Social Capital and Community Capacity of Civic Engagement - Essay Example

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT al Affiliation) Introduction The success of various development projects in the contemporary society has been ascribed to myriad project implementation issues. The first issue of project development that has led to successful implementation and sustainability of development projects is the application of a partnership approach to undertake such projects. Secondly, there have been issues of community capacity building as well as public or civic engagement when implementing projects that are geared to benefit the general public. Elements of the Presentation Introduction of the Presentation: This section would involve a general description of the meaning of civic engagement as well as the demographic dimension of the community living within the City. Moreover, it would also entail a brief description of the overall activities of the project; that is, the specific activities that will be undertaken in the project and how they may impact on the local communities. The introductory section would also describe the ways in which the local communities may be engaged in the development project and the pertinence of using the identified engagement methods. Additionally, brief information concerning the period that would be taken to engage the local communities and the specific departments where the local communities shall be engaged. Engagement of the local Community: Under this section, information concerning the pertinence of engaging local communities in any public development shall be discussed. It would also entail provision of case studies, in a brief manner concerning past successful development projects that undertook civic engagements in their development projects. Negative impacts that might arise in case the public is not engaged in the development project shall also be elaborated. Consequently, information regarding associated costs of engaging the local community in the development project shall also be discussed i.e. the amount of financial resources that may be needed to engage the local community. The potential roles that could be played by the local communities shall also be described in this section for instance; provision of local construction materials, assessment of possible conflict that could occur and developing solutions, awareness creation concerning the importance of the development project within the city, identification of community perception concerning the development project as well as seeking the support of the community concerning the road development project. Role of project developers in the civic engagement: Information regarding the roles played by the project developers in the process of civic engagement shall also be discussed in this section i.e. persons responsible for the civic engagement process and the ways in which they shall undertake the activity. Importance of Civic Engagement Civic engagement has become the most imperative facet in various development processes in the current society. It is a project sustainability factor with myriad benefits; to begin with, engagement of the public in any development project has been a crucial strategy for reduction of conflicts that may occur. Construction of roads as well as other infrastructures may interfere with the normal function of any society, that is: It may lead to displacements and destruction of public property. By engaging the public, possible sources or occurrences of conflicts are identified leading to the identification of appropriate solutions. This may occur in terms of negotiations, compensation and resettlement of the affected community. Civic engagement is also an effective way of empowering the local communities in relation to project development through capacity building (Smith 2008). Before undertaking any development project that is meant to benefit the local community, it is of great importance to conduct research regarding their level of awareness on the importance of such a project and ways in which they may benefit from it. This would act as a guideline for undertaking the capacity building program, which would be a way to empower the community regarding in relation to ways in which they may utilize the outcomes of the project. In terms of community empowerment, communities may also be informed on the various ways in which they may participate in the project to ensure its sustainability i.e. ways of handling any negative impact that may occur from the development project. Furthermore, civic engagement in any development project is imperative in the sense that it promotes a sense of ownership of the project among the local communities. When the local communities are engaged in any development project, from the planning stage to the implementation stage, they tend to have a sense of ownership of the project. This is important due to the fact that communities tend to commit themselves to ensure that such projects succeed as they are the owners and the ultimate beneficiaries. Moreover, engaging the local communities in development projects is an important way of exposing the project to the overall benefits of project partnerships. Civic engagement in any development project is a project partnership approach between the local communities and the project developers. Project partnership has several advantages; it entails the sharing of different ideas that lead to the success of projects (Putman 2007). Ideas from the general public concerning ways in which certain projects should be implemented are pertinent in that: They ensure that projects are implemented in a manner that the specific needs of the local communities from the project are met. This facilitates the overall efficacy of the project by attaining desired goals and objectives. Consequently, engagement of the public in such a development project would also lead to the development of an appropriate social capital (Smith 2008). This is a very important factor in the promotion of the sustainability of a project; social capital entails the relationships that may occur between the local city residents and the project developers. It promotes a harmonious relationship between the local residents and the project developers and even among the local residents themselves as it promotes interaction of different personalities (www.sustainable.org n.d). The other importance of engaging the local public in any development project is the fact that it promotes the overall sustainability of the development project by ensuring that appropriate sustainability factors are taken into account as in: Empowerment of the local community regarding project management which is a long term benefit; reduction of potential conflicts, promotion of social capital development; creation of a sense of ownership among the intended beneficiaries and information sharing (www.sustainable.org n.d). Ways in which Civic Engagement Build Social Capital and Community Capacity Civic engagement leads to the interaction of different people among the society i.e. the project developers and the local residents who may be from different lifestyle background. This interaction is crucial in the sense that it promotes the understanding of different personalities within the community hence promoting a harmonious relationship hence peace, which is a social capital (Putman 2007). The participation of the local residents in the development processes is also important due to the fact that, it leads to a facilitated understanding of the local communities regarding various aspects of the development project hence increasing their levels of trustworthiness towards the projects and the project developers as a whole (Putman 2007). This is a key resource future development projects owing to the fact that minimal efforts will be required to achieve the trust of the local community. In relation to community capacity building, engaging the local communities in development projects is a process that leads to community empowerment through awareness creation to matters ascribed to the development project. That is, when communities are involved in the project development processes, they get to acquire information concerning ways in which project activities may be managed hence improving the capabilities. Conclusion The concept of civic engagement in development projects is not only important in developing infrastructure but also in the development of other imperative societal issues. For instance community engagement plays a key role in projects that are meant to create certain values among the community i.e. awareness creation concerning drug and substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, corruption et cetera. References Putman, R. (2007). Social Capital and Civic Community . Ohio: infed. SEELYE, K. Q., & COOPER, M. (n.d.). The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com Smith, S. (2008). Thinking About Social Change in America. New York: Press Inc.. Sustainable Communities Online. (n.d.). Sustainable Communities Online. Retrieved April 19, 2013, from http://www.sustainable.org Read More