The purpose of the study was to describe and analyse community participation in attempts to start a community garden project in the Shakashead community. A key focus of the study was to identify the level of participation of the community in all aspects of the project cycle, that is, the planning, implementation monitoring and evaluation phases. The study was carried out in an informal settlement situated in the North Coast about 75km from Durban. The community garden project was funded by the Luthuli Education Trust and initiated by the Borough of the Dolphin Coast as an endeavour to address abject poverty and unemployment in the community. Qualitative research methodology guided the evaluative nature of the research. The case study research strategy was used as the community garden project in the Shakashead community served as an example of a development programme in action. The data collection methods included participant observation and semi-structured, individual interviews. Purposive sampling was used to obtain respondents for this study. This process involved the deliberate selection of members who played significant roles in the attempts to start a community garden project in the Shakashead community. These research respondents included members of the Shakashead Civic Resident's Association, a Development Consultant who represented the funding organisation and the client liaison officer employed by the Dolphin Coast Borough. The overall aim was to document their perceptions and understanding of the attempts to start the community garden project and the reasons for the unsuccessful operation of the project. Four major themes emerged from the data to exemplify the significant elements of community involvement experienced in the attempts to start a community garden project in the Shakashead community. These themes included: a) the structural components required for full community participation; b) the importance of support and training for community members; c) local leadership and its impact on development; d) the hierarchical procedures of organisations. The recommendations included areas for further research and several changes ID working practices. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This thesis argues that development requires policies which promote comprehensive human development, rather than simple economic growth. While international law and the human rights system mandate that the individual be the central focus of the development paradigm, there are other reasons in addition to legal obligation to engage in people centred development planning. It also addresses the broad support for participatory processes found in the development planning literature. The World Bank is a multilateral development agency charged with providing low interest loans to developing nations. Frequently the development interventions financed by these loans violate the human rights of neighbouring residents. Such violations are contrary to the Bank's international legal obligations as a member of the United Nations system. This thesis enumerates steps the Bank must take to align its project planning and implementation policies with international human rights law. Chapter One summarizes World Bank history, addresses its structure, and discusses its lending policy then moves on to comment on the human rights system, providing the theory and methodology to be used throughout the thesis. The following chapters address specific Bank policies regulating project planning. Chapter Two discusses the policy regarding involuntary resettlement arising from development, and summarize the Bank's indigenous policy. Chapter Three concerns the Bank's environmental assessment policy. Chapter Four investigates two areas where no Bank policy has been developed, contrary to the requirements of the human rights system: formation of national development policies, and the detriments suffered by project affected people not covered by other policies. Each chapter discusses the nature of the relevant human rights issues, outlines Bank policy (where it exists), and recommends modifications and courses of action to bring the Bank into accordance with the human rights requirements. Chapter five reviews the conclusions reached in earlier chapters and offers a brief case study demonstrating how human rights can be practically applied in development projects. The World Bank must create policies consistent with international civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights to meet the challenges, and the legal obligations, of human development.

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

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.

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.

No description available.

No description available.

Dissertation (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Australian National University, 2000. / Title from screen.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, Dept. of Economics and Finance, 1997.