BMA Archive
Acelerated Community Development

A presentation made at a UN conference in Addis Ababa in 1998

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Open pdf ... a paper titled Accelerated Community Development prepared for Change Institute and CofinaRK on the occasion of a UN Conference in Addis Ababa in 1998

Essential Elements of a Participative Framework for Accelerated Community Development

Overview

The essential elements of a participative framework for accelerated community development is a methodology to bring all the potential beneficiaries and their leaders into a comprehensive process for community development. The elements include both planning and implementation with financial resource mobilization an integral part. The process makes the development priorities those of the community. The process is brought alive and sustained by a series of visual workshop and seminars that start in the introductory phase and continue through all the stages of implementation.

1. Introductory Stage

Coordinating team. The coordination team has the responsibility for organizing workshops and helping to keep the program on track. Introducing the process. During the introductory phase the accelerated community development process is introduced to the community. The methodology is described. Establishing who are the key people. The key people are identified during the introductory phase. Establishing the baseline. The baseline defines where the community is at the present time and serves as the starting point for progress monitoring. Initial planning workshop. An initial planning workshop can be implemented during the introductory stage or can be included in the planning stage.

2. Planning Stage

Planning workshops. The planning workshops are used to identify the key items to be included in the community master plan. Establishing priorities. The planning process includes steps to ensure that community priorities are established in a manner that reflects community needs and availability of resources. Community master plan. The community master plan records what the community is planning. The development component of the master plan defines the socio-economic elements. The physical facility component deals with physical facilities. Benchmarks. Benchmarks are established to provide an objective basis for progress measurement. Engineering design. Where professional engineering design is needed, available local capabilities will be used.

3. Implementing stage

Elements of implementation. The elements of implementation include following the plan, funding the required priority activities and organizing self help to minimise the need for outside support. Implementing organizations. A range of community organizations need to be established to do as much of the implementing work as possible within the community. Financing programs. Financing programs must be established and used to fund priority programs. Funding should be available for community projects, for corporate business projects and for individual and small groups. Monitor progress. Progress relative to the master plan and benchmarks should be monitored. External consultancy. External consultancy should be available as needed for remedial action and training.

Introductory phase

The introductory phase serves to organize the program, introduce the program to the community, its people and the possible leaders and key groups and establish the initial baseline facts that will be used in the planning phase.

1. Coordination Team

Need for team. The process of accelerated development requires expertise over and beyond that likely to be available in the community.

Team leader. The team leader is a key person, and should be recruited as soon as possible in the introductory phase. There should be substantial briefing and training of the team leader so that he/she is fully familiar with the methodology of the process.

Community leaders. Community leaders will be essential members of the team and should be identified as soon as possible. They are brought into the team based on some selection process in the community that is acceptable to the community.

2. Introducing the process

Community briefing. The community as a whole has to be briefed about the program. A balance has to be achieved between realism and enthusiasm. The briefings should be repeated as many times as needed so that everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Initial planning workshop. A initial planning workshop can be organized during the introductory phase to allow some early start-up of program activities.

3. Key people in the community

Who is involved. Document as much as possible who is currently actively involved in community development. In addition document those who have skills and interest that could be useful in planning and implementing development of the community.

Identifying groups. Identifying groups is also important. Existing groups should be identified and consideration should be given to see how they can be used constructively for accelerated community development.

How are leaders appointed? The method for the vappointment of leaders should be thoroughly understood. Steps should be taken to ensure that the method of appointing leaders is accepted by the community at large.

4. Establishing the baseline

Get the facts. The facts must be obtained. This is to be accomplished partly by meetings, and partly by on-site observation and visits. The objective is to get relevant facts as quickly and as easily as possible. Getting ALL the facts and taking a long time to do it is not a priority.

What infrastructure? What infrastructure exists:

• Access roads Internal roads
• Water sources Water treatment
• Water distribution Sanitation
• Hospitals Clinics
• Warehouses etc.

• Agriculture Health
• Education Construction
• Mechanical Electrical
• etc.

• Agriculture potential Minerals potential
• Energy potential etc.

The planning phase follows the introductory phase as soon as possible. The first planning workshops can already have taken place in the introductory phase. All of the plans are made with the full participation of the community and the community leaders, who lead the process of defining priorities and what components of the work should be implemented first.

1. Community planning workshops

Main characteristics of the workshops. The workshops are the vehicle for getting broad community participation. They can be run in half a day. They are highly visual with wall charts and there is a high level of interaction between the participants and the workshop leaders.

Focus on multi-sector community level. The workshops focus on multi-sector community level issues. Issues are addresses at each of the planes of the various sectors.

What does the community need. The primary objective of the workshops is for people to communicate what they want. The information is recorded on wall charts. The process will show what the community already has, and then what the community needs. The process will help in ranking the needs in some order of priority.

What do we have now. Workshop participants tell what they have. It is recorded on wall charts. Participants tell what the opportunities are, and define the constraints that stop rapid exploitation of the opportunities.

How can the project team help. The project team must explain that they can only offer a modest amount of help. In particular, the project team is NOT building a community, but the people of the community itself and its leaders are building the community.

2. Community Master Plan

Need for master plan. The community development master plan puts on record what the community as a whole wants to or is trying to do. It is the end product from the community planning workshops. The community development master plan is used as the basis for almost all of the project activity related to community development.

Process for development of the plans. The process for development of the plans should take into account the needs of the people from the perspective of the people, and reflect the realities of the area and the availability of resources for development investment. The process should take into consideration conflicts between the short term objectives and the long term objectives.

The development master plan. The development master plan has elements that are not usually found in a physical facility master plan. In particular the development master plan contains socio-economic goals. The master plan. shows what facilities exist or are to be built.

Analysis of alternatives. The analysis of alternatives is a normal part of good planning. The results of such analysis should be summarized and made a permanent annex to the development master plan.

Priorities. The development plan will reflect priorities that have been established.

Need for engineering designs. Various aspects of the community development process require professional engineering design input. Traditional design will be used where advantage can be taken of local capabilities.

3. Measurement and follow up

Benchmarks. Benchmarks are needed to keep track of key elements of community development progress. The baseline measures are expanded to reflect the goals to be achieved, and periodic update of the benchmark measures gives an objective assessment of progress.

Follow up meetings. There needs to be a series of follow up meetings. These are needed every six weeks to brief project on the progress, difficulties, constraints, solutions, requirements, etc. They are also needed to revise the master plan so that the master plan always reflects the priorities of the community.

Some key elements of a community master plan are set out below. The community master plan should reflect the socio-economic priorities of the community while maintaining acceptable technical standards. The format of the master plan is not important. The content and clarity of the master plan, the long view visions and the priorities for implementation are vitally important.

PHYSICAL LAYOUT

• Map of area Inventory of existing buildings
• Proposed layout List of needed buildings
• Roads inventory List of roads needed
• Drinking water Irrigation water

• Plot services House designs
• Clinics Hospitals
• Classrooms Assembly rooms
• Warehouses Grain storage

• Demographic trends Family planning policy
• Population issues Education
• Marriage and fertility Age profile
• Population dynamics

• Manpower planning framework Labor supply
• Female participation Foreign workers
• Older workers Public sector
• Good system of training Analysis of earnings
• Human capital High level trained manpower
• Productivity Level of wages
• Employment regulations Benefits costs
• Labor’s share

• Health status of community Doctors
• Nurses Health assistants
• Midwives Dentists
• Dental assistants Clinics
• Hospitals Budget
• Drugs Medical supplies

• Education status Student profile
• Population profile Teachers
• Teachers assistants Classrooms
• Text books Other supplies
• Budgets

• Shops Banks
• Wholesale warehouses Transport facilities
• Industrial facilities Agro-industrial facilities

• Agricultural land Range land
• Water Rain
• Temperature Minerals
• Forests Fisheries
• Rivers Transport
• Energy resources

• Access roads Internal roads

• Cars Buses
• Trucks Bicycles
• Mopeds Petrol supply chain

• Housing stock Housing finance
• Housing subsidy Home ownership policy
• Rent control State land ownership

• Shelter House plot allocation
• Clothing Cooking utensils
• Tools

• Seeds Fertilizer
• Agricultural tools Food storage
• Farm plot allocations

• Water planning Water supply
• Water distribution Forecasting demand
• Water pricing

• Religous Credit loan groups
• Community governance Development committee

• National budget resources Grant resources
• Community development fund Business investment financing
• Individual credit program

The implementing phase should start as soon as possible, initially focusing on work that is clearly a priority for the community, and is being supported by a considerable number of the participating beneficiaries. Implementation should continue indefinitely with the community saving and investing to improve its productivity and quality of life. Well done, accelerated community development takes advantage of the Keynsian savings and investment linkages and the economic multiplier effect arising from community investment activity.

1. Elements of implementation

Follow the master plan. The master plan defines the agreement of the community about what is to be done and in what priority.

Technical and sector specific planning. Additional planning will be needed at the technical level and for special sector specific elements as the basis for implementation action, and should be done as part of the implementation.

Fund the activities. The activities need to be funded in a timely manner. While community development credit can be used to fund community programs, it might also be desirable for implementing organizations to benefit from corporate business loans so that they are in a position to do the necessary work productively and quickly.

Self help. “Self help” labor used for public works or community works should be “monetized” and paid for at the going market rate. People earning income from this work can “save” and be in a position to benefit from the individual credit program for household needs.

2. Implementing Organizations

Use community implementing capacity. A number of community organizations should be organized to implement community development activities.

Self help inputs. Self help inputs will have been identified during the development of the master plan. Self help should be organized so that the efforts can be monetized where this is to individual and community advantage

Community Works Unit. A community works unit should be organized to handle community construction projects beyond the scope of an individual or family. It should use private contractors to carry out the works.

Community Procurement Unit. A community procurement unit will ensure that there is an effective capacity to purchase items needed for community development that are not available within the community.

Community Accounting Unit. There must be excellence in accounting for all community development program receipts and expenditures, with clear and timely analytical reporting.

Community Audit Unit. A community audit unit should act as an independent unit to verify the accounts and reports.

Community Security Unit. There should be a unit to take care of community security in all its facets.

Community Education Team. There should be a community group with expertise in education to supplement any services offered by the government.

Community Health Team. There should be a community group with expertise in health issues and practices to supplement any services offered by the government.

3. Financing Programs

National budget

There should be a national budget allocation for community development work. The resources available from this source should be mobilized to the maximum extent possible. The availability of a community master plan assists in justification of budget resource allocation.

Grant resources

Grant resources are available from various sources which should be identified and they should be mobilized to the maximum extent possible making use of the community master plan to justify suitable grant projects.

Community Development Fund

Revolving fund. The Community Development Fund Program is a revolving fund. A revolving fund has a pool of money that is used to make a development investment with repayment over a period of time. When repayment is complete the funds are again available for reinvestment.

Responsibility for repayment. The community is responsible for repayment. In case of non-repayment the community is the loser. The community makes the commitment to repay. In some cases community land can be used to support development financing. An appropriate vehicle to evidence community commitment may need to be devised.

Master plan a prerequisite. The master plan is a prerequisite for activating the CDFP.

How does community get funds. The community get funds for development fund repayment from the national budget, and from community charges. The aggregate must be sufficient for repayment of community development fund loans.

Loan cycle. The loan cycle consists of the following: master plan ---> project ---> project loan ---> implementation ---> loan repayment

Business Investment Financing

Revolving fund. The Business Investment Financing Program is a revolving fund to support productive investment by medium scale corporate business enterprises.

Terms. These funds should normally be repaid over a period of five to seven years inclusive of a period of grace during construction and start up. The interest rate should be more or less the same as the national competitive market rates.

Security. The business will be required to give security such as a lien on the project investments, as well as a lien on working capital used for operations. This financing must rank ahead of other financing.

Individual Credit Program

Microcredit. The individual credit program is a micro-credit program. Typically the loans are small amounts with repayment over several months, rarely more than six months.

Training. Training is considered to be a key element in the micro-credit program. Beneficiaries have to know before they take the loan that there must be savings so that the loan can be repaid.

Group guarantee. Group guarantees combined with training results in a high level of repayment.

Administration capability. The individual credit program requires competent administration including carrying out the training and keeping accounts. There needs to be a secure place to keep the cash.

Multiple sources of funds.

The micro-credit program should be set up in such a way that it can benefit from multiple sources of funds.

4. Monitor progress

Review accounts and audit reports. Use the accounts and the audit verification to confirm that the community resources are being accounted for in an appropriate manner.

Review progress with community participants. Use a review workshop, seminar or meeting series to communicate progress and problems to the community and receive feedback from the community. These meetings should take place frequently, with probably a total of six during a year.

Measure progress using benchmarks. The initial benchmarks were established during the planning phase to identify the goals of the community in a very tangible way, and then to enable measurement of progress towards these goals.

5. External consultancy

Remedial measures. The process of reviewing progress will identify issues that need to be addressed. Consultancy must be available as soon as possible to ensure that program results stay on track.

Training. There should be training expertise available as needed to provide training and guidance to community leaders and project staff so that the very best results are achieved.

Using Benchmarks to Measure Performance

The implementing phase should start as soon as possible, initially focusing on work that is clearly a priority for the community, and is being supported by a considerable number of the participating beneficiaries. Implementation should continue indefinitely with the community saving and investing to improve its productivity and quality of life. Well done, accelerated community development takes advantage of the Keynsian savings and investment linkages and the economic multiplier effect arising from community investment activity.

Benchmarks

The following are elements of the benchmarks that might be used:

• Health profile. Various health parameters can be measured to indicate progress in the health sector. One set of measures is used to measure developments in the health infrastructure and numerical measures of the health sector personnel. Another set of measures is used to measure health sector performance relative to the client population.
• Education profile. Various education parameters can be measured to indicate progress in the education sector. One set of measures can be used to measure status of infrastructure and teacher standards. Another set can be used to measure performance relative to the students.
• Agriculture sector profile. Various agriculture sector parameters need to be recorded, including information about the traditional agriculture of the region.
• Job opportunity/employment profile. Job opportunities in the formal and informal sectors should be measured. The actual employment should be profiled as well as the population group that is seeking employment.
• Natural resource profile. The natural resources available in the area should be profiled.
• Community demographics. The demographics of the community should be profiled. This should include sex and age profile, and within this level of education and training and current employment status.
• Community buildings. An inventory of community buildings existing and planned should be recorded
• Housing. An inventory of housing existing and planned should be recorded.
• Business buildings. An inventory of business buildings should be recorded.
• Infrastructure - roads. An inventory and analysis of the roads should be recorded. The record should show road standards together with estimates of road use.
• Infrastructure - water. An inventory of water sources, treatment facilities and distribution system should be recorded.
• Food security. An inventory of food available should be reported.
• Energy. An inventory of energy sources should be recorded.