Effective Community Participation Research Articles

Revisiting the success of co‐management in forest protected areas of Bangladesh: Untangling the interplay of power, participation, and community empowerment

AbstractThis narrative review critically assesses the implementation and purported success of co‐management in forest management in Bangladesh. Co‐management has gained global popularity, celebrated for its participatory approach to natural resource conflict resolution, yet critiqued for potential design flaws, susceptibility to elite capture, and perpetuating power imbalances in predominantly top‐down management cultures. Despite two decades of application and reports of positive outcomes in managing forest protected areas of Bangladesh, concerns persist regarding the authenticity of its success and sustainability, particularly in terms of power dynamics and effective community participation in decision‐making processes. The review delves into these aspects, revealing instances where successes might be superficial, overlooking the underlying issues of power disparity among stakeholders. It highlights the crucial role of enhancing social capital within co‐management frameworks to foster institutionalization and sustainability. Recommendations include advancing robust collaboration and communication, alongside the adoption of adaptive management practices to navigate the complex interplay of natural, social, and institutional challenges.

Exploring Community Participation in Managing the Colleges of Education in Ashanti Region

This research examined the extent of community participation in managing the Colleges of Education(CoE) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, with Epstein (2006) framework on community participation in education being the theoretical lense for the study. To accomplish this, the study was rooted in the pragmatist paradigm where mixed methods approach was adopted and the Concurrent Triangulation design was utilized in the study. Questionnaire and interview were the main instruments used to collect the primary data for the study. A total of 349 questionnaires were distributed comprising 319 CoE students and 30 opinion leaders in the Ashanti Region and these were all retrieved and returned for analysis. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages), whereas qualitative data were analysed using themes. The results from the study suggest that largely, to some extent, communities do not really participate in the management decisions in the Colleges of Education in the Ashanti Region. Though community participation was found beneficial, it was also greeted with some challenges such as ineffective medium of communication at meeting, confusion over the roles of school administrators and community leaders. It was recommended among others that MMDAs in the region should create a strong awareness on the role of the communities and their indigenous knowledge systems in ensuring effective and efficient community participation. in managing CoE in the Ashanti Region

Influence of Local Elected Leaders’ Roles in Promoting Community Participatory Development: A Case Study of Kidegembye Ward in Njombe District Council, Tanzania

The study examined the influence of elected leaders' roles in promoting community participatory development. The study was undertaken at Kidegembye ward in Njombe district council. The study area was purposively selected because, in 2018, it ranked second nationally in terms of environmental sanitation and cleanliness. This resulted from collective community efforts to enhance cleanliness in the area. A total of 11 respondents were purposely selected for the study, including village leaders, women's groups dealing with handicrafts, and members of the school and health committee. A case study was applied to get insights regarding the influence of the elected leaders' roles in promoting community participatory development. Interview guide and observations were used to collect data. The findings revealed that elected leaders play some roles in influencing participatory development. The roles include community mobilization for construction infrastructures for education and health services at Kidegembye ward. However, no evidence was registered regarding the influence of leaders’ roles in supporting community initiatives related to economic activities. This raised a question on the prevalence of effective community participation. If effective community participation could be in place, projects beyond the push of the ministries would be enhanced. The study recommended that leaders play a part in social and economic activities. Likewise, the political party should establish mechanisms that can be used to assess the elected leaders' performance to improve their creativity in enhancing community participation for development.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior of Farmers Towards Restoration of Degraded Land; the Cases of Harbo and Adea districts in the Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Land restoration is one of Ethiopia's top priorities for aligning development efforts with a climate-resilient green economy. In Ethiopia, initiatives to rehabilitate degraded land are generally evaluated in terms of the local people's economic and environmental impacts. Farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and actions toward land restoration, on the other hand, have to be taken into consideration for long-term natural resource conservation. As a consequence, this study examines the relationships between farmers' knowledge, attitude, and contributions to behavioral change in the restoration of degraded land. Data were collected from 120 farmers who participated in the restoration of degraded land. Structural equation models and mediation analyses were utilized for path analysis. The findings indicated that farmers had a good understanding of land restoration techniques. Analysis of the causal models revealed that farmers' attitude toward land restoration is highly influenced by their knowledge level of farmers. The outcome also revealed that positive attitudes of farmers resulted in behavioral change towards land restoration. Effective local community participation in the land restoration process and strengthening of their knowledge and attitudes that influence their behavior should be the cornerstones of sustainable land restoration.

Effective Community Participation Mechanism in Security Control in Mount Elgon Constituency, Bungoma County

This study sought to analyze community participation and security in Mt. Elgon constituency, Bungoma County. The thesis of this study is that community participation seems to be more prominent as an alternative strategy in combating insecurity in Mt Elgon. The objective of the study was to find out how effective community participation mechanisms is in security control in Mt Elgon constituency. This study was informed by complexity theory and Stakeholder theory to offer insights on social relations and behavior relevant for peace building. These theories were purposely selected since it explains and enhances a better understanding of the variables affecting the research questions. Methodologically, the study adopted both the qualitative and quantitative methods, drawn from the primary and secondary sources. This study primarily targeted community policing committees, national government administrative officers, religious leaders and the Kenya police. By use of Yamane formula, 127 respondents were selected to take part in the study. A non-probability sampling technique that adopts a purposive sampling method was used in selecting respondents. Besides, descriptive statistical methods were used in processing and analyzing data. Primary data was obtained using questionnaires and interview guides. A pilot study was carried out to test the validity and reliability of data. The study found out that neighborhood watch, community intelligence gathering, community meetings, community hotlines and community policing are some of the most effective community participation mechanisms effective in security control in Mt Elgon constituency, Bungoma County. Further, the results indicated that indigenous and restorative practices significantly contribute to security control in Mt Elgon region. Nevertheless, there are specific areas like re-integration and compensation that needed improvements. Besides, the relationship between the police and community in Mt Elgon region was poor, thus the need to create trust and hold community meetings to improve the relationship. This study recommends that the NPS should Having units specifically trained on dealing with the community participation. The NPS should also educate and create awareness to the local communities and other stakeholders on the importance of contributing to national security.

Hydropower Plants and Ichthyofauna in the Tocantins–Araguaia River Basin: Challenges for Planning and Approaches to Ichthyofauna Conservation

The management of water resources is a complex issue, and the conservation of fish and fishery resources is a growing challenge given the increase in the number of hydroelectric projects in Brazilian river basins. This study describes the fragmentation of the Tocantins–Araguaia River Basin resulting from the installation of hydroelectric plants in operation and planned by the electricity sector until 2050, as well as its relationship with the conservation of fish fauna, especially long-distance migratory species. The hydroelectric projects in operation and planned were analyzed using data obtained from the National Electric Energy Agency. A literature review was carried out to assess the fish species of the Tocantins–Araguaia ecoregion, with an emphasis on long-distance migrants. In general, 75 hydroelectric dams are in operation, and a further 119 projects are in the electricity sector’s plans for construction by 2050 in the Tocantins–Araguaia ecoregion, including a stretch of the basin above the Tucurui dam, which will accentuate the fragmentation in the area. Of the 702 species found in the region, 31.1% are endemic, 6.1% are endangered, and several long-distance migratory species have had their populations restricted. Analysis of this information highlights the widespread impact on the ichthyofauna, affecting both species with a restricted distribution and migratory species with a long-distance distribution. The studies associated with the projects contribute to the advancement of knowledge, but they are only carried out after the works have been defined, which makes it difficult to plan conservation in advance. Transformations in the basin are imminent given the current changes and those expected in the coming years because of the electricity sector’s planning for the region. Considering the inseparable relationship between biodiversity and socio-environmental and cultural diversity, fish conservation is intrinsically linked to the conservation of socio-diversity and the effective participation of local communities from the start of the process. Fish depend on water, and people need both water and aquatic diversity. In conclusion, a well-structured and adaptative conservation plan, combined with the integration of effective fish routes, can contribute to the sustainable development of hydroelectric projects while safeguarding the biodiversity and ecological integrity of the Tocantins–Araguaia Basin.

Assessment of the impact of implementation research on the Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) elimination efforts in Nepal.

Nepal, Bangladesh, and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2005 to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as a public health problem from the Indian subcontinent by 2015. By 2021, the number of reported VL cases in these countries had declined by over 95% compared to 2007. This dramatic success was achieved through an elimination programme that implemented early case detection and effective treatment, vector control, disease surveillance, community participation, and operational research that underpinned these strategies. The experience offered an opportunity to assess the contribution of implementation research (IR) to VL elimination in Nepal. Desk review and a stakeholder workshop was conducted to analyse the relationship between key research outputs, major strategic decisions in the national VL elimination programme, and annual number of reported new cases over time between 2005 and 2023. The results indicated that the key decisions across the strategic elements, throughout the course of the elimination programme (such as on the most appropriate tools for diganostics and treatment, and on best strategies for case finding and vector management), were IR informed. IR itself responded dynamically to changes that resulted from interventions, addressing new questions that emerged from the field. Close collaboration between researchers, programme managers, and implementers in priority setting, design, conduct, and review of studies facilitated uptake of evidence into policy and programmatic activities. VL case numbers in Nepal are now reduced by 90% compared to 2005. Although direct attribution of disease decline to research outputs is difficult to establish, the Nepal experience demonstrates that IR can be a critical enabler for disease elimination. The lessons can potentially inform IR strategies in other countries with diseases targeted for elimination.

Community Participation in the Public Decision Process: Realizing Better Governance in Public Administration

Citizen participation in public decision-making processes has become a key element in efforts to achieve better governance in public administration. This journal article explains the importance of community participation in forming policies and managing public resources. By involving the public in the decision-making process, the government can produce more effective and sustainable policies.
 Community participation takes various forms, from public consultation to deeper collaboration in policy formation. In the context of public administration, public participation can increase government legitimacy and accountability. This article also describes the challenges and barriers that may arise in enabling effective community participation, including issues related to access, transparency, and lack of community skills or knowledge.
 In addition, this article highlights the concrete benefits of public participation, such as improving the quality of policies, reducing social conflict, and increasing the efficiency of using public resources. Through case study examples and empirical evidence, this article illustrates how public participation has succeeded in improving government performance in various sectors, including education, health, environment and infrastructure.
 In conclusion, public participation is an important element in improving governance in public administration. Effective participation allows the government to make policies that are wiser and adapt to the needs of society. By paying attention to existing challenges, the government can create an environment that supports broader public participation, which will ultimately result in better and more responsive government.

Who makes health governance decisions at the local level? A cross sectional study from primary health facilities in Tanzania.

Lower- and middle-income countries have decentralized decision-making at the community level, as well as community governance structures, to encourage community participation in governance processes, particularly in primary healthcare (PHC). In Tanzania, decentralization resulted in the establishment of Health Facility Governing Committees (HFGCs) to encourage community participation in the governance of primary health facilities to improve the quality and responsiveness of health service delivery. Nonetheless, despite the presence of HFGCs, PHC delivery remains ineffective and of poor quality. It is unclear who makes governance decisions at PHC facilities to ensure that services delivered are of expected quality and respond the community's needs, tastes, and preferences. This paper aims to assess the perspectives of members of the HFGC on who make governance decision in the context of fiscal decentralization. A cross-section design was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. A four-multistagesampling technique was adopted to selects regions, council, health facilities, and HFGC members. Respondents who participated in structured questionnaire responses were chosen using proportional sampling, whereas those who participated in in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions were chosen using purposive selection. The data was analyzed descriptively and thematically. The study revealed that HFGCs members perceive that governance decisions in primary health facilities are primarily made by the health facility management, and later are presented in HFGCs. As such, HFGCs are used a passively used to justify participation in decision that was already made by the management, which contradict with the principal of decentralization that emphasizes community participation on fiscal decisions. Decentralization of PHC facilities does not guarantee the participation of community members in fiscal decision of their respective primary health facilities through HFGCs. HFGC is passively used governance structure to substitute community participation in primary health facilities'fiscal decisions. Enforcement mechanisms are required to facilitate effective community participation.

Modelling Interrelationships of the Factors Impeding Community Engagement in Risk-Sensitive Urban Planning: Evidence from Sri Lanka

During the last two decades, global disasters have impacted over 5.2 billion people, with economic losses exceeding USD 2.97 trillion. This underscores the critical need for inclusive risk-sensitive urban planning (RSUP) that integrates community insights. Community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) has demonstrated a potential reduction of up to 40% in mortality rates during disasters and cost savings in disaster response and recovery. However, research has shown that only 20% felt they are involved in decisions related to neighborhood planning, despite communities’ lived experience in surviving local hazards. This highlights a gap where practitioners dominate the development of mitigation and development plans, sidelining local perspectives. Using Sri Lanka as a case study, this study investigated the barriers to effective community participation in the decision-making of RSUP and thereby developed an interpretive logic model to establish an understanding of why they occur and how each barrier is interlinked. The data gathered from a sample of 44 experts and community representatives revealed 19 factors that impede community inclusion in the decision-making of RSUP in Sri Lanka. The Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) analysis adopted identified that the absence of legal provisions for inclusive development, political dynamics, and corruption are the most significant barriers. The Matrix Impact of Cross Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) further revealed that fewer financial provisions and the absence of an institutional framework for community engagement are the linking barriers to the other 17 barriers. This study not only extends the theoretical debate on barriers to community engagement for risk-responsive and equitable development but also helps urban planners, disaster management practitioners, and strategy policymakers focus on critical areas that need major reforms.

Assessing the role of community participation in integrated watershed management in Dandi Lake watershed Dandi district, West Showa, Oromia, Ethiopia

Integrated watershed management is the method of overseeing human exercises and characteristic assets on a water shed basis, taking into consideration social and financial concerns. It is an ever-evolving hone including the administration of arrive, water, biota, and other assets and it requires involvement of strong institutions at the grass root level. Most watershed projects were not successful due to a lack of effective community participation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of community participation in integrated watershed management schemes in the Dandi lake watershed (Ethiopia) for long-term water resource conservation initiatives and short-term livelihood activities that enables the communities of the study area to meet their needs. Questionnaires, FGD, key informant interviews, personal observation were used as data collection tools. The collected data were organized and categorized according to the intended objectives and analyzed in qualitative and quantitative methods. The result of the study showed that role of community participation in participatory watershed management was examined by involvement in different management phases, 65.1% were involved only in the implementation stage, only 27.6% of respondents confirmed as they involve in all stages, 5.9 and 1.3% of sampled respondents witnessed as they are only involved in planning and mapping stage of watershed management. This study revealed that community participation in water shade management was hindered due to shortage of resources, interest, and previous experience, as well as peer pressure. In the meantime some successful efforts have been made on different land uses meant to reduce natural resource degradation and food security problems. These efforts include, contribution of delivered extension service, infrastructure provision and maintenance. The study also realized and proved the existence of unused development potential to improve the livelihood situation of the watershed community. This study came up with a good managerial implication, typically, it enhances Community engagement status by increasing its visibility and understanding of issues and empowers communities to have a say in decisions that affect their lives, cities and neighborhoods. The watershed management guidelines have to be clear to the community.

Community participation in development programs: Key lessons from the billion trees afforestation project (BTAP)

Sustainable restoration of forested landscapes requires the effective participation of local communities in project planning and implementation. This study analyzes the factors that influenced household participation in the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP) in Pakistan. We examined the activities undertaken by the Forest Department to promote community participation in landscape restoration. Data were collected from community members through household surveys and from forest department officials through in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics and a Poisson regression model were used to analyze the data. The descriptive results indicate that communities that participated in a higher number of BTAP activities showed significant improvements in forest cover, wildlife, and other ecosystem services. The Poisson regression model shows that household head participation in BTAP increases with education and the functioning of Village Development Committees (VDCs). The results of the in-depth interviews show that the important factors that hindered community members' higher level of participation in BTAP include nepotism, irregular rainfall, lack of knowledge and skills development programs, unattractive land tenure policies, ineffective communication networks, and delay in timely payment of salaries to community members. Therefore, the government and other stakeholders should understand the factors that influence rural household participation in afforestation projects and then determine how to establish and promote effective afforestation incentive mechanisms to improve the success of afforestation initiatives.

Integrated Heritage Conservation: Exploring the Role of Community Participation in the Conservation of Thimi

The sustainability of cultural heritage resources is strongly linked to the effective participation of local communities in the conservation and management of these resources. Integrated heritage conservation is assumed to be an appropriate conservation approach specifically to promote inclusive participation of local communities and sustainable community development in the historic settlements. In this context, considering the case of historic town of Thimi, this study aims to explore the existing context and role of community participation in the planning and conservation of heritage resources and also investigate the context of integrated conservation. Multiple tools of data collection such as Key informant’s interview, household’s surveys, participant observation, informal discussion and archival research have been used. Findings demonstrate that continuous decay and destruction of cultural heritages in Thimi have threatened its unique identity and the traditionally wellsustained community is now degrading and heading towards unsustainability. The context of community participation and conservation also seems weak in promoting sustainable conservation and development in Thimi. It recommends for adopting and implementing inclusive participation of local communities and integrated approach to conservation along with preparing comprehensive policies, plans and legislations for promoting sustainable conservation and community development in the historic settlements.

ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF FAO IN INCREASING FOOD SECURITY AMONG FOOD CROP FARMERS IN JERE LGA BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

This study assessed the role of FAO in increasing food security among food crop farmers in Jere LGA of Borno State, Nigeria. Multi stage random sampling was used in drawing 100 respondents for this study. Information was collected using structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyzed data for this study; descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies, mean and percentages and food security index were used, inferential statistics in the form of logit regression was also used. Male dominated food crop production with (66%). Majority (34%) of the food crop farmers in Jere LGA were between the age bracket of (41- 50) years. Overwhelming majority of (81%) were married, and majority of (60%) had household members between (5-8) persons. The level of education was very poor as majority of (42%) had no formal education. The contribution of FAO in increasing the food security among crop farmers in Jere LGA were (assisting in diversifying livelihood 96%, farmer field school 89%), distribution of seeds, 87%). The food security status of the food crop farmers was (65%) were food secure. The logistic regression model was used to examine the socioeconomic characteristics on food security. The results revealed that 9 out of 10 variables included in the model were significant at (5% or 1%). The significant variable at 5% were age, household size, education, farm size, farming experience, access to credit, access to extension service, while marital status, income and access to credit were significant at 1%. The value of R2 that the model explains that 54.7% variation in the data. Government should support FAO in order to ensure that food crop farmers have access to improved farm input such as seed, fertilizers, and others, gets to food crop farmers easily. Large household sizes and farm size were found affect food security level in the study area. Therefore, policy measures were directed towards the provision of better family planning, increased awareness and access to family planning facilities should give adequate attention and priority by government. In view of this, strategies for an effective community participation in design of concept and messages aimed at imparting knowledge about family planning to households are recommended.

Community participation and stakeholder engagement in determining health service coverage: A systematic review and framework synthesis to assess effectiveness.

Community and stakeholder involvement in decision-making to determine publicly-funded health services and interventions is advocated to fulfil citizens' rights and improve health outcomes. The inclusion of public actors, particularly disadvantaged populations, in priority setting for universal health coverage (UHC) is also enshrined in guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, challenges remain in operationalising this policy aim and ensuring that these approaches are effective and equitable. This study aimed to synthesise published evidence on the role of community and stakeholder participation in determining health service coverage. A systematic review was conducted, searching the Web of Science, Ovid Global Health, and PubMed Central databases from 2000 onwards, including all study types. A framework synthesis approach was used for charting and synthesising data on mechanisms, effectiveness (equity, depth, and stage), and barriers and facilitators for engagement. Twenty-seven relevant studies were identified that involve community actors and other stakeholders in priority setting and decision-making processes for defining health benefit packages and UHC, health technology assessment, and pharmaceutical coverage. Mechanisms of engagement include a wide variety of consultation approaches; participation in decision-making committees, advisory councils, and local planning meetings; and appeals mechanisms. Participation occurs primarily at Data and Dialogue stages of decision-making processes, and we found limited depth of engagement among identified cases. Limited consideration of equity was observed in planning and reporting on community involvement in priority setting. A number of challenges are identified in the literature, which we typologise as institutional, procedural, technical, and structural / normative barriers to meaningful participation. This systematic review identifies key gaps and opportunities in the literature and practice related to effective and equitable community and stakeholder participation in determining health service coverage. It offers essential considerations for planning and executing inclusive approaches to priority setting for publicly-funded health services and interventions and defining health benefit packages for UHC.

Building community cohesion for effective community participation in community based tourism

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine the influence community cohesion has in enabling effective Community participation in community based tourism within Kisite Mpunguti Ecosystem.
 Methodology: Adopting descriptive and explanatory research design, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection; community households within Kisite Mpunguti Ecosystem involved in community based tourism for semi-structured questionnaires. Quantitative data was processed using descriptive and inferential statistics with content analysis used for qualitative data.
 Main findings: revealed that although community cohesion had a negative association with community participation, the relationship to community participation was significant thus concluding it as a determinant in enabling successful community participation in community based tourism through elements like inclusion, belonging, equality, recognition and trust among others.
 Applications: This study is useful in the field of Rural and Community Based tourism on the element of factors enabling community participation in tourism, in this case community cohesion factor especially rural areas with unutilized tourism resources and need for alternative sources of income.
 Novelty: Findings provide knowledge to existing Community Based Tourism Projects nationwide on the vital role played by community cohesion anchored on principles like trust, equity, transparency, sharing responsibilities, commitment and respect for one another and authority in achieving effective participation.

School Management System and Governance of Elementary School Heads as Perceived by the School Community

The role of school management and governance is increasingly acknowledged as important for providing effective services at all education levels. It is important to acknowledge since it is considered as the strong foundation of quality education. With this the researchers of this study aimed to determine the students’ and teachers’ perceptions toward school governance; to know the significant influence of instructional leadership towards the effectiveness of school management system and governance; and to identify if there is a significant relationship between students’ and teachers’ perceptions towards various areas of school management system and governance. Using the sequential explanatory mixed-methods design strategy in which both descriptive quantitative and qualitative research design, and cluster random sampling method, 341 students and 243 teachers as respondents were selected from 15 elementary schools from San Miguel North District, Schools Division of Bulacan, Philippines. After the analysis using both descriptive and inferential statistics, the results shows that school community perceived that the school heads provide leadership in the improvement of the instructional program as “always” in terms of instructional leadership, clear mission, parent and community involvement, teacher involvement, safe and orderly environment, frequent monitoring, positive school climate, opportunities for learning, and budget allocation. Accordingly, the results revealed that instructional leadership has highly significant relationship to school management system and governance and students’ teachers’ perceptions toward school management system and governance indicated that highly significant to significant difference were acquired in areas of instructional leadership and parent and community involvement. Therefore, school community perceived almost the same perspectives in accordance with leadership behavior and effective parent and community participation. To sum up, results implied that students and teachers were strongly agreed that instructional leadership influenced almost all the areas of school management system and governance in obtaining school’s effectiveness. Also, the respondents’ answers suggested that school community has almost similar perceptions when it comes to principal’s instructional leadership and involvement of parent and community with the school administrators.

The role of community participation in the spatial development of deteriorated residential areas Al-Imam neighborhood in the city of Nasiriyah: a case study

Iraqi cities in general face a slew of issues, including deterioration of the internal and external residential environment for some residential districts, deterioration of major infrastructure services, and bad economic, living, and construction conditions. As a result, the Ministry of Construction and Housing took the initiative, in collaboration with the Habitat Organization, to carry out a project to upgrade a number of deteriorated residential neighbourhoods, including Al-Imam neighbourhood in Nasiriyah, as a local experiment aimed at achieving spatial development with community participation. The research problem was established by not incorporating community engagement and activating the mechanisms of intrusion towards sustainable spatial development when conversing with residents as one of the strategies for creating and upgrading civilized places. The following hypothesis guided the research: Adoption of effective community participation policies aids in the rehabilitation of damaged residential areas and the achievement of long-term development. The study contained a theoretical component dealing with the notion of community participation and upgrading, as well as a practical component including the identification of the study area and the processes used in the process of upgrading community participation. The study also included a questionnaire for a random sample of residents to complete regarding the type of community participation in upgrading, and the study found that there is a larger need for a process of awareness, education, and training of people to participate in upgrading. Housing unit improvements were not at the required level due to a lack of funding and poor participation of residents in the construction and restoration process, and improvements to educational services were simple and included school frontispieces, green areas were not allocated, and infrastructure services were not established. The study came to a number of conclusions and recommendations regarding the need to rehabilitate human and material resources, stimulate community participation in the planning and management of residential areas, and achieve long-term spatial development.

Enablers and inhibitors of community participation in Ghana’s Community-based Health Planning and Services programme: a qualitative study in the Builsa North Municipality

BackgroundCommunity participation is essential for the successful implementation of primary health care programmes across the globe, including sub-Saharan Africa. The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme is one of the primary health care interventions in Ghana which by design and implementation heavily relies on community participation. However, there is little evidence to establish the factors enabling or inhibiting community participation in the Ghanaian CHPS programme. This study, therefore, explored the enabling and inhibiting factors influencing community participation in the design and implementation of the CHPS programme in the Builsa North Municipality in the Upper East Region of Ghana.MethodsA qualitative approach, using a cross-sectional design, was employed to allow for a detailed in-depth exploration of the enabling and inhibiting factors influencing community participation in the design and implementation of the CHPS programme. The data were collected in January 2020, through key informant interviews with a stratified purposive sample of 106 respondents, selected from the 15 functional CHPS facilities in the Municipality. The data were audio-recorded, transcribed and manually analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe results showed that, public education on the CHPS concept, capacity of the community to contribute material resources towards the construction of CHPS facilities, strong and effective community leadership provided by community chiefs and assembly persons, the spirit of volunteerism and trust in the benefits of the CHPS programme were the enablers of community participation in the programme. However, volunteer attrition, competing economic activities, lack of sense of ownership by distant beneficiaries, external contracting of the construction of CHPS facilities and illiteracy constituted the inhibiting factors of community participation in the programme.ConclusionExtensive public education, volunteer incentivization and motivation, and the empowerment of communities to construct their own CHPS compounds are issues that require immediate policy attention to enhance effective community participation in the programme.

Co-Management Practices by Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in Selected Coastal Forest Zones of Bangladesh: A Focus on Sustainability

There has been an upsurge concerning the concept and application of “co-management” in the governance of natural resources in Bangladesh in recent years. Notwithstanding the popularity of co-management, however, the overall approach to implementation has been overtly technical in nature; and there has been limited attention to sustainability dynamics. This article aims to explore aspects policy and practice withinco-management based on several purposely selected cases in the coastal forest zones of Bangladesh. It also identifies the major challenges and issues concerning its sustainability. The lessons generated by this study may be relevant to both policy makers and practitioners. A qualitative research approach was adopted with empirical data collection methods including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, documentary research, and unstructured personal observation. The article begins with a recapitulation of the concept of co-management and its associations with sustainability, followed by an overview of the major co-management practices in Bangladesh. The discussion subsequently raises lessons learned and key issues relating to sustainability, including: the need for sorting out land-related tenurial complications and institutions used in co-management; unequal awareness of the concept of co-management and varying levels of participation of community organizations; the political interface and accountability of co-management institutions; issues of “ownership” at the community level; and the role of “external” support and facilitation. As a recently developed concept and practice, co-management seems to be rapidly taking root and displaying signs of gradual consolidation in Bangladesh. Considerable progress has been made in terms of required policy and legislative reforms, community level institution building, and a degree of change in the mindset of the government agencies to accommodate and nurture co-management. However, numerous issues (e.g., tenurial rights, effective community participation, equity, political dynamics, adequate financial support, accountability, and transparency) still need to be resolved if sustainability is to be fully achieved and satisfy the hopes and needs of local communities both now and in the future.