Community perception of the “opportunities and obstacles to development” participatory planning methodology: the case of Manyoni and Kondoa districts
Loading...
Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The study assessed the community perception of the “Opportunities and Obstacles to
Development” participatory planning methodology, which Local Government Authorities
adopted for steering community development. It was also assessed if the methodology has
resulted into translating desired community participation into practice and providing
economic gains. Specifically, the study focused on community opinions on the extent to
which the methodology has enhanced participation, the benefits of participation and
challenges encountered during implementation of O&OD initiated projects. The research
involved seven villages in Manyoni and Kondoa Districts. Cross - sectional research design
was employed; multistage sampling technique was used to obtain 190 respondents.
Moreover, 25 Facilitating Teams were involved. Structured questionnaires and interview
guide were used in collecting primary data. Secondary data were obtained from relevant
literature. SPSS version 12.5 used to analyse the data. Results show that 73.7% of the
respondents are familiar with the methodology, although it seems that its substance is not
known. Also the results show that in Manyoni District the methodology was perceived
negatively, while in Kondoa it was perceived positively. On the extent to which the
methodology has enhanced community participation, 35.8% of the respondents
acknowledged that there are projects initiated by the community and had a role to play in the
initiated projects. Community through the methodology also responded to gain tangible and
intangible benefits. Challenges which the community encountered were inadequate training
on the methodology and reluctance to contribute to the projects in terms of labour and cash.
The study recommends the village governments to improve community involvement in
formulation and implementation of plans, and regular follow-ups, monitoring and feedback in
order to improve the trust between leaders and community members.
Description
Masters Dissertations
Keywords
Community, participatory planning, methodology, Kondoa districts, obstacles