Community-based Development Research Articles

Forecasting Cloud Standards Success Patterns

Recent cloud standards developments and relevant news on best practices and trends are discussed in this column. In addition, the column looks at how community-based development efforts play a crucial role in establishing the innovation that drives the methods of cloud computing, and in moving new technologies to adoption.

Elementary Education and Language Teachers’ Professional Development Needs: The Context of Pakistan

Teachers professional development is central to meet the ever-growing challenges at the elementary school level. In this article we describe the development and use of Teachers Development Scale at the elementary school level in Pakistan. An exploratory factor analysis (n=274) showed two basic dimensions of teachers professional development: community development, and individual development. Community-based developments included collaborative projects, participation in conferences, and system of educators for proficient advancement. On the other hand, individual developments related to improvement in course work, coaching, observation visits to other schools and qualification degree programs. The implication of the study identifies constraints and suggestions for educators, educationists and instructor mentors.

Community-based water development projects, their effectiveness, and options for improvement: lessons from Laikipia, Kenya

Using the case of 30 community-based water development projects in the Laikipia County, Kenya, this paper analyses the factors for their effectiveness and options for improvement drawing on the perspectives of 30 project management committees and 290 project members. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The water projects improved the members’ living conditions, community cohesion, and livelihoods. Key factors for project success include public–private partnerships, participation, and ownership, while those for failure include inequity, poor leadership and accountability, and inadequate capacities regarding skills and resources. We conclude by discussing options to improve local capacity to address the identified challenges.

Student-perceived criteria for assessing university relevance in community development


 
 
 In sub-Saharan Africa, universities are increasingly being called upon to contribute more towards combating poverty and promoting development in rural areas. Yet, it is still argued that universities are ivory towers, and as a result, their contribution to finding sustainable solutions to issues hampering the realisation of improved quality of life of people in rural areas remains unsatisfactory. This perception emanates from the universities’ apparent failure to articulate and demonstrate how they can achieve the desired goal stated above. Moreover, there are no universally embraced criteria for assessing the relevance of a rural area based university to the community it serves. This study was therefore carried out to determine the perceptions of University of Venda undergraduate students on what they believed were appropriate criteria for assessing the relevance of a rural area based university in community development in South Africa. Reflection circles, anchored on participatory research techniques, were used to engage the students. The results of the engagement were organised into sub-themes. The most prominent perceptions were: ‘A university has active long-term community-based development initiatives’; ‘A university is continuously addressing the real needs of the communities in question’; ‘University initiatives are creating jobs for its graduates and community members’; and ‘Continuous community requests for university assistance in solving the challenges militating against development’. The wide range of perceptions of students observed in this study is a useful input into initiatives seeking to develop an objective tool for assessing the relevance of a rural area based university in community development.
 
 
 
 
 Significance: 
 
 
 
 A set of criteria that students believe should be used to assess the relevance of universities in community development were generated.
 The criteria can be used to develop an index that might serve as a tool for ranking university relevance to their constituencies.
 The criteria can also be used to sharpen the business of community engagement directorates in ruralbased universities.
 
 
 

Community- Based Projects in Nigeria

Experiences in the application of the community-based model for improving the quality of life of poor communities have reported improvement regarding project performance. However, most studies placed emphasis on the overall performance determined at the general level. For this reason, the findings do not allow for an adequate understanding of the explanatory factors for the success or failure of the projects. This article investigates the explanatory factors that account for the success and failure of a community-based development initiative in kebbi-state, Nigeria, using a case study approach.2398-4279 © 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK.. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Community-based projects; Social service delivery; Quality of life; Nigeria

Local intentions to participate in ecotourism development in Taiwan’s Atayal communities

ABSTRACTBy applying the theoretical concepts of planned behaviors and social exchange, this study aims to examine the decisive factors that influence the behavioral intentions of local residents in three Atayal communities in Yilan County, Taiwan, to participate in the community development of ecotourism. This study uses AMOS software to perform structural equation modeling. The results of the study indicate that (1) residents’ attitudes toward community-based ecotourism development, perceived behavioral control, and perceived social benefits have significant correlations with their behavioral intentions and that (2) respondents involved in community-related organizations have more positive behavioral intentions. Due to their location in remote areas to which tourists rarely venture, these three Atayal communities lack the incentives to attract tourists or to trigger the participation of the broader community in ecotourism development with the promise of sharing tourism revenue. Most Atayal residents in the research area clearly lack the ‘rights to develop’ and the ‘means to get involved’. From the perspective of power relations, this study could contribute insight into the theoretical and empirical implications of hierarchical influences to examine the political–economic inferiority of indigenous behavioral intentions toward community-based ecotourism development.

Elitism: normative ethics of local organisation in community-based natural resources management

Purpose Local organisations have been established on participatory approach whose central purpose is to establish development activities bringing about positive change as four pillars of developments: to establish decentralised robust local organisation for sustainable forest management to enhance livelihood of rural people, to meet the forest products basic needs of local people, targeted interventions for poverty alleviation and social mobilisation initiatives and biodiversity conservation climate change mitigation and adaptation. Design/methodology/approach Local organisational elites designed/conceptualised the concept, where it can be operated organisationally and in local organisational context that provides new ways and methods to develop conceptual framework (Table I), which sheds light on involvement of poor and underprivileged members in decision-making process and distribution of benefit on equity basis. Findings The findings will lead to a positive change through the organisational elite model through both reorganising organisations and restructuring of power with change in the society and reduce the impact of rational choices, vested interests of elites (leaders of local organisation) and political factors, which are otherwise playing a game or tragedy of commons. Research limitations/implications Because of the limited resources and time, the authors are unable to verify it on the other development line agencies such as drinking water scheme, livestock, health and cooperative. Practical implications It considerably appears that the impacts are very sound to conclude from the review of above models of elites that provide a very clear understanding and useful conceiving lens to formulate how participation occurs in the executive committee of the community forestry user groups (CFUG) and community-based organisations based on three key elements. First are the caste and the caste structure of the community. Second is the wealth status of the individual, and third is power created both from wealth and caste. This should be determined from the local organisational elite model (Table I) about the nature of interactions on the executive of the CFUGs and other vehicles of local community-based development organisations. Social implications Local organisations will provide an opportunity in reality to both elites and non-elites to considerably change, make aware and create a realistic situation to determine the dialectical opportunity to develop relationship, interaction and configuration between elite and non-elite members both outside and inside of the local organisations. Originality/value It has not been found in literatures yet such sort of concept developed in development field particularly in the development activities performed by participation of local users. Hence, it is certainly original conceptual framework.

Community-Based Projects in Nigeria

Experiences in the application of the community-based model for improving the quality of life of poor communities have reported improvement regarding project performance. However, most studies placed emphasis on the overall performance determined at the general level. For this reason, the findings do not allow for an adequate understanding of the explanatory factors for the success or failure of the projects. This article investigates the explanatory factors that account for the success and failure of a community-based development initiative in kebbi-state, Nigeria, using a case study approach.

A Structural Equation Model of Improvement in Quality of Life in a Community-Based Development Projects in Nigeria

The lingering problem of poverty has prompted many countries to adopt community-based development strategy towards improving the Quality of Life (QoL) of their citizens. Numerous studies have focused on assessing QoL by measuring the manifested (measured) variables and ignored the significant contribution of some “latent” factors. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), this paper investigated the factors that influence improvement in the QoL in a Community-based Poverty Reduction Project (CPRP) in Nigeria. The model indicates that the measured variables cause only 36% (R2 = 0.36) of the reduction in poverty level of the project beneficiaries. This finding implies that there are other “hidden” factors responsible for the improvement in the quality of life.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Quality of Life, Community-based Development Projects, Poverty Reduction, Structural Equation Modelling

Pharmacists in Action: Webinar Wednesdays; Members in Motion; APhA’s Community-based Preceptor Development Boot Camp

Pharmacists in Action: Webinar Wednesdays; Members in Motion; APhA’s Community-based Preceptor Development Boot Camp

Mercury Mining in Mexico: I. Community Engagement to Improve Health Outcomes from Artisanal Mining

BackgroundMercury is an element that cannot be destroyed and is a global threat to human and environmental health. In Latin America and the Caribbean, artisanal and small-scale gold mining represents the main source of mercury emissions, releases, and consumption. However, another source of concern is the primary production of mercury. In the case of Mexico, in the past 2 years the informal production of mercury mining has increased 10-fold. Considering this scenario, an intervention program was initiated to reduce health risks in the mining communities. The program's final goal is to introduce different alternatives in line to stop the mining of mercury, but introducing at the same time, a community-based development program. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to present results from a preliminary study in the community of Plazuela, located in the municipality of Peñamiller in the State of Queretaro, Mexico. MethodsTotal mercury was measured in urine and environmental samples using atomic absorption spectrometry by cold vapor technique. Urine samples were collected from children aged 6-14 years and who had lived in the selected area from birth. Urine samples were also collected from miners who were currently working in the mine. To confirm the presence of mercury in the community, mining waste, water, soil, and sediment samples were collected from those high-risk areas identified by members of the community. FindingsChildren, women, and miners were heavily exposed to mercury (urine samples); and in agreement, we registered high concentrations of mercury in soils and sediments. ConclusionConsidering these results and taking into account that the risk perception toward mercury toxicity is very low in the community (mining is the only economic activity), an integral intervention program has started.

Indigenous mobilities, territorialization, and dispossession in the Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela: Rescuing lands and meanings in Hábitat Indígena Yukpa, Toromo-Tütari

In the Sierra de Perijá, Venezuela, the indigenous Yukpa have long faced reterritorialization and violent displacement through the expansion of cattle farms, so-called haciendas. However, the new Venezuelan constitution in 2000 guaranteed rights to indigenous territory and ushered in an endogenous, community-based development model. By the 2010s, Yukpa had reclaimed a half-dozen haciendas, taking advantage of the political leverage and economic opportunities provided by the endogenous development model. This process of deterritorialization has been accompanied by extensive migration of residents from mountain communities to the lowlands, and these reconfigurations of Yukpa spatiality have prompted reconceptualization of a diasporic, multi-sited indigenous identity.

Improving Quality of Life through Community-based Participatory Development in Nigeria: Explanatory Factors for Success and Failure

Experiences in the application of the community-based model as a strategy for improving the quality of life of poor communities have reported improvement in terms of project performance. However, it has been observed that most studies placed emphasis on the overall performance determined at the aggregate level. For this reason, the findings, do not allow for an adequate expression of the variation in the success or failure stories of the projects and the explanatory factors for them. This article investigates the explanatory factors that account for variation in success and failure of a Community-based development initiative in Kebbi-state, Nigeria, using a case study approach.

The Difficulties and Possibilities of Getting Land to Women and Youth

This paper focuses on the challenges faced by women and youth in the Senegal River Valley in their quest to get access to land where they can control the production process and the product. It provides an introduction to one very promising Senegalese effort to meet these challenges by providing women and youth jobs on irrigated farms that are run as worker-owned commercial enterprises. The paper builds on analyses of the traditional social and agricultural systems by prominent Senegalese sociologists (Yaya Wane 1969, Arame Top 2014, Aly Tandian 2013). It analyzes the transformation of the traditional forms of livelihood following the 1980s construction of two large dams on the Senegal River. RThe dams weakened the ability of customary landholders to provision their households because they badly damaged flood-dependent food production, livestock rearing, and fishing. The state's attempts to replace traditional livelihood systems by providing pump irrigated plots for rice production was undercut by high costs. This made male youth migration increasingly important to households' ability to purchase inputs (Koopman 2009). In the current rural economy, both women and male youth are expected to provide substantial inputs to the family economy in the form of food, household goods, and money. These economic pressures have resulting in their increasing demands for land. The paper argues that it is important that the land reform commission take the social aspects of traditional systems of intra-household land control into account so that the reforms will be able to facilitate community-based development of equitable and sustainable ways of managing land in the post-land reform period. Finding ways to get land to women and youth in a manner that is acceptable to both traditional landholders and government is a complex task. The paper discusses one experiment in which traditional village leaders give land for the establishment of an irrigated commercial farm, nominate the young men and women from their village who become worker-members, and implicitly acknowledge that the incomes earned belong to these women and junior men. This experience is important because it seems to be succeeding in a way that attracts the support of both customary authorities and the state.

The Student-Athlete Leadership Academy: Ten years of interscholastic sport leadership training

ABSTRACTThe 7.8 million adolescents participating in interscholastic sport have the potential to learn leadership skills through their sport experience. However, for sport to serve this educational purpose, athletes must be actively engaged in leadership training experiences. The Student-Athlete Leadership Academy (SALA) is a community-based leadership development program for high school student-athletes established through a partnership between AASP-certified consultants and athletic administrators in Western Pennsylvania. This article offers a program overview of this large-scale annual leadership summit, designed to connect interscholastic student-athletes across a region and formally facilitate the development of transferable life skills.

Communities’ Satisfaction towards Housing Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program after September 30, 2009, Earthquake in West Sumatra

The government of Indonesia had provided the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (RR) assistance to 194,636 houses for communities after September 30, 2009, earthquake in West Sumatra. The community-based development model was adopted in this housing program aid. This study aims to explore people’s satisfaction towards the RR program and to identify the difference of satisfaction level between urban area and rural area. The research was carried out by conducting a questionnaire survey to 200 communities. The beneficiaries were invited to determine their satisfaction level based on 5 Likert scale from 1 as “not satisfied at all” to 5 as “absolutely satisfied.” The satisfaction level was assessed by two factors, process of reconstruction and result of reconstruction. It was found that the level of communities’ satisfaction is at average level. The satisfaction level of urban communities is 2.75, while the satisfaction level of rural communities is slightly higher at 2.88. The satisfaction levels of urban and rural communities with the reconstruction process are at 2.63 and 2.75, respectively, while the satisfaction level with the results of the program is at 2.84 and at 2.95, respectively. Communities’ satisfaction with the result of reconstruction is higher than that with the process of reconstruction.

Enabling transformative agency: community-based green economic and workforce development in LA and Cleveland

This article explores enabling conditions of creativity and transformative agency in the field of community development. Based on a comparative case study of the Los Angeles Green Retrofit and Workforce Program and Evergreen Cooperative Initiative in Cleveland, it finds a combination of problematic situations at the field and organizational level, individual biographical factors and available resources, and the presence of trusted intermediaries enabled alternative community development practices. In seeking to contribute to institutional planning theory on the paradox of embedded agency, it builds on the pragmatist planning approach to consider such multi-level enabling conditions and interim activities of individuals and organizations working towards institutional change. At the same time, it addresses shortcomings of pragmatist planning by attending to the role of particular historical actors, institutions, and policies in “problem solving” within the specific case studies along with the implications of structural disadvantage and inequality and sociocultural diversity for governance processes.

Naptime data meetings to increase the math talk of early care and education providers

ABSTRACTClassroom conversations about mathematics—math talk—between early care and education providers and young children have been associated with growth in mathematical thinking. However, professional development opportunities to learn about math teaching and learning are limited in many community-based child development centers. New approaches that are less costly and time consuming are needed to support providers in planning and implementing rich math experiences for young children. Professional development activities that are offered within the work site and during work hours may be most feasible for a large percentage of community-based programs. The purpose of this study was to design and test the impact of brief, data-based staff meetings during naptime in child care classrooms on providers’ math interactions with their students. Findings indicate that such meetings increase participants’ math talk in specific domains and predict growth in children’s math abilities 6 months later. The potential of naptime data meetings to enhance math interactions and other areas of professional practice are discussed. Future directions for additional research are recommended.

Inventing Eco-Cycle

AbstractThis article discusses lessons learned from a social enterprise project supporting sustainability education in central North Carolina (U.S.A.). Since 2011, Eco-Cycle,1 a retail shop featuring creative-reuse has provided support for a community meeting space that offers weekly environmental education workshops. Many approaches to social justice-oriented green initiatives in the United States emulate urban agriculture models and tend to be grant-dependent in early years, only achieving economic sustainability with difficulty. In contrast, our non-profit co-op of upcycler crafters and vintage vendors grew out of production and marketing of upcycled rain barrels, based on a social enterprise approach rather than a traditional model. I discuss the stepping-stones to this venture, which originated through a neighbourhood energy conservation initiative, followed by alliance-building with non-profits to promote green job creation. I relate the complications and surprising forms of synergism emerging from the social enterprise approach to social theory on cooperatives and community-based development models.1Eco-Cycle is a pseudonym.

Re-inventing the commons: community forestry as accumulation without dispossession in Nepal

The commercial appropriation of the commons by displacing communities has been a historical feature of development. In recent years, however, this paradigm has shifted toward re-inventing the commons by creating new relations of production for both the market and subsistence. Such shifts in managing the commons are producing new forms of commoning instead of enclosure and dispossession. Through the analysis of community forestry programs in Nepal, this paper demonstrates that community-based development has been effective in mobilizing the collective potential of local communities and dynamics of commonly held forest ecosystems for the expansion of highly profitable commercial endeavors. Community forestry can be understood neither as an enclosure exclusively for commodity production nor as the extension of entirely subsistence economic activities. In Nepal, community forestry has become a form of accumulation without dispossession where communities’ ownership over the common forestlands is ensured but market apparatuses for commercialization are also institutionalized simultaneously. This paper argues that while transforming the commons and communities as part and parcel of capital accumulation, community forestry generates possibilities for both commercial and subsistence modes of production, reproducing the conditions for accumulation without dispossession.