Methods of Facilitating Public Participation in Planning PDF

SW 5307 PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING, POSSIBILITY OF INVOLVING CITIZENS IN PLANNING, METHODS OF FACILITATING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING **\ ** **INTRODUCTION** According to Hardina (2017), social planning also called neighborhood planning is defined as a process of planning social services, p...

SW 5307 PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING, POSSIBILITY OF INVOLVING CITIZENS IN PLANNING, METHODS OF FACILITATING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING **\ ** **INTRODUCTION** According to Hardina (2017), social planning also called neighborhood planning is defined as a process of planning social services, programs and policies involving government agencies, communities, social planners, policy makers, legislators, philanthropist organizations, local authorities and donors. There is a positive correlation between social planning and community participation as they both emphasize the importance of community involvement in identifying social needs, setting social development goals, and triggering effective social service delivery. There is no doubt that positive social change takes place when appropriate and effective social development interventions are initiated, and ensuring that interventions rolled out build resilient, cohesive and empowered communities, this is according to (karuga, et al, 2022). However, such change cannot happen by only investing massively in capital developments and application of modern technology, but also through adopting strategies which enhance the beneficiaries' abilities to change their own affairs. Khisa (2015), also stipulated that the requisite for transforming society and causing social change lies in dealing with the social problems that have tragic implications on people's lives and the needs they face through an integrated approach. Kadurenge et al (2021), stated that social planning was conceived way back after world war one but it gained prominence in the 1940s after world war two. Between 1940s and 1950s, there was no clear social sector planning strategy which could be used to analyze social situations thus world governments and humanitarian agencies adopted social engineering strategies, mathematical models, to analyze social situations and to plan development programs to address social problems created by war. Failure to use social engineering strategies to address the social effects of the war demonstrated that the above models had gaps and were not comprehensive enough to answer the social question of the day. The failures resulting from these conventional strategies which never considered the opinions of the community informed new strategic or clear development plans which are more considerate of the beneficiaries' opinions. POSSIBILITY OF INVOLVING CITIZENS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS Quick and Bryson (2022) define public participation in governance as the direct or indirect involvement through representatives of the concerned stakeholders in decision making about policies, plans or programs in which they have an interest. In democracies, citizens are considered to be important stakeholders in that, they are able to participate either directly or indirectly thereby electing certain people to represent them in the formation, adoption and implementation of the laws and policies that affect them. That is, public participation forms a necessary base for stable public-government relationship in democracies. LEVELS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING (Sang and Larsen 2023) 1. The **Inform** level: this level of public participation does not actually provide the opportunity for public participation at all, but rather provides the public with the essential information to keep them updated in regard to the agency decision-making process. The primary goal is to keep the public informed. That is, the inform level of public participation requires the agency to effectively communicate their decisions with the public, such that they may be in the light of what interventions are to be implemented though they are not expected to have any input in decision. 2. The **Consult** level: at this level, public participation is the basic minimum opportunity for public input to a decision. Consult simply means to ask the public for their opinions and considers the input it receives as it makes the decisions. The stakeholders bringing interventions do not sit down with public to work on things in any cooperative way but rather consider their input and provide feedback as to how that input influenced the decision. 3. The **Involve** level: At the involve level, the public is invited into the process, usually from the beginning, and is provided with multiple opportunities to provide input as decision-making progresses. Final decision still remain solely on Agency despite giving citizens an opportunity to have an input from the beginning till the end of the planning process. 4. The **Collaborate** level: this level is comprehensive of all the elements of involve as the public is directly engaged in decision-making. To collaborate means to work together, that is, at the collaborate level, the public will be engaged in all key activities and decisions, and their input will be incorporated to the maximum extent possible, though the agency remains the ultimate decision maker. In an effort to foster public participation, the government of Lesotho institutionalized the local government in 2005, with the view to enhance citizen's participation and trigger development. Since local government is closer to people, chances of participation are high. Public participation is a component of democratic government in which people exercise political power by participating in policy making or through choices of their representatives. The local government of Lesotho enhances public participation through various mechanisms which include, community meetings, feedback channels (established suggestion boxes and hotline to gather opinions), participatory budgeting and public consultations. FRAMEWORKS SUPPORTING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN LESOTHO - **The constitution of Lesotho**- it establishes the right to participate in governance. Since Lesotho is democratic country, its constitution promotes local governance and participation of every Mosotho in decisions affecting them. - **Local Government Act (amended) 2004**- It promotes and supports the establishment and operation of the local councils for increased citizens' participation in making and matters affecting them at the community level. - **Public Service Act 2008-** It ensures transparency and accountability in government and create the opportunities for citizens to have a say in public service delivery so as to ensure that the services offered align with the local needs of people living in the communities. - **National Development Strategy**-encourages stakeholder involvement in planning and implementation, encouraging that developments priorities reflect public needs. Collaborating with the civil society organizations is one other mechanism employed by the government of Lesotho to grant people with an opportunity to participate in planning. Non-governmental organizations working at the community level, play a vital role in advocating for public participation and ensuring that community concerns are addressed. For example, Bacha Re Bacha Youth Forum, at the district level, engages decision makers with dialogues and empower the youth through trainings on human rights, governance at local and national level, and on issues of public participation. Having been empowered, the youth start identifying the cross cutting issues within their communities. After that they participate in decision making platforms to address the identified challenges. This normally happens at the District Administrator's office, through dialogues or public meetings. The decisions reached are therefore presented to the relevant agency to be addressed. For example, health related issues are presented to the District Health Management Team to implement the proposed interventions, while Gender Based violence/ violence against children issues can addressed by the Police officers and even the Ministry of Social Development. THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING Bromsley (2003) stated that any social planning process begins with recognizing that there is a problematic social situation which requires attention. That is, involving beneficiaries is highly important at this stage as they are going to clearly articulate the nature of their problem, how it started as well as how it affects their day to day life. This is seen as the most important driver of development as all stakeholders involved will clearly know how best to deliver services so as to remedy the prevailing situation. There is no way service providers can deliver sustainable services without involving the people who suffer from that particular problem. Esteves et al (2020), further insists that community led initiatives help stakeholders to learn experiences from local levels and strengthen the implementation of programs. That is, the best way through which stakeholders can know what programs to bring as well as how and when is through allowing beneficiaries narrate their experience. This is very crucial as conventional strategies contributed to so many resources wasting as the stakeholders would just bring irrelevant programs that communities did not have interest in them as they were not part of the planning process. Kadurenge et al (2016) further reported that communities get empowered when they are involved in identifying their own needs and this is attributed to a sense of ownership and responsibility created among them due to their participation. That is, they get empowered and gain more awareness of their strengths and potential to influence development. The social work profession is basically about helping people to help themselves and gain control over their own lives. That is, participation promotes self- reliance, people get to understand that it is their sole responsibility to transform their lives for the better and this helps to reduce dependency on aid. According to Austin (2000), success and sustainability of community development programs largely depend on the beneficiaries' ability to manage their own affairs. For developments to last longer, it is essential to allow those affected have a say, as this will enhance their connection with the developed programs. This also stimulates a sense of ownership and responsibility to maintain such developments such that they may benefit the current and even the coming generation. That is, involving the public during the planning process puts them at the better position to fully understand the programs to be implemented, the importance of such in their community and therefore preserve their value. Most of the programs fail to bring change to those who need them simply because the public was not involved the planning process, so these hinders them from fully utilizing the programs in a successful manner due to lack of relevant understanding of the programs and approach. For example, with the public works initiative called "fatofato" which is a short term employment by the local council normally aimed at bringing environmental developments in the communities, people are just registered and given work to do without necessarily being given a chance to vote on what they would love to work on in their own community. More often, such developments which include planting of trees to prevent soil erosion, removing "lihahala" to create pastures for animals, do not last, herd boys allow animals to grace on those trees, this may be due to exclusion in decision making or failure of representatives to present the communities' concerns and give feedback to keep all parties informed. Beneficiaries of the services are considered to be the key stakeholders. This means that the programs and policy formulation should be in the best interest of the public. Involvement grants people an opportunity to present their social challenges, their priorities and desired outcomes. The idea is that, programs can translate into development only if they align with the local realities and experiences of the people living in the community. Public participation is regarded as a prerequisite for designing responsive programs and policies that best suit the needs of the local people. This can also help in ensuring that benefits equally reach to the target population. Moreover, citizens' participation helps them to have access to up to date information on matters affecting them. For example, when citizens are highly involved in the governmental processes in the local government, they will be provided with information regarding the actions to be taken. That is, participation helps people to be well informed of the plans of the local government in terms of what is planned to be done, when and by whom. This will motivate them to continuously contribute ideas for the betterment of their own community. It is of great importance to engage people in decision making and development of initiatives affecting them, however it is often challenging to directly have all the citizens partaking in the decision making process also known as 'direct democracy'. According to Suphattanakul (2018), population size is one of the main factors hindering the involvement of all citizens in decision making. This process is impractical particularly in large societies, composing of a large number of citizens. It is difficult to gather opinions from every member of the society as this can be time consuming and may require more resource allocation, either in the financial terms, materials or human resources to help organize people's votes on issues of concern. According to Rowe and Frewer (2013), working on complex issues may also make it difficult to have all citizens effectively engaging in the decision making. Due to lack of education, most people, particularly in the rural areas where there is limited access to learning opportunities, and information, it may be challenging for them to understand more complex issues, make significant contributions towards reaching well informed decisions. That is, without expertise, people may struggle to make meaningful decisions on which initiatives to support and what to trust. For example, during National elections, some people often elect certain political leaders simply because their forefathers were following such a leader, not necessarily because they see a potential or trust that leader to influence developmental changes in their societies. Without the needed level of expertise, involving citizens may lead to unfruitful outcomes and worsen the conditions. Mothepu (2013) stated that matters of urgency requiring immediate action may make it impossible to engage citizens. Citizens' involvement may take too long and cause delays in reaching final decisions, hence making it difficult to take quick actions in emergencies. For instance, during the Covid -19 pandemic in Lesotho, the government had to put forth interventions it deemed relevant and this included movement restrictions, closing of schools and churches as well as businesses regarded non-essential. All this were implemented without considering people's opinions due to the need to act promptly and save people's lives. Moreover, decision making cannot be a once off activity, due to the frequent and constant need to participate in the process people may develop participation fatigue. That is, as time goes on, people may start to lose interest and reduce engagement thereby prioritizing their personal matters and not wanting to dedicate their time to participate in every decision. This will result in decreased number of participants, weakening decision making process as it will still be difficult to get the true picture of the challenges prevailing in the society as well as determining the most appropriate interventions that will best meet the people's needs. METHODS OF FACILITATING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Methods of facilitating public participation therefore refer to the various approaches employed by policy makers to consult, involve and inform the public, allowing them to have an input in decisions affecting their social lives. Public meeting forums or public gatherings (lipitso) are traditional ways of involving community in all aspects that involve them. This is where by members of a certain community or village through the Chief would agree to gather at the specific place at their specified time and share opinions on whatever matters concerning them. It is highly advantageous as it offers a direct meeting between policy makers or program directors hence yielding immediate feedback. It also instills a sense of ownership discussed above as one of the drivers of development within the community. According Arnstein (2004), Surveys and questionnaires also form part of the useful strategies to facilitate participation. Stakeholders aiming to provide interventions can design a questionnaire entailing set of questions for people to respond to and narrate their need, concerns and contribute ideas. These questionnaires can be administered physically, telephonically or via email to reach the working people who may not be present during the physical administering of questionnaires. Due to the private nature of the surveys, people who lack public speaking skills and those who desire to anonymously share their opinions are also likely to participate, allowing for collection of in depth information hence yielding the right information needed for improving service delivery. Information collected in this manner can be analyzed by service providers and utilize it to shape relevant services. According to Reason (2008), participatory action research is a powerful method of facilitating public participation through which the officials run an investigation together with the community members. This helps the researchers establish relevant findings needed to address social problems within the beneficiaries' communities. Public involvement makes possible for researchers to obtain the needed information in timely manner as the community members know exactly where to get the needed information by researchers as well as how to reach the particular area of interest. Moreover, media and public forums give people an opportunity to participate in decision making. Essential information about government policies is often disseminated through media outlets, helping people understand issues affecting them. For example, the local radio stations and television programs often host the Ministers to facilitate discussions and debates allowing citizens to express their views and engage with policy makers. Media campaigns are done to raise awareness and highlight social issues, mobilize public interest, encouraging people to participate in initiatives. For example, human rights campaigns to educate people on their rights, voters education programs. Krueger (2014), also stipulated a focus group being another method of engaging the public in matters concerning them. This focus group is made up of people with similar interests who are engaged in a heated discussion pertaining any area of interest amongst them that needs proper highlights for development. For instance, focus could be portrayed to minority groups like LGBTQI people with a need to establish certain policies that directly have an impact in their day to day living. This method is highly precise as it helps gather the right information from the right people without wasting time and hence implementation of programs or policies not being delayed by lack of sufficient information. Cabannes (2004), stated that participatory Budgeting also forms part of facilitating public participation as community members will be allowed to take part in allocations of budgets that are used in community projects for the betterment of service delivery. By so doing beneficiaries will be in a position to know how for instance a certain program is expensive hence being in a position to make it a success and sustainable. In conclusion, public involvement in planning and decision making serves as the basis for formulation and implementation of relevant policies and laws that address deprivation in communities. Failure to effectively engage the citizens may pose further developmental challenges as the planned interventions may not suit the needs of the local people. It is of paramount importance that the governments work towards strengthening their methods of involving the public in planning for officials to make well informed decisions. This also calls for a need to raise awareness and educate the public on the importance of participation to ensure that key stakeholders stay informed and constantly participate in the process. NB: REMEMBER TO READ ON MODELS OF PARTICIPACITION REFERENCES 1. Bromley, R. (2003). Social planning: past, present, and future. *Journal of International* *Development*, 15(17), 819-830. 2. Esteves, A.M, Genus, A, Henfrey, T, Penha-Lopes, G. and East, M. (2022). Sustainable entrepreneurship and The sustainable development goals: Community Led Innitiatives, The Social Solidarity Economic and Common Ecologies, *Business strategy and environment*, 30(3),1423-1435 3. Hassan, F.A., Ongayo, H.A., Osore, M.K., Morara, G.N. and Aura, C.M. (2017). Effect Of community Participation in Access to Social Services: a case study of Hazina Ya Maende--leo ya pina. Approach in Costal Kenya. *Open Journal of Social science*, 5(11), 160-180 4. Karunga, R. (2002). Participation in Primary Health Care Through Community Level Health Committees in Sub Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Synthesis, *BMC Public Health*, 5(2), 1-17 5. Kadurenge, B.M., Nyonje, R.O., Tujifunzi, B. B. O. and Nduge, D.K. (2016). The Evolving nature of Community Participation in Public Development Projects in Kenya: ALiterature Review, *Inernational journal of Humanities and Social Sciences*, 6(9), 31-38 6. Khisa, M. (2015). Political uncertainty and its impact on Social Services in Uganda. *African Development/Afrique ET Development,* 40(4), 159-188. 7. Suphattanakul, O. (2018).Public Participation in Decision-making Process: Concepts and Tools. *Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economics,* 4(2): 221 8. Sang, S. and Rahman, M. (2023). \"Levels of Engagement in Public Participation: New Perspectives from Urban Planning.\" *Journal of Urban Planning and Development*, 149(2), DOI: 04023007 9. Rowe, G and Frewer, L.J. (2013). Public Participation Methods: a Framework for Evaluation. *Science and Technology and Human Values* (25)1, Dol: 10.1177/016224390002500101. 10. Mothepu, T.A.(2013).Citizen Participation in Policy and Planning Process in Local Government In Lesotho: *A Case of Qacha's Nek*. Pretorial: University of South Africa.