Planact has been instrumental in the development of a model that brought together informal settlement communities to form what is termed Clusters of Community Agency (CCA).
These clusters are comprised of up to 18 informal settlement communities, while in some instances they may have smaller settlement groupings located in a single municipality. The cluster approach is designed to increase the impact that a broader collective can bring to solve collective issues faced by communities in informal settlements.
This has enabled many communities to advocate for change at a systemic level to achieve more impactful results instead of the issues being addressed by one community acting alone. Many of these settlements face similar challenges, which include acute water shortages and concerns over water quality, sanitation, and varied access to electricity, solid waste management and degraded environments. The cluster approach can bring solutions that resonate with communities and create the opportunity to share lessons and experiences between communities that are aimed at resolving these issues.
This is most effectively achieved in the relationships that have been built by the clusters with their respective municipalities. This has included understanding the structure of the municipality and the key officials in departments dealing with informal settlement upgrading, human settlements, public works, planning, and infrastructure, amongst others. Clusters have also been involved in their relevant municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) processes and have made submissions into the annual IDP review process.
Many cluster members have also attended the Municipal Public Account Committee (MPAC) meetings to better understand how public money is managed in the greater interest of ensuring its proper oversight and through the efficient and effective use of municipal resources.
Planact has played a central role in training cluster members to understand local government structures, policies and procedures. The organisation has also assisted in connecting the clusters to key ward, municipal and provincial level officials and orienting them on how best to engage with members of the executive. This has produced strong relationships that have led to communities achieving small victories such as improved water access. Planact has also assisted community members in obtaining water schedules for their settlements. The cluster can then determine when there are irregularities and when service providers deviate from the schedule. The schedule is important as it allows residents to plan their water usage. This is an indicator of transparency and a key aspect of service delivery.
Planact’s vision through the cluster methodology is to work towards ensuring informal settlement upgrading is a key priority and reflected in municipal policies, plans, and programmes. To this end, Planact, with cluster members, continues to engage municipalities on their informal settlement upgrading rollout plans. This process provides an opportunity to better align community plans with those of the municipality as well as Planact projects and programmatic interventions.