Public Participation

Improvement in
Kalmunai Municipal
Council
Open For Discussion and suggestions

Prepared by-

Eng.A.J.A.H.Jowsi

Disclaimer – The contents of this reports are the views of the

writer, Not the view of the Kalmunai MC
Public Participation Improvement in Kalmunai Municipal Council
1.0 Background

Kalmunai is one of the most densely populated area in the costal line of Sri Lanka, Around 120 000
inhabitants living around 10 sq.km built area , and at the same time it was the hardest hit area by last
tsunami in Sri Lanka. It received most damages to the lives, properties , including infrastructures, and
community utilities.

The local government system in Sri Lanka has been well established for a long period of time. However,
due to operational requirements local governments are to a large extent dependent on and influenced
by provincial councils and the central government, through cadres, finances and legal provisions to take
action against local authority administration. Notwithstanding these facts, one important feature
remains apparent: the democratic nature of elections in local authorities. The attempts to further
strengthen local authority administration will depend on the availability of resources to upgrade
planning skills in local authorities, the strengthening of their organisational structure, proper directing of
networks, procedures and human resources development, better coordinating at the grass-roots and
provincial level and enhancing revenue generation to make local authorities more self-sustaining.

Institutional arrangements are necessary to secure participation of people in local government

administration and enhance the effectiveness of local authorities as local level democracies. Although
local authorities were expected to reflect the views of the public at the grass root level, due to reasons
such as social differences, politicisation and narrow gauging of functions, it is observed that good
governance could not be achieved as envisaged.

Present situation of public participation in Kalmunai MC.

There have been community consultation programs conducted for implementing donor funded
projects such as Bus stand and market construction projects and Drainage improvement project
by UNOPS. Under the Asia Foundation’s Local Economic Governance (LEG) there has been a
steering committee formed to look after the affairs of the Business community.
A Municipal website was launched in 2009 to disseminate information to public , but it has not
been updated often . Community based awareness programs are conducted on occasional
instructions given by the higher authorities on nationalwise propaganda activities such as
Dengue prevention program , anti-Malaria campaign.

Due to the lack of participation of the public the following negative impacts are seen ,

Less income generation – Rate payers are not convinced about the activities conducted by
the municipality and do not aware the issues of the municipality.

Sense of Community ownership is less, thus the public through fares are not well
maintained by the community. Roads, Drainages and canals are damaged and dumped with
Garbage
Goal

Increase the public participation in the day to day operation and in the planning and
implementation of programs and Projects of Kalmunai Municipal council.

Objectives

1. Establish community consultation interventions in the execution of projects throughout

all the stages of it such as planning, implementing and monitoring .
2. Increase the effectives in responding to the public complaints from the local community
in the environmental issues .
3. Improve the information sharing with the public by reinforcing the existing public
information systems.
4. Enable the office environment easy to obtain information by the public.
5. Increase the volunteerism in the local community by organizing programs .

Activities .

1.0 Forming of citizen groups in Each villages and identifying the issues .
2.0 Setting up of a Unit to “receive and respond” public complaints
3.0 Community consultation Workshops for all the current and future projects. Institute
community based construction , supply and delivery techniques using the locally available
human and physical resources
4.0 Upgrade the existing municipal website and continuous updating.
5.0 Publishing annual magazine , Journals ect.
6.0 Display office lay out, direction boards and name of the staff .
7.0 Identity cards to the all the officers to hang.
8.0 Display boards with slogans in the villages to encourage public participation.
9.0 Organize cleaning campaigns with volunteers in the schools and public places.
Action plan for one year

Activity Responsibility Time duration Remarks

Forming of citizen Council 2 months
groups in Each villages
and identifying the
issues
Setting up Unit to Admin 1 month
receive and respond
public complaints

Community Admin Continuous activity

consultation
Workshops
Upgrade the existing Admin 3 months
municipal website
Publishing annual Council+Admin 2 months Annual publishing
magazine ,Journals ect.

Display office lay out , Admin 2 months

direction boards and
name of the staff
Identity cards to the all Admin 1 month
the officers to hang.

Display boards with Council 6 months

slogans in the villages
to encourage public
participation.

Organize cleaning Council Continuous

campaigns with
volunteers in the
schools and public
places.
Stake Holder Analysis

The direct beneficiaries such as general rate payer , Business community and Industries . These
people are interested in improving the public participation as they are more benefitted by the
increased participation.

Social service organizations, NGOs would welcome the ideas and their direct support can be
sought in executing the proposed activities.

Some councilors and Officers of Municipal council may have the negative opinion of increasing
the public participation as they view the increased transparency would affect them personally .
Problem Analysis

Problem Tree

Income generation is Blockages and damage of Consequences

less thoroughfares ( community
ownership is less )

Public participation in the

municipal administration is less

Ineffective Slow Informatio Office Volunteer

community response n sharing environme activities
consultatio to public with public nt is not are less
n activities complaints is poor friendly

Causes
SWOT analysis