Community Participation Practices in Health-related NGOs in the Western Cape: A Focus on Stakeholders’ Perspectives
Alexander, Claudia (2017-12)
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2017.
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Community participation has been of interest to health planners, policymakers and activists on a global scale for over thirty years. It was first introduced in 1978 at the Alma-Ata conference and is seen as an essential tool for promoting health and general well-being within different health systems. This study sought to understand the manner in which community participation is practiced and implemented in health-related non-governmental organisations (NGOs), in and around Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. The main purpose was to examine whether community participation policies were implemented as intended by the policymakers. Stakeholders in different health-related NGOs in Stellenbosch participated in this study giving their accounts of community participation policies and practices in their organisations, as well as their direct or indirect involvement in the process of policymaking and implementation. As a result themes developed from participants responses. The participants gave their perspectives on community participation practices within their health-related NGOs. These themes indicated how all NGOs employed the top-down approach and admitted to altering and amending policies to meet the needs of the community they aimed to serve. While NGO stakeholders liaised information about community participation policies from the top-down to community participants they also communicated needs and concerns directly from the community to the policymakers, from the bottom-up. Community participation policies are thus only used as a point of reference and altered to best suit the needs of each unique NGO.
AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Gemeenskapsdeelname is van belang vir die gesondheid beplanners, beleidmakers en aktiviste op 'n globale skaal vir meer as dertig jaar . Dit was die eerste keer in 1978 by die Alma- Ata konferensie bekendgestel en word gesien as 'n noodsaaklike hulpmiddel vir die bevordering van gesondheid en algemene welstand binne verskillende gesondheid stelsels . Hierdie studie probeer om die wyse waarop die gemeenskap deelname beoefen is te verstaan en in gesondheid-verwante nieregeringsorganisasie (NROs), in en rondom Stellenbosch in die Wes-Kaap geïmplementeer word. Die hoofdoel was om te ondersoek of deelname van die gemeenskap beleid geïmplementeer was soos bedoel deur die beleidmakers. Belanghebbendes in verskillende gesondheid-verwante NRO's in Stellenbosch het aan hierdie studie deelgeneem het hul rekeninge van gemeenskapsdeelname en -praktyke in hul organisasies gegee , sowel as hul direkte of indirekte betrokkenheid in die proses van beleidmaking en implementering. As gevolg hiervan het temas ontwikkel uit die deelnemers se antwoorde. Die deelnemers het hul perspektiewe op gemeenskapsdeelname praktyke binne hul gesondheidsverwante NROs gedeel. Terwyl belanghebbendes inligting oor gemeenskapsdeelname beleide oorgedra het van beleidmakers na gemeenskap deelnemers, het hulle ook die behoeftes en bekommernisse direk uit die gemeenskap an die beleidmakers gekommunikeer. Gemeenskapsdeelname beleide is slegs gebruik as 'n verwysingspunt en word verander om die die behoeftes van elke unieke NGO te pas.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/102854
Masters Degrees (Psychology)