Engaging with communities
Opinion piece : The role of the municipality in securing economic development outcomes .
By Janine Espin
Government ’ s Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment ( B-BBEE ) regulations stipulate that a percentage of business turnover be spent on socio-economic development . Many of these programmes are designed and implemented without engaging with the relevant municipality . This is a mistake . Municipalities are involved across communities and their inputs can add tremendous value , helping to optimise outcomes .
As an economic development specialist with many years ’ experience working across a number of South African communities , Economic Development Solutions ( EDS ) has gained insight into effective engagement strategies that can be applied to drive productive interactions with municipalities .
In an ideal world …
In an ideal world , impact studies would identify how the establishment and operation of the business might impact the environment , municipal infrastructure and services ( for example roads and water use ), and the community . The business ’ s socioeconomic development plan would then be designed with inputs from the municipality and other authorities — specifically with insight into the municipality ’ s Integrated Development Plan ( IDP ), which spells out the needs and ambitions of the community . Finally , a well-managed roll-out of the programme would add value to the community , with careful monitoring providing evidence that the effort was successful . This is often not the reality .
Barriers to interaction
Many municipalities in South Africa are under-resourced and under enormous pressure to deliver . They do not have sufficient staff and lack the fundamental skills , budgets , and tools to deliver on their mandates , namely managing the infrastructure and services required by the community . For many of these municipalities , collaborating aidc . org . za
It would be a mistake not to seek out the inputs of municipalities when attempting to build trust .
12 Water Sewage & Effluent July / August 2018