Importance of public participation and development in the government Essay

Public participation and development have gained momentum and become central and interconnected terms in present day development discourse (Economic Commission for Africa, 2004). Currently, there exists consensus among development and governance theorists about the need of broadening the level of active participation of the public in development and decision-making process (Antonio et al. 2008). Public participation is the involvement of interested or affected individuals, organizations, and may include the assessment of current conditions, community visioning exercises, and the formulation and the execution of local action plans (Robert, 2004).
Public participation provides the public with the opportunity to influence and participate in development programmes and projects (UN-HABITAT, 2004). Besides, it also serves to advance citizens' understanding of how government works plans and confers upon them the capacity to access governmental decision-making processes and to build trust, accountability and thereby contribute their share in local development projects (Yvonne, 2010).
Previously, the centralized form of government structure that hinders public participation in local development issues has been replaced by the federal form of government system that allows the participation and self-governance of the society. The incumbent government has taken serious measures towards decentralization, devolution of power and local governance that redress the meagre public participation of the public in every aspect of the countries regional, local development and decision making processes (Tegegne, 1998). Moreover, the government creates structures and organizations throughout the country to enhance public participation for sustained urban development and good governance (Ministry of Construction and Urban Development, 2012).
In line with this, the City Government of Addis Ababa has been engaging the public in developmental project planning and good governance issues of the city, and organized Public Participation Agency up to Wereda (District) level to further promote public participation and meet the infrastructural needs of the society (Addis Negari Gazeta, 2012).
In spite of the above facts, Urban Good Governance Program document of Ministry of Urban Development and Works (2009) revealed that, the participation of the public in local development projects is low in Ethiopia and the problem is attributed to leadership. Similarly, annual report of the Ministry of Construction and Housing (2013) evinces that the magnitude of the paucity of public participation in local development projects is pervasive and has a wider nature and scope in the country. However, the Ministries document and report lacks to specify leadership challenges encountered in enhancing public participation in local development projects.
Likewise, Addis Ketema Sub city Administration is no exception to the problem. As can be seen from the annual report of the Sub city Administration (2015), the level of public participation in local development projects is very low compared to the annual plan and the number of population found in the Sub city Administration. The amount of money planned to obtain from the public and the number of local development projects planned to be executed are small, the qualities, design and prolonged span to accomplish local development projects are the challenges of the leaders engaged in the sector (Public Participation Office, 2015).