Shields, KF, Moffa, M, Behnke, NL et al. (5 more authors) (2021) Community management does not equate to participation: fostering community participation in rural water supplies. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 11 (6). pp. 937-947. ISSN 2043-9083
Abstract
Community management has remained the dominant paradigm for managing rural water supplies in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a widespread perception that community participation principles are inherently embedded in the community management model. In this paper, we analyze how an international nongovernmental organization engages rural communities in their rural water projects, and the ways in which community members are able to participate in the management and governance of their water supplies. Qualitative data were collected in 18 study communities – six each in Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia – through interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory mapping with community and water committee members. We argue that community management does not inherently lead to broader community participation, but rather that fostering community participation requires intentionality. We recommend implementers use collaborative planning processes and explicitly engage with intra-community diversity and inequalities in order to facilitate the opportunity for all community members to meaningfully participate in decision-making. Collaborative planning with diverse groups will also allow community members to realize their rights to transparency and accountability once community management structures are in place.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits copying and redistribution for non-commercial purposes with no derivatives, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | community ownership, governance, qualitative, rural water supply, sub-Saharan Africa, water committee |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Civil Engineering (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 29 Sep 2021 13:11 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 22:46 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | IWA Publishing |
Identification Number: | 10.2166/washdev.2021.089 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:178578 |