Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please provide a brief summary of the initiative including the problems/challenges it addressed and the solutions that the initiative introduced (300 words maximum)
Thabane Community centre was implemented to provide people with the opportunity to work and organise together for the benefit of their local communities, including adult education social and cultural activities
It also constitutes a meeting place for voluntary organisations or other groups in the community which need accommodation.
a. What are the overall objectives of the initiative?
Please describe the overall objectives of the initiative (200 words maximum)
Implemented to provide people with the opportunity to work and organise together for the benefit of their local communities, including adult education social and cultural activities
It also constitutes a meeting place for voluntary organisations or other groups in the community which need accommodation.
b. How does the initiative fit within the selected category?
Please describe how the initiative is linked to the criteria of the category (200 words maximum)
implemented to provide people with the opportunity to work and organise together for the benefit of their local communities, including adult education social and cultural activities
It also constitutes a meeting place for voluntary organisations or other groups in the community which need accommodation.
Question 2
The initiative should improve people’s lives, notably by enhancing the contribution of public services to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the SDGs
a. Please explain how the initiative improves the delivery of public services (200 words maximum)
Most communities, even small rural ones, have at least one community hall and some other community facilities – a library, a hospital or clinic, a small museum or historic site. Improving those facilities can mean different things for different communities.
For others, existing facilities may be old, and speak only to the needs of a community that has long since changed. Still others might find themselves with community facilities that are adequate in some ways, but that have become rundown or dangerous, and need to be revitalized. A less obvious situation is one in which community facilities are in good shape and seem to be adequate, but aren’t being used.
Question 3
The initiative must impact positively a group or groups of the population (i.e. children, women, elderly, people with disability, etc) and address a significant issue of public service delivery within the context of a given country or region.
a. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant issue related to the delivery of public services (200 words maximum)
The community did not have the place of gathering for social, recreational and religious purposes. The building of the community hall has assisted a great deal in bringing the community together to advance matters of common interests.
b. Please explain how the initiative has impacted positively a group or groups of the population within the context of your country or region (200 words maximum)
The community hall is used by community for gatherings on issues of social, religious and recreational purposes
Question 4
The initiative must present an innovative idea, a distinctively new approach, or a unique policy or approach implemented in order to realize the SDGs in the context of a given country or region.
a. Please explain in which way the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region (200 words maximum)
Public space provides opportunities for people to meet and be exposed to a variety of neighbors.
These meetings often take place by chance, but they also can come through active organizing. The art of promoting constructive interaction among people in public spaces has been nearly forgotten in many communities.
Planners, architects, and public administrators have focused more on creating aesthetic places and on providing for the unimpeded movement and storage of automobiles than on creating places that encourage social interaction. More recently, public officials have been even more concerned with security and maximizing their ability to observe and control people in public spaces
Question 4b
b. Please describe if the innovation is original or if it is an adaptation from other contexts (If it is known)? (200 words maximum)
It is the adaption from other context, where these initiatives were implemented suscessfully
Question 4c
c. What resources (i.e. financial, human , material or other resources, etc) were used to implement the initiative? (200 words maximum)
The project was funded by Nkangala District Municipality through equitable share grant received from national fiscals. In terms of the human resources employed on the project, they were delegated as follows:
Nkangala District Municipality - Municipal Manager, General Manager Technical Services, Chief Financial Officer, Project Manager
Dr JS Moroka Local Municipality - Ward Councilllor, Traditional Leader, Community Liaison Officer, Technician
Service Provider (Implementation) - Contracts manager, Site manager, Site Foreman, Safety Officer
Service Provider (Design and Implementation Monitoring) - Project Engineer, Site Technician, Safety Representative
Question 5
The initiative should be adaptable to other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions). There may already be evidence that it has inspired similar innovations in other public-sector institutions within a given country, region or at the global level.
a. Has the initiative been transferred to other contexts?
Yes
Nkangala District Municipality has implemented several seminal innovative in different areas of the District, which inspired other neighboring communities who subsequently requested Nkangala District Municipality to implement the same initiative in their areas.
Question 6
The initiative should be able to be sustained over a significant period of time.
a. Please describe whether and how the initiative is sustainable (covering the social, economic and environmental aspects) (300 words maximum)
The initiative is sustainable in a way that it provides longer lifespan for use by member of the community for purposes of gathering for their social, environmental and economic initiatives.
b. Please describe whether and how the initiative is sustainable in terms of durability in time (300 words maximum)
The initiative is sustainable in a way that it provides longer lifespan for use by member of the community for purposes of gathering for their social, environmental and economic initiatives. The community will only require periodic maintenance once in every 5 to 7 years. However routine maintenance will only be on minor items such as sewer blockage and replacement of lights bulbs which may seldomly occur.
Question 7
The initiative should have gone through a formal evaluation, showing some evidence of impact on improving people’s lives.
a. Has the initiative been formally evaluated?
No
Question 8
The initiative must demonstrate that it has engaged various actors such as from other institutions, civil society, or the private sector, when possible.
a. The 2030 Development Agenda puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, coordination, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe what stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative. Please also highlight their roles and contributions (300 words maximum)
The initiative was considered after being requested by members of the community during Mayoral Outreach programmes, where the Executive Mayor visit and interact with members of the communities. These included ordinary members, traditional leaders and Civic organizations. This was then reprioritized and thereafter funded for purposes of implementation.
Question 9
a. Please describe the key lessons learned, and any view you have on how to further improve the initiative (200 words maximum)
Lessons learn is that the District Municipality is there to be a servant of the community. Once their aspirations are made know, they have to be taken into consideration and be accordingly prioritized. These enables peace and prosperity to prevail among these communities.