Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 15.9
Common Problems in Community Development Programmes
Starting too late
Lack respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights
Use of hand-outs in community development programmes
Lack of transparency
Confusing roles and power struggles within the mining company
Top-down approach to community development
Taking on government responsibilities
Not Understanding the Community
It is often difi cult to understand your own partner in life; how much more difi cult is it
then to understand a community with different members, traditions, culture, beliefs, reli-
gion, norms, values, education, livelihoods, language, leadership structure, etc. Our natu-
ral tendency to project our own experience, ambitions, and values to others does not help
to the process of understanding communities. When undertaking a CD initiative, assum-
ing or guessing is not good enough. Participatory needs assessment and planning provide
a simple solution. The company acts as an agent to development: it listens and facilitates
community self-assessment. It relies on local expertise and inputs.
The company acts as an agent
to development: it listens and
facilitates community self-
assessment. It relies on local
expertise and inputs.
Unconsciously Excluding Some Community Groups
A community comprises many sub-groups, one or more of which may easily be overlooked
in the CD process. Women are an obvious example. They are often omitted from decision-
making and from participation in the development of their communities. However, women
may inl uence decisions in informal ways. Including traditional knowledge in project planning
can encourage the inclusion of women by recognizing the value of their knowledge. Finding
culturally sensitive ways to include women can promote their inl uence and contributions.
Failing to Evaluate Results
Mine production, energy consumption and most other operational inputs and outputs are
monitored and evaluated on a continuous basis. If ore characteristics change, ore is blended
to optimize process recovery and efi ciency. If energy consumption per unit output increases,
mining and mineral processing is reviewed, adjusted, or modii ed. Why not apply similar
attention to monitoring and evaluating community development outcomes? Admittedly indi-
cators to measure progress in the social context are more challenging to formulate than opera-
tional performance indicators, but this alone is no reason to engage in community development
programmes without the mechanisms to evaluate subsequent success and performance.
Indicators to measure progress
in the social context are more
challenging to formulate than
operational performance
indicators.
Role Confusion and Power Struggles
An individual's personality or character is an easily identii ed cause of role confusion and
power struggle. Role confusion and power struggles, however, can also emerge from the
CD process itself. Community development brings about change, forges new relationships
 
 
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