Thursday, 21 August 2014
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Challenges in Managing Community Development Projects: Resistance to Development Projects A Case Study Of Access Road Expansion In Nyalenda Informal Settlement
CAMBRIDGE ASSOCIATION OF MANAGERS
GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
Managing Community Based Projects
Challenges in Managing Community Development Projects: Resistance to Development Projects
A Case Study Of Access Road Expansion In Nyalenda Informal Settlement
Done by: Erick Okioma
Candidates No: CAM/GD/KE/
Purpose: Fulfillment of CAM Graduate Diploma in Community Development and Resource Mobilization (Managing Community Based Projects)
Dated: 2010
DECLARATION
I declare this is my original work and the same has not been presented to any other institution in partial fulfillment of the award of the CAM Graduate Diploma in Community Development and Resource Mobilization.
Student name Mr. Erick Okioma
Student signature……………………………………………………………..
Date……………………………………………………………………………..
This project has been submitted for examination with my approval as the supervisor.
Mr. David Nandasaba
Signature ………………………………………………………………………
Date…………………………………………………………………………….
This project has been submitted for examination with my approval as the center manager Digital Advisory and Learning Center.
Name Mrs.
Signature………………………………………………………………….
Date……………………………………………………………………….
DEDICATION
This research project is dedicated to the Almighty God for the courage through silent prayers to move on. It is also dedicated to my wife Dinah who gave total support to all family matters while I was pursuing my studies. I would also wish to dedicate the study to people living with HIV for their enduring support with whom this work would not have been possible.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank all those individuals who helped me in my research. I will start by thanking the Executive Director of RCAP, Mr. Peter Omondi Akelo who helped me by availing all the information that I needed in spite of her busy schedule.
I would also like to thank my Supervisor Mr. David who went out of his way to put a lot of professional input in my project in spite of his busy schedule.
To My fellow students at DALC who have also played a very important role in the completion of this project to me, am very grateful fellows various group discussions that we had as a class have ensured that I remain as up to date as possible in my academic Endeavour’s.
I also appreciate the people who voluntarily participate in this study for their insights into the issues that they personally experienced. I also appreciate the generous and useful suggestions and support from my colleagues and fellow students.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Improved accessibility is plausible in a number of ways, including easing rapid response during emergencies. Many times fire outbreaks within the slum areas create havoc, sometimes because the fire fighters are unable to reach the spot due to lack of access road. Despite the obvious benefits of road expansions, these activities have called for demolition of some road side structures to the great disappointment of the investors and residents, who put up very strong resistance to road expansion. The study aimed at identifying the management dynamics of community development projects, using a case study on the expansion of access road in the slum area of Nyalenda in Kisumu. It is evident that in order to improve performance of the projects, community mobilization needs to be stepped up and critical partnerships be forged with key stakeholders including the civil society organizations to control the political- social dimensions of the project.
LIST OF FIGURES
Fig 2: Organizational Structure
Fig.2 Opinions of Youths on the Project
Fig. 3. Level of Youth Participation in Demonstration
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC PAGE
Title i
Declaration ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Executive Summary v
List of abbreviation vi
Table of contents vii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0. Background of the Study 1
1.1 Background of the Study Institution 1
1.3 Department of the Study 2
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0. LITERATURE REVIEW 3
2.1 Theoretical Review 3
2.2 Empirical Review 6
2.3 Critical Review 6
2.4 Missing Gaps 7
CHAPTER 3
3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND HYPOTHESIS 8
3.1 Statement of the Problem 8
3.1 Proposed Solutions 8
3.2 Project’s Broad Objectives 8
3.3 Specific Aims 8
CHAPTER 4
4.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 9
4.1 Research Design 9
4.2 Target population and population size 9
4.3 Sampling and sample size 9
4.4 Data Collection Methods 10
4.5 Data Analysis Methods 10
CHAPTER 5
5.0 DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS, AND FINDINGS 11
5.1 Data analysis, results, and findings 11
5.2 Conclusions 12
5.3 Recommendations 12
5.4 Limitations and suggestions for further improvement 13
BIBLIOGRAPHY 14
APPENDICES 15
Appendix i: Sample questionnaire 15
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.0. Introduction
This study was aimed at identifying the management dynamics of community development projects. A case study has been taken of the expansion of access road in the slum area of Nyalenda in Kisumu. This case study was intended for isolating the resistance to community development projects and to find out innovative ways of circumventing the challenges as not to antagonize the project implementation. It is evident that in order to improve performance of the projects, community mobilization needs to be stepped up and critical partnerships be forged with key stakeholders including the civil society organizations to control the political- social dimensions of the project. This study taken as an academic pursuit is intended to be used as marker for fulfilling the requirements for an award of a diploma in community development and resource mobilization by the DALC. In this excursion Rural Partnerships for Community Advancement (RCAP) a local nongovernmental organization provides the learner with a practical platform for assessment of theoretical constricts in regard to executing community development as its core mandate.
1.2 Background of the Study Institution
RCAP was registered in March 2009 under the NGOs Coordination Bureau as a national Non Governmental Organization with the goal of providing community based institutions with technical support for capacity development.
Goals
To work in partnership with existing community institutions towards strengthening their capacity for sustainable management and control of social, political and economic development processes.
Vision
Vibrant community institutions and civil society organizations with the capacity to sustainably manage and control the direction and results of social and economic development programmes and projects for their own benefit and for posterity.
Objectives and Strategies
• To provide technical support and enhance the capacity of partners implementing various development programmes and projects
• To undertake direct implementation of social and economic development programmes and projects with partner communities and agencies
• Research, disseminate and influence the formulation and implementation of public policy.
Main programme areas:
a) Education for Community Empowerment (EFCE),
b) Micro-Enterprise Development Support (MEDES) and
c) Strengthening Rural Health Management Systems (SRHMS).
1.3. Organization Structure
RCAP has a fairly simple, lean administrative structure to cut management costs, to ease teamwork and improve effective communcation.
Figure 1: Organizational Structure
1.4. Department of the Study
This particular study is designed within the context of Education for Community Empowerment as an advocacy programme intended to push for positive change. This study should therefore be integral towards contributing to improving programme performance in its advocacy functions.
CHAPTER 2
2.0. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Theoretical Review
The Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP), supported by the UN Habitat identified Kibera sprawling slums as one of its key pilot project sites. As part of the activity menu, the project included expansion of access roads to ease perennial challenge of accessibility in the event of frequent fire outbreaks. Responses to such emergency have never been effective, with city fire fighters citing lack of access to the emergency site. The expansion of local access road was much resisted by residents who claimed the expanded road section would eat into their claims. However, the government maintained that the land belonged to the government and the KENSUP Programme was a government project.
To create validity to the claims, the government invoked the Lands Act to show that claimant to road reserve had no valid argument. Despite this obvious conflict, the programme was to be conducted without raising too much political dust because of the impact this would have on the leadership. A social face was introduced to the programme to mainstream other issues including a microfinance support programme, health and recreational activities. These had the benefits of ensuring that conflict was managed at low level. Critical was the mobilization to have community support for the programme.
Claims that roadway investment spurs new travel and thus fails to relive traffic congestion, known as induced demand has thwarted road expansion growth. Access road expansion in slum areas does not induce growth or investment in the short term and there is a political twist to it in terms of satisfying the interest of the people in the short term. Slum areas are inhabited by a few middle class and the majority is of lower segment of income levels. Investment infrastructure in the slum zones is invariable owned by the middle class.
The few middle class within, who sometimes benefit from the status of the slum dwellers through earning rents from the shanties they construct on privately owned land. Due to high demand for accommodation or shelter for the poor living in proximity to high concentration zones for service industry, the slum in urban centres are growing by day. This increase in size has put pressure resulting in sometimes in the encroachment of road reserves. Investors in slum zones put up business infrastructures on the road reserves. These include rental house, shops and a myriad of shelters for a variety of business engagements.
Few issues in the urban transportation field have sparked controversy and threatened proposed road projects as claims of induced demands. Proponents of road projects argue that undeveloped areas are a recipe for increased insecurity for residents and that proposing construction or expansion to them sounds like providing a solution to the problem both of congestion and insecurity. Opponents of this theory believe that as you expand the access roads, you create a better condition for auxiliary investments along the path, visible through construction of shanties and more space for resettlement of slum dwellers further contributing to more insecurity and more congestion. Expansion of an access road interferes with whose property and what is the general good in it?
2.2 Empirical Review
A report of the Kenya slum upgrading programme indicated the importance of community mobilization in ensuring the success of access road expansion project. The politico-social dimension of the project, like the KENSUP experience is best addressed through forging critical partnerships with the government authorities. This partnership ensures that the politics of development are effectively managed as not to antagonize the investment. A similar project under the UN Habitat in Somalia recruited a number of civil society organizations to manage the social dynamics in the implementation of the roads expansion project. Argument has been advanced by opponents of infrastructural expansion. Some have claimed that roadway investment intended for example to decongest residential sections and in the end act as pull factor to new entrants, thereby increasing the local population and put more pressure on available resources.
No expansion programme in high population centres can be done without some level of displacement. No displacement can be done without having adverse effects on some of the residents or investors.
2.3 Critical Review
In practice, the first step towards managing resistance is to know the reasons for such resistance and the manifestations of the resistance. Many expansion programmes, particularly of the level of infrastructure meet resistance; his can initially be noticed through the difficulty in getting the key stakeholders to commit to allocate resources to the project. More subtle indicators include changes in communication, which might all together be cut and negative talks about the project. Stakeholder soften differ in opinion about the perceived value of the project impacts. Most often however is that some sections of the community might mount a resistance to the project because they simply don t want to change the way they do things or are uncomfortable with changing the status quo. At community level however, it is difficult to make out whether the resistance is due to logic or emotion. Each type of resistance needs a specific approach. It is normal for some project to meet organizational resistance. This might show up as an active opposition or might be very subtle. People might be sarcastic, make it difficult for the project to secure funds, or people may altogether ignore the project.
To defeat resistance it is important to begin by determining its roots. Until you know the cause, whether emotional or logical it is difficult to plan for an action. The proponents of a resisted project should identify if the cause is logical and advance a logical argument for its justification by addressing he value position of the project and why it should be executed in the way it is. Sometimes resistance is due to non inclusion of stakeholders in the initial planning stage and analysis phase. If people are impacted by a project they often want to have some input. Openness to new ideas about how the project can be improved or implemented must be demonstrated by the sponsors. Part of the resistance might be due to fear of changing the status.
2.4 Missing Gaps
One critical gap herein is theory and relates to the communication vacuum between the sponsors of the project and the intended beneficiaries, which is often left to be filled by the agent or third party to the project. In the case of civil society more often the agent for change, this gap is widened by the differences in status. The opinion of the sponsor might be different from the opinion of the residents or community members as targets for development. This does not mean that the civil society organization has effectively filled that opinion gap or has the mandate to effectively communicate this on a tripartite structure. More so, there is often a gap in identifying whether the resistance is emotional or logical because there is indeed very thin line between these two facets. And coming up with an appropriate action to overcome resistance might be quite difficult.
CHAPTER 3
3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND HYPOTHESIS
3.1 Statement of the Problem
The expansion of the access road in the slum area of Nyalenda has met some resistance from some of the residents. Despite formal process taken by the contractor, including notice to users a section of the residents are up in arms against the expansion of the access road. They have cite unlawful demolition of their structures and gone to court seeking an injunction stopping the contractor from proceeding with the work. The study therefore sought to get to the roots of the impasse through seeking to fill the gaps that antagonize the project. The problem is not caused by any logical factors on account there being no legal arguments in support of their case. Therefore it could be described as emotional for the resistance is about a change of status and loss of property.
3.1 Proposed Solutions
The problem could be addressed from the socio-political dimension including mobilizing the political leaders and civil society representatives such the existing local resident association to mobilize community support for the project. This way, it would contribute to improving the functionality of the contractor to undertake the completion of the project.
3.2 Project’s Broad Objectives
The main objective is to identify the cause of the resistance to implementation of the access road expansion project.
3.3 Specific Aims
Specifically, the study hoped to:
3.3.1 To determine the nature of resistance to access road expansion
3.3.2 To identify available options for addressing this resistance
3.3.3 To recommend appropriate actions to be taken in order to improve the project impact
CHAPTER 4
4.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Nyalenda is one the sprawling informal settlement zones in Kisumu whish like any other slums in Kenya experiences problems of congestion and pollution. The problem of accessibility is compounded by lack of passable access road to some of the inner cores of the residential zone. Recently as part of the development initiated by the municipality in collaboration with other development support organizations, a road expansion project was set off. However the project has met resistance from a section of residents who have since sought court injunction to stop the contractor from proceeding with the project. In order to identify the reasons for the resistance and to seek a way out of the impasse, a study was commissioned.
4.1 Research Design
A case study was used to identify the reasons for project resistance as well to validate reasons for an appropriate action to address the impasse. Due to the time constraints, proximity of the project site and limited resources the case study approach would best adapt to the needs of the project.
4.2 Target population and population size
A sample of 300 residents was picked to help in a survey. The sampling was done on mainly the resident youths who were also the face of the resistance. 50 owners of structures that were demolished were also interviewed.
4.3 Sampling and sample size
The sample of youths and owners of demolished strictures was picked at random from a large population residing along the road reserve. A few vehicle owners, representing the users were also interviewed.
4.4 Data Collection Methods
Data collection was done using questionnaires, served through a team of enumerators. Secondary data was collected through various project reports and district committee briefs and internet sources.
4.5 Data Analysis Methods
Data collection was done using questionnaires, served through a team of enumerators. Secondary data was collected through various project reports and district committee briefs and internet sources.
CHAPTER 5
5.0 DATA ANALYSIS, RESULTS, AND FINDINGS
5.1 Data analysis, results, and findings
Questionnaires were administered to the sampled population. The questionnaire had sought out to discover their opinions about the on-going expansion of the Nyalenda access road. It also sought out the reasons for resistance, in terms of interrogating peoples’ opinion on the procedure adopted by the contractor. Other questions also wanted to find out their belief about ownership of the land along the road. Among the respondents, 168 youths said the expansion did not interfere with their property. They also indicated that they supported the project. The youths, 207 of them were not aware of a court case over the exercise. 230 reported that they participated in a demonstration organized to oppose the expansion project. Of the owners of the demolished structures 30 had cited a hope for compensation for their lost property. 23 were not willing to proceed with a case in court. The charts below graphically describe the responses.
The figure below shows the youths opinion of the project.
Fig.2 Opinions of Youths on the Project
Notice that a bigger percentage had very good opinion of the project. Contrast this with the higher turn- out for demonstration against the project as is shown in the figure following.
Fig. 3. Level of Youth Participation in Demonstration
5.2 Conclusions
The contrast between youths participation and their opinion of the project shows that they were only used by unidentified persons to demonstrate, but the project had no known negative impact on them the unwillingness of the owners of demolished structures to proceed with court case could be interpreted to mean they had no substantive grounds for resistance. In conclusion, the reasons for the resistance to the project were based on emotions and not anything logical.
5.3 Recommendations
Based on the above findings, the project could therefore proceed if the contractor had a different way of communicating with the people and using other machineries to mobilize their support.
5.4 Limitations and suggestions for further improvement
The main challenges in conducting this research were mainly of financial nature and time constraint given the expanse which was needed to be covered and the bigger number of respondents to be interviewed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Camay, P. & Gordon, A. J. (1997) Principles of NGO Management. CORE, Johannesburg.
Cole, G.A (1995). Organizational Behavior London: Thompson Publishers
Edwards, M. & Fowler, A. (2002) the earth’s can reader on NGO Management. Earths can Publications Ltd, London,
G. A Cole (2004) Management Theory and Practice
IDASA. (2004) Community Based Organizations (CBOs) Management.
Martt Chechetto et al (2006) Community Based Organization Management.
Richey, Rita & Klein, James D (2007). Design and development research: methods, strategies and issues. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Saleemi, N A (2006). Principles and Practice of Management. Nairobi: Saleemi Publication
Saunder, . M, Lewis, H,. & Thornhill, M.(2003. Research Methods andBusiness Studies
Singleton, R. A & Straits, B. C (2005). Approaches to Social Research (4th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Training Manuals (2005). IDASA. Basics of CBO Management.
APPENDICES
Appendix i: Sample questionnaire
For how long have been resident in this region Last 1 year Last 5 years Over 10 years
Do you think the access roads in this region are adequate No Somehow Yes Indifferent
In your opinion do you feel the access roads should be expanded Yes No Yes but not urgent
Do you think, generally, that an expansion project would interfere with owners and tenants of buildings along the marked spaces along the roads Yes Somehow No
Now recently there was a project to expand the Nyalenda access road. Do you know who organized it Yes No
Did the contractor serve adequate notice to residents and owners of buildings along the road Yes No Not aware
Why do you think some people resisted the project Was not necessary Interfered with people Do not know
Are there conditions for example that you would wish that were met before the project continues? Yes No Do not know
The Nyalenda access road project was stopped temporarily. What do you think were the reasons Community resisted Owners of buildings resisted Court order Do not know
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
#KILOPICCADILLYROADNYALENDABKISUMUCITYKISUMUCOUNTY
It is a big shame to the county Goverment of Kisumu to start infrastructural projects especially in the informal settlement without proper implementation strategy .why destroy water supply systems without giving the community alternatives?Who should engage the Kenya Power and Lighting Company to remove the electricity supply poles from the road to give the contractor ample time and space to complete the project as soon as possible? Who will pay the contractor his loss of time caused by the delay as projects have time lines ? Now that the community is drawing water from unreliable sources .What do you have in place to take care of all this issues ?Bwana Governor the list is endless.Remember that you have infringed #HUMANRIGHTS AND TODAY IS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY of your subjects .I just wonder what your engineer is doing or advising you
kenya-why-hiv-does-not-kill-anymore.
http://www.citizen-news.org/2014/07/kenya-why-hiv-does-not-kill-anymore.html
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