Good practice study

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Niger Delta Good Practice Study

In October 2006, Living Earth Foundation received a grant from Shell International to conduct a study in the three core Niger Delta states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers. The study was aimed at identifying and documenting good practice in community development projects and programmes in the region. This was against the backdrop of the widespread belief that nothing works in the Niger Delta region.
Oil Palm processing mill, Bayelsa State	The study was carried out in collaboration with Living Earth Nigeria Foundation (LENF) and several independent consultants. A study support network of 20 development practitioners was established to serve as a sounding board for the study team members.
Rainwater Harvester, Delta State	Rainwater Filtration Unit, Delta State
Six criteria of good practice were identified for assessing community development projects and programmes in the three States. These include: sound planning and design; innovative approaches; strong beneficiary participation and ownership; project relevance and impact; sustainability and replicability; and community institutional learning and capacity development.
The construction of a fish pond, Bayelsa State	The findings of the study revealed that out of the 119 community development projects in the study, 62 (52%) had one form of good practice or the other. Only 20 projects - 6 from Rivers State, 12 from Delta State and 4 from Bayelsa State – satisfied four or more of the criteria for good practice. These serve as models of good practice in community development and they cut across different sectors of development