Limited Community Involvement Research Articles

Optimization of Institutional Roles Based on Regional Leadership Commitment (A Case Study in Garut Regency)

The policy of decentralization and regional autonomy in Indonesia aims to promote regional development by granting authority to regions to administer governance and development. However, the implementation of this policy still faces various challenges, including limited community involvement, low cooperation among regional governments, as well as constraints in regional capacity and finances. This research aims to optimize the role of regional institutions in regional development, focusing on five districts in Garut Regency. The research method used is qualitative with descriptive analysis, aiming to comprehensively describe the role of regional institutions in regional development. The findings of this research conclude that regional governance in Indonesia has undergone significant changes after implementing decentralization. Sub-districts, previously considered ordinary regional entities, have now become more significant entities within the framework of regional governance. This change reflects efforts to provide greater autonomy to regions in managing local governance and development affairs. Thus, sub-districts play a more proactive role in formulating policies, managing resources, and advancing development at the local level. However, these changes also bring implications such as potential conflicts among institutions and challenges in optimizing the effectiveness of regional governance as a whole. The optimal effectiveness of institutions will function well when there is strong commitment from regional leaders to ensure that these changes align with the goals of regional development and the interests of the communities they serve.

Assessing Factors Influencing the Failure of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Projects in Education and Health Sectors in Zambia: A Critical Analysis

This study critically evaluates factors leading to the failure of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects within Zambia's education and health sectors, aiming to recommend effective strategies for improving project success rates. Utilizing a sequential mixed-method approach, the research examines the effectiveness of existing management strategies, identifies key factors contributing to project failures, and explores challenges faced by project committees. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, a literature review, and five focus group discussions (FGDs) with 46 respondents from Chongwe Constituency. Purposive sampling was employed to gather both primary and secondary data. Quantitative data were analyzed using the mean t-test to determine factors significantly impacting community engagement and project outcomes. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis to explore themes from interviews, literature, and FGDs, enhancing the triangulation of findings. Findings reveal that despite the alignment of management practices with best practices, factors such as failure to use CDF, funding delays, lack of transparency and accountability, weak monitoring and evaluation, limited community involvement, and limited community knowledge of CDF, contractor incompetence, Key challenges faced by implementors included, volunteer status of WDCs which was unsustainable and challenging, lack of capacity building contribute to project failures. The study advocates for improved project management practices, enhanced stakeholder engagement and education about CDF to communities and robust monitoring to increase project success.

Equity considerations in mental health diversion in California

Mental health diversion under California Assembly Bill (AB) 1810 created a pretrial pathway for individuals to enroll in community-based treatment as an alternative to incarceration if they have a mental illness that played a significant role in the crime for which they were charged. Mental health diversion may be a promising approach to addressing racial disparities in incarceration. This qualitative, community-partnered study examines how racial equity was considered in the design and implementation of mental health diversion under AB 1810 in nine counties across California. We explored five main themes: involvement of community stakeholders; cultural competence of providers; availability of diversion across counties; efforts to monitor demographics; and diversion as an opportunity to address racial disparities in the criminal legal system. We found that, although many legal professionals are optimistic about the capacity of mental health diversion to address racial disparities in incarceration, there have been limited efforts to monitor the demographics of diversion participants, differing understandings of cultural competency, limited community involvement in the design of mental health diversion, and limitations to the availability of services for individuals enrolled in diversion programs.

From Compliance to Innovation: A Comprehensive Analysis of Pos Bloc Medan’s Tourism Infrastructure

This research delves into the spatial arrangement and landscaping considerations for Pos Bloc Medan, an artificial tourist attraction. Employing a qualitative research design, the study assesses the facility’s adherence to tourism business standards stipulated in Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Regulation No. 4/2021. Findings indicate that elements such as “Special Business Requirements,” “Business Facilities,” and “Organizational Structure and HR” fall short of the prescribed standards. Several areas requiring improvement include the absence of emergency gathering points, limited community involvement, and suboptimal waste management. Recommendations for enhancement encompass routine health check-ups for employees, aligning with established norms for the operations of the tourism sector. Furthermore, the study presents a spatial proposal focusing on emergency gathering points to address safety, accessibility, and visual appeal concerns. The proposed assembly points not only bolster safety protocols but also contribute to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of Pos Bloc Medan, aligning with the objective of establishing a sustainable, multifunctional space. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of meticulous spatial planning and strict regulatory adherence in optimizing tourist attractions, as exemplified by Pos Bloc Medan, for the betterment of the community, preservation of the environment, and sustainability of the tourism industry as a whole.

Success Factors in Managing Wastewater Infrastructure through Community Participation (Case Study: Wastewater Infrastructure in Residential Areas of Medan Deli Subdistrict, Medan)

Both central and local governments strive to implement sanitation programs, especially in the management of wastewater infrastructure, with a focus on community involvement from planning to maintenance. The Medan Deli Subdistrict, engaged in wastewater infrastructure management through community participation, faces challenges, including a decline in users and dysfunctional management groups. The limited community involvement also impacts the failure of management. The research was conducted in the Medan Deli Subdistrict using survey and exploration methods. The analysis of survey questionnaire data with the Relative Importance Index (RII) method identified five key success factors, used as research indicators to identify obstacles through structured interviews. The research results show that these factors involve the choice of technology, organization, and leadership, which have proven to have a significant impact. Additionally, service convenience, operator performance, and clean and healthy living habits also prove to be drivers of success in this management. In this context, it can be concluded that technical factors, especially the selection of technology and organization, dominate the success of wastewater management. The success of wastewater infrastructure development through community participation also heavily depends on institutional elements and social approaches. However, after identifying success elements, some analyzed obstacles include the process of selecting technology means that are not in line with the needs and preferences of the community, managers responsible for wastewater infrastructure management often relocating without replacement, hindering the administrative process of management, infrastructure maintenance requiring operators to routinely perform operational functions, and a community that is not fully committed to implementing clean water infrastructure management.

Governing green open space in indonesia: barriers and opportunities to enhancing enviromental quality

This article discusses the enhancing of governing green open space in Indonesia. It began by looking at the current condition of green open space in Indonesia, highlighting the barriers faced in governing these areas, looking at opportunities to enhancing, and making recommendations to improve green open space governance. Literature review on governance frameworks that can maximize the potential of green open spaces in Indonesia. The results of this study show that there are several constraints in governing green open spaces, including less awareness and understanding among stakeholders, limited funding and resources, inadequate urban planning, limited community involvement, limited law enforcement and monitoring, urbanization and land scarcity, and weak coordination among government agencies in their management bodies. Our findings point to opportunities in governing greenspace areas, by learning from successful projects, exploring global good practices; innovative financing and partnerships; integrating greenspace into urban planning for cohesive neighborhoods; engaging communities for long-term success and shared responsibility; raising awareness of the value of greenspace through educational campaigns; and utilizing technology for data-driven decision-making and community participation. These opportunities contribute to policy recommendations that can be used by the central government and local governments to improve green open space governance in Indonesia.

Policy coherence for resilience in Sri Lanka coherence of climate change adaptation (CCA) disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development goals (SDGs)

PurposePolicy coherence is a complex and tough task for many developing nations because their capacity to examine and deliver evidence-based inputs to policymaking is limited, and policy dialogue platforms need to be effectively used. Resolving these difficulties is a critical requirement for policy consistency. As a result, the study focuses on the level of policy coherence for climate change adaptation (CCA), disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development goals (SDG) in Sri Lanka and suggests routes for policy coherence for Resilience. This study aims to investigate the coherent approach of CCA, DRR and SDG; to identify concerns in policy documents addressing the coherence of CCA, DRR and SDG in local context; and to propose policy coherence suggestions for resilience in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachMethodology comprises a review and content analysis of 17 policy and legal documents in Sri Lanka and a qualitative study. The qualitative approach consists of semistructured interviews that obtained deep and broad expertise knowledge with ten government representatives and stakeholders. Both content analysis and interview data were analyzed by using NVivo.FindingsIt was discovered that there are several issues with the coherence of policies in Sri Lanka, including the fragmented approach, lack of integration, inadequate coordination, limited resources and lack of monitoring and evaluation. The policies are inspired by international frameworks, and local implementations are not focused, leading to inadequate implementation of policies. The lack of development cooperation for the use of innovative approaches, such as climate-resilient infrastructure and environmentally friendly solutions for CCA and DRR, further aggravates the situation. Another concern is the lack of land use management and responsibility for the development of physical infrastructure for DRR integration with CCA. It is found that there is a limited community involvement which is vital for the implementation of policies. Local implementations are encouraged to fill the gaps in existing policies/acts. The analytical framework of the study is based on a preliminary examination of policy documents, a review of the literature and discussions with practitioners. The framework reflects the current situation of policy integration which addresses strategic, conceptual, institutional, operational and financial coherence. The research suggests pathways for achieving policy coherence in CCA, DRR and SDG in Sri Lanka, such as enhancing the strategic coherence by improving goals to increase the coherence within CCA, DRR and SDG; improving the credibility of the unified approach for developing DRR and CCA risk assessments; intensifying institutional cooperation and stakeholder management; improving the common monitoring and evaluation; establishing implementation strategies; and increasing the community involvement.Research limitations/implicationsThe study on policy coherence in Sri Lanka recommends increasing community and professional involvement, conducting more research, developing a national strategy, increasing capacity building, strengthening international collaboration and fostering multisectoral collaboration. These recommendations can help improve policy coherence between CCA, DRR and SDGs, align policies with national goals and priorities and improve implementation effectiveness. By implementing these recommendations, Sri Lanka can address the challenges of climate change and natural disasters and achieve SDGs.Practical implicationsThe study on policy coherence for resilience in Sri Lanka has practical implications, including improved coordination and resource allocation, increased capacity building, improved reputation and sustainability. By integrating CCA, DRR and SDGs, this study can help Sri Lanka become more resilient to climate change and natural disasters, achieve SDGs and become a responsible actor in the international community. These implications can contribute to a more sustainable future and ensure that development goals are achieved in a way that is resilient to climate change and natural disasters.Social implicationsIncreased community participation: the study emphasizes the importance of community involvement in the policy development process. This can help build trust between communities and government agencies, improve transparency and ensure that policies are developed in a way that is responsive to local needs and priorities.Originality/valueBased on the identified existing loopholes in the policies and pathways to policy coherence, the issues in policymaking could be overcome. It could be used to establish strong linkages between policies based on CCA, DRR and SDGs to achieve long-term resilience.

(Un)Just transition in power generation: neoliberal reforms and climate crisis in Sudan

ABSTRACT Given the undisputable reality of climate change, this article explores Sudan's power generation and its approach to the current climate crisis, focusing on the perspective of a just energy transition. It highlights how the power sector's plans remain centralised, favouring urban consumerism, cost-driven energy sources, and inadequate social and environmental evaluations with limited community involvement. Furthermore, the absence of timely adaptation measures has left off-grid populations and those displaced by hydroelectric dams disproportionately vulnerable to worsening climate conditions, loss of traditional livelihoods, and conflicts over dwindling natural resources. This exacerbates instability and regional development disparities. The article advocates for a just energy transition in Sudan that not only reduces CO2 emissions but also minimises adverse impacts on local ecosystems and livelihoods. It suggests a blend of distributed and utility-scale renewable energy sources alongside existing hydro-thermal capacity. It also calls for prioritising power supply to off-grid communities through socially driven financing mechanisms, countering the neoliberal push for privatisation and full-cost recovery.

Road Development Planning Meeting in Banua Anyar Urban Village, East Banjarmasin Sub-District, Banjarmasin City

This study aims to analyze road development planning in Banua Anyar Village, East Banjarmasin Subdistrict, Banjarmasin City. It identifies constraints and obstacles during the planning meetings in Banua Anyar Subdistrict. The research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. Key informants are the Banua Anyar Village Head and the Head of the Economic and Development Section. Data collected through observation, structured interviews, and documentation. The results show that road construction planning in Banua Anyar Village does not fully comply with existing regulations. Issues include incomplete public information about musrenbang schedules, limited community involvement, and selective invitation to meetings. Facilitators' skills in guiding discussions were also rated poorly. Constraints involve inadequate facilities and places for road construction planning, and sub-optimal human resources from the sub-district and other agencies. This hinders the optimal implementation of Musrenbang according to statutory regulations. To improve, address these shortcomings, and enhance facilitators' skills. Additionally, allocate better resources and infrastructure to ensure effective road development planning in Banua Anyar Village, Banjarmasin City

Perceptions towards ecotourism practice and the willingness to pay: Evidence from Chilika coastal wetland ecosystem, Odisha

Empirical studies show that biodiversity conservation, ecotourism development, livelihoods of local people and ethnicity in protected areas significantly impact society's well-being. However, achieving the aforementioned goals is extremely difficult without strong support, commitment from host communities, and effective coordination among ecotourism stakeholders. This study sought to explore the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding the impacts and importance of ecotourism and their willingness to pay for ecotourism development and biodiversity conservation at Chilika Lake, Odisha. We conducted semi-structured interview of 250 respondents in different areas adjacent to Chilika Lake such as Balugaon, Barakul, Pathara and Khalikot. To grasp the above objectives, we used the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the Double Hurdle Model to identify the determinants of willingness to accept (WTA) and willingness to pay (WTP). Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyse the perception of ecotourism impacts. The study found that local people in the study region perceived both positive and negative impacts of ecotourism. There was sufficient evidence of conflicts of interest in resource use, limited community involvement in ecotourism planning and decision-making, and low economic benefits. However, the study also found that instead of a range of negative impacts, a variety of stakeholders expressed a willingness to develop ecotourism with the prospect of improving their various needs. The results of the empirical double hurdle model showed that the variables of education, total income, importance of the lake, level of awareness, and occupation significantly impacted the willingness to accept the offered payment. On the other hand, age, marital status, education, total income, importance of the lake, and level of awareness have a significant influence on the willingness of different stakeholders to pay the offered amount. A detailed understanding of ecotourism, consideration of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and the development of ecotourism products and services enables various stakeholders to adjust their behaviour towards sustainability, and can contribute to an effective information and planning process which may lead to greater promotion of ecotourism.

Implications of Planning and Management for the Development of Sustainable Cultural Heritage Tourism in Malaysia

This study investigates the development of cultural heritage tourism in Malaysia and its sustainability. It highlights the importance of meeting local community needs, satisfying tourist demands, and safeguarding natural and cultural resources for sustainable tourism development. The study employs questionnaires, surveys, and interviews to explore management issues and government involvement. Findings reveal shortcomings in definitions, management issues, and limited community involvement. The study calls for improved tourist services, promotion of diverse cultural elements, and proposes a Sustainable Cultural Heritage Tourism Framework. It contributes new knowledge and can guide future policy actions.

Community-Based Conservation and Ecological Integrity: An Assessment of Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Areas in Uganda

Community-based conservation in four national parks and four wildlife reserves in Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Areas, Uganda is explored. This study investigated how community-based conservation protects ecological integrity through evaluation of the extent to which communities participate in conservation, its usefulness, and the challenges they face, using a survey. Data was collected May 2018 to April 2019 using literature review, focused group discussions, Key Informant Interviews, and semi-structured questionnaires from 259 respondents selected from the local authorities and households adjacent Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Areas. This study analysed data using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance, Pearson Chi square test, and Univariate Analysis of Variance; and presented the results in tables and figures. The study established that local communities participate in conservation education and awareness, benefit sharing, and boundary management programmes which contribute to biodiversity conservation and ecological integrity. Recognition of indigenous people’s property; knowledge of Key Park attributes; and participation of local authorities and private sector improves people-park relations, and creates acceptance of wildlife. Community-based conservation results into increased community knowledge and collaboration, community-based tourism, private sector involvement; growth in eco-lodges and campsites, and collaboration between local communities and park management. Local community participation creates trust, belonging, acceptance, and reduces pressure on the park resources. The study concludes that Community-based Conservation is integral to conservation of biodiversity and protection of ecological integrity. However, it’s challenged by poor governance, limited community involvement in conservation-related decision making, community involvement in illegal activities, and unrealistic community expectations. The wildlife agency should provide incentives to meet community needs, strengthen the benefit sharing scheme, formulate community conservation related policies, and also create and strengthen community conservation institutions to participate in conserving biodiversity and ecological integrity. Future research should explore local community perceptions and attitudes towards wildlife conservation. Keywords: biodiversity conservation, local community participation, wildlife protected areas DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-4-02 Publication date: April 30 th 2022

The Provision of Low-Cost Houses in South Africa: The Case of Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town

The aim of this article is to assess challenges experienced by the beneficiaries of low-cost houses in the housing provision in Khayelitsha Township in Cape Town. Democracy that was conceived in 1994 in South Africa brought about changes in all the spheres of government regarding the provision of affordable basic services. A mixed method approach was employed in order to collect data using both qualitative and quantitative instruments. A sample of 30 participants was interviewed and 125 questionnaires were distributed with 85 returned back from the residents of khayelitsha in Site C, Cape Town. This study revealed that there was limited community involvement in the housing trends in Khayelitsha settlements. Also, the housing back-log with steady progress, lack of knowledge and understanding of housing policies and projects, poor infrastructure and land provided for these houses and poor quality of houses built and exposure to risks. The study argues that participatory development can be an ideal approach to drive housing projects, especially when communities are involved in all stages of housing development. The study recommends that the national and provincial government must adopt a participatory development approach towards the implementation of housing developments in order to accommodate the community’s views and make them to benefit in the process when they raise their voices.

Corporate social responsibility in public health provision: Community members’ assessment

Mining companies often deliver various health interventions for respective mining enclaves yet, majority of these services often apply a top-down approach with limited community involvement. Thus,...

Understanding Water Systems Resilience Problems in Tanzania

The world’s biggest devastation is currently due to disasters; their consequences range from deaths and physical damages of infrastructures to environmental, ecological and economic losses. Water systems are critical infrastructures and are recurrently affected by the impacts of disasters. In Tanzania, these events play a part in infrastructures failures; the country has experienced 266 different disasters contributing to 13,288 deaths, 57,556 injuries, and damages valued at 465.79 million USD for the period from 1900 to 2016. Water systems, in particular, are a subject of exposure to disasters, their resilience has been tested and has shown different responses. Of concern is the El Nino episodes of 1992-1993 and 1997-1998 which had significant impacts nationwide regarding economic losses, power blackout and rationing, widespread water-related diseases, infrastructure destructions and others. As such, different studies have investigated water-related issues, but little is known about their resilience to disasters. This paper uses literature to examine the problems and improvement measures of water systems resilience at a global scale and the case of Tanzania. The findings show that aging infrastructures, systems interdependency, unbalanced investment, limited community involvement, rapid population growth and urbanization, regular changes of the water ministry and others affect the resilience of water systems. On the other hand, acceleration of assets replacement, preparedness, installation of alternative power supply, community involvement, policies and plans enforcement, and balanced investment and others would improve their resilience. However, further studies are required to measure the resilience across all dimensions systematically.

HIV prevention among transgender women in Latin America: implementation, gaps and challenges.

IntroductionTransgender women are the population most vulnerable to HIV in Latin America, with prevalence between 18 and 38%. Although the region has improved antiretroviral coverage, there is an urgent need to strengthen HIV prevention for key populations to meet regional targets set by governments. We conducted an assessment on the state of HIV prevention among transgender women in Latin America.MethodsWe conducted a desk review of Global AIDS Response Progress Reports, national strategic plans, technical reports and peer-reviewed articles from 17 Latin American countries published through January 2015. The review was preceded by 12 semi-structured interviews with UNAIDS and Pan American Health Organization officers and a discussion group with transgender women regional leaders, to guide the identification of documents. We assessed access to, implementation and coverage of programmes; legal frameworks; community participation; inclusion of new strategies; and alignment with international recommendations.Results and discussionOverall, prevention activities in the region focus on condom distribution, diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections and peer education, mostly delivered at health facilities, with limited community involvement. Argentina and Uruguay have implemented structural interventions to address social inclusion. Argentina, Brazil and Mexico have adopted early initiation of antiretroviral therapy and treatment as prevention strategies. The other countries do not have substantial tailored interventions and consider the trans population a sub-population of men who have sex with men in data collection and programme implementation. Limited coverage of services, discrimination and a deep-seated mistrust of the health system among transgender women are the main barriers to accessing HIV prevention services. Promising interventions include health services adapted to transgender women in Mexico; LGBT-friendly clinics in Argentina that incorporate community and health workers in mixed teams; task-shifting to community-based organizations; mobile HIV testing; and gender identity laws.ConclusionsTransgender women in Latin America continue to have limited access to HIV prevention services, which presents a bottleneck for reaching prevention goals and incorporating new prevention interventions. Prevention programmes should be rights-based; offer tailored, holistic interventions; and involve transgender women in their design and implementation.

Customary Tenure and Innovative Measures of Safeguarding Land Rights in Africa: The Community Land Initiative (Iniciativa de Terras Comunittrias) in Mozambique

This research is conducted to contribute to the currently ongoing policy debate on the benefits of collective vis-A -vis individual land tenure rights. The paper attempts to explore the Mozambican community land delimitation (CLD) program based on a community-level survey conducted in mid-September 2014. The survey revealed that land conflict is the main reason to initiate a CLD process, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are major players in initiating and helping the CLD process. Two-thirds of the CLD communities have completed all the necessary phases of the CLD process and received community land use certificates (Direito do Uso e Apreveitamento da Terra (DUAT). The major reason for not completing CLD processes is the withdrawal of the NGOs helping the process. More than 90 percent of the CLD communities mentioned improvement in land-related disputes both with other communities and within communities after the CLD process. Generally, not many significant differences are observed between the CLD and non-CLD communities. Land-related disputes are identified as the first most common dispute in 50 percent of the communities surveyed, with a difference between CLD (63 percent) and non-CLD (31 percent) communities. Similarly, land disputes are not only the first most common but also the first most difficult disputes in the surveyed communities. Among the surveyed communities were large-scale land acquisitions by domestic (35 percent) and foreign (10 percent) investors, with limited community involvement. The study found that CLD seems to have a strong demand from the non-CLD communities, as more than 50 percent of the non-CLD communities have a household-level willingness to pay for CLD process either in cash or in kind.

Patterns of Shelter Use Amongst Men New to Homelessness in Later Life: Will They Stay or Will They Go?

Purpose: People who become homeless for the first time in late life represent a growing but understudied population. This study uses administrative shelter data to identify patterns of shelter use including length of stay and risk of shelter departure amongst men new to homelessness in old age.Design and Methods: Administrative data collected by a men’s shelter in Canada (N=1,214 first time homeless) was analyzed using bivariate and survival analyses to explore associations between age (over fifty and under fifty), bio-psychosocial issues (measured by the Arizona Self-Sufficiency Matrix) and risk of shelter departure.Results: On average, shelter users who are older than 50 years of age stay in the shelter two weeks longer than younger clients. Survival analysis further indicated that age remained a significant factor associated with shelter departure when other bio-psychosocial factors were considered. Further, older men with pending legal issues, mobility concerns and limited community involvement were more likely to leave the shelter than those without such concerns. Conversely, older men with mental health issues were significantly more likely to stay in the shelter.Implications: Findings shed new light on the patterns of shelter use amongst older men new to homelessness in later life and provide important insights for addressing bio-psychosocial issues associated with homelessness both within and beyond the shelter system.

Business–NGO Collaboration in a Conflict Setting

Although business–NGO (nongovernmental organizations) partnerships have received much attention in recent years, insights have been obtained only from research in “stable” contexts, not from conflict-ridden countries where such collaboration may be even more crucial in building trust and capacity and in addressing governance problems given the absence of a reliable state. This article aims to shed light on business–NGO collaboration in a conflict setting, exploring partnership activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Most partnerships found are philanthropic and deal with “traditional” issues such as health and education in a donor-recipient mode with limited community involvement. There are only a few real transformative partnerships, which address aspects directly related to the conflict from a wider community focus; these involve extractive companies most exposed via mineral development/production. The study also found so-called engagement collaboration that can be divided into activities including the transfer of funds (and characterized by service delivery), and those without funds, focusing on knowledge exchange that furthers companies’ awareness of conflict-sensitive issues into their operations. Peculiarities of the different types of partnerships as well as implications for research and practice are discussed.

Barriers and triggers to community participation across different stages of conservation management

SUMMARYLocal community involvement in natural resource management can be critical to conservation success. Community participation in conservation efforts varies widely, reflecting a continuum from protectionist conservation mechanisms to programmes driven by local communities. Conservation is not one event, but an iterative process with many steps (planning, implementation, monitoring) each with an opportunity for different levels of participation. Barriers and triggers to more community involvement in management of the Cordillera Azul National Park (Peru) were examined. Eleven conservation officials and 73 community members provided information on levels of participation achieved at three management stages: Park establishment, management plan development, and management implementation. Park establishment was not a participatory process, owing to the expediency of the conservation agenda and a narrow window of political opportunity. Community involvement increased during the management plan development and its implementation, with communities eager to participate and a public-private partnership introducing new participatory management tools. However, a perceived lack of capacity in terms of community skills, funding availability, time and sufficient conservation personnel, and the definitions of participation used by different stakeholders, limited community involvement in decision-making processes. If conservation is to achieve more effective community involvement, long-term adaptive co-management approaches are needed that clearly define local participation, build capacity of all stakeholders and monitor levels of participation across all stages of project management.