Enhancing Citizens Participation in Planning and Budgeting in Kibaha Town Council, Tanzania

Unpacking decentralization failures in promoting popular participation in the Ketu South Municipality of Ghana

“…The budget phase of the development planning process is where measures are taken to ensure that citizens participate in the distribution of resources, and assist to make financial decisions on the cost of projects to be implemented. Malipula et al [ 67 ] coined and described the concept of participatory budgeting to mean a public decision-making mechanism that allows citizens in the negotiation processes for the allocation of resources. Budget preparations and financial planning processes at the assemblies form part of the fiscal decentralization component of the entire decentralization agenda, which sought to include and engage the citizenry in the determination of all fiscal and financial matters at the local level.…”

“…The findings of Manes-Rossi et al [ 68 ] point to the fact that engaging citizens in participatory budgeting processes is premised on the political will of powerholders to promote citizens participation. In Tanzania, Malipula [ 67 ] posited that the intentions of citizens' participation in local government budgeting and planning remains a mere rhetoric. Citizens' participation in budgeting and planning are considered a public decision-making tool permitting local citizenry in negotiating resource allocation and utilization [ 69 ].…”

Community Participation in Community Secondary School Construction Projects in Kibaha District Council, Tanzania

“…Several studies point out the motivators of community participation in development projects. Most studies conducted contend that community participation is motivated by the benefits that development projects are expected to provide, community members' awareness of participation and its merit, transparency on the administration of development projects, leadership, involvement in decision making and empowerment (Salum & Malipula, 2023;Malipula, 2022a;Chowdhooree et al, 2020;Mgulo & Kamazima, 2020;Laly & Mokaya, 2018;Mnaranara, 2010). For instance, studies by Salum & Malipula (2023); Chowdhooree et al, (2020);and Laly & Mokaya, (2018) informed by strategic rationality embedded in social exchange theories contend that individuals have expectations of benefits and are motivated to participate in development endeavours that coincide with their expectations.…”

“…As noble as the expectations of community participation seem to be, the approach is put to severe tests of fitness by various scholars (Salum & Malipula, 2023). Most scholars question the efficacy of bottom-up participatory development strategies and the nature and level of community members' (the ideal beneficiaries of the development efforts) participation in development processes (Malipula, 2022a). Numerous studies divulge how people participate in development projects and the effects thereof (Mgulo & Kamazima, 2019;Hao et al, 2021).…”

“…Currently, community participation is cajoled in decentralised local governance which is meant to attract citizens' voices in the development processes (Asukile & Mbogo, 2022). Such consideration rationalises the bottom-up approach depicted in Tanzania's development planning blueprints particularly the Opportunities and Obstacles to Development (O&OD) approach which demands communities to originate from the lower levels of local governance, the Village/ Street level and Ward level (Malipula, 2022a). In our case, the lower levels are Street meetings on the four streets in Kawawa Ward and the Kawawa Ward Development Committees (KWDC).…”