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This paper was submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Governance degree at FHR Institute of Social Studies.
Acknowledgments
This research marks the end of a well received learning experience, which made possible by the F.H.R Lim A Po Institute of Social Studies and the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation in Suriname, now the Ministry of Finance. It was a fulfilling journey which contributed to my growth on a professional and on a personal level. For making my participation in this Master Programme possible I am thankful to the Ministry of Natural Resources. I would like to thank everyone who contributed in one way or the other way to complete my thesis. However, I give a special thank to the Almighty Lord, who gave me the strength, courage and perseverance to go forward; Mr. Hans Lim A Po, director of F.H.R Lim A Po Institute of Social Studies, for his patience; my supervisor, Dr. Nicolas Awortwi, who guided me and my mother, family, friends and colleagues who never stopped supporting and encouraging me in the past two years. Bless you all! Sincerely Yours, Drs. Vyent Diana G. Paramaribo, Suriname 2011
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Chapter 1
Introduction
Millennium
services.
international
development. Focusing on the interior, the policy on rural electrification concentrates on several aspects: Energy There is is an an important increase of tool for sustainable demand due socioto the in economic development; of energy increasing life standards; Rehabilitation diesel generating station interior villages by Dienst Energievoorziening (DEV);
important safe,
socio-economic affordable
like
mentioned above and therefore wants to supply good quality, adequate everyone, including the interior communities. Options for renewable energy are taken into consideration. The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for the energy services in Suriname. The EBS (National Electricity Company) is responsible for the urban areas in the coastal zone. This company falls directly under the department. The coastal zone and the interior fall directly under the department DEV of the Ministry of Natural resources. There is no tariff regime in place and the supply to the communities comes free of charge. Providing the villages of electricity it is very costly. Overall, the villages are not connected that to an electricity the grid and it is ago the to government took responsibility decennia
supply the villages with generators and diesel as fuel. The main reasons why it is insufficient are: The villages are in remote areas, Energy is distributed through a diesel generator
within a time span. Nevertheless, the supply of power is limited to about 5 to 6 hours per day. Maintenance
feasible. In Suriname the energy supply services are funded by the government. In theory, these services (national utilities) can also be managed by communities but community management can also be ineffective, if they, the community, are doing it alone. Within this, the potential for improving energy supply services through more formal forms of partnerships is very necessary. in the It becomes can central manage how their communities own energy especially or COs. interior
1.2
Problem statement
That in the interior of Suriname, not many villages
are connected to some sort of electricity grid, were in most cases the The electricity government, is generated the by a of dieselrural generator. within policy
electrification, supplies generators to villages as well as fuel. Maintenance of these generators and grid however are not well organized in many villages, resulting in overdue maintenance and some cases discontinuity of the electricity supply, simply because of fuel shortages and basic repairs to generators e.g. the replacement of parts.
1.4
Research questions
The research questions of this research are: 1. How are community electricity promoted and managed? 2. Are they (promotion and management) conducted effectively and efficiently? 3. What are the operational challenges and how can they be improved?
1.5
Research methodology
To describe the development of energy services in the
interior a study will be conducted. This is necessary to construct a theoretical framework, to understand the different concepts and motives behinds the establishment of energy services. To complete the information, I will do interviews with members of the villages (the traditional leaders and village elders), different households, representatives of community organization and project
coordinators
and
collecting
data
from
different
institutions, such as the EBS and the Department for Rural Energy of the Ministry of Natural Resources (DEV), private officials in the energy sector and board of directors of the Fund for the Development of the Interior (FOB). Based on the findings of the research and the history of energy supply in the interior, the applicability of Public Private Partnership principles for the energy services will be presented, especially the Community Partnership aspect.
1.6
characteristics
action. Chapter 3 presents the rural electrification of the interior. The focus on community involvement is developed in chapter4. Chapter 5 rounds off with the findings and conclusions.
Chapter 2
Literature review on community management of service delivery
2.1 Introduction
In the following will be chapter the aspects on community help the to key management for discuss the It decision also which
decide whether collective action is an appropriate solution particular situation. describes concepts and characteristics of collective action and the promoting factors of collective action. Also the aspect on Public Community Participation will be explained. 2.2
Collective action
The term Collective action has different meanings or
definitions. Collective action can be defined as voluntary action taken by a group to achieve common interest. Members can act directly on their own or through an organization (Ruth S. Meinzen- Dick, Monica Di Gregorio). In short the efforts of a group to reach and implement decisions. Taking another definition, collective action is as all activity involving two or more individuals contributing to a collective effort on the basis of mutual interest and the possibility of benefits from coordinated action (Marwell and Oliver, as 1993). a a set Melucci of social of (1996) defined (i) and Collective involving (ii) in action practices
simultaneously exhibiting of
number
individuals
groups,
similar and
characteristics of the
contiguity of time and space, (iii) implying a social field relationships capacity people involved of making sense of what they are doing. (Melucci,
organization of the community; but in theory it depends on more on that. In all these three the community is central. So, the term community can be defined as a system of bringing people together. In practice, community is a group of users of a service who live in the same area and have access to, use the same service. To organize a community peoples are needed this because with the organization the objective is to support them to participate in different process and kind/sort of participations projects. Hereby, important components are needed. These components are as follows: The preparation of the activity The development of leadership Mobilization activity Evaluation and monitoring of the community organization in the
organization has to be determine. The development of the leadership. A leader is a sort of a role model in a village and is popular by the community. He also had certain characteristics. Is consulted during different phases of a project and has a facilitating role. Such person is the highest authority in a village and is able to make decisions. When there are problems, concerns or complains regarding the services the community can ask him to mediate and try to find a solution. In the mobilization Within part, support of have had the to to community organize ensure is to by
important. the
this, of
meetings
discuss the vision and the mission of the organization. And sustainability organization focusing on the membership and finance resource. Evaluating and monitoring is needed to measure the success and/ or failure of the organization, in achieving its goals and objectivities. 2.3.2 a certain Community participation goal, in a whereby certain be in the involvement is very any of the local and
In fact, participation is needed every time to achieve community whole. It village cash important other
crucial. This can deliver a specific contribution to the can and relevant contribution, which can provide effectiveness, efficiency
paragraph community management will be explored. Typically within community partnerships the features and merits of both public in and the private public is sectors the are the essence. and form The the of strength in some responsibilities This
accountabilities, but in the private more competitiveness, instances, more efficiency. partnership (community partnership) does not involve the principal-agent principal but joint decision- making. And well in an early stage in developing joints outputs and arrangements in service delivery (Aulich, 2002). 2.3.3 Community management
Like is already mentioned in the previous paragraphs is that management a principle aspect in the participation of the community. This is important for the involvement in decisionmaking. Community management is defined as a situation, in which a community takes the responsibility for, and gets authority over and carries out control on operations, management and maintenance of service benefitting its members (Justine Anschutz, 1996). Thus, key persons are taking the responsibilities on their shoulders
other. In the last paragraph (2.5) the diagram illustrates its complexity and the efforts which show that all factors will lead to a sustainable management of the system.
organizations if there is any, leaders and the public and/ or the private sector. It has the different levels in the tasks and responsibilities between the actors. These allow the different actors or their representatives to take an agreement on what they will decide and also the responsibilities. Within this decision- making by community members is important. Participation can have several parts. In the paragraph below, Public community partnership is explained and defined. 2.4.1 Why Public Community Partnership
Why? Because community partnership is basically involve joint decision making of partners together. Whereby, mutual actions different are taken of to bring any in kind of solution in kind problems service delivery (Hodge
2002:4; Langford 2002: 69). Further more, the relationships which are in the interest of community development through working together to achieve mutual goals and with joint decision 2000). making and in sharing projects of risk and goals (Boase, the Important like service delivery,
essential criteria why partnership, are as follows: Services can be provided more cheaply There is an intrinsic value in participation More will be accomplished
There is a guarantee that a felt need is involved Ensure that things are done the right way A sense of responsibility is encouraged People are more conscious of the causes of their
2.4.2 Like
participation is, the organizing itself is different. The management community organization mobilized, becomes central. is partnership essential
development of it. The structures and processes are very important factors in the organizational part. But before all of that, goals and objectives must be in place. Different roles and responsibilities of peoples and groups should be clearly defined.
2.4.3 There
Factors promoting Public Community Participation are factors that promote Public Community
partnership. These factors are: Constantly feedback with partners involved Trust and confidence Very clear defined rights, responsibilities and
obligations Coherence with the local government programme Modalities of every goal
2.4.4
Partnerships overall has advantages and disadvantages. In this paragraph only the advantages are listed. In principle partnership is a strategy for promoting and delivering the public needs. The advantages are: Come together (bring people together) and work on
joint projects Bring improvement/ change the way communities work Increasing competition Bring levels Contribute to interest in collaboration Sharing resources Transformation in government function, for example: of decision making, responsibilities and innovations at administrative and technical
from provider to supervisor On-time completed projects Improve efficiency of the joint projects (saving cost, sharing risks, more efficiency in project implementation etc.) Improvement of service quality and public social
welfare/ acceptance
Chapter 3
Rural electrification
3.1 Introduction
In this chapter the rural electrification will be discuss. A short look at the villages, the policy environment, the way the villages get electricity and the agencies that are involved or responsible. Thus the policies and regulations regarding energy supply services in general and in practice the provision for the interior will be analyzed.
3.4.1
In the villages the availability of supply is very limited. As is mentioned the power supply is for 5 to 6 hours per day and it is the ministry of Natural Resources that takes the responsibility with the Suriname Power Company. In each village the DEV has installed generation units in over 129 villages in the interior. But even the capacity is in place the availability of electric energy is very limited. Just a number of hours per day. The so-called recreation energy.
3.4.2
The management of the rural electrification lies in the hands of the department DEV. Every generator of the villages is controlled by the department. Transportation of the diesel/ fuel (for the maintenance of the generators)
3.4.3
In the area of operational arrangements the coordination seems to be limited between departments of the two ministries, the ministry of Natural Resources, the DEV and the ministry of Regional Development, the SFOB. The DEV is the official department that belongs to the ministry of Natural Resources. The responsibilities of this department are to manage the transport and supply of diesel to generators in the several villages in the interior. Another responsibility is to perform maintenance and to provide spare parts for these generators. All the 126 villages have been provided with a diesel generator.
3.4.4
Maintenance of generator
The maintenance of the several generators and distribution nets are in hands of department of the ministry, the DEV. Also the delivery of fuel, several lubricants and other devices. And all this is done under the responsibility of the manager/ administrator and his assistant. The activities are very limited. The manager must make up monthly the periods with the consumption/ use of the fuel, the services of the generators and trace little malfunctions on the net. This department, if there is an announcement, for example if the one of the generator is broken, or some components or parts must be replaced etc, is the only one who is responsible for and coordinates. Not even the managers or assistants in the villages can fix the problems; because they only received the fuel if it is delivered (like is mentioned above) and makes contacts (with the department in the city) if they are in need. Technical personal from the city Paramaribo has to travel to fix the different problems. Taking into account, the given political- executive context is the DEV in her existing/ current form unable to perform her activities or duties in an adequate way. At least, the managers and assistants have to trained or instructed on-the-job, in short term. In the long term, is qualified personal required, minimal technical personal
3.5
Conclusion
In conclusion, although the government is aware that
energy is an important tool for sustainability socioeconomic development, the availability of supply is very limited. The department can foresee many villages. An adequate energy supply is missing. This all because that the villages are in remote areas, unfeasibility and difficulty of the maintenance and the very costly transportation of the fuel. All this problems can be well structured if the management, organization assessment and maintenance of the rural electrification. So, the whole management, organization assessment and maintenance of the rural electrification are not well structured.
4.3
Strengths and weaknesses of Community participation Within the Community participation there are some
strengths and weaknesses. Here under, the strengths and weaknesses are listed. 4.3.1 Strengths of Community participation
The participation of the several communities in the interior is varying (in range of working together, performing and in different tasks). Besides identification, preparation and implementation of activities, the community has to be involved. This stimulates participation and works further on the improvement of togetherness. It underlines the importance of an integral approach in these villages. In short, the general contribution of the community is manpower, materials, transportation and assisting the consultant (if there is any) with the upgrading activities. The sociocultural aspects are the main one that plays an important role. Most of the women are grouped in communal organizations and -councils. Further, about a proper participation according to the habitants there is no
4.3.2
In contrast to the strengths the weaknesses shows the problems or inefficiency of community participation. Participation of the community in every development process is very important. In this subparagraph the main weaknesses are listed and leveled. There is, - Low technical capacity: training require for the local communities in the villages (technical assistant). - Low managerial capacity: mobilizing communities. - Low organizational coordination: the several organizations in the villages are not working very closely with each other. - Willingness to pay: every household wants to get 24 hours per day electricity, but they willingness to pay is a crucial aspect. - Low potentials for investors: it is unattractive for potential investors because of the high initial costs they have to make. The selection according to the DEV to work directly with the traditional authorities is done deliberate because not everyone in the villages can be charge with the fuel aspect and also to prevent favoritism.
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Organizational assessment In this area of organization, there seems to be limited coordination between the Ministry of Natural Resources/ DEV and the various actors. Some projects are carried out in isolation and do not fall under the responsibility of a single authority. Such coordination would help to implement a uniform and coherent policy.
4.5 Conclusion
To manage services in the interior it is not possible, not only with the government alone but also with the participation of the communities. Community involvement is required to develop these services. Their support is very important. Weaknesses of community participation show the inefficiency of their participation in this chapter, although there are much potential in those villages. But all activities need adequate electricity.
Chapter 5
Findings (Conclusions) and recommendations
Are The
they
and
effectively and efficiently? promotion management conducted effectively and efficiently. On the side of the community, their ample space is very restricted because of the supply of power is limited to about 5 to 6 hours per day which is not economic profitable. The community did not have the management capacities and knowledge to bring the service system sustainable. On the other side, the ministry of Natural Resources is unable to satisfy (not very
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services. The energy supply services can be promote and managed nor by the community and the ministry effectively and efficiently. What are the operational challenges and how can they be improved? The present conditions of the remote villages are not profitable to supply with diesel generators. It becomes very unfeasible and too expensive owing the cost of fuel transportation and to difficult to maintenance. In this case clustering villages together and renewable energy options can be taken into consideration. The implementation of these options can be suited for individual households or for the community. It is necessary to start a program for education and the training of the people living in remote areas on the use of such equipments. Another operational challenge is the enabling environment. An enabling environment includes policy environment, effective legislation and support systems, has to be in place. A new legal framework for Surinames energy sector has to be developed consistent with international standards in order to guarantee a better legal security to investors and to sustain the sector development. Therefore, different actions must be taken at different levels; namely, at the law level, the regulatory level and the contractual level.
Reference List
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United Nations Centre for Human Settlements- UNHCS-(1993) The Theory of Public-Private Partnerships. In: PublicPrivate Partnerships in Enabling Shelter Strategies. Nairobi: UNHCS pp. 11-27.
Surinamese periodicals (in Dutch) Times of Suriname, Brandstof Binnenland verduisterd 16 maart 2011, daily newspaper