COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: FOSTERING PARTICIPATION

AND EMPOWERMENT

Local Government & Community Participation

Traditional local government institutions (LGI) incentivized/mandated to involve community participation in decision making

Purpose of Community Governance

‘Empowering the Disempowered’

Bridging the Democratic Deficit : Addressing issues of Citizenship, Social

Justice and Equity

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

WCED Definition

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – WCED, 1987

Balancing Act

balancing ecological and social goals, with an emphasis on environmental protection, equity, and economic development

The imperative of improving people’s quality of life must be balanced against the need to care for the environment, equitable distribution and allocation of resources and participation in decision making

Link with Governance

Sustainable development is a Governance issue – poor governance systems can impede or obstruct development while good governance can sustain it .

Link with Community Governance

Sustainable Development requires an appreciation of how different communities, individuals and groups view development and particularly marginalized and vulnerable groups define and represent their needs and interests

Community Participation for SD

• Empowering communities, encouraging participation for sustainable development

• Community involvement in assessment and developing responses to community issues/needs

• Wide and inclusive participation of all groups including ‘hard to reach sections’

GOVERNANCE

Definitionprocesses, structures and institutions (formal and informal) through which a group, community or society • makes decisions, • distributes and exercises authority and power,• determines strategic goals, • organizes corporate, group and individual

behavior, • develops rules and assigns responsibility

Governance is more than Government

• Its about power, relationships, representation and accountability – who has influence, who decides and how decision makers are held accountable

• involves a wider range of stakeholders and networks, including individuals, government, private sector, and NGOs

LOCAL GOVERNANCE

Decentralized – People Centered Model

Institutions, mechanism and process through which citizens/groups can articulate their interests and needs, mediate differences and exercise rights and obligations at the local level

Requires partnership between LGI and community, civil society, NGOs, private sector

COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE

What is community governance

• model of governance involving community participation, engagement and decision-making in public matters.

• community level management and decision-making that is undertaken by, with, or on behalf of a community, by a group of community stakeholders – focus on community

Key Assumptions

• power must be exercised as close as possible to citizens and local communities.

• complex issues facing communities cannot be solved by any one person or sector alone

Expanded role of citizen/community

Increased collaboration between LGI and individuals and networks of citizens/community organizations and representatives -

Communities have greater say in key decisions including those affecting the use and allocation of resources, distribution and exercise of power, delivery of services and development.

Community Governance Involves

• community leadership - reflecting people and groups working together to achieve common goals;

• community empowerment - access to resources to fulfill basic and higher needs;

• community ownership in terms of how people are connected to/belong to their community.

COMMUNITY

What does it mean?

Communities are generally defined (for reasons mainly of practicality) as geographical communities/ Or communities living within a LA area

Such a definition ignores the divisions and stratifications in access to resources and power along lines of; • Ethnicity• Caste• Class• Gender• Political power

Danger of reinforcing existing local power structures,

where avenues for participation and community governance are monopolized and controlled by a few sections of society

for their own benefit and to the exclusion of the most vulnerable sections in society.

PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

• Participation: Community governance increases space for participation with state institutions and authorities in assessing and responding to local issues/development

• Empowerment: process empowers local communities while addressing the specific needs and representation of marginalized groups.

Participation involves

people’s involvement in decision-making, planning and implementing of development objectives

Rationale

Rationale: Those whose interest are affected by decisions should have a say/collaborate in the decision making process.

Purpose

From the citizen’s perspective the main purpose of participation is the protection and promotion of their interests through increased responsiveness, transparency and responsiveness among state and non-state service providers.

Barriers to Participation

• structural and institutional barriers; • lack of awareness among officials and citizens

regarding the avenues and mechanisms for participation

• fear among officials that increased community participation would undermine their authority and power

RELATED CONCEPTS

Accountability

• extent to which those in power must justify, substantiate and make known their actions and decisions.

• Community governance contemplates deeper accountability from officials, LGIs, and service providers to the community

Transparency

Free flow of information.

Citizens and stakeholders given direct access to processes and information in order to understand and monitor such processes.

Responsiveness

where institutions are responsive to the needs of all sections in the community.

Participation

All persons have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their interests.

Equity

All persons have opportunities to improve or maintain their well-being and the vulnerable and excluded are targeted to provide security of well-being to all.

Empowerment

All actors in society are empowered to pursue legitimate goals, and enabling environments are created to optimize their success and the realization of the well-being of all.

Ecological Soundness

The environment is protected and regenerated to ensure sustainable self-reliance.