CHALLENGES IN DICENTRALISED PLANNING IN HOIMA DISTRICT LOCAL

GOVERNMENTS. A CASE OF BUHIMBA SUB-COUNTY.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0. Introduction

This study is an investigation of the factors that limit citizen involvement in the process
of formulating local governments’ development plans in Hoima district. In this study,
factors are conceived as independent variable while citizen Involvement is the
dependent variable.

This chapter will present the background to the Study, statement of the Problem,
general objective and purpose of the study, specific objectives, research questions,
hypotheses of the study, conceptual framework, and significance of the study,
justification of the study, scope of the study, operational definitions, assumptions and
limitations

1.1. Background to the Study

During the 1970s and 1980s, Cheema & Rondinelli (2007), globalisatiion forced some
governments to recognize the limitations and constraints of central economic planning
and management. In 1980s governments persuied three primary forms of
decentralization: deconcetration, devolution and deligation. Deconcetration thought to
shift administrative responsibilities from central ministries and departments to regional
and local administrative levels by establishing field offices of the National departments
and transferring some authority for decision-making to regional field staff. Devolution
aimed to strengthen local governments by granting them the authority, responsibility,
and resources to provide services and infrastructure, protect public health and safety,
and formulate and implement local policies. Through delegation, National governments
shifted management authority for specific functions to a semi-autonomous or parastatal
organizations and state enterprises, regional planning and area development agencies,
and multi ad single purpose public authorities. Devolution is the model of
decentralization that was adopted by the Government of Uganda.

Decentralization in Uganda is firmly based on the presumption that improved local

governance can be achieved through devolution of political powers and functions, along
with fiscal resources, and that this will improve service delivery and in turn positively
impact on poverty. The paradigm is enshrined in the 1993 Local Governments
(Resistance Councils) statute that provided for the transfer of powers and resources to
local governments, the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) and the Local
Governments Act, 1997.
The Local Government cap 243 gives full mandate to local governments established
under sec. 3(2) to (5) to give full effect to the decentralition of functions, powers,
responsibilities and services at all levels of local governments. Sec 35 highlights the
planning function of local governments. The district shall be the planning authority of a
district. Local Governments Act (1977), sec 36(3), stipulates that lower level local
governments shall prepare plans, incorporating plans of lower councils in the respective
areas of jurisdiction. The plans of lower level local governments should be incorporated
in the comprehensive and integrated development plans by the district council. The
Ministry of Local Government has developed the Lower Local Government Harmonized
Participatory Planning Guide (HPPG) (2004) in response to the need for a guiding
framework for participatory bottom-up planning by Lower Local Government when
executing the decentralized planning mandate. The study therefore, focuses on
Decentralized Planning as a devolved function to local governments.

Theoretical
Decentralized planning in this study is anchored on the theory of popular participation
according to Hart (1972). The theory enables active participation of all people at all local
government levels in the matters that affect them. The theory builds on the
understanding that people will be sensitized on their rights to demand for services and
their obligation to pay taxes for those services. Furthermore, the people are sensitized
on monitoring the implementation of developmet inventions and participation in
development planning and ensure that all local development programmes reflect citizen
input and priorities. In this way, the citizens have the opportunity to influence and own
development programmes their local governments implement.

Decentralised planning is also anchored on the theory of devolution of powers

according to Omar (2003). The underlying principle in this theory is that power would be
devolved from the centre to local governments to allow local governments make
decisions and allocate resources based on local priorities. Besides that, power is
devolved from higher to lower local governments to allow decisions to be made at
lowest level of service delivery. This devolution provides a framework for decentralized
planning to occur.

Rordinel (2007) observed that decentralized planning is based on the theory of good
governance. This focuses on efficiency and effectiveness, equitable, transparent and
accountable use of power and resources, social inclusiveness, particularly of
margnalised groups such as women, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Furthermore, good governance enables the inclusion of cross-cutting development
issues such as HIV/AIDS, gender and environment in the development planning
process. He noted that such plans are not only comprehensive but also integrated.

Conceptual
In this study, communication, Levels of Participation and Capacity are the key concepts
in decentralized planning process to achieve integrated development plans.
Communication, levels of participation and capacity are the independent variables that
affect decentralized planning in lower local governments in a bid to ensure popular
participation. It should also be observed that there is a Harmonized participatory
planning guide (HPPG), a Government policy that moderates a bottom-up participatory
planning process, ultimately leading to the formulation of integrated development plans

Contextual
The lower local government decentralized planning is guided by the LG Planning and
budgeting cycle. The cycle is governed by the Financial Year which runs from 1st July
to 30th June. The HPPG (2004) requires the lower local governments integrated
development plans to be approved by 30 th April. The planning process in the
villages/cell and Parishes/Wards should therefore accomplished by September to allow
for their incorporation into the plans of the LLGs.

The Inclusion of poor people and other vulnerable groups in the planning process and
promotion gender equity, Plans being comprehensive covering all sectors (holistic) and
integrated and putting into consideration the recommended timeframe of the overall LG
planning and budgeting cycle while scheduling of planning activities at the lower local
council levels have been outlined among key guiding principles in decentralized
planning, Parish/Ward Planning Manual (July 2003)

The planning unit at the district coordinates and backstops the planning activities and
the lower local council’s technical planning team respectively to enable the formulation
of integrated LLG development plans.

Statement of the Problem

As observed by Oplot (2003), that favorable policies enactment and organizational
structures are necessary but not sufficient conditions for effective people participation,
the provisions of the constitution of Uganda (1995), Local Government act (1987) and
the guiding policies of HPPG (2003 and 2004) still fall short of effective participation in
decentralized planning in lower local governments. According to the National
assessment report '09 (as sited in LGSIP 2009/2010), the percentage of LGs publishing
financial transfers was 47%. This the Ministry of Local Government committed to take
up the matter seriously. While a number of districts benefited from technical support
extended by MoLG in the integration of gender and environment in LG plans and BFPs,
there was only a 1% increment from 38% in FY 2008/09 to 39% in FY 2009/10. The
failure to meet the targeted value of 50% is attributed to the minimal budget allocation in
this area (LGSIP 2009/2010).

1.2. Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to investigate on the challenges in decentralized planning in

Hoima district local governments.

1.3. Objectives of the Study

1.3.1. To Assess the extent to which communication affects decentralized planning in
Hoima District local government
1.3.2. To establish how the levels of participation affects decentralized planning in
Hoima District
1.3.3. To examine the relationship between financial capacity and decentralized
planning in Hoima District

1.4. Research Questions

1.4.1. Does communication affect decentralized planning in Hoima District local

government?
1.4.2. Does levels of participation affect decentralized planning in Hoima District local
governments
1.4.3. To what extent does financial capacity influence decentralized planning in Hoima
District Local Government?

1.5. Hypotheses of the Study

1.5.1. Communication affects decentralized planning in local governments

1.5.2. Community participation affects decentralized planning in local government
1.5.3. Financial capacity affects decentralized planning in local governments

1.6. Conceptual Framework

IV
CHALLENGES DV

2.  Communication DECENTRALISED PLANNING

3.
 Popular participation
4.  Policies
5.
 IPFs and
6.
7.  Feedback
8.
9.  Levels of
Participation
10. Intervening Variable Outcome
11.
 Youth, Women, Integrated
PWDs, Elderly, M.V Development
HIV/AIDS and GOVERNMENT plans
Environment groups POLICY

 Financial Capacity  LLG Participatory

Planning Guide
 Funding the (PPG)
planning process
1.8. Significance of the Study
1.9. Justification of the Study
1.10. Scope of the Study
1.11. Operational Definitions
1.12. Assumptions and Limitations

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0. Introduction

2.1. Theoretical Review

Rural community and sub-district-level planning in Indonesia

The Indonesian government launched the Kecamatan (Sub-district) Development Program (KDP) in 1998
as a response to a severe economic crisis. The aim of the program which ended in 2008 has been to
alleviate poverty and improve local-level governance by: providing poor communities with the financial
and organizational resources to decide how to improve their livelihoods; build appropriate
infrastructure; provide health care and education services; and build effective local government and
community institutions. The World Bank-funded program provided flexible grants, ranging from
US$50,000 to US$150,000 per sub-district which were channeled straight to the communities to finance
activities that villagers defined as the most important. In addition, the program set aside funds for the
thousands of participating villages specifically for participatory planning at the sub-village, village and
sub-district levels.

Participatory development planning has received a major fillip on account of the decentralization
reforms that seeks to bestow local governments with more responsibilities and makes them more
accountable to their citizens (See for example Goldman & Abbot -2004, Kang -2002 and
Republic of Uganda -2003 which provide good guidance for local governments wishing to
undertake participatory planning).   Decentralization legislation often sets legal requirements for
citizen participation in local government planning such as for e.g. the Bolivian Law of Popular
Participation. Numerous participatory mechanisms have been developed to involve citizens in
setting the development strategies of the local government and deciding on resource allocation
(see for e.g. Imperial- 2001 and Bitarabeho- 2008). However, decentralization can also bring
challenges to local planning, particularly if local governments lack the funds or capacity to carry
out their new responsibilities. In such contexts, CSOs can have a major role to play in supporting
sound and participatory development planning by articulating local needs, mobilizing greater
resources, and building the capacity of local government staff to use participatory methods and
approaches.

http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Decentralized-Planning/447521 19/05/11 @ 2.27. in 1952, it was

realized that without an agency at the village level “which could represent the entire community,
assume responsibility and provide the necessary leadership for implementing development
programmes”, real progress in rural development could not take place. It was against this background
that a Committee headed by Balwantrai G.Mehta (1957) was appointed to make recommendations for
the revitalization of the Panchayati Raj system and define its role in the development process. The
Balvantrai Mehta Committee published its report (1957) recommending a 3-tier system of rural local
government, called Panchayati Raj (in India). The principal thrust of the report was towards
decentralization of the democratic institutions in an effort to shift decision centers closer to the people
to enable their participation and to put up bureaucracy under local popular control. The State
Governments were persuaded to accept the recommendations and to decentralize adequate powers to
popularly...

http://www.blurtit.com/q615487.html 2.34 Centralized planning refers to management or

organization of an economy by a centralized authority or agency. It is in sharp contrast to localized
planning or root level planning more commonly known as decentralized planning in which plans are
made by those who are going to be directly affected by them and not by absentee bureaucracy sitting in
posh offices of the federal capital.

In view of the obvious merits of decentralized planning, planning process is being increasingly
decentralized. In china, this has given rise to the concept of bare foot planner which is conversant with
economic conditions and needs of people for whom the whole planning exercise is undertaken. Local
and regional and individual plans are then added up to draw a comprehensive or macro level plan.

Thus plans are not imposed from above and the concerns groups or localities are actively associated
with the whole planning process. Decentralized planning thus is more in turn with the democratic
aspirations of the people. The distinguishing point about the two types is the level at which the planning
process starts.

Each plan involves three essential components. It is composed of a capital budget and concerns
financing and execution of projects in the public sector. Then component is recurrent budget or a
budget of government expenditures also known as human investment budget. At last it is a package of
rules and regulations for direction and guidance of the private sector. Anonymous
2.2. Conceptual Review

2.3. Actual Literature Review

Thiruvananthapuram, (2007), Good Governance In order to improve the development

functioning of Local Governments each Local Government has to prepare a good governance
plan covering the following aspects:

(1) Increasing people’s participation in planning, implementation and monitoring

Communication

In assessing communication as a challenge in decentralized planning, The researcher

intends to survey on the dissemination of planning information; including government
policies, planning indicative figures (PIFs) and feedback on the outcomes, to those
communities involved in decentralized planning process.

Dissemination of Planning Information for parishes/wards, an activity undertaken in

August of each financial year, is aimed at up-dating the lower local councils about the
achievements of the LLGs in the previous financial year (FY), indicative planning figures
(IPFs) and any other relevant policy, (HPPG for LLGs, 2004). The disseminated
information is meant to allow the lower local councils to start preparing for the planning
process in advance. Community members especially the opinion leaders as well as the
vlnerable groups are accorded special care to attract their active participation.

Kurian, displays and exhibits are created to share information with the public. These
types of displays and exhibits should be set up in public places with high visibility and
high traffic volume to maximize exposure. Shopping centers, vacant storefronts, fairs,
libraries, and municipal centers are all good places for displays and exhibits. The main
purpose of displays and exhibits is to make the public aware of planning issues and
processes. Displays require little time commitment from the public. They are often set
up in a place that the public is at for other purposes so that people don't have to go out
of their way to participate

Communication breakdown between different hierarchical levels limit participation in

decision-making. Consequently, they end up denying themselves a feedback which is
critical to programme implementation. A key aspect of the participatory Planning
process is the communication of the financial results and the presentation of public
accounts about the works that have been prioritized, their location, value, and time-
frame for implementation. The commitment to inform the communities should be
followed up as soon as possible after the plan approval. – Challenges- The
recommendation however misses the methodologies of disseminating the information.

In his findings in Bushenyi District, Uganda, Bitarabeho (2003), noted that One of the
most common complaints of communities involved in participatory planning processes is
the failure of those organizing such activities to report back on the outcomes of the
process. Kerala Government (April 2006). A study conducted by Action-Aid as quoted
(in Rose 2008), seem to agree with Bitarabeho findings and further notes that there is
formal mechanisms exist through which grass-roots can access information about
district programmees and policy developments in the district of Arua, Kabarole, Soroti,
Iganga, Lira and Jinja. This entire line of criticism however misses the methodology and
measure of the quality of communication as outlined in the assessment manual of
minimum conditions and Performance measures for local governments; (September
2009).

According to the assessment manual of minimum conditions and Performance

measures for local governments; (September 2009), the quality of communication is
evidenced by:
1. Posting of IPF (annual and quarterly) of LGs for the current FY at the respective LG
headquarters and other public places e.g. churches, mosques, markets etc.
2. Posting of annual approved projects, of LGs for the current FY at the respective LG
headquarters and other public places e.g. churches, mosques, markets etc.
3. Evidence that the district has communicated to Sub-counties and Parish Councils
contract information including costs for district projects to be implemented in their
respective areas in the current FY (timeframe for implementation & budgets for
projects)
4. Evidence that the district has communicated to the lower local councils the projects
and activities that were undertaken in the previous FY by the District with its share of
LDG and CBG.
5. Evidence that the district has documented and publicised community contributions
made to the district projects implemented in the previous FY.
6. Evidence of dissemination of performance assessment results (previous national
assessment results and internal assessment feedback)
If the above paremeters are fulfilled, then the community is deemed to have received
relevant information to effectively participate in decentralized planning. It is from this
background that the researcher will assess the challenges involved in deseminating
information and receiving feedback in ensuring popular participation in decentralized
planning.
They can be used early in the process to let people know that the community is
undertaking planning and what process steps the community intends to use. They can
be used to let the public know what has already happened in the planning process and
about upcoming opportunities to participate. They can be useful during the strategy
formulation step to let the public know about alternative strategies under consideration.
And, they can be used in the plan review stage to provide information to citizens
regarding their opportunities to participate in that process.

In his findings, Kiberu (2001), confirms that weak feedback mechanisms limits
information flow between stakeholders and their participation in decentralized planning.

The most common ways of keeping the population well informed are council meeting,
public meetings and written notice publication on notice boards. The political head of the
lower local government, the chairperson Local Council Three, is required to move a
state-of-council address twice a year, in which the chairperson and his/her staff render
the achievements of the development plan, challenges and strategies to ensure that the
development goal is accomplished and answer questions from the house.

During public meetings, Councilors, in turn, are responsible for informing the delegates
and the citizenry in their respective parishes. The information is officially displayed on
notice boards within the sub county by the technical staff during the planning cycle.

 Feedback to communities of the outcomes of the planning processes and how

these will be taken forward by the government/agency involved;

Rose (2008), with poor linkage between lower councils and ineffective communication
system, integration of plans from villages to local governments is lacking. Planning
activities go on without guidance and follow-up by technical staff. However, the findings
did not indicate the performance of specific communication parameters as specified in
the National Assessment Manual. Further still, the National Assement Report
(2009/2010) indicates that Buhimba sub county received a reward for having excelled in
communication. However the used by the Natiional Assessment Team (NAT) used
reviewing secondary data methodology without the input of other stakeholders. The
researcher therefore intends to triangulate while assessing the extent to which
communication affects decentralized planning.

Level of Participation

In Brazil, The success of the participatory budgeting process is based on the extent of
popular participation – whether individual participation or community-based
participation/ representation. One of the main characteristics of participatory budgets in
Brazilian cities is the acknowledgement of one’s right to participate individually and
directly, and not necessarily through representatives of communities, unions or other
associations. The number of participants in thematic and neighbourhood plenary
meetings may vary from time to time or from one year to another.

To serve one of the fundamental principles of participatory planning, it is imperative to

explore means of effectively including minorities and diverse groups of people both in
the process and in its benefits. Such diversity should take into account, for instance,
issues of gender, age groups. Thematic committees to approach issues that are specific
to vulnerable groups are also a good mechanism to elicit their participation and ensure
that their priorities are included.

Kurian, Formulation of local plans by elected bodies

o Choice of the projects and programmes to be included in the annual
plans
o Design the structure of plan document and the procedures for its
adoption by the decision makers
o Adoption of resolution by the elected representatives of the local bodies
that enunciates the inter‐sectoral and the intra‐sectoral priorities
The decentralization secretariat Training manual (1994) emphasizes the need to
effectively represent the local population and provide opportunities for participation of
people in decision-making. This would accelerate economic progress, where emphasis
is on bottom-up as opposed to Top-down approach.

Smith (1993), looks at participation as a means and an end to decentralization

objective. This has been further emphasized in the Development Policy Management
Report (2004) that increased participation will result in enhanced success and
representation of those groups, which will inturn empower them to distribute resources
equitably and improve their access to social services, there by achieving poverty
reduction.

It has been observed in the decentralization policy framework (2006) that citizen
participation in decision-making and monitoring of development progress is less
dynamic than originally envisioned.

In regional development dialogue (2004), Nsubuga noted that in all groups there is
always attendance by the most vocal party to dominate the agenda. He was further
doubtfull whether participatory planning in developing countries is possible given the
problems of administrativecapacity, inadequancy of information for planning, the
tedance by decentralized authorities to understand planning as little more than addition
of wish lists to the annual budgeting process and lack of interst in practice by higher
authorites.

Smoke (1999) noted it that the influences of control over activities by entrenched local
elites who are often unsympathetic to natural development policies and insensitive to
the needs of the poorer groups in rural communities impede decentralized planning.

In the study conducted in Kenya Omar (2003), found out that decentralized
development plans were being prepared and implemented by civil servants themselves.
He noted it that civil servants would identify priorities on behalf of the communities,
prepare community plans, approve them in technical planning committees and
thereafter, implement them.

It is evident that when institutions for local participation and control have been created, it
is rare for significant powers to be dvoted to them as noted by Smith (1985). He further
urgues that administrators dominate representative institutions. Participation has been
an instrument to instruct, guide and legitimize rather than to locate decision-making
powers in the hands of the local people. Kiberu (2001), in his findings agreed with this
as he noted that no consultative meetings are held at the village/cell level to consult
them on their priority progress.

Mackay Oplot – Noted that favorable policies enactment and organisatiional structures
are necessary but not sufficient conditions for effective people participation. Capacity
building among the people is perhaps the most important missing link in our efforts to
promote participation in development process

According to Korten (1993), a major challenge in the planning process is to get the
active involvement of every one especially the marginised groups, to ensure that their
interests are catered for - Rose. It is from this challenge that the researcher will
conduct a survey to assess the levels of participation of different groups of
interest in the planning process

c) The scheduling of planning activities at the lower local council levels should put into
consideration the recommended timeframe of the overall LG planning and budgeting
cycle. The guide also stipulates that planning starts in August with the dissemination of
planning information to stakeholders and ends in approved integrated development plan
by 30th April. The guide targets the PDCs as the main facilitators of the planning process
at the village and parish levels

Capacity

A facilitator/researcher serves as a resource person to the team to integrate social,

economic, and environmental data, models, and methods from the scientific community.
This resource person needs to have participatory facilitation skills as well technical skills
to compliment those of the Learning/Planning Team members. Authentic participatory
development recognizes that there are many forms of knowledge, both expert and local,
and that both can be appropriately integrated into a planning process when the
discussions and decisions are enhanced but not dominated by expert knowledge and
voices.

The HPPG has been developed to involve citizens in setting the development
strategies of the local government and deciding on resource allocation. Bitarabeho
(2008), however notes that, decentralization can also bring challenges to local planning,
particularly if local governments lack the funds or capacity to carry out their new
responsibilities.

Financial Capacity

Decentralized planning seems unable to function without fiscal dependency. Local

authorities in less developed countries seem increasingly to be dependent for revenue
on higher levels of government. This is so because there is inadequate financial
resources to run decentralized planning and delegated functions. Manor (1999),
suggests that decentralized systems should have sufficient financial resources to
accomplish important tasks. The councilor’s tasks include participation in planning,
budgeting and mobilizing people for development. If finances are not available,
scheduled meetings will not be held and in case they are held councilors do not move
out in the field to contact and consult their constituencies, monitor and mobilize the
people for development. The local government handbook on development planning
(2003), reports that local governments resources base is narrow and its revenues have
been declaiming over the years. This has tended to limit the financial discretion of local
governments and their ability to carry out meaningful planning.

In Indonesia, for participatory planning to succeed, the Indonesian government

launched the Kecamatan (Sub-district) Development Program (KDP) programme, KDP
(1998), set aside funds for the thousands of participating villages specifically for
participatory planning at the sub-village, village and sub-district levels. The World Bank-
funded program provided flexible grants http://go.worldbank.org/UFC7JTGER0

Villagers elected facilitators, a man and a woman, who assisted with the socialization
and planning process. The facilitators held group meetings, including separate women’s
meetings to discuss the needs of the village and their development priorities. Social and
technical consultants were available to help with the socialization, planning and
implementation processes. For the sub-district level planning, an inter-village forum
composed of elected village representatives made the final decisions on project funding
based on proposals that came from the communities. KDP community forums then
selected members to be part of an implementation team to manage the projects,
assisted by technical facilitators provided by the program. While the KDP suffered from
numerous shortcomings, it is nonetheless an impressive example of allowing ordinary
citizens to plan and fund what development they want to see in their communities.

For more information on this case, visit: http://go.worldbank.org/UFC7JTGER0

Unfunded Projects

Frustrations amounts when projects in the plan fail to be implemented on accounts of

luck of funds. Local governments have experienced and continue to experience
unfunded mandates due to inadequate revenue for financing decentralized services.
This according to Kiberu (2001) discourages stakeholders from further participating in
decentralized planning for they see no value in planning

Another challenge is caused by a lack of funds to actually implement the plans, which
can lead to participation fatigue and frustration among communities. It is further noted
that slow progress of public works can frustrate participants.- Author: Jennifer
Rietbergen-McCracken, Independent international researcher and expert on
environment and development

Findings

Participation

Rose (2008) – At village level, planning role is dominated by the local executive
committee as well as a few elites who make decisions on behalf of the community.

Kato (2010) – In his findings sated that the higher the level of community participation,
the better the quality of decentralized development plans formulated. And the low the
level of community participation the poor the quality of plans

Oplot p.47-51,17-24
Communication

Rose (2008) With poor linkage between lower councils and ineffective communication
system, integration of plans from villages to local governments is lacking.

Planning activities go on without guidance and follow-up by technical staff. Further

recommends that for an effective bottom up planning, the technical staff and political
team should follow up activities in planning phases

Finance

Rose (2008) The absence of facilitation for village/zone level meetings in form of
allowances, stationary discourage people from attending meetings and to participate in
decision-making for their areas

PDC Capacity

Rose (2008) Recommended for the government to set minimum qualifications for
village executive councils. There is need to close the capacity gap and also reduce
inferiority and superioty complexes that affect participation. Powers should be invested
in people who are capable of making informed decisions, understanding and
contributing effectively t the policy information, the budgeting and planning processes. –
The researcher however, did not investigate on the capacity of the Parish Development
committee (PDC) members; the body mandated to facilitate decentralized planning at
village and parish level.

Decentralised planning also gets mandate from the African Charter for Popular
Participation in Development and Transformation (February, 1990), where the then UN
Secretary-General, Javier Perez de Cuellar underlined that, the recovery and
development must be determined by Africa itself and by the vibrant cultures of its
peoples.
Reviewing the experience in Brazil and Porto Alegre a World Bank paper points out that
lack of representation of extremely poor people in participatory budgeting can be a
shortcoming. Participation of the very poor and of the young is highlighted as a
challenge.[6] Participatory budgeting may also struggle to overcome existing clientelism.
Other observations include that particular groups are less likely to participate once their
demands have been met and that slow progress of public works can frustrate
participants, CIFOR (2007

In order to make choices about how to use their limited resources, communities need
decision making processes based on understandings of the important linkages and
trade-offs that exist between their community's quality of life, social, economic and
environmental assets, and the potential for various stakeholders to benefit differently
from the choices made. Our approach includes processes, data gathering and decision
tools that can be used by communities to sustainably plan for their future. Vaginia
) http://go.worldbank.org/UFC7JTGER0

Ida Widianingsih (1995) Local Governance, Decentralization and

Participatory Planning in Indonesia:
Seeking a New Path to a Harmonious SocietyThe call for establishing good
governance has opened the chance for the public to be involved in decision making
processes Within the framework of new decentralization policies, participatory planning
allows local government to be more responsive to public which in turn will deliver a
better
service.

Post-Suharto Indonesia is moving towards more participatory development

planning, within the framework of new decentralization policies which allow local
flexibility. Former development policies and programs were uniformly implemented
throughout the nation under a ministerial decree which disallowed any possibility for
differentiated models

Kurian Thomas and Ramkumar Bendapudi The purpose of participatory planning is to

create a platform for learning rather than plunging directly into problem solving. The
process is expected to enhance Identification of the felt needs of the people, bringing
forth consensus, the empowerment of local disadvantaged groups, integration of local
knowledge systems into project design. However, Kurian identifies high costs (time and
resources) and lack of skilled community facilitators among others as major challenges
in participatory planning.

McCracken, in her participatory planning Tool Kit note that, ensuring that all sections of
the community are able to participate is a challenge for participatory planning. Another
challenge sighted in the Tool Kit lack of funds to actually implement the plans, leading to
participation fatigue and frustration among communities.

Atwood (1993), in Sub Sahara Africa like elsewhere in the world, problems of
participation are caused by lack of information, inadequate management capabilities of
grassroots population among others

The Guide provides a framework on participatory investment decision making and

resource allocation so that Local Councils at Parish/ward and village/cell level are more
responsive to the needs of the electorate
Standing and approval

Through thematic plenary meetings commonly known as standing committees, the plan
is elaborated and consolidated. Finally, the plan is presented to council for approval.
Approving the plan is a traditional legislative role of the sub county council. This element
is extremely important in that participatory plans recognize both representative
democracy and the legislative power

3.4. Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.0. Introduction

3.1. Research Design

3.2. Study Population

3.3.

3.4.1 Sample Size and Selection

3.4.2 Sampling Techniques and Procedure

3.5. Data Collection Methods

3.5.1 Data Collection Instruments

3.5.2 Pre-testing (Validity and Reliability)

3.6. Procedure of Data collection

3.7. Data Analysis

3.8. Measurement of Variables

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Questionnaire

Appendix 2: Interview Schedule

Appendix 3: Work plan and Timeframe

Activity Duration(days, weeks, Dates

months)