play an important role in the process. Taking the district of Mocuba, in Zamb6zia province (Mozambique) as an example, this dissertation analyzes the way NGOs implement community participation following national policies and promoting environmental awareness. The study evaluates the implementation of community participation as a critical contributing factor to environmentally oriented. and sustainable development projects by assessing and systematizing NGOs' interpretations and practices through specific development projects. Following its specific objectives, the study focuses on the importance of community participation and the role of NGOs. It characterises NGOs operating in Mocuba, tackling their co-ordination with other development stakeholders, and the extent to which community participation is put into practice. The study also presents and discusses stakeholders' knowledge on the relevant rural development legislation, focussing on NGOs' perceptions, interpretations, experiences, practices, weaknesses, limitations and problems related to community participation and the environment in local development. Although limited in scope to only one district and six NGOs, the present dissertation represents in microcosm the extent to which NGOs know and apply the principle of community participation and environmental issues in response to the country's relevant official policies, particularly considering those findings and discussions on: limited interNGO co-ordination and limited interaction with private enterprises and political parties, limited knowledge about rural development and its legal framework and community participation methodologies, the little weight given to environmental issues, and the token community participation. As a consequence and in line with its conceptual framework this research document appeals also for urgent and critical reassessments in the way development policies are prepared, issued, disseminated, implemented and monitored at relevant levels and by relevant stakeholders. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

There are strong arguments in the literature on development that underdevelopment of rural areas is caused by lack of grassroots participation in the development process. Participation of the rural poor in the whole development process is therefore regarded essential for redressing problems of underdevelopment. This study sets out to explore whether the level of participation of the rural poor is satisfactory and whether the participatory approach is capable of effectively redressing underdevelopment problems. A qualitative, interpretative approach was used in attempting to answer this question. Interviews and questionnaires were used to find information on project, participants and supporting organisations. This information was interpreted and analysed to find out if the current practise of participation has the potential for sustainable development. The study concludes that the current practise of participation has not reached a satisfactorily level required for sustainable development. The main stress on this participation seems to be the weak institutional support which fails to match the development efforts of the poor within the broad spectrum of the rural development process. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

The post 1994 dispensation brought about the introduction of developmental local government whereby municipalities are duty bound by constitutional clauses to enhance their local economies. The development paradigm created a new euphoria in distant localities amongst poor and vulnerable rural and urban communities. The establishment of Local Economic Development units in virtually all municipalities was a direct pursuit of local developmental agenda. This study assesses and critiques the little shortcomings of local economic development in the area. An approach embedded in this study is to examine the role played by various stakeholders in local economic development. The concept of local economic development in this study is not viewed in isolation from infrastructural development. An intensive investigation of infrastructural backlogs was undertaken to determine whether the Umhlabuyalingana municipality has invested enough towards its economic viability. Through rigorous engagement with the IDP, the researcher was able to ascertain whether there is a synergy between local economic development programmes/projects and the integrated development plan of the municipality. The data generated through intensive fieldwork was analyzed and interpreted to give impetus to the discourse of local economic development. The qualitative findings of the study reveal that local entrepreneurs are still faced with daunting problems and obstacles in starting their own businesses. Funding and the lack of support from well established business organizations and political leadership were also cited as the stumbling blocks towards progression. The results also reveal that development in the area is top down as opposed to bottom up and as a result communities do not own decisions. Despite the negatives, there is significant progress noted in the area of projects that are linked to development which are abundant in the area. Lastly, the quantitative results clearly depict that local economic development has had an adverse effect on communities depending on their age, gender, educational qualification and income. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

Fishing, and artisanal fishing in particular, plays a key role in the provision of rural employment and more importantly, household food security in the developing nations. The importance of artisanal fishery is shown in Malawi where artisanal fishery produces between 85-95% of the total fish production, and about 70% of the animal protein in human consumption comes from fish. About 43,000 people are employed directly in artisanal fisheries and approximately 100,000150,000 are indirectly employed within the artisanal fishery. Owing to increasing human population in the developing countries coupled with the common property, open-access nature of the fish resource, the resource has not been able to cope with the ever-increasing socio-economic demand placed on it. The resource is so degraded that it is has started to decline beyond capacity to sustain itself. This study was an attempt to examine and understand the artisanal fishery as it contributes to the socio-economic well being of the rural population particularly, the enclave communities of Lake Malawi National Park. The present study used structured interviews, focus group interviews, key informant interviews and personal observation to collect socio-economic information of the fishery. These research tools revealed that among the enclave communities income levels are low and unsustainable due to declining productivity of fishing. The decline may be a result of increasing human population, weak community-based institutions, limited agriculture, poor infrastructure with regard to processing and marketing of fish, limited supplementary and alternatives economic activities, and the fishing methods. Documentary information was used to contextualize artisanal fishery, to examine and understand the common-property and open-access nature of the fish resource as it relates to the exploitation Of fish among the enclave communities. Integrated development that brings together conservation and socio-economic development is the only option that will increase the income of the enclave communities to sustainable levels and achieve the Park's conservation objectives. The socio-economic intervention options should include provision of basic social facilities such as education, health, safe water etc, increase the economic power of the enclave communities through irrigation, adding more value to the fishery, engaging in aquarium trade, community-based eco-tourism and beekeeping. These options would lead to socio-economic sustainability among the enclave communities and would bring about the conservation objectives of the Park. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

No description available.

Die vorliegende Dissertation hat die Monitoring und Evaluation (M&E) Komponente von Entwicklungsprojekten zum Schwerpunkt sowie die Partizipation der Zielgruppen des Projekts im M&E Prozess. Die Partizipation der Zielgruppen bei M&E wird in den meisten Fällen zwar geplant aber in der Realität nicht effektiv genug ausgeführt. Dies wird beispielsweise darauf zurückgeführt, dass M&E als eine teure, zeitverschwendende, schwere, Fehler suchende und nur für Fachkräfte gedachte Aufgabe aufgefasst wird. Gleichermaßen wird es hauptsächlich aus Gründen der Rechenschaftspflicht ausgeführt, um eine weitere Finanzierung sicherzustellen und meist geben die Geldgeber anderen Programmen gegenüber M&E den Vorzug, da letzteres als Geld fordernd angesehen wird. Darüber hinaus liegt der Schwerpunkt auf professionellen Evaluatoren, welche wissenschaftliche Sorgfalt im Prozess anzuwenden haben, falls Laien das M&E durchführen. Daher ist die Partizipation der Zielgruppen an M&E limitiert. Die empirischen Forschungsarbeiten wurden innerhalb der RH-OBA und der APHIA II Projekte in Kenia durchgeführt. Die M&E Mitarbeiter beider Organisationen wurden interviewt und den Nutznießern des Projektes wurden Fragebögen ausgehändigt. Die Nutznießer von APHIA II Projekte (FAIR) führten gleichermaßen M&E Aktivitäten durch, was der Herangehensweise mittels Peer Education, welche in dem Projekt verwendet wurde, zu verdanken ist. Die Zielgruppen zeigten Bereitschaft, bei M&E zu partizipieren und wiesen die Motivation auf, den Prozess fortzuführen. Sie waren in viele Aspekte des M&E involviert, jedoch bestand die Notwendigkeit, ihnen zu helfen, ihre M&E Aufgaben auf eine geplante und systematische Art und Weise durchzuführen. Hierdurch wurde es ihnen ermöglicht, ihre Partizipation im M&E zu überwachen sowie das Projekt besser zu verstehen und imstande zu sein, Projekt-Aktivitäten einzuschätzen. Ihre Ausbildung wurde als ein Weg identifiziert, sie mit dem relevanten Wissen und den einschlägigen Fertigkeiten auszustatten. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse der Forschungsarbeiten wurde für die Zielgruppe von APHIA II / FAIR die „Participatory M&E LIGHT© Assessment Checklist“ für Projekt-Zielgruppen entwickelt und Instruktionen, wie diese verwendet werden kann, damit die Zielgruppe ihre M&E-Aktivitäten auf eine partizipatorische Art und Weise planen und durchführen kann und damit sie ihre Partizipation im Prozess überwachen kann.