Abstract:
The importance of participation of beneficiaries at all stages of a water development
project is being increasingly recognised. One of the main factors leading to under
performance of water development projects is identified as lack of active participation of
beneficiaries in project management. It is being argued that their involvement at planning
phase would improve the project performance at operation and maintenance (O&M)
stage. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of beneficiaries participation at
planning stage on subsequent project operation and maintenance.
Towards this goal five completed water development projects were studied. In three
projects beneficiaries were consulted at the planning stage in the form of a pre-project
meeting. In the other two projects traditional top down planning approach has been
followed. An indepth evaluation was carried out for the selected projects with the help of
a structured questionnaire, field visits and study of relevant documents. All the project
selected are from of the greater Mymensingh region and are small in size.
Major findings of this study are that present level of beneficiaries involvement at the
planning stage through preproject meetings does not ensure proper operation and
maintenance of a project. Further follow up in the operation and maintenance level is
necessary to achieve desired level of project performance. However, involvement of
beneficiaries at planning stage ensures better project. This involvement reduces many
problems that would be few day the operation and maintenance phase. In one project
where service of two Community Organisers were available, who ensured continuous
dialogue during post construction stages effective involvement of beneficiaries was
observed.
Local resource mobilisation for O&M was encouraging for the projects where
beneficiaries were consulted at planning stage. It was observed that communication
between beneficiaries and project officials was poor. Present instiutional framework of
carrying out O&M activities was also inefficient.
