Synthesis of Existing Knowledge and Experience on the Provision of ...

Figure 4: Proposed pilot l<strong>and</strong> use plan implementation areas in Borana Zone 38Overall planning is conducted at expert level within government. However, it is noted thatcommunity participation is necessary to ensure the sustainability <strong>of</strong> the development endeavour. TheL<strong>and</strong> Use Guided Valley Development Program (2009) indicates that “community has to participatein implementation, monitoring <strong>and</strong> evaluation <strong>of</strong> projects to be implemented under the programstarting from project identification <strong>and</strong> preparation. Since the community at the grass root is theprimary beneficiaries <strong>of</strong> the program/projects they need to make their contributions toimplementation <strong>of</strong> the projects in labour <strong>and</strong>/or cash as per their current background.” To helpcoordinate community participation, a Community Coordination Committee is planned, comprisingall social groups among beneficiary communities, to include elders, women, youth <strong>and</strong> the variousvillage structures.It is assumed that communities will contribute to program implementation <strong>and</strong> display a “readinessto benefit from the development interventions undertaken.” Risks associated with the programinclude a lack <strong>of</strong> full community participation, conflict <strong>of</strong> interest in the proposed project areas, lack<strong>of</strong> support by stakeholders, <strong>and</strong> weak implementation capacity (L<strong>and</strong> Use Guided ValleyDevelopment Program, 2009).For the Pilot Phase <strong>of</strong> the L<strong>and</strong> Use Implementation Plan (2009), a basic assumption is thatpastoralists can be persuaded to accept the concept <strong>of</strong> “modern rangel<strong>and</strong> management”. It isrecognized here that potential disagreement could arise over the plan to promote the privatization<strong>of</strong> the rangel<strong>and</strong>s to accommodate the intended gazetting <strong>of</strong> different areas as per their assigned l<strong>and</strong>uses, therefore intensive “awareness raising” is planned prior to implementation.Tragedy <strong>of</strong> the commons thinking is also clearly still in evidence, where a risk highlighted for planimplementation is that “the tragedy <strong>of</strong> the commons could occur in course <strong>of</strong> the implementation <strong>of</strong>the plan, especially on herd management vis-à-vis the carrying capacity <strong>of</strong> the pasturel<strong>and</strong>.”38 Provided by the Oromia Water Works Design <strong>and</strong> Supervision Enterprise59