Governance and the management of Sustainable Community-driven Development

The interplay of the essence and components of governance that underpin most Khanya’s approach to development imply a more comprehensive and integrated concept rethinking governance as the "transparent development and management of a legitimate and responsive state and non state policies, institutions and systems, including power and conflict resolution structures, that give voice and choice to communities and transform development systems in order to improve the livelihoods of poor people."  The creation of political space for articulation, mobilisation, distribution and confirmation of citizen voice and choice, and the support for positive interaction between markets, the state and citizens can make states more capable, legitimate and effective in creating conditions for active and empowered citizens to manage their own development on a sustainable basis. (Governance and Transparency Fund, 2007; DiFD 2007).

In the final analysis, the utility of rethinking governance in relation to sustainable community driven development lies in its efficacy as a diagnostic tool and/or postulate that Khanya uses to conceptualize desired normative states or conditions. In addition, rethinking governance has to be contextualized at all levels (or spheres) of governance in order to give practical guidance to development practitioners to strategically manage human (community) development. Practical and implementable tools, techniques and methodologies are required to operationalise these frameworks.

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