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Can information outreach increase participation in community-driven development? A field experiment near Bwindi National Park, Uganda

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  • Buntaine, Mark T.
  • Daniels, Brigham
  • Devlin, Colleen
Abstract
Decentralization and community-driven development intend to bring public decisions closer to the people, yet elites often capture local institutions. One way that local elites capture community-driven development is to limit information about opportunities for citizens to shape group decisions. We investigate whether sending citizens targeted and timely information about when and how they can participate in the planning of community-driven development projects increases knowledge, participation, and satisfaction with local institutions. We implemented a pre-registered randomized field experiment in partnership with the Uganda Wildlife Authority that involved sending residents in randomly selected villages near Bwindi National Park approximately 60 messages by mobile phone over eight months about how a park-sponsored revenue sharing program worked and how and when residents could participate. We do not find evidence that the information increased perceived knowledge, participation, perceived efficacy, or satisfaction with local institutions. Exploratory findings suggest that among women, who are often disenfranchised in Ugandan society, the information treatment backfired related to perceived opportunities to participate. More positively, we find that reaching more people in a community with information led to promising results related to participation and satisfaction with the park. We conclude that informational treatments are unlikely to empower participation on average, unless they are deployed broadly and in ways that promote collective action.

Suggested Citation

  • Buntaine, Mark T. & Daniels, Brigham & Devlin, Colleen, 2018. "Can information outreach increase participation in community-driven development? A field experiment near Bwindi National Park, Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 407-421.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:106:y:2018:i:c:p:407-421
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.10.029
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    3. Jung, Woojin, 2020. "Two models of community-centered development in Myanmar," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    4. Grossman, Guy & Humphreys, Macartan & Sacramone-Lutz, Gabriella, 2020. "Information Technology and Political Engagement: Mixed Evidence from Uganda," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 82(4), pages 1321-1336.
    5. Jordi Honey-Rosés & Mitzy Canessa & Sarah Daitch & Bruno Gomes & Javier Muñoz-Blanco García & André Xavier & Oscar Zapata, 2020. "Comparing Structured and Unstructured Facilitation Approaches in Consultation Workshops: A Field Experiment," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 29(5), pages 949-967, October.
    6. Railey, Ashley F. & Lankester, Felix & Lembo, Tiziana & Reeve, Richard & Shirima, Gabriel & Marsh, Thomas L., 2019. "Enhancing livestock vaccination decision-making through rapid diagnostic testing," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    7. Ardanaz, Martin & Otálvaro-Ramírez, Susana & Scartascini, Carlos, 2023. "Does information about citizen participation initiatives increase political trust?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    8. Kosec, Katrina & Wantchekon, Leonard, 2020. "Can information improve rural governance and service delivery?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).

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