Community management and engineer as facilitator

Community management is the approach in which the beneficiary community takes ownership, responsibility and control of a development project or resource – deciding, planning, building, operating, maintaining and financing it – usually through a users' committee or user group. Examples in Nepal: community forest user groups, drinking water and sanitation users' committees, farmer-managed irrigation systems and community micro-hydro.

Key elements: community ownership, local decision making, cost sharing, local O&M, transparency (public audit), inclusion of women and marginalised people.

How an engineer can facilitate community management

• Participatory need assessment using PRA tools (FGD, resource mapping, transect walk).
• Explaining technical options in simple language so the community can choose.
• Choosing appropriate technology that local people can operate and repair.
• Helping form an inclusive users' committee and define roles.
• Training workers, caretakers and committee members in construction, quality control, record keeping and maintenance.
• Mobilising local labour and materials and linking with municipalities, government and NGOs for funds.
• Supervising quality while letting the community lead.
• Ensuring transparency via public hearings, public audits and information boards.
• Resolving conflicts and helping set up an O&M fund and plan before handover.

Example: For a gravity water scheme, the engineer surveys sources with villagers, designs it, trains a local maintenance worker, and helps the committee fix a monthly tap fee for repairs.