Is community participation the best way to increase access to service delivery?

Dear Hassan, I do not know if it is the best method. What I know from my experience and thorough the literature on natural resource management or ecosystem services, is that: 1) without an explicit engagement of local communities (that is emphasizing the self-policing force of creating reciprocal relationships) in the aims and results; 2) without an equitable agreement among parties (especially the poor one, normally the rural one); the searched effects are not sustainable (in its time and space meaning on each of the 3 pillars). Best regards for you enquiry. Daniel

Dear Hassan,

I agree fully with Daniel's response. Communities, if well engaged and involved, it would easier to get a buy-in into whatever the project being designed with the view to  implementation. Note that the concept of community is not homogenous and therefore needs to be carefully disaggregated in terms of its various social cleavages, and therefore ultimately ensuring that the marginalised are not further marginalised. Even more important, community participation should not simply be rhetorical but should be meaningful i.e. involve communities be involved in various ways from the point of planning right through to implementation and indeed too to evaluation stages. Just however guard against over consultation as it might eat into your time and resources but still be discreet and considerate.

Best wishes,

Mokong.  

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