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Briefing Paper
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
(e.g. to promote gender equality, ethnic The active involvement of women and
diversity) rather than creating new (rival) other vulnerable groups, and fair
groups altogether. representation of different ethnic groups,
should to be promoted and agreed early on
In some situations it might be possible to
in the project.
work with the appropriate government
structures as well as traditional community Committee size: A recent survey of
groups. This can provide more WUAs in Turkana, Kenya reported that
opportunities for the sustainability, but the average size of committee was 15
needs to be carefully managed in conflict members. However several had 20 or
or politically-sensitive locations. more members and one even had 40. It
concluded that there is nothing wrong with
As part of the response to Hurricane Dean
a large number of committee members as
in 2007, the Haiti programme worked
long as everyone knows his/her role and is
successfully with local government
motivated to be involved. If roles are
(Mayors Office, Sections Communales,
unclear and people do not see the purpose
and the Public Health, Water and
or value they are adding then something
Education Departments) this helped
needs to change.
integration of the Oxfam programmes
because the authorities were equally It is good practice to maintain a database
interested in livelihoods and Disaster Risk of community members involved directly
Reduction (DRR) as in public health. in Oxfam work both volunteers in
committees and casual labourers
Selection of Committees
recording details of representation across
A clear and transparent mechanism for villages or camps, the length of time
selecting committee members needs to be volunteers have been working with Oxfam
agreed with the entire community (i.e. not and any trainings they have received etc.
just leadership) at the earliest opportunity. This can documenting and sharing
It is tempting to merely accept a list of capacity building lessons, and could be
names from the community, but if a used as a resource to minimise
group has been openly selected it is more employment law issues.
likely to remain accountable to the wider
beneficiary community. A sample Volunteer Database can be
obtained from the Public Health Team in
Oxfams Toolkit for WUAs in Kenya lists Oxford.
the following important attributes for
committee members: Committee Focus
Use the water source themselves. Often a community committee which has
been established or supported by Oxfam
Have sufficient time to spend involved will be focused on one main public health
in project matters. issue whether water, sanitation or
Trusted by community. hygiene promotion. If this is the case it is
important that this focus is considered
Will remain in village for future years. when committees are established, to
Representative of different ensure that members have the aptitude for
neighbourhoods / water users. the particular issue. If specific
technologies are to be adopted in the
Hard-working.
project (e.g. solar pumping, or school
Active. hygiene) this will have an impact on how
Dependable. the committee needs to function.
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
5. Clearly defined election procedure The budget line can then be allocated to
where members can decide without different actual incentives (t-shirts, food,
duress. party days etc.) according to project plans
and community priorities.
6. Methods of accountability financial
procedures, auditing, book keeping, Representing the community or
sharing information with water users. representing Oxfam? A recent review in
South Sudan revealed that volunteers who
Misunderstandings and discrepancies with had been given t-shirts with Oxfam logos
roles and responsibilities can usually be as an incentive (four years previously) still
tackled before they become major thought that they were Oxfam staff!
problems if there are clear communication This highlights the importance of careful
channels and regular project meetings with selection and design of incentive
committees and project volunteers. materials: logos and graphics should be
One approach to ensuring consistency and focussed primarily on community and
an agreed understanding of roles and project aims; Oxfam and donor publicity is
responsibilities is through the signing of a of secondary importance.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or Following inter-NGO discussion on
Letter of Agreement (LoA) between incentives the Zimbabwe WASH Cluster
Oxfam and the community. This can state agreed that the primary focus of incentives
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
Provide literacy classes (or other The format of training sessions must also
community defined need). be carefully planned with the community.
For example centralised workshops
Provide an allowance when on
(bringing together communities from
training away from their home areas
different sites to one location) can
for more than a day.
discourage the participation of women,
Adult Education as an incentive for who find it more difficult to leave their
pastoral community volunteers, Wajir home or village. Centralised workshops
Drought Preparedness Project, Kenya can instead attract people who are more
interested in travel allowances than in
Pastoral communities in Wajir have very
actual learning!
low levels of literacy, the number of adult
education teachers has dwindled in recent To tackle this problem the Kenya
years, and most adult education now programme follows a stepped approach to
happens in towns and small centres so is committee training, spending 1 or 2 hours
not accessible for pastoral communities. in each village and tackling one topic at a
During an Oxfam assessment of pastoral time. Staff then return the following week
needs, community members cited lack of or month to see what has been acted upon
adult education as a priority need and the and why, and decide with the community
opportunity was seized to use the group as whether to proceed to the next step or have
agents of change for hygiene promotion. a refresher on the previous session.
In this approach adult education groups Any committee capacity building plan
were formed in 20 villages for the purpose should consider both technical skills and
of learning and action both for committee management capabilities.
livelihoods and hygiene promotion. It is a
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
The length of time for which we will be Often the most viable option for Oxfam to
actively engaged with a community exit from directly supporting a community
committee needs careful planning at the committee is for linking the organisation
start of any intervention, and must be into wider local governance structures.
discussed and agreed with the community
It is always difficult to avoid the problems
at this stage.
of dependency upon Oxfam support and
This is relevant in all situations whether ensure 100% committee sustainability,
short-term humanitarian responses, however a clear and consistent exit or
development work, or long-term chronic hand-over strategy can help address these
emergencies where we might work with issues.
committees over many years.
Committee Scorecard
This is an example matrix or scorecard developed in Kenya for Water Management
Committees that covers many of the common principles of working with committees and
volunteers. It should be adapted according to the process and function of the committee.
Water Management Committee Scorecard Village: Date:
Criteria Scoring scale 0 Scoring scale 1 Scoring scale 2 Scoring scale 3 Score
1 Community is No legal form of WUA registered with Registered with Legally recognised
registered under the registration Ministry of Culture & MoC&SS and in WSP with Water
2002 Water Act to Social Services process of becoming a Service Board
manage water facilities Water Service Provider
2 Committee meets on a No scheduled meetings, Meets on semi regular Meet regularly, some Meets on a regular
regular basis to discuss may occasionally meet basis although more documentation kept and monthly basis, clear
issues pertaining to the when forced to respond likely to be reactively in sharing with wider agenda and minuted
management of their to a problem response to a problem. community but needs meetings which can be
facilities Issues not well improving viewed by members
documented or shared
with community
3 Committee has a clear No document exists Constitution or bylaws Constitution or bylaws Clear and practical
framework which exist but not practically exist and are used but constitution that
defines its role and used require some actively defines role of
informs decision review/strengthening WUA/ ways of working
making
4 Committee members are Members not clear on Some confusion in Members can explain Written descriptions
clear on their role and roles, poorly motivated roles, partial their roles with more describe the role of each
motivated to fulfil task and not active participation from clarity, involvement person and/ or
members with decisions from most members discussions with WUA
dominated by a few exhibited by attendance members confirm they
individuals & participation at know their role and are
meeting but could be motivated for the job
improved
5 WUA is accountable for No bank account and no Bank account exists but Active bank account Community maintains
income and expenditure records of income and not active. Some with periodic bank account with
expenditures are kept. records kept but transactions. Records approved signatories
No mechanisms to incomplete or kept and generally in and detailed record of
check for fraud discrepancies observed order but analysis is all transactions. Bank
difficult and/or deposits / withdrawals
information not can be reconciled with
available to public cash book, recording all
income & payments,
which is publicly
available for scrutiny.
Accounts can be
inspected/queried by
users or have been
audited
6 Equitable tariff structure No tariff structure in Water tariff exists but Water user charges Water charges collected
is in place, payment place and water is collection is ad hoc (less collected but not against receipts and
made against cash sale generally not paid for than 30% of users accounted for properly. entered into cash books.
receipts, entries made in regularly contribute). No cash sale receipts 75% or more pay for
cash book and Needs of poor not fully issued and no cash book water with agreed
monitored against considered or larger maintained concessions for most
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
August 2009
Working with Community Committees
Margaret Asewe, Mary Atieno Atayo, Andy Bastable, Nicholas Brooks, St. John Day, Martin
Samson Etolu, Brian McSorley, Zedak Maithya, Evalyne Nyasani, Marion OReilly, Boiketho
Matshalaga, Joyce Poggo, Kitumaini Sezibera, James Smith, Vivien Walden.
August 2009