communitydirected

Community-directed is a participatory development approach in which communities identify needs, design, implement, manage, and evaluate programs with support from external agencies. The emphasis is on local decision-making, ownership, and accountability. The concept is commonly written as community-directed, with some sources using the concatenated form "communitydirected."

Origin and concept: rooted in community development, primary health care, and social accountability literature, it seeks to shift control from external actors to community members. In health, it has been used to tailor delivery mechanisms to local conditions and resources, allowing communities to determine who delivers services, where, and when.

Process and features: steps typically include convening a community group, mapping resources and needs, selecting local personnel, planning activities, securing funds, training, and monitoring progress. It stresses capacity building, governance, transparency, and flexible financing. The approach aims to strengthen local governance structures and foster ongoing community engagement throughout program cycles.

Applications and impact: used across health, nutrition, water and sanitation, and natural resource management; notable use in onchocerciasis control where communities chose distributors for ivermectin and related interventions, improving access and coverage. When effectively implemented, it can enhance sustainability, relevance, and community ownership of programs.

Challenges and considerations: requires strong local governance, safeguards against elite capture, ongoing external support, and rigorous evaluation, as well as alignment with national policies. It is not a universal solution; success depends on context, resources, capacity, and genuine empowerment of community members.