Community Participation in the Namha Catchment Area Development Project in Luang Namtha, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Abstract
The study determined the nature and extent of community participation in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation phases of the Namha Catchment Area Development Project at the village level in Luang Namtha District, Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDR. It also determined the factors that affected community participation and the latter’s relation with the attainment of short-term and long-term goals of the project. A total of 120 respondents from Nam Gnaene and Namha villages in Luang Namtha district were selected randomly using the Slovin’s formula. Data were gathered through individual interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi square test, and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that community participation in the various project phases at the village level was generally of the cooperation type, a form of genuine participation. The level of community participation of the households was highest in the planning phase, followed by the implementation phase, and lowest in the monitoring and evaluation phase. A total of 16 independent variables (age, educational attainment, household size, household income, labor capacity, land size, decision-making, project perception, leadership, communication, resources, power structure, community cohesiveness, policies, training, and incentives) were found to be significantly associated with the nature of community participation in the project. The nature of community participation in the project was significantly associated with the attainment of long-term and short-term goals of the project. Suggestions are provided for planners, implementers and researchers of community participation in agriculture and rural development projects in Lao PDR.
