Community-Based Development

Learning how to successfully root an engineering project in the community is vital for the long-term success and sustainability of a project.  It was not until students visited the communities they were partnering with that they understood the need to establish the community as the owner of the project.  They encountered challenges when transferring knowledge about the project to the local community for a variety of reasons that spoke to the need to establish a relationship of mutual trust and respect.   Students arrived in the community with a working knowledge of the engineering elements of the project but often lacking the intimate understanding of the social, political, and environmental factors that also play a large role in the success of the project. Gaining a community-based perspective is necessary, but challenging as it requires successfully engaging the community throughout every stage of the project.

Students began to recognize the benefits of a bottom-up approach to development.  By learning and experiencing the principles involved in community-based development, students can be better prepared to incorporate them into their project plans.  Understanding the elements of sustainable international development is a vital skill for anyone involved in development work.

Components of Community-Based Development

  • Have realistic expectations
  • Use sustainable design practices
  • Establish community ownership
  • Transfer knowledge to community
  • See community as project contributor

Community-Based Development Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  1. Define community-based development.
  2. Apply their knowledge of community-based development in the context of their specific project work.
  3. Identify components of their project that will enhance or inhibit community involvement.
  4. Incorporate community-based development theory into the design of the project.
  5. Determine if the project will be effective based on whether the community is capable of independent and long-term project sustainability.