Community development, education and training for change and localization
Abstract (Summary)
This thesis explores the ways in which education and training programs can contribute to the
achievement of equitable, self-reliant, and sustainablecommunity development.
A case study was conducted on an indigenous affiliate of the Agency for Cooperation in
Research and Development (ACORD) in Nebbi district, Uganda. ACORD is a broad-based
international consortium of European and Canadian non-governmental orgauizations. ACORD's
main focus in sub-Saharan Afnca is to help establish or strengthen local, non-governmental
structures with a view to promoting equitable, self-reliant, sustainable development, The
ACORD-NEBBI community development programme was chosen for the study for four reasons:
First, it appeared to be consistent with the comrnunity development principles advanced in the
iiterature. Second, it emphasizes long-tcrm iocalization of the programme hugh a signifcant
skills training and education cornponent. Third, the ACORD-NEBBI
programme is a mature (Le.
over 15 years old) community development effort with a variety of programs under one
urnbrella. And fourth, the programme was accessible geographically and culturally to the
researcher.
The researc
h methods included observation, document analysis, and forty-six semi-structurai
interviews. The interviewees represented community development workers, former participants
of ACORD-NEBBI training programs, primary beneficiaries of ACORD-NEBBI developnent
programme, and the programme personnel.
Six factors were found to support the ability of ACORD-NEBBI education and training programs
to contribute to the achievement of equitable, self-reliant, and sustainable development
initiatives: fmt, application of a phased approach to change and locaiization; second, tailoreci
training activities at the request and Pace of the beneficiaries; third, support to and promotion of
self-selecting group formation based on common interests that, in tum, allowed the bctioning
of groups with less social fiction; fourth, the application of a development approach compatible
with the socio-cultural traditions; fifth, the development of a rnulti-faceted programme that
penetrated al1 vulnerable segments of the society; and sixth, the application of change agents
who supporteci emerging comunity groups.
Two factors were identifiai as lindering the ability of ACORD-NEBBI
education and training
programs to contribute to the achievement of equitable, self-reliant, and sustainable development
initiatives: a) the poor state of âevelopment instruments (i.e. accessiblemads, clan water, and
well equipped medical centres), and b) missed target groups -- the poorest of the poor -- who
could not fonn groups through whicb training is delivered. The latter factor exists because the
programme focuses on groups, and hence individuals who could not form orjoin the selfselecting
groups were left out of the developmmt process. Thus, the lower middle class mata of
the village communitieshave benefitedthe most because they already had the basic resources -
work capacity, knowledge, capital - with which to gain access, influence and the much needed
savings mobilization prior to group formation. The majority of the nual poor do not possess
these important resources.
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Source Type:Master's Thesis
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Date of Publication:01/01/1999