Community based services department is mandated to foster the development of communities and to bridge the gaps between them through the delivery of government services by mobilizing, empowering and providing welfare services to the communities, community based groups, vulnerable and disadvantaged persons, particularly the women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and the youths to participate in community activities and to benefit from services of the department and other agencies of development in order to achieve gender equity and meaningful socio-cultural and economic development.
Services in the department are therefore provided under the following sections:
– Department Head concern with general administration & NGO/CBO registration
– Community Development (FAL Programme, Rehabilitation, disabilities and elderly; Gender and Culture)
– Probation and youth
– Labour and industrial relations

The department is inadequately staffed, position for the head of department and Community Development officers in three newly created sub-counties are vacant.

Through its nature, the various sub-sectors of the department work hand in hand with the other departments. Community Development is heavily involved in organising and mobilising people when improving and maintaining community roads. The community development sub-sector is also fully involved in the NAADS programme of the Department of Production and Marketing. The sectors Probation and Welfare and Rehabilitation work closely together with the Department of Education and Sports in (re) integrating juveniles and disabled in the mainstream of life and thus education. Labour endeavours to attain secure and sustainable livelihood through freely chosen productive employment and work for both men and women.

The Department of Community Based Services is regularly involved in mobilising and training the local people on sound health practices. Previously, the department was also involved in mobilising for the sub-sector water, but since last year this sub-sector has its own mobilizes. Various departments (crops, health and water) have inputs in the FAL programme.

The department continuously produce plan originating from the community with element of socio-economic factors included which has used a bottom up and participatory approach in planning right from the sub counties (ACDOs) level to the District level. Using harmonized participatory planning guide (HPPG) of 2006. DUPAG has introduced the following concept

Equipments used include:
• Computers in which each staff has a computer to easy his/her report writing data storage and learning experience in computer world.
• Use of internet services
• Use of phone set
• Use of photocopier to multiply the documents
• Use of electricity power to run the office equipment in place

POCC
Below you find POCC analysis that applies to the whole Community Based Services Department.
Potential
– The existence of ACDOs at sub-county level makes it easy to coordinate community programmes (both government and community initiated programmes).
– FAL as a means to alleviate poverty is now covering all the sub-counties, parishes and villages in the district level and the municipality with a political will to support it.
– Have a few functioning computer in the department.
– The department touches the base of the communities with the community based service provision.
– There are competent staffs both at the district and the sub counties.
– Strengthen existence of substantially appointed staff at the district and sub county level.
– Presence of 2 office blocks.
– Presence of 1 vehicle and motorcycles
– Presence of relevant laws and legislations.
– Good working relation and cooperation especially NGOs and CBOs.

Opportunities
– The social sector development plan by Ministry of Gender and Social Development gives new guidelines that should result in a higher quality of services.
– A number of staff have gone for further studies, though on private sponsorship
– Many communities have realized the need to contribute to development activities hence sustainability is ensured.
– Functional Adult Literacy may reduce on the illiteracy rate by about 50% in the year 2015.
– A number of NGOs willing to work in partnership with the department.
– Availability of partners (NGO, CBOs, etc) who intervene and give support to the department.
– Willingness and support from the politicians and communities in the department activities.
– The newly/created posts that elevates posts at the district to senior positions and sub counties to be headed by graduates.
– Further studies and trainings.
Challenges
– Some of the officers/ACDOs do not stay full time in office reducing on the output performances.
– Weak motor cycles to help in mobilisation at the parish and village levels
– Mobilising the community is not always properly coordinated. This has led to failures of programmes as a result of lack of sustainability.
– Over dependency on the local revenue and the central government funds has made some of the plans not implemented or not in time.
– Many vacancies here remained in the department for years (both at district and sub-county). This has made especially the workload of the willing officers too high.
– Irregular releases of funds to the department leads to poor implementation of planned activities
– Poor/inadequate/no means of transport and facilitation for some ACDOs and district staff affects regular and effective supervision, monitoring and evaluation.
– Further professional training of staff is not well coordinated.
– Translations/interpretation of some operational documents, e.g. children’s statute has made communities build negative attitudes towards the implementation of such programmes instead of embracing the ideas behind the document.
– Inadequate office facilities
– Inadequate office furniture and equipment.
– Some staff lack relevant skills

Constrains
– Government has still continued to take the department as a non-priority area yet poverty has continued to multiply e.g. only 5% of the overall LGMSD district fund is allocated to the department for next financial year, and the funds allocated to 5.4% of the total local revenue is allocated to the department.
– Inadequate resource allocation and little support to the department to meet the targeted priorities

Problems
– Under staffing both at the centre and the sub counties
– Inadequate financial resources to the section to implement programmes/activities
– Poor attitude to change to new intervention by the communities
– Poverty which affects community contribution and participation towards development programmes.
– High rate of illiteracy especially the disadvantage groups.
– Inadequate/outdated office equipments
– Irregular power supply to run office gadgets
– Poor communication system used in the department
– Too much labour discrimination
– Unsafe office environment
– Refresher courses to co-ordinate CBO/NGOs for development purpose.
– Lack of statistical information on the contribution of culture to development