Local Development Initiatives Research Articles

On the Rise of Bansada Agri-Eco Adventure Park in Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat: Voices of the Tboli Tribe

This descriptive-qualitative study delves into the multifaceted perceptions of the Tboli indigenous community regarding the establishment of the Bansada Agri-Eco Adventure Park in Titulok, Bangumbayan, Sultan Kudarat. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the research elucidates the diverse viewpoints encapsulating cultural significance, land contribution, economic prospects, environmental concerns, and community interactions. Ten purposively selected participants voiced a profound pride in showcasing their cultural heritage at the park, seeing it as a platform to preserve traditions and educate visitors about their ancestral practices. Their contributions to ancestral land were deeply intertwined with a sense of responsibility and cultural legacy. Economic empowerment emerged prominently, reflecting transformative shifts in livelihoods and economic prospects for the community, while environmental concerns underscored the delicate balance between development and conservation. Moreover, community interactions highlighted the pivotal role of the Tboli's engagement in decision-making processes, cultural integration within park initiatives, and their emphasis on sustainable development practices. Despite these insights, limitations in sample size, long-term impact assessment, and contextual generalizability were identified. This study offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between indigenous perceptions and local development initiatives, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable approaches in such endeavors.

Climate futures and development pathways: A journey from terrorism to tourism in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan

Achieving equitable development that supports climate mitigation in an uncertain future remains a daunting task, particularly for post-conflict societies. In this paper, we present results from a local stakeholder participatory scenario workshop investigating emerging priorities for anticipatory action, with respect to future climate impacts, in the vulnerable conflict-affected Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. Importantly, our findings reveal that stakeholders were less focused on addressing climate impacts, and more interested in local development initiatives to enhance tourism offerings and the regional national park network. The novelty of our work lies in the use of participatory scenarios to both initiate a process of healing and provide a forum for the co-production of future narratives focused on sustainable and inclusive development. However, this first involves mending the social fabric that ties individuals and communities together in an inclusive and informed way. As such, our work adds to the scholarship of environmental peacebuilding, creating a local context-specific knowledge base using a bottom-up approach to understand a shared future. The case study presented here highlights the perspectives of policymakers from the global south and brings local stakeholders together in a space where top-down management approaches often dominate.

Women and Rural Development in the Context of Decentralisation in Tubah Council, North West Region of Cameroon

Purpose: Before 1990s, the decentralisation process in Cameroon has gone through several stages. This process really materialised with the revision of the Cameroon Constitution in 1996. Owing to that, several laws concerning this process were promulgated. Decentralisation should eventually make all decentralised territorial authorities autonomous. This government policy, which is part of the bottom-up approach, has the responsibility to promote the participation of the population. Thus, one is entitled to ask how decentralisation in Cameroon can impact women’s participation in rural development in the Tubah council?
 Materials and Methods: To answer this question, primary and secondary data were mobilised and processed according to appropriate methods for the variables studied. Primary data were collected from observation, interviews of key informants and administration of questionnaires addressed to a sample of 145 people in the council area. Secondary data were obtained from internet sources, textbooks as well as documentations and libraries. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptives and inferentials statistics meanwhile content analysis was used for qualitative data analysis.
 Findings: The results show that even if the decentralisation process does not pay particular attention to women, it contributes to the creation of a favourable framework for local development initiatives. Thus, 79% of the women in the Tubah area act individually, compared with 21% who take part in group actions. Their actions varied, with 40% in the field of agriculture and 30% to drinking water supply projects. Identified as one of the pillars of development in rural areas, the intervention of women, if well supervised and structured, it can boost development in a sustainable and effective way.
 Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that councils within the process of decentralisation should encourage women participation in rural development by ensuring their high representativeness. It also goes in line with the theory of decentralisation, which states that in order to promote local and participatory development, the transfer of power to local authorities must be effective. The study emphasises on the fact that, the transfer should not only be at the level of power and finances, but it should also include the social categories, must especially women, who are one of the main actors of rural development in Cameroon.

Brazilian Forest-Based Sector Perceptions and Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Developing Strategies Using the Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) Approach

The Brazilian forest-based sector (FBS) has a complex and important role in leading local and global bioeconomy and sustainable development initiatives. Among these tasks is the improvement and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, key actors in the FBS still have different perspectives regarding their contributions to the implementation and achievement of the SDGs, and this shortage of understanding and complex problem structure may result in misleading strategic planning, which must be improved to increase and strengthen their participation. This study proposes a participatory assessment to comprehend the perceptions of the Brazilian forest-based sector’s key actors and their contributions to achieving the SDGs by using a problem structuring method (PSM). Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA), a method from PSM and soft operational research, was used to support the strategic decisions and assist in formulating the strategies. Following the SODA approach, this study interviewed 13 key actors from different forest sector institutions in Brazil and listed strategies to improve their contributions to the SDGs. As a result, 29 main goals and 68 strategic options were mapped. The goals reflect the key actor’s understanding of the main contributions of the Brazilian FBS to the SDGs, and the strategic options represent the main strategies that can be implemented to strengthen the participation and positioning of these institutions in Agenda 2030.

Research on the Path of Integrated Development of Culture and Tourism in Jinzhai, Anhui Province based on the Red Background

In order to deeply implement the important content of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China's instructions on promoting the red spirit and continuing the red bloodline, and to experience the glorious process of establishing the red political power. We conducted on-site research in Jinzhai, Anhui to explore the current situation of local red culture and tourism empowering rural revitalization and promoting economic development, gathering the power of youth and making their voices heard. The aim of this study is to explore the current situation and breakthrough directions of red culture in promoting the development of Jinzhai area. This article takes Jinzhai County homestays as an example to analyze the development of local enterprises, and uses symbiosis theory and other methods to analyze the current situation of deep integration of red culture and tourism. It points out the problems discovered in the practice process and proposes targeted suggestions based on multiple factors to seek the revitalization of Jinzhai rural areas with a vibrant red culture.

Participatory knowledge co-production to activate culture in the development of small cities and rural areas in Portugal

PurposeCulture is increasingly recognized as a key component of local development, but this attention is largely focused on large cities. This paper aims to focus on the ways in which the innovative, participatory action-research (PAR) methods of IdeaLabs and community intervention workshops are used by two projects with solidarity economy enterprise (SEE) participants to activate place-based cultural resources for local development in small communities.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth reflexive analysis undertaken by researchers involved in the two projects, taking a feminist ethics of care perspective, demonstrates the ways in which these two PAR methods promote local development with the goal of fighting against the economic, social and cultural degradation of small cities and rural areas.FindingsThe PAR methods used by the two projects examined stimulate place-based local development initiatives through collaboration and knowledge co-production among participants and researchers. The projects go beyond an instrumental view of the use of culture and the arts for local development to innovate and demonstrate new methodologies for more participatory approaches.Originality/valueThis paper addresses a gap in social economy literature, presenting methods that can be used in PAR projects to catalyse the use of culture as a local development tool by local SEEs.

Development and Effect Verification of Beef Cattle Carcass Grading Camera Equipment System

This paper first discusses the development status of beef cattle carcass grading and photographic equipment at home and abroad, then carries out the equipment design and model establishment, and finally conducts sensory carcass assessment and grading and environmental simulation detection experiments through experiments, and uses the colorimeter and beef carcass intelligent grading system to detect the color difference L*, a*, b* values of meat samples in different environments, color space RGB and HSV color parameters, compare the influence of different environments on meat color parameters and grading results, and verify the feasibility of beef carcass grading photography equipment. The results show that the overall values of the equipment group are at a stable level and in line with the sensory evaluation, so the beef carcass grading camera equipment can effectively avoid the influence of external objective factors, such as: light and dark, poor light source, limiter and framing distance. At the same time, it reduces the interference of operators in the classification process and other problems such as the subjective negligence of the operator on the classification results. The project design equipment structure is simple and reliable, automation equipment is easy to operate and low cost, the new beef cattle carcass grading photographic equipment, suitable for promotion and mass production into the market, can improve labor production efficiency, promote the development of local enterprises’ meat industry, increase enterprise income, reduce the production cost of enterprises, to promote the standardization and unification of beef cattle industry grading system.

Functionality of Farmers’ Stores and Local Economic Development Initiatives in Oyam District: A Case of Aber Sub-County

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between the functionality of farmers’ stores and LED initiatives. Specifically, the study determined the effect of farmers’ stores functionality on resource mobilisation; assessed the contribution of farmers’ stores functionality on resource management; and assessed the effect of farmers’ stores functionality on resource utilisation.
 Methodology: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design, which employed a mixed methods approach of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study population consisted of 322 respondents, which involved both political leaders and civil servants of Aber Sub County in addition to members of the farmers’ groups. Both the Simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique were used to select a sample of 177 participants. The researcher adopted Self-Administered Questionnaires to collect quantitative data and an interview guide to collect qualitative data. Both descriptive statistics (mean, and standard deviation), and inferential statistics (correlation and regression) were used to analyse numerical data. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data.
 Findings: The findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between functionality of farmers’ stores and LED initiatives. The functionality of farmers’ stores yielded a significant effect on resource mobilisation, resource management and resource utilisation. It was concluded that the functionality of farmers’ stores significantly affects LED initiatives in Aber Sub County, Oyam district.
 Unique Contributions to Theory, Policy and Practice: It is recommended that the production and agricultural department of Oyam district local government strengthens the capacity of farmer groups by training them on activities such as value addition and financial management so that they can be in position to mobilise more financial resources. This study contributes an original and empirical-evidence of the functionality of farmers’ stores towards LED initiatives in Uganda.

Functionality of Farmers’ Stores and Local Economic Development Initiatives in Oyam District: A Case of Aber Sub-County

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between the functionality of farmers’ stores and LED initiatives. Specifically, the study determined the effect of farmers’ stores functionality on resource mobilisation; assessed the contribution of farmers’ stores functionality on resource management; and assessed the effect of farmers’ stores functionality on resource utilisation.
 Methodology: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design, which employed a mixed methods approach of both quantitative and qualitative methods. The study population consisted of 322 respondents, which involved both political leaders and civil servants of Aber Sub County in addition to members of the farmers’ groups. Both the Simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique were used to select a sample of 177 participants. The researcher adopted Self-Administered Questionnaires to collect quantitative data and an interview guide to collect qualitative data. Both descriptive statistics (mean, and standard deviation), and inferential statistics (correlation and regression) were used to analyse numerical data. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data.
 Findings: The findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between functionality of farmers’ stores and LED initiatives. The functionality of farmers’ stores yielded a significant effect on resource mobilisation, resource management and resource utilisation. It was concluded that the functionality of farmers’ stores significantly affects LED initiatives in Aber Sub County, Oyam district.
 Unique Contributions to Theory, Policy and Practice: It is recommended that the production and agricultural department of Oyam district local government strengthens the capacity of farmer groups by training them on activities such as value addition and financial management so that they can be in position to mobilise more financial resources. This study contributes an original and empirical-evidence of the functionality of farmers’ stores towards LED initiatives in Uganda.

Exploring the impacts of local development initiatives on tourism: A case study analysis

This study investigates the intricate relationship between local development initiatives and tourism, with a specific focus on their impacts. By utilizing input-output matrices and a survey-based vector of tourist expenditure, we calculate both direct and indirect effects using accounting multipliers. The study assesses the potential return on investment and the generation of future income resulting from a 2.3 million euros investment. Our findings illuminate the predominantly positive impacts of local development initiatives on tourism. We underscore the importance of strategic planning, community engagement, and sustainable practices in optimizing the benefits and addressing potential challenges associated with local development for tourism. While this research primarily emphasizes the positive aspects, it recognizes the need for a nuanced understanding of the multifaceted impacts. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the intricate relationship between local development and tourism. The study's practical insights and recommendations are valuable for policymakers, local communities, and tourism stakeholders, guiding them toward adopting sustainable and inclusive development strategies that maximize the positive impacts of tourism.

The hare and the tortoise: A comparative study of Vietnam's and Kenya's pathways to local enterprise development through foreign direct investment

ABSTRACT Almost simultaneously, two developing countries – Kenya and Vietnam – set out to promote industrial development through FDI. Vietnam embarked on a targeted strategy aimed at selecting FDI that could specifically aid the country’s strategic export sectors through linkages to local industry. In contrast, Kenya embarked on a cross-the-board FDI attraction policy with no specific sector orientation and with few specific linkage policies. This paper asks how FDI has contributed to local industry development in the two countries. Based on an analysis of firm level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey, the paper compares the two countries’ ability to generate spillovers from FDI spillovers and discusses what explains differences and similarities. The paper finds that in spite of the obvious differences between the two countries in terms of local industrial development and policy, firm and industry factors appeared to be better predictors of variations in spillovers than country level factors. Among the policy implications drawn are that developing countries should focus their FDI policies on firms and industries that have high linkage and hence spillover potential rather than adopting cross-the-board policies.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES IN SERBIA’S RURAL COMMUNITIES AS PREREQUISITE FOR THE LEADER IMPLEMENTATION: AGRICULTURAL ADVISORS’ PERCEPTIONS

The Leader approach, as a national measure of rural development is still in the initial development phase in the Republic of Serbia. In the coming period, more intense support for the implementation of this measure is expected, from the national/regional/local budget and through the IPARD III 2021-2027 pre-accession support program. How effectively the available support funds will be used largely will depend on local stakeholders in rural communities, primarily citizens and civil society representatives, and the capacity of their development initiatives. Based on the perceptions of 118 agricultural advisors involved in the study and using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson’s coefficient, the authors found a moderately capacity of local development initiatives in rural communities in the Republic of Serbia that does not differ by the regions, as well as the moderate positive correlation between the quality of life and capacity of local development initiatives.

Peran Kepemimpinan Kepala Desa Terhadap Pembangunan di Desa Ciangsana Kecamatan Gunung Putri Kabupaten Bogor

The village head's leadership in the community cannot be separated from the success of village development, this is also the responsibility of the local government, namely the task of development. The success of village development depends on the support of the entire community, and is greatly influenced by the role of the parties who are coordinators of development implementation. In order to use their role effectively and really contribute to the development process in this situation, governments must be able to form several governmental units. This study aims to determine the role of village heads in infrastructure development in Ciangsana Village, Gunung Putri District, Bogor Regency. This research methodology is descriptive qualitative. The findings of the idea study support that village leaders are essential for community development. Other responsibilities of village heads include inspiring, facilitating, and generating new ideas for local development initiatives. Evidently, village heads actively participate in building village infrastructure for the benefit of their environment. Keywords : The Role of the Village Head, Development, Community Participation

Analysis of the contribution of the Youth Livelihood Program towards enhancing Self-Reliance among the Youths in Lira City, Uganda

Purpose: This study investigated the contribution of the YLP towards enhancing self-reliance among the youths in the west division of Lira City. Methodology/approach: The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A closed-ended structured questionnaire with a five Likert scale was used to collect data from a sample of 249 respondents based on the program theory postulated by Reynolds (1998); it entails the logic behind how programs are built, with particular emphasis on the program process. Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics aided by SPSS (version 20). Results: The findings suggested that the YLP program enhanced self-reliance among the youths by 11.1%. The youths in Lira City West Division moderately benefited from livelihood support (3.10, SD = 1.08) and institutional support (Mean = 2.71, SD = 1.241). A robust regression analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between the YLP program and self-reliance (R2 = 0.111). Livelihood support (Coef = 0.159, p-value 0.0025) was found to be positively and significantly correlated with self-reliance. However, the statistical analysis revealed that institutional support had a negative relationship with self-reliance (p-value > 0.05, 95% CI). Limitations: During the study, it was difficult to find some respondents since they were scattered looking for activities to earn a living therefore extra efforts were ensured such as using research assistants in order to find the respondents. Inadequate funds to facilitate the study like transport to the field, and printing questionnaires were also a problem. The researcher got a loan from friends and the bank to cover the gap. Contributions: This study contributes to the understanding of local community development initiatives using the empowerment approach.

РОЛЬ І ЗНАЧЕННЯ ІНСТИТУТУ СТАРОСТИ В СИСТЕМІ МІСЦЕВОГО САМОВРЯДУВАННЯ В УКРАЇНІ

The article is devoted to an important and topical topic – the study of the role and significance of the institution of the eldership in the system of local self-government bodies. The article emphasizes the fact that local representative democracy contributes to the development of public self-government. Citizens can actively participate in decision-making, make proposals and initiate projects that affect their environment. This contributes to the strengthening of public organizations, the development of local initiatives and the involvement of various social groups in local governance processes. The Institute of Elders promotes stability and social harmony at the local level. The headman plays the role of a mediator and contributes to the resolution of conflict situations, intergroup and interpersonal problems in the community. They contribute to the maintenance of social interaction, the settlement of conflicts, and contribute to the strengthening of trust between citizens. The Institute of Elders, as an institution of local self-government, exists in many countries of the world. Although the name and functions may vary from country to country, the general idea is that the headman is an elected official who represents and acts in the interests of his local community. The mayor promotes the mobilization and unification of the community around common goals and projects. They involve residents to participate in community development, organization of events and cooperation with other organizations and institutions. The Starost Institute, like any institute, has its positive and negative features. It is important to balance the positive and negative aspects of the institution of elders to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with the needs of the community. It has been established that the role and significance of the elder for the local community in Ukraine is important and multifaceted. The role and significance of the elder for the local community in Ukraine is important and multifaceted. Here are some aspects of their role: Representation of the community: The mayor acts as a representative of the community before local self-government bodies, state bodies and other structures. They express the interests, opinions and needs of the community and help solve their problems. Mobilization and cooperation: The mayor promote the mobilization and unification of the community around common goals and projects. They involve residents to participate in community development, organization of events and cooperation with other organizations and institutions. Development of initiatives and self-sufficiency: The mayor promotes the development of citizens’ initiatives, the search for resources and opportunities for the development of the community. They contribute to the creation of conditions for community self-sufficiency and active participation of citizens in decision-making. Maintaining order and resolving conflicts: The mayor is responsible for maintaining public order, resolving conflicts, and promoting harmonious relations in the community. They can help resolve disputes and promote dialogue between citizens. Implementation of projects and programs: The mayor helps to implement projects and programs aimed at the development and improvement of community life. They coordinate the work of the involved resources, monitor the performance. Key words: local representative democracy, local self-government bodies, headman, community representation, corruption.

Investigation of land cover (LC)/land use (LU) change affecting forest and seminatural ecosystems in Istanbul (Turkey) metropolitan area between 1990 and 2018

This study was conducted to examine the land cover (LC)/land use (LU) change affecting forest and seminatural ecosystems and the spatio-temporal development of urban expansion between 1990 and 2018 in the city of Istanbul, where urbanization is the most intense in Turkey. For this purpose, using Corine Land Cover (1990, 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018) dataset, the land cover of the area was determined in 5 different classes (artificial surface, agriculture, forest, water bodies, water), maps were produced, and tabular data were created. The changes in LC/LU between 1990 and 2018 were determined according to the Puyravaud land cover change rate and hot spot analysis methods. According to our findings, we determined that urbanization in Istanbul expanded the most in the east-west direction, and the agricultural and forest areas gradually decreased by 3.02% and 6.66% respectively; urban areas increased at the same rate of 9.69%. It is predicted that this change will continue increasing until 2030 when the forecasting method is applied in the field. It has been determined that the most important reasons for this situation are local government policies, population growth, and economic development initiatives applied in the area. As a result, it has emerged that measures should be taken based on sustainability and naturalness approaches to design urban development plans and to protect natural areas on a large scale, in order to limit possible LC/LU conversion from natural structure to urbanization in the area.

Facilitating migrant youths’ inclusion into Swedish sport clubs in underserved areas

ABSTRACT The Swedish sports movement has gained an increasingly profound role in addressing social issues. One such issue is migrant youths’ social inclusion in underserved areas, and the underlying assumption is that sports clubs fulfill an important function here. However, retaining migrant youths in organized sports in these areas is difficult, and sports clubs often struggle with the resources to satisfy social policies. This paper explored the practices of 12 experienced Swedish sports clubs to illuminate the strategies deployed to recruit and retain migrant youths in underserved areas. Sports clubs were conceptualized as local development-initiatives according to Rothman’s community work classification, and the results were analysed with Bronfenbrenner’s Person-Process-Context-Time framework. The results show that sports clubs are run by compassionate and locally embedded individuals, but that the representatives’ different forms of capital and sensitivity differentiate their success. Three processes are stressed as essential. Clubs need to establish robust relationships with migrant youths’ parents. Secondly, since clubs are contingent on driven, but strained, individuals, it is imperative to recruit and utilize (migrant) youth trainers. Finally, sports clubs must work in tandem with important institutions, such as the school. In summary, sports clubs must adopt creative strategies, and have resilience, time, and support. These findings indicate that enabling migrant youths’ inclusion into sports requires holistic solutions.

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RURAL WOMEN IN A DEVELOPMENT PARADIGM: A PERSPECTIVE OF VULINDLELA IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, many rural households are female-headed even though women are the most disadvantaged and the poorest part of the population. Their economic empowerment is thus critical to implementing the ideals of South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) This paper reports on a quantitative study focused on local economic development opportunities for rural women as a strategic intervention for creating income-generating activities and sustainable livelihoods for women. It happened in Vulindlela, a rural district within the Msunduzi Municipality in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Severe poverty, lack of basic infrastructure, and a high level of unemployment can characterize Vulindlela, like any other rural area in South Africa. This study mainly aimed to establish the perceptions of the women of Vulindlela concerning accessing local economic development opportunities. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The research sampling used non-probability and purposive sampling techniques. The study results revealed that females encounter numerous challenges in accessing local economic opportunities. Furthermore, the study results showed that women do not have the same possibilities as men due to gender biases in the employment sector and cultural constraints that continue to plague rural societies. Finally, driven by a broad scope of stakeholder interest, this article recommends implementing a gender-responsive budget and investment in infrastructure, skills development and training, and a meaningful execution of gender-sensitive programs such as affording women an equal opportunity to participate in local economic development initiatives.

Assessing the Quality of Local Government Training on Small Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in the Implementation of Local Economic Development initiatives (LED) in Ghana

Emerging economies are increasingly pressurised to implement local economic development (LED) initiatives as an intervention strategy for sustainability. Prior studies have underscored the significant achievement of first-world countries after embracing LED initiatives such as rapid job creation, poverty reduction, and money generation. This study presents and analyses the quality of MMDAs training on SMEs in implementing local economic development (LED) initiatives in Ghana’s Ga West and Kpando Municipalities. This study adopted a case study research design using a quantitative approach to assess the quality of local government training programmes for SMEs implementing LED in the Ga West and the Kpando Municipalities. Three hundred and thirty-one (331) SMEs were used for the study. The study found that most SMEs have knowledge of business-related training programmes available at the Municipalities and have also benefited from these training programmes. The available training programmes included capacity building, Record/Bookkeeping, Safety/Health and Environmental management training, among others. However, some of these training programmes did not meet the SMEs’ training needs, while others did not know this. Finally, the paper provided recommendations to improve how training policies.

Assessing the Quality of Local Government Training on Small Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in the Implementation of Local Economic Development initiatives (LED) in Ghana

Assessing the Quality of Local Government Training on Small Medium Enterprises(SMEs) in the Implementation of Local Economic Development initiatives (LED) in Ghana