Community Participation in Community Water Management, 978-3-8433-6977-0, 3843369771 ,9783843369770 by Theophil Michael Sule

Community Participation in Community Water Management, 978-3-8433-6977-0, 3843369771 ,9783843369770 by Theophil Michael Sule

Dear ALL,
Please have a look to my newly published book.

Facility Strategic Planning with Community Representatives

PBF Rungwe Pilot project conducted an important event during this last quarter i.e. October 2010.  The event was training six health facilities in charges and community representative on Strategic Planning.

The training started on 25^th October and concluded on 30^th October 2010, and held at RC Tukuyu Youth Centre where PBF Zonal Coordinator Office is based.   The training was facilitated by Fr. Lukas Komba, Ms. Helga Schneider, Sule, T. Michael and Madina Mukulu.

To start with Fr. Lukas gave a presentation on Strategic Plan, taking them careful step by steps and with examples and illustrations.  This kind of approach – learner centred was quite effective and simple for people who have no much experience on such exercises i.e. Strategic Planning.

As the facilities were from three main denominations i.e. facilities under Roman Catholic, Lutheran Church and Moravian Church.  So, the groups worked on those lines, in other words, Itete hospital team supported Ntaba Dispensary team and Tukuyu Health centre team.   The same situation was for Igogwe hospital team which kindly supported Kisa Health Centre. However, Rungwe Dispensary which was under the Moravian Church of Tanzania- Southern Province work on their own. A total of 17 people participated in the training for 6 days, and considered very peculiar even for PBF Project.  Then, what made this training so unique!

Community representatives developed strategic Plan with in charge of the health facilities.  Normally, such exercise is regarded as academic and for people with very formal training.  Second, the collaboration instilled the sense of ownership to the community representative as commented by one member at the end that’’ Really we have benefited through the training and have realized that we are part and parcel of the health facilities, we will involve the people in supporting Health facilities’’.  It was obvious that through group discussions, the members understood the vision, missions, values, strategic Goal, strategic objective, and specific objectives of their health facilities, which was developed after carrying out the Analysis (SWOT, PEST and Stakeholders). 

The methodology applied during the training was user friendly.  Lecture, group discussion and group work. That means, there were brief presentations, which were internalized through group works and presentations and followed by discussions for clarification and improvement.

When we started the training, the work seems quite hard.  But with perseverance we managed to go from one step to the other until Saturday on 30^th October when we managed to complete most of the areas in strategic planning. Some pending areas were agreed to be accomplished within ten days period. Again, the groups refined their works into hospital operational plans, which is based on one year for Service Agreement purposes.

Basically, strategic planning training aimed at Capacity building for Health Facilities, and enable Health facilities to have a document which will be used for negotiation with the Local Government on service Agreement. This is aimed before the end of the year i.e. 2010.  In addition to that, five facilities out of six facilities are through with Costing for their operational cost; and Competence Centre of CSSC is working on the data.  Definitely, having these documents in place, we are hoping for the hope that the Church leaders in collaboration with CSSC will be in a position to negotiate with Rungwe District Council for Service Agreement for these facilities in 2011. See the Photo of the Group members below.

Fr. Lukas presenting a Strategic Planning to the

Participants from six health facilities on 25th Oct.2010.