This paper argues that for rainfed and watershed development programmes to be sustainable it is not sufficient for participatory research and planning methods to be adopted alone. A structured planning process is also essential in which local institutions are identified and supported to take responsibility for implementatiom and the long term management .
Draft report of a Consumer Consultative Survey carried out by Andhra Pradesh Energy Efficiency Project (APEEP). The study used PRA methods, amongst others, to assess the behavioural aspects of power use by rural consumers, their attitudes towards various aspects of rural power supply and to determine the impact of the project in reducing power losses and improving supply. The critical issues arising from the study and their policy implications are summarised.
Field observations have led many people to believe that beneficiary participation in decision making can contribute greatly to the success of development projects. When people influence or control the decisions that affect them, they have a greater stake in the outcome and will work harder to ensure success. But the evidence supporting this reasoning is qualitative so that many practictioners remain skeptical. Three questions need to be addressed: to what degree does participation contribute to project effectiveness? which beneficiary and agency characteristics foster the process? and, if participation does benefit project outcomes, how can it be encouraged through policy and project design? To answer these questions, researchers studied evaluations of 121 completed rural water supply projects in forty-nine developing countries around the world. The results show that beneficiary participation contributes significantly to project effectiveness, even after statistically controlling for the effects of 17 other factors. The basic conclusion of this study is that rural water projects must be fundamentally redesigned in order to reach the one billion rural poor who lack a sustainable water supply. Redesign must encompass a shift from supply-driven planning to demand-responsive, participatory approaches to ensure beneficiary participation, control, and ownership.