What to read after Power, Politics, and Performance?

Since 1994, public works programs with community participation have been part of South Africa's efforts to reduce poverty through increasing employment, skills, infrastructure, and local capacities. This report is an analysis of the intended and actual responsibilities of community forums and community-based committees; the value added by community participation in project selection, design, and management, and the problems introduced; the impact of community participation on project performance; and the factors that have constrained the ability of community-based committees to play the role envisioned for them in policy documents. The research provides a window into the developmental changes and challenges faced by South Africa since its transition to democracy in 1994 and reveals the dilemmas and possibilities pertaining to community-driven development projects.