Building social capital through participatory management approach

A study was conducted to assess the impact of participatory process through various institutions mobilized under Uttar Pradesh Sodic Lands Reclamation Project on social capital building in the concerned villages.Sample for the study includes randomly-selected 360 beneficiary farmers hailing from 36 villages, four each from nine district project units under Uttar Pradesh Sodic Lands Reclamation Project. While relevant secondary data was extracted from project records, the primary data was collected directly from field with help of semi-structured interview schedules and focus group discussions. Findings reveal that project interventions have contributed in capacity building and social capital building in the project villages. Beneficiaries have immensely benefitted from these interventions. Though most of the interventions were project-specific they have also contributed in general capacity building of beneficiaries and other farmers of the targeted villages. Community institutions created under the project including site implementation committee (SIC) and water users' groups (WUG) have provided appropriate platforms not only for involvement of farmers in decision making process but have also empowered them. Through SIC and WUG, farmers participated in village and group level decision making related to project execution. SIC as a village level forum proved very effective in involving beneficiary farmers in planning, implementation, and review of project, wider publicity of project concept and philosophy, mass dissemination of project related information, conflict resolution, etc. Active participation of farmers in SIC and WUG functioning helped in developing a sense of accountability among them. It also ensured transparency in project working including dissemination of information, input distribution, disbursement of project support in cash, etc. Strong beneficiary involvement in WUG functions ensured smooth water sharing from group borings among members for leaching and crop cultivation after reclamation. These institutions helped in developing new bonds among beneficiary farmers in addition to supporting project execution in transparent manner. Moreover, these community institutions became project-led social capital in the project villages.