Decentralization in Community Development

Decentralization is one element that has its positives and negatives. On the positive side, it allows the success of different development communities to cooperate on the field for a harmonious intervention. In Rufisque, Senegal, decentralization lead to a strong cooperation between the local government, the community organizations, and the private sector (Gaye, et al., 2001). Such bond allowed for the creation of new initiatives to address some of the issues facing the region. Addressing or assessing the issues is extremely important as it is the starting point for any development project cycle. Decentralization is favorable to development because it defines relationships between various stakeholders, allowing each party to participate in the development process by distributing some responsibilities to the local governing bodies within a community. Some would however argue that the latter positive could also be a negative on the claim that pushing too many new responsibilities on locals, who may not be best suited to hold such tasks, impedes development. We believe that decentralization is useful, but it may need to take on a more inclusive form that promotes dialogue and cooperation, which would boost the development of "new capacities amongst municipal officials as well as involving them and stakeholders in developing new rules of governance" (Gaye, et al., 2001).

Cooperation is a key to identifying organizations and helping them become harmonious in the community. People will not cooperate on things they can do by themselves (Anderson, 1990). Thus, to induce massive cooperation, informal networking is a recommended option. In order for people to cooperate from both sides, it is important to identify what both organizations' interests are. Anderson's (1990) Postulate 3 states that organizations will insist on becoming involved when activities "are perceived as serving the actual or potential good of the whole community."

When looking at the case of Rufisque, the seminar on decentralized cooperation is a great example to show the importance of both decentralization and cooperation. As we stated earlier, decentralization encourages communities to at least address the issues at hand, which provokes the beginning of a development project cycle. During this process, different stakeholders work on prioritizing the issues, designing a plan of action that could later be implemented and evaluated. For conflict resolution and in order to create an emphasis on egalitarian community development, there needs to be good relations and communication within the community. As Martin Luther King once exclaimed, it is important to "win the hearts and minds" of the people who are the status quo.

After multiple steps of ensuring trust and communication between the parties, informal networking could be a solution to racism, For instance, there could be celebrations created such as ethnic festivals and parades to teach others about the culture. Informal networking spreads within the community and facilitates communication across barriers.

Town hall meetings for instance could be instrumental in identifying organizations and assisting them to prosper. An example of the Bristol Festival Against Racism succeeded partially because it was based on "trust and respect" over several years in the community to allow for open and easy participation from community members. The Festival created a buzz of news reporting, "communal cooking," educational workshops, "political debates," "religious services," "performing arts," and other cultural expressions (Gilchrist, 1998). To gain the benefits of a successful festival, organizers must be transparent and hold meetings open and public. Informal networking is better than the structural appeals, for the status quo create a deal of dissent. Finding a safe place for both sides to meet is an opportunity to learn about each other. A festival is good example of informal networking to meet the cause. Reciprocity is the main ingredient to bake this cake.

References: Anderson, R.C. (1990). Community cooperation and development. Sociological Practice, 8, 133-144. Eade, D. (1997). Chapter 6: Investing in organizations in Capacity building: An approach to people centered development. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Oxfam. Gaye, M., Diouf, L., & Keller, N. Moving towards local Agenda 21 in Rufisque, Senegal. Available at http://www.iied.org/docs/urban/local21s_wp06.pdf. Gilchrist, A. (1998). A more excellent way: Developing coalitions and consensus through informal networking. Community Development Journal, 33(2), 100-108.

Membership Organizations and Non-governmental organizations are two types of organizations that present with strengths and weaknesses in local capacity building. A membership organization is a constructed concept with a defined understanding of what "belonging" means. Unions, research networks, professional guilds, and consumer cooperatives are all examples of membership organizations (Eade, 1997). Membership organizations can be found throughout the world and are used to unite and empower local communities through collective benefits. In India, the Kolkata sex workers created a membership organization called Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee, which empowered the workers and helped them to focus on obtaining better health and education services. This, in turn, led to better treatment by madams, landlords, and local authorities (CSDH, 2008).

Membership organizations are generally voluntary and can provide representation for the collective rights of its members as shown in the Kolkata Sex workers example. This type of organization is a good way to bring together under-represented persons, specifically women, to strengthen their position and provide opportunities for advancement. Within local capacity building initiatives, membership organizations have a number of weaknesses. Unions, for example require membership dues. When the union is unable to collect dues because of outside influences, the union's ability to influence and empower its members diminishes. If the union doesn't have effective two-way communication between its members and its leadership, then a union may collapse and its members may end up in an unfavorable economic position. Membership organizations may see other organizations such as NGOs as threats and competitors for financial resources. Furthermore, membership organizations, specifically unions, are seen as overly bureaucratic, overly centralized and poorly managed (Eade, 1997). If this type of organization is not managed properly by its members it can be detrimental to capacity building initiatives. Non-governmental organizations (NGO) are defined through the work that they do and the organizations with which they associate. Many NGOs affiliate themselves with religious institutions, focus on a singular topic, or focus on geographical areas. This ability to identify and focus on individual issues within geographical locations allows NGOs to gather people and information related to their defined focus. NGOs bring this knowledge base, the duty experts, and money to help build capacity and alleviate suffering, poverty, etc. The NGO Enda Tiers Monde (Enda) is a good example of providing focused attention in local capacity building, "[A]lthough Enda may occasionally be the main project manager, citizens or government departments are the actual managers, with Enda simply providing methodological assistance" (Gaye, Diouf, Keller, 2001).

One of the NGOs' greatest strengths is also one of its greatest weaknesses. By focusing on specific topics or regions, NGOs can become fixated on specific stakeholders and lose sight of the needs and effects of their actions on other stakeholders. For example, NGOs purchase land for families in need without consulting the unions, thus undermining the legitimacy of a local union and creating hostility and ill will towards the NGO (Eade, 1997). NGOs fill themselves with intelligent and motivated people who want to fix the world's problems, but real change comes from listening to what the local people say are the problems. Eade describes the fundamental weakness of all NGOs, "There is an important distinction between supporting people's own efforts, and trying to solve their problems for them" (1997).

Reference: Eade, D. (1997). Chapter 6: Investing in organizations in Capacity building: An approach to people centered development. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Oxfam. CSDH (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Geneva, World Health Organization. Gaye, M., Diouf, L., & Keller, N. Moving towards local Agenda 21 in Rufisque, Senegal. Available at http://www.iied.org/docs/urban/local21s_wp06.pdf. /p>