Community Participation and Implementation of the Housing Projects for the Needy Famuaes of Ubudeiie Program in Gicumbi District, Rwanda

ABSTRACT This study set out to examine the role of community participation in housing projects for the needy in Gicumbi District, Rwanda. The study was guided by the following objectives: i) to examine whether the target community has power to negotiate the terms and conditions of housing project for the needy families in Gicumbi District; ii) to establish how power is delegated to the community members to contribute towards housing projects for the nee~iy families in Gicumbi District; and iii) to investigate whether community members have partnership with other stakeholders in housing projects for the needy families in Gicumbi District. The study adopted a case study design. The target population was 2,100 participants who included project leaders, local leaders and project beneficiaries. The sample size was 327 respondents, though, 248 participated giving a response rate of 76%. Research instruments used were interview guide and focus group discussions. Qualitative data was analyzed by editing transcripts to identify the significant statements across individual and group interviews. The study found out that the citizens had control in the following project activities, democratically elected their representatives at the village level, negotiated project terms and conditions of work, selected potential project beneficiaries, distributed project deliverables to the beneficiari~s, monitored and evaluated several project activities, participated in decision making and held their leaders accountable. Furthermore, the study found out that power which was delegated to the community members included, among others, decision making in meetings, forums, and seminars; involvement in budgeting and planning of financial resources, and holding their representatives accountable and sometimes take legal action where need be. The following recommendations were made: the project team should ensure that citizens participate and have a degree of control in all the project activities that directly affect them; the government and the project leaders should always involve the community members in decision making in all matters of the project that would directly or indirectly affect them to avoid conflict of interest at a later stage of the project; and the government and the project officials should provide grounds for flexible partnership with the local communities so that they willingly participate in the proj ects. x