Snap Survey Long Case
Community Development Programs Supporting Engagement With Communities:
Snap Survey Long Case Study
Overview:
The report investigates different community engagement efforts in Lagos, primarily focused on waste management, recycling, and sustainability. Through a detailed analysis of three case studies (RecyclePoints, T-CaLi, and LASEPA), the report outlines successes, challenges, and opportunities for replicability and impact.
The Role of Organisations
Both state and non-state actors play crucial roles in community waste management initiatives. However, a lack of standardised frameworks for intervention poses significant challenges. Key organisations, including NGOs, corporates, and public entities, were identified, with over 107 groups actively involved in promoting responsible waste management practices across Lagos.
Key Organisations Highlighted
A corporate venture incentivizing communities to recycle through an innovative points system.
A youth-led NGO focused on waste-picking and community sensitization.
A government agency partnering with various stakeholders to promote waste reduction and recycling.
Strategic Findings from the Case Studies
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Objective:
Recover recyclables, raise recycling awareness, and instil recycling habits. -
Success:
Demonstrated strong alignment with community needs and delivered an effective engagement. The incentivization model boosted community participation, yielding positive impacts on recycling awareness. -
Challenges:
Some budget adjustments were required to accommodate larger-than-anticipated community involvement. Additionally, a lack of sufficient infrastructure (e.g., waste bins) continued to limit waste management practices.
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Objective:
Conduct waste-picking exercises and sensitise markets to better waste disposal practices. -
Success:
Successfully engaged volunteers for market cleanups and raised awareness. -
Challenges:
While objectives aligned with immediate needs, the lack of sustainable follow-up and financial resources hindered long-term behavioural change. The engagement did not adequately address deeper community waste management issues, such as infrastructure.
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Objective:
Promote responsible waste disposal, reduce single-use plastics, and offer incentives. -
Success:
The campaign was well-received, and 95% of surveyed participants understood proper waste management practices. -
Challenges:
Insufficient incentives left many participants dissatisfied, and follow-up collection of recyclables was not sustained, limiting long-term effectiveness.
Key Observations
Effective community engagement requires addressing both immediate needs and longer-term sustainability. Without aligning interventions with local realities, such as waste disposal infrastructure, the impact of engagements is limited.
Most interventions were underfunded, which constrained their scope and long-term scalability. Future programs must prioritise larger and more stable funding pools to ensure lasting change.
Collaborative approaches, especially between advocacy groups and recyclers, show promise for creating more sustainable systems. RecyclePoints’ model of working with ‘environmental champions’ is replicable across different communities.
Full Report
Dive into the full report and explore all of the focus areas, strategies, and key recommendations in more detail.
Impacts and Future Directions
- While knowledge of waste management and recycling practices increased across all communities, maintaining behavioural change post-engagement was a significant challenge.
- Future initiatives should focus on creating better incentives and more robust infrastructure to support the continuation of waste collection and recycling efforts.