Water Works: Capacity and Communication for Social Change in Peruvian Municipalities

This thesis is an exploratory study of the role that Communication for Social Change principles play in World University Service of Canada's (WUSC) project to strengthen the capacity of Peruvian municipalities in the area of water and sanitation. The research took place in 2005 in two case study locations, one urban and one rural, and was conducted through stakeholder workshops, semi-structured interviews, participant observation and a review of project documents. The study examined communication of the WUSC teams with the general public in the form of face-to-face meetings, educational workshops, brochures, radio programmes, and events such as the celebration of Inter-American Water Day. It also looked at the day-to-day communication between the WUSC teams and the water company and municipalities within which they were embedded. The findings describe the communication, collaboration and perceived changes in individual and organisational capacity that have taken place based on WUSC's work with municipal governments, water companies, water user groups, and end users. In doing so, the research reveals that WUSC carries out many effective communication and capacity development activities based on their long-term engagement with their counterparts and their "learning by doing" approach. However, they do not have overall strategies in either of these areas, which has resulted in the exclusion of some stakeholders and difficulty in monitoring and evaluating these areas which may hamper the overall long-term impact of the project. Based on these findings, the paper suggests how Communication for Social Change (CFSC) principles could be applied to help improve other capacity development projects of this type. While this study does not directly address debates about water privatisation, it does offer reflections for improving the effectiveness of local level water management.

Chapter Two provides a review of the literature in three main areas: communication for development, capacity development and organisational learning. It explores different communication functions and emphasises that two-way communication is a key component in both capacity development and learning.

Chapter Three describes the context of water and sanitation in Peru as well as the two case study locations. In doing so, it explores the collaboration that has taken place between WUSC and the other stakeholders.

Chapter Four is an overview of the processes and methodologies used to carry out the research. It describes the qualitative data collection methods including group workshops adapted from the book From the Roots Up (Gubbels & Koss 2000), the Rapid Appraisal of Agricultural Knowledge Systems (RAAKS) kit (Engel & Salomon 1994, 1997) and the PhotoVoice technique (Wang 1999) outlined in Picturing Impact (FIELD Foundation 2001). Data were also collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews and a review of project documentation.

Chapter Five reveals the findings from the workshops and interviews that were conducted. They are presented in four areas; flow and function of communication, quality of relationships, educational campaigns, and changes in individual and organisational capacity.

Chapter Six provides an analysis of the findings and conclusions along with recommendations for policy makers, WUSC, and further research.

To request a copy of the full 189-page paper, please contact April Pojman at april @ yapame.com