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Reflection on Community Participation in Development

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Community participation in development is something that I am personally amazed with.

It is a concept that makes me to reminisce about my childhood days. I remember how my older

relatives and other people from the neighborhood I grew up in used to come together and

contribute in community development projects. I think that community participation holds the

key in changing the lives of many people especially in third world countries. It would be a

delight to see governments of these countries using their resources to facilitate and educate their

citizens on the importance of community development.

I find the journal ‘Community participation in development: nine plagues and twelve

commandments’ to be quite intriguing and educative. The authors, Lucius Botes and Dingie van

Rensburg did a commendable job in putting their ideas across in a way that is easy to understand.

Their use of common biblical terminologies struck me as a hint of their genius. It made my

reading of the journal more interesting. I think the use of the nine plagues to highlight the

stumbling blocks to community participation emphasizes their seriousness. It was also soothing

to realize that not only were the challenges highlighted but solutions were also offered; in twelve

guidelines that the authors cleverly label ‘the twelve commandments.’

I find a lot of truth in the assertion of the authors regarding the impact of outsiders in

development projects. I think the fact that majority of the development projects are conducted by

outsiders is a clear obstacle to community development projects. The authors gave a good reason

for their assertion. When outside professionals are given the mandate to spearhead development

projects, they tend to monopolize the decision making process1. In the few cases where they

1. Lucius Botes and Dingie Rensburg, Community Participation in Development, (Oxford

University Press, 2000), 42.
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accept to include the community members in the decision making process they are usually not

genuine and it’s just for show. I feel like the authors clearly highlighted this challenge.

I find the assessment that governments are part of the problem to hold water. The

argument that the authors put to support their claims is quite convincing in my opinion. Most

governments have ulterior motives when the engage if community development projects.

Personally I have heard many cases in third world countries where community development

projects are launched but after a while there is nothing to show for it. Leaders just use the

opportunity to popularize themselves then after the cameras have been switched off they

abandon the project.

The third obstacle that faces community development projects as stated in the journal is

overstating of the development success. I think that overstating the impact of the projects has

some downside. I agree with the authors that it can derail the learning process. That is because I

believe that failure is an important component in growth and learning. I do not think that

covering up failure and pretending that things are going well while the opposite it happening is

the right thing to do. However, I do not think that this has a major negative impact on the

community development projects. There other challenges that according to me deserves to be

addressed more urgently.

The idea of selective participation being a hindrance made so much sense to me. I believe

that it would be prudent if the member of the community were given a priority over outsiders for

partnerships with the developers. According to the journal, the developers are biased when

choosing who to work with in the community development projects. It also points out that NGOs

and CBOs have little penetration into the communities. I think this strategy of alienating the
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members of the community in favor of wealthy investors is a wrong move by developers. Sadly,

we live in a world where the wealthy are always given the priority. I think the community

members ought to be given the priority. This is because they are the ones who stand to gain the

most or lose from these developments.

In the journal, the matter of hard-issue bias has been pointed out2. I think it is important

for project developers to take into consideration the soft issues too. This is because both are

important for the success of a project. I feel that focusing so much on the technological and

financial aspects of a project is not the right approach. My advice to project developers would be

to accord the same seriousness and effort to things that are likely to be overlooked for instance

community involvement. I think a development project would be more of a success it had

community participation and satisfaction.

I agree with the authors that development in areas that are marginalized has the potential

to cause divisions. This can be viewed as a natural reaction because of the scarcity of resources

these areas. I believe that a simple conflict resolution mechanism has the power to solve such

issues. The authors did a good job in describing the conditions that lead to conflict; from

different ideologies and communities to politics and new comers vs. the old timers. I think that

what is important is to be able to find a solution through understanding the challenges.

On the matter of gate-keeping by local elites I think the project developers have the

power to ensure that there is participation by the community members. I believe that the

participation of local leaders in community projects is important. However, caution must be

taken to avoid a case where few individuals make decisions for their own personal gains but

purport to act on the interest of the community.

2. Lucius Botes and Dingie Rensburg, Community Participation in Development, 46.

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In the journal, excess pressure for immediate results is listed as one of the nine plagues.

The authors argue that immense pressure for immediate results makes it hard for issues such as

poverty reduction to be addressed. I think that obsession with immediate results derails

meaningful progress of community development projects. That is because there will be less time

to plan come up with meaningful projects.

The last reason that was given in the journal for lack of community participation is the

lack of public interest. The reason given for this is the possibility that previous projects did not

meet expectations. I agree that lack of interest from the public is a huge hindrance in community

development. I also think that it is up to the project developer to sell the project to the people.

The project developer can trigger interest from the public through engaging with the community

members and marketing the project.

I believe that the twelve commandments or guidelines are important when it comes to

promoting community participation. I believe it is important for the project developer to clear

show that he is aware of his position as an outsider. I feel like this will make the community

members more receptive as they will feel more respected. I also believe that it is good for the

project development team to higher employees from the host community. This will go a long

way in building mutual trust and understanding.

I agree with the commandment that states that the project developer should be willing to

listen to the members of the community giving priority to the vulnerable ones. I feel like this is a

very good strategy. It is bound to foster understanding between the community and the

developer. Such a bond I’m certain will make the working environment for the project developer

to be more conducive.
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It is important for the project developer to communicate the success and failures of the

project to the community members. Communication enables the community members to know

what is going on. I concur with the assertion that communicating if there is a failure is more

important than just communicating success. I believe that communicating when failure occurs

enables those responsible to improve and to learn from their mistakes.

I find the commandment that cautions against allowing dominance of selfish individuals

to be particularly important. From my own experiences I find such people to be dangerous. They

are most likely to cause discontent and division in the community which will not be good for the

development project. I think leaders who are not selfish would be a good boost to the project.

Project developers should ensure that they empower the community and avoid exploiting them.

The community should benefit directly from the activities of the project developer. It is also

important for interest groups from the community to be given the opportunity to be partners in

the project.

In conclusion I found the journal to be quite educative. I was particularly impressed by

how well the important issues were articulated. I think it is a good read for and project developer

.That is because of its well argued points. I agree with the authors that it is important for and

project developer to avoid the nine plagues or obstacles and embrace the twelve guidelines that

have been laid out in the journal. I assert that community participation is a key component of any

project development. Project developers should make community participation a priority.

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Bibliography

Botes, Lucius and Dingie Rensburg. 2000. ‘‘Community Participation in Development:

Nine Plagues and Twelve Commandments’’. Community Development Journal 35(1): 41-58.
Doi:10.1093/cdj/35.1.41.