Community-Based Organizations: Community Based Organization

2.0 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Community Based Organisations

The role that CBOs play in providing basic services at the local level can never be disputed. According to Boagu (2011) CBOs are components of larger civil organisations that are formed on ethnic, social, economic or gender basis and serve as potent forces for rural development. They are viewed as the connecting points between people from different backgrounds and ages and opportunities, usually within the community. Mwaura and Ngugi,(2014 ) views CBOs as the basic glue for community development. The strength of CBOs lies in their ability to plan, implement, and monitor social and economic development projects through their ability to mobilise communities. A CBO is intended

CBOs are believed to be the ideal mechanism in rural development especially in issues of poverty reduction, nature conservation as well as the provision of basic social safety nets for the local people. Clark (1999) has observed that CBOs are so intertwined in communities that it is very easy to miss the impact they have on daily life. This may be so because the locals, view CBOs as spontaneous reaction groups that work towards improving their livelihoods. But as Nyang`oro (1999) rightly notes, community organisations encompasses a diverse space, which includes “the good and the beautiful, as well as “the bad and ugly”. He observes that for years, the general perception has been that, the struggle for democratic development existed vertically between a controlling state and the civil society, but rather, practitioners and scholars should take note of the horizontal conflict or struggle within civil societies themselves for further democratisation. If from the onset the agenda and mandate of the establishment are not democratic, and the actors are not accountable to their membership and the wider community, then the potential of the organisation having a future may be significantly undermined.

A theoretical framework, therefore, is a structure that can holder support a theory of a research study. It introduces and describes the theory which attempts to explain the research problem under the study.

Systems Theory and Governance

In a situation whereby there is…………….

Systems need to be controlled s failure in one system leads to failure in other. CBOs need good governance systems in order to ensure that there is transparency and accountability. The theory views an organisation as a social system consisting of individuals who cooperate within a formal framework. These organisations draw resources, people and finances to produce products. Good governance of a CBO will ensure effective management of their project and other resources for maximum outputs.

Stakeholder