Assessing Community Participation in the Design and Implementation of Social Services under Local Government Development Programme II in Karujubu Sub-County, Masindi District- Uganda.

Abstract

OYO CAROLINE (2008-03 PTR-MA-056) Assessing Community Participation in the Design and Implementation of Social Services under Local Government Development Programme II in Karujubu Sub-County, Masindi District- Uganda. A study was carried out on community participation in the design and implementation of social services under Local Government Development Programme (LGDP). It was conducted in Karujubu Masindi district, located in mid-western region of Uganda. The main purpose of the study was to assess the level of community participation in the design and implementation of social services under the LGDP. The study found that citizen participation was acknowledged in the governance and development discourse as a mechanism for building capacity of the rural poor in the quest for poverty reduction and good governance. The study involved 80 (eighty) respondents from non-governmental organisation workers, government representatives, religious leaders, civil servants, women, people with disabilities and youth. To attain the appropriate data, various tools were employed. These included structured questionnaires, interviews, and discussion guides. The study realised that while some participatory framework exists as a result of devolving some powers and functions to local government units, the structures and processes remain feeble and do not support a genuinely participatory system. This is mainly due to the excessive central government whims and the local elite capture. While the central and donor-conceived plans may still be necessary for the rural poor, such strategies should be integrated into the rural schemes to enable freedom of choice, action and decision in order to attain strong local ownership and empowerment. The study, therefore, recommends for the need to have political will from the central and local government leaders and the need to strengthen capacity for the local forces and social groups to infiltrate the hierarchies of officialdom associated with the local bureaucracies to realise exhaustive community participation in development programmes. Key Words: Community Participation, Design and Implementation, Social Services, Local Government Development Programme, Masindi District.