The Role of Community Surveys in Strengthening Local Governance

Introduction

Community surveys have emerged as critical tools in participatory governance, offering citizens a direct channel to voice concerns and preferences...

Theoretical Background

According to Arnstein's (1969) Ladder of Citizen Participation...

Case Studies

• Cape Town: Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) using surveys.
• Johannesburg: Digital citizen dashboards.
• Nairobi: Mobile survey adoption.

Data Table: Survey Participation Rates vs Policy Adoption

Discussion of Limitations

• Digital divide
• Sampling bias

Conclusion

Community surveys provide legitimacy to governance, but...