Community models

COMMUNITY MODELS AS TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: FILLING THE STRATEGIC GAP

Presented by:TANKO AHMED, fwc, Senior Fellow

Security & Strategic Studies DepartmentResearch Directorate, NIPSS, Kuru

A Prologue• The significance of works of this nature, particularly in the

NIPSS policy discourse, depends on its topical value.

• The life-span of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UN-MDGs) reaches full circle in 2015 with many countries, including Nigeria, lagging behind.

• Discussions on ‘what to do next’ are already in the air.

• Sustainable development effective at community level is severely lacking due to ‘strategic defects’. This paper identifies strategic gaps and proffer ways of filling them.

INTRODUCTION

‘Small is Beautiful’ – Schumacher (1973)

Background• Small is beautiful in the sense that it is easier and more

effective to organize and manage.

• Schumacher (1973) proposed the idea of ‘smallness within bigness’, a specific form of decentralization of large organization, for better management .

• The National Institute (NIPSS) has a long standing paradigm

of development in which cumbersome, large-scale and often not-well-organized entities are reduced and defined into manageable specific, small-scale and easy-to-organize units (NIPSS, 2002).

Hypothesis/Assumption

For effective sustainable development at community level, the existing larger

‘entity’ of Nigeria needs to be re-defined into a framework for provision,

maintenance and consolidation of service delivery by all tiers of development

agencies aiming at the grassroots, hinting on systematic decentralization.

Relevant Literature• Conyers (1986) described decentralization as the transfer of

authority to plan, make decision and manage functions from higher to lower level.

• Belsky and Karaska (1985) explained that the lack of grassroots organization is linked with disparities in the levels of development in Third World countries;

• Cohen (1985) discussed the question of demarcation through defined boundaries marking the beginning and end of communities;

• Bauman (2001) described a community as the kind of world which is not available, but desirable for effective development planning and execution;

• Jelili, Adedibu & Egunjobi (2008) pointed out that failure of Nigeria’s planning machinery to recognize and define spatial diversities and complexities justified the need for sound regional planning.

Relevant Literature (contd…)• Chumbow (2009) emphasized that the single most

important characteristic of African nations is diversity in communities within each nation;

• Olumodeji (2003) reviewed the Social Development Policy for Nigeria 1989 and made a strong case for the need to inject a new philosophy including the construction of model village scheme linked to attempts on modelling a local development plan.

• These ideas have already been manifested in proposals (Aremu, 2010) for innovative policy measures and institutional framework for effective service delivery, pointing to the existence of strategic gaps in national development planning administration.

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION

KEY TERMS

• Community Models

• Sustainable Development

• Strategic Gap

The Community • The concept of community has been so controversial that it had

ignited so wide a debate that by mid-1950s there were not less than 94 discrete definitions along with their theoretical frameworks rallying at the system theory (Hillery, 1955).

• A community refers to a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity that shares some common values with attribute of social cohesion within a shared geographical location generally in social units larger than household (OECD, 2009).

• To marshalling a general definition for this work, the term ‘community’ can be regarded as a system or the totality of interactions among subsystems, because every community has a variety of behavioural rules that satisfy local needs through the specialization of functions and of the people that make up these subsystems (Garcia, et el, 1999).

Type Of CommunitiesIn typology, communities are categorized into three main headings, as proposed by Tropman, et el, (2006):

a) Geographic Communities like local neighbourhood, suburb, village, town, city, state, zone, nation, regional (continental) or global, also known as communities of location;

b) Communities of Culture ranging from local clique, sub-culture, ethnic group, religious, multicultural or pluralistic civilization or the global community cultures, include ‘communities of need or identity’ such as ‘-challenged persons’; and

c) Community Organizations like informal family or kinship

networks, to more formal incorporated associations, political decision making structures, economic enterprises or professional associations at local, national or international scale.

Models And Modelling• A model is a simplified construct, copy or version of

something complex for use in presentation, application, analysis or solution of problems; it is also a physical representation, replica, prototype, framework or configuration designed for spatial generation and broadcast.

• A scientific model is a simplified abstract view of the complex reality representing empirical objects, phenomena and physical processes in a logical way to construct a formal system for which reality is the only interpretation (Freudenthal, 1951).

• A conceptual model could mean a model of concept or it could mean a model that is conceptual, making most models as concepts intended to be abstracts of real world states of affairs; its value judged proportionate to how well it corresponds to intended real world concept (Gregory, 1992).

Community Model• Closer to the idea of constructing a ‘community model’ is the domain

model, a type of conceptual model used to depict the structural elements and their conceptual constraints within a domain of interest, sometimes called the problem domain.

• It includes the various entities, their attributes and relationships, plus the constraints governing the conceptual integrity of the structural model elements comprising that problem domain.

• It may also include a number of conceptual views, where each view is

pertinent to a particular subject area of the domain or to a particular subset of the domain model which is of particular interest to this paper.

• Like entity-relationship models, domain models can be used to model

concepts or to model real world objects, events or entities, like community models .

Community Modelling• A modelling system based on theory of analogical reasoning

developed across time in the successive works of Skousen (1989; 1992; 2002, et el; and 2003) for sorting out categorization and connectivity.

• This serves the purpose of constructing templates for general use

applicable to this paper for the following two main reasons: a) Its context consists of given number of variables constructed

into a basic template and generated into applicable units; and b) In a simple version, a template based on this principles can be

constructed as a ‘model’ consisting of ‘variables’ applicable across any given terrain, for the purpose of ‘process execution’ like community development policy.

• For example, a ‘model community’ may feature certain basic services/structures like education/schools, health/clinics, security/police posts, socio-cultural/community hall or election/polling booths

Sustainable Development• The term sustainable development was coined and used by the

Brundtland Commission as any development process that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (UN, 1987; Smith and Rees, 1998).

• According to Hasna (2007), sustainability is a process consisting of

development of all aspects of human life affecting sustenance. • Today there are phrases like sustainable development, sustainable

growth, sustainable economies, sustainable societies, and sustainable agriculture, etc., as Temple (1992) concluded that: ‘Everything is sustainable’.

• Thus, sustainable development signifies the optimization and impact of

the development process at grassroots level in a continuous manner.

Strategic Gaps• Strategic gaps, or missing steps, are the differences between the

‘desired’ and the ‘obtained’ in terms of mission, objectives, goals and the strategy for achieving them (Turban, et el, 2008).

• There are four main sources of these gaps, as identified by Niven

(2005), including lack of vision, people, management and resources all of which if not ascertained, failure is virtually assured.

• Another set of three causes of strategic gaps are planning (or

management) induced; process (or implementation) induced; and technology (or support system) induced (Coveney, et el, 2003).

• All these point to the dangers of lack of integrity or weaknesses in

‘planning’ which, in this case, is reflected in the absence of delineated and identified ‘communities’ as basic units of sustainable national development process.

COMMUNITY MODELS AS TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

• The first thing that comes to mind on the issue of using ‘community models’ for development purposes, is the topic of decentralization, that is, the transfer and distribution of authority to manage development process including planning and decision-making.

• The practice of Community-Based Resource Management, the resource management at the community level in which the community is responsible for decisions related to the allocation, use, conservation and management of area-based resources may be the basis for investiture in the wider development process.

• However, Conyers (1986) cautioned that in any country, irrespective of its level of development, discussion about the relationship between decentralization and development tend to take the form of vague and often rhetorical generalization and assertion which seldom lead to any clear conclusion and frequently result in confusion and contradiction.

The British Model• In Britain, the idea of sustainable communities embody the principles of

sustainable development set out in a government sustainable development strategy called 'Securing the Future', at local level (LGID, 2010).

• The programme enables people to live within environmental limits; ensures a strong, healthy and just community; and helps to achieve a sustainable local economy.

• It defines a sustainable community as one which is active inclusive and safe, well run, environmentally sensitive, well designed and built, well connected, thriving, well served and fair for everyone.

• In the process, Local authorities, along with local partners, have the primary responsibility for achieving sustainable communities as sanctioned by the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 which offered local authorities and their partners an opportunity to put forward proposals for achieving sustainable improvements in their area -

http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk.

The Belgian Model• The Federation of Belgium is made up of constitutionally recognized and

politically active communities in a complex system of entities and institutions piled up on a small territory of 30,500 square kilometers.

• Most political power is organized around the need to represent the main cultural (and political) communities with distinct representations for each community’s interests besides defenders of their ideologies.

• The Belgian Constitution recognized the existence of strong communitarian and regional differences and sought to reconcile these differences through a diffusion of power to the communities and the regions in a full-fledged federal state.

• The regional and community councils and governments have jurisdiction over transportation, public works, water policy, cultural matters, education, public health, environment, housing, zoning, and economic and industrial policy.

• They rely on a system of revenue-sharing for funds, with the authority to levy a very few taxes (mostly surcharges) and to contract loans.

• A total public spending of more than 30% is authorized by the regions and communities, although their financing comes for over 80% from the national Belgian budgets.

• Legislative powers are also divided between the national, the regional and the community levels. - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/Politics_of_Belgium

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Challenges• The Millennium Development Goals are relevant to

development and if communities are modelled and organized good enough, the process can permeate to the grassroots.

• Almost all services of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) operate on the basis of structures constructed for service delivery, with obvious challenges of reaching all nooks and corners of Nigeria.

• There is no existing structure accounting for all communities across the length and width of this vast and diverse country.

• There is still no accurate account of how many communities are there in Nigeria.

• Such are the enormous challenges in modelling and utilizing communities as tools for sustainable development in Nigeria.

Opportunities• Within the outlined challenges also dwell the opportunities for

modelling and utilization of communities as tools for sustainable development.

• Assuming that the distribution of INEC Polling Booths represent the ‘actual’ and ‘accurate’ number and distribution of ‘communities’ in the entire geographical area of Nigeria reflecting their locations, population, characteristics, resources and core competence, including existing and functional facilities and amenities.

• This would be a perfect ‘tool’ for global, regional, national, zonal, state, local and community planning and implementation of development policies – an effective way to plan, monitor, ascertain and fill up strategic gaps.

• The ‘trickle effect’ of development at the grassroots will trigger sustainable development resulting from the multiplicity of activities to be generated overtime.

• Such are the enormous challenges in modelling and utilizing communities as tools for sustainable development in Nigeria.

IDENTIFYING AND

FILLING THE STRATEGIC GAPS

Sustainable Development Process Strategy

This work has outlined three main planning and operational levels of the sustainable development process strategy out of which strategic gaps are identified and the means of filling such gaps proposed. They include:

a)The Global Level;b)The National Level; andc)The Community Level.

Global Level• The globalized nature and structure of sustainable

development process is championed and led by the various development agencies at the United Nations like the United National Development Programme (UNDP) with its Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) programme and Millennium Village Projects (MVPs).

• At regional or continental level, the African Union (AU) has its departments and agencies, including the African Development Bank (ADB); and the sub-regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also maintains similar outfit.

• The National Level connects to the Global Grid.

National Level• At the national level, a three (3) tier federal, state and local

governments’ structure and development functions are performed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

• There is also an occasional reference made to geo-political zones which, like the ‘community’, are without specific or recognized constitutional or statutory conveyance.

• The use of development plans popular in the 1960s to 1980s is now replaced by Visions, like the Vision 20-2020, in-tune with the global strategies.

• In Nigeria, the ‘Transformation Agenda’ of the present administration is the arrow-head of sustainable development thrust designed to reach the grassroots, at community level.

The Community Level• This work proposes the concept and template of ‘community’ as

a ‘fractal’ and ‘grassroots’ unit decentralized for easy and effective development process.

• The context of a ‘Community Model’ consists of given number of variables defined and constructed for the purpose of ‘process execution’ like community development policy.

• For example, a ‘model community’ may feature certain basic services/structures like education/schools, health/clinics, security/police posts, socio-cultural/community hall or election/polling booths.

• In the practice of Community-Based Resource Management, the resource management at the community level in which the community is responsible for decisions related to the allocation, use, conservation and management of area-based resources may be the basis for investiture in the wider development process.

Identification and Filling of Strategic Gaps• In general terms, while there are Charters and Laws for

global, regional and sub-regional agencies and constitutional and statuary provisions for national governance at federal, state and local tiers, there are none whatsoever for the ‘community’ level, including the vague ‘Zonal’ geo-political reference used in Nigeria for convenience of political activities.

• These are proofs of strategic gaps or missing links in the overall ‘Global-to-Community’ development structure.

• There is also the absence of a sound ‘modelled’ structure, for effective development at grassroots or community level.

• These gaps or missing links can be filled constitutional and statuary provision for effective domestication of global and regional charters applied to standardized community models as tools for sustainable development in Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

Summary• The use of models for design and adaptation are common

in various methods of development, including sustainable development process.

• Community level interventions are considered effective in the sense that they permeate to the grassroots of developmental efforts.

• This work sets out to discuss the need for standard design and implementation of ‘community models’ within a framework of practical and effective administrative system and structure to facilitate a sustainable national development process in Nigeria.

• The key terms of community model, sustainable development and strategic gaps are conceptualized; community models established as development planning and implementation tools; along with identification and filling of strategic gaps.

Conclusion• Nigeria is governed on the assumption that all communities are known,

demarcated and accounted for in the overall development process, without a clearly defined format or standard of what a community should be and what it ought to be.

• In a spatial sense, this process may be likened to the demarcation of a field designated as parking space for vehicles which, without proper layout and marking of parking lots, there will be chaos.

• In a strategic sense, the effectiveness of all development efforts at the existing federal, state local government tiers entirely depends on the effective developmental thrust able to connect and deliver services to the grassroots or community level.

• By mapping, defining, modelling and standardizing communities as basic units for sustainable national development in Nigeria, the traditionally complex and seemingly un-surmountable process captured in the realm of ‘small is beautiful’ within a situation of ‘bigger is better’ is a way out.

• These remedies call for systematic decentralization for allotment of better organized and effectively managed units, for development purposes. The strategic gaps identified as structural ‘disconnections’ as well as the ‘incapacity’ of communities to capture and domesticate sustainable development process.

Recommendations

To strengthen the structure and strategy for sustainable development in Nigeria certain actions are required as follows:Recommendation 1:

There is the need for review of the existing Community Development Policy to align with standard practices, particularly the Transformation Agenda of present administration.

Strategy for ImplementationA meeting of all stakeholders, including relevant Government

and UN Agencies at all tiers be organized to produce a new Sustainable Development Policy to bridge the identified

strategic gaps or missing links.

Recommendations Cont…Recommendation 2:

Ascertain the actual locations, population and required format for communities. Strategies for Implementationa. The Office of the Surveyor General to demarcate and

ascertain the exact number and location of all communities in Nigeria;

b. The National Planning Commission to construct community models, including what structures and services are required for development planning and process; and

c. All other MDAs, International Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations and other entities at all tiers involved in the development process to key into a master or grand structure for easy and effective co-ordination module for service delivery.

‘Small is Beautiful’ – Schumacher (1973)

THANK YOUFOR

LISTENING

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