Evaluation of impact of beneficiaries participation at planning stage on operation and maintenance of water development projects

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.