Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the past, development projects were not successful, because development was guided by
top-down strategy that excluded the main beneficiaries from the process of development. The
creative initiative, local knowledge, and inputs of communities were not considered as a
development resource. Hence, development programmes were not participatory, and could
not solve social problems, rather they contributed to poverty and dependency. This condition
gave rise to new thinking that unless communities participate in development efforts, no
social transformation can be achieved. Moreover, the scarcity of resources in developing
countries called for the mobilization of all stakeholders' resources in the cause of
development action. As a result, community participation emerged as a new paradigm of
development. Development has become a humanizing process; projects are people-driven;
and communities are the subjects of development projects. Nevertheless, in order for
community participation to meet the challenges of development, this has to be a
multidimensional approach that integrates the building blocks of development.
Against this background, in the context of water supply, the experience of developing
countries indicates that the effectiveness of water supply projects is improved when
communities participate in all phases of water supply projects. Moreover, community owned
and managed water supply projects are better constructed, cost effective, and successful than
government subsidized projects. Nevertheless, the role of government in enabling and
supporting is essential.
The study is an evaluation research, which aims to assess whether community participation is
in place, and whether the delivery of water supply is enhanced as a result of community
participation. The study area is in Galanefhi, a sub-region in Eritrea. At eleven villages in the
sub-region, water supply projects that were constructed in the past twelve years are assessed
to evaluate if community participation is in place and its effect on the water supply system.
During the course of this study, interviews were conducted with 221 respondents of both
sexes from the age of 28 years using open and closed-ended questionnaires. In addition,
discussions were conducted with community representatives and government officials on
issues of community participation and safe water delivery.
Findings of the study indicate that the level of community participation differs within the
villages and from one phase of the project to another. There is more community participation
in implementation and less in planning. Decision-making is dominated by the water committees and local officials. The major missing ingredient is the level of capacity building.
Communities' capacity to manage and operate the water supply system is limited. The
institutional and administrative frameworks of the villages regarding water supply is weak.
The regional and sub-region authorities' capacity that implements and oversees water supply
projects is not strong. Communication between the grassroots and central authorities is not
good. This is aggravated by natural conditions like climate and environment, and by the lack
of skilled human resources, financial drawbacks, and lack of coordination. Nevertheless,
overall assessment shows that water supply projects that enjoy more community participation
are more successful and sustainable and more capable of meeting communities' expectations.
Therefore, sustainable clean and adequate water delivery can be achieved through community
participation in collaboration with all stakeholders. The recommendations which are provided
give some insights on how to implement community participation as a strategy on the ground. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die verlede was ontwikkelingsprojekte dikwels onsuksesvolomdat ontwikkeling oorheers
is deur die bo-na-onder ("top-down") strategie wat die hoof voordeeltrekkers uitgesluit het uit
die proses van ontwikkeling. Die skeppende inisiatief, plaaslike kennis en die insette van die
gemeenskappe is nie as 'n hulpbron beskou nie. Dus was die ontwikkelingsprogramme nie
deelhebbend van aard nie en kon hulle nie sosiale probleme oplos nie. Dit het eerder bygedra
tot armoede en afhanklikheid. Hierdie toestand het gelei tot 'n nuwe denkrigting, naamlik dat,
tensy gemeenskappe deelneem aan ontwikkelingspogings, geen sosiale transformasie sal
plaasvind nie. Weens die skaarsheid van hulpbronne in ontwikkelende lande is die
mobilisasaie van al die deelhebbers se hulpbronne nodig vir ontwikkelingsaksie. Gevolglik
het gemeenskapsdeelname te vore getree as die nuwe paradigma van ontwikkeling.
Ontwikkeling is meer op die mens gerig; projekte word deur die mens gedryf; en
gemeenskappe IS die onderwerp van die ontwikkelingsprojekte. Nietemin, as
gemeenskapsdeelname die uitdagings van ontwikkeling te bowe wil kom, moet daar 'n
multidimensionele benadering wees wat die boustene van ontwikkeling integreer.
Teen hierdie agtergrond, en in die konteks van watervoorsiening, het die ondervindings in
ontwikkelende lande aangedui dat die effektiwiteit van watervoorsieningsprojekte verbeter as
die gemeenskap deelneem aan al die fases van die projek. Ook is watervoorsieningsprojekte
wat deur die gemeenskap besit en bestuur word, beter gebou, meer koste-effektief, en meer
suksesvol as projekte wat deur die regering subsideer is. Nietemin is die rol van die regering
onontbeerlik waar dit die projekte moontlik maak en ondersteun.
Hierdie studie is evaluasie-navorsing wat ten doel het om vas te stel tot watter mate
gemeenskapdeelname bestaan en of die voorsiening van water verbeter het as gevolg van die
deelname. Die studiegebied is in Galanefhi, 'n substeek van Eritrea. Daar is by elf dorpies in
hierdie streek tydens die laaste twaalf jaar watervoorsieningspunte opgerig. Hierdie projekte
is evalueer om vas te stel hoeveel gemeenskapdeelname daar was en die effek daarvan op die
watervoorsiening. Tydens die studie is onderhoude gevoer met 221 respondente, mans en
vrouens, bo 28. Daar is gebruik gemaak van vraelyste. Ook is daar besprekings gevoer met
verteenwoordigers van gemeenskappe en regeringsamptenare oor kwessies soos
gemeenskapsdeelname en die voorsiening van veilige drinkwater.
Daar is gevind dat die vlak van deelname verskil van dorpie tot dorpie en van een fase van die
projek tot die volgende. Daar is meer gemeenskapsdeelname in implementasie en minder in
beplanning. Besluitneming word oorheers deur waterkomitees en plaaslike amptenare. Daar is me 'n hoë vlak van vermoë-bou me. Die vermoë van die gemeenskap om die
watervoorsieningsisteem te bestuur is beperk en die administratiewe raamwerk van die
dorpies betreffende watervoorsiening is swak. Die vermoë van die owerhede op streek- en
substreekvlak, asook die kommunikasie tussen die sentrale owerhede en die gewone inwoners
is nie na wense nie. Hierdie toestande word vererger deur die klimaat en die
omgewingsfaktore, die gebrek aan geskoolde werkers, finansiële probleme en die gebrek aan
koërdinasie, Nietemin is daar in die algemeen vasgestel dat die watervoorsieningsprojekte
waar daar meer gemeenskapsdeelname was, meer suksesvol is, en beter aan die gemeenskap
se verwagtinge voldoen. Die waterpunte word ook langer in 'n goeie werkende toestand
gehou.
Dus kan die voorsiening van genoeg skoon water bereik word deur die deelname van die
gemeenskap en die samewerking van al diegene wat belang het by die projek. Aan die einde
van die studie word daar aanbeveel hoe om gemeenskapsdeelname op grondvlak te
implementeer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/49856 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Haile Gebremedhin, Solomon |
| Contributors | Theron, Francois, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Dept. of Sustain. develop plan & management |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 132, viii p.l: ill., map |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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