Community Participation in Public Policy Implementation in Tanzania: A case of Agricultural Policy in Morogoro Rural District

Abstract

Community Participation plays a vital role in the development of a society. This study attempts to assess the extent to which community Participation has contributed to the implementation of agricultural policy in Morogoro RuralDistrict. It focuses on the forms and extent of community participation in policy making, to further assess the effects of Patricipation towards the implementation of these agricultural policies. The main objective of this study was to assess community participation in public policy implementation in Tanzania using the case study of Morogoro Rural District. 

The sample for this study consisted of 61 respondents and these were randomly selected. The methods used in data collection were; interviews, questionnaire and documentary review. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used for the management of data and analysis. 

Unveiled findings revealed that there are many shortcomings in the implementation of community participation, this includes: Lack of commitment among individuals, lack of education among farmers, unwillingness of the people in the community to participate in decision making. Indeed, these challenges have seemingly and apparently become persistently detrimental to the effective implementation of agricultural policies in the District. The study recommends that the government should encourage more citizen participation, make sure policies are duly implemented, educate the masses in the need for participation as well as provide resource centers for information on participation when needed to bring about a more involved citizenship.