The focus group technique has become an important applied approach to integrate stakeholders’ perspectives and knowledge into Integrated Assessments (IA) and Sustainability Assessments (SA)
Powell and Single (1996:499) define a focus group as: ‘a group of individuals selected and assembled by researchers to discuss and comment on, from personal experience, the topic that is the subject of the research.’ There are many variations of the basic method, but generally, a focus group is a method for collecting qualitative research data through carefully planned group discussions with the purpose of obtaining perceptions of
participants in a permissive and non−threatening environment (Morgan 1988). The discussions are guided by a skilled moderator, who works from a predetermined set of questions. The group members influence each other by responding to comments made in the discussions. The results are analyzed with quantitative and qualitative social science methods. The study area Nagpur has total 39 Prabhags under the municipal limit. As per the methodology mentioned above the Equi-City Team chose a total of 4 Prabhags for the Survey and Focused Group Discussion named viz; Kapil Nagar (Prabhag 2), Dharampeth (Prabhag 15), Hanuman Nagar (Prabhag 31) & Deshraj Nagar (Prabhag 12). The focused group discussion involves the local residents, concerned Zonal Commissioner, Elected Representatives, active members from the local community and as well as stakeholders in the above Prabhags. The focus group discussions were held under the supervision of Zonal Commissioner and Elected Representatives of the concerned Prabhags. These discussions had an objective to know the views of all participants about the status of basic services provided by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, so that a solution strategy can be formulated soon. This process would help in the present and emerging challenges of
the municipal services in context to sewerage & sanitation, solid waste management and water supply. During the group discussion the views of local people about the services were given priority.
Community Score Card
A Community score card has been prepared based upon identified municipal services. The information regarding municipal services was gathered from the focused group discussion in the four selected Prabhags. Further, Community score card would be helpful to assess the present delivery of municipal services and as well as for future development strategy in the study area. A community score card has been presented as below-A comprehensive focused group discussion had been held at each selected Prabhag level. A large number of local people from different communities participated in discussions. The people were asked to give their opinions about the services provided by Nagpur Municipal
Corporation. The services provided by the Nagpur municipal corporation are sewerage & sanitation, solid waste management, water supply, parks and green spaces, etc. The citizens of selected Prabhags have different opinions about the above municipal services in their locality. It is required to prepare the community score card of studied Prabhags to better interpret the above municipal services in the study area. This interpretation would include the citizen’s view upon municipal services. Above community score card explains the services provided by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation are mostly bad at 54 per cent as cited by the citizens of all Prabhags. Further, 35 per cent of people said the municipal services are at average level and 11 per cent said the services are good for them. Sewerage and sanitation services of Nagpur Municipal Corporation are bad as cited by 60 per cent of the respondents, whereas 35 and 5 per cent people said the services are respectively average and good. De silting of drainage by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation is bad as stated by 58 per cent people but 13 and 29 per cent people said average and good respectively. Solid waste management practices in Nagpur are based on public private partnership. The solid waste management services are provided by Kanak Resources. By the community score card solid waste management services are rated average, bad and good by 40, 34 and 26 per cent respectively. Water supply services of Nagpur Municipal Corporation are also not equally distributed in the study area. People have different kinds of opinions regarding water supply services. The opinions differ from person to person. Some people are not satisfied with the quality and some with quantity of water. Citizen feedback for water supply services provided by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation is rated bad, average and good by 50, 29 and 21 per cent respectively. The people from all selected Prabhags have not got equal facilities of parks and green spaces as well. The people said
that parks and green spaces are not up to the standards but maximum of them are at average level. Total 62 per cent of the people have an average opinion whereas 32 and 6 per cent people said bad and good respectively. Community participation in municipal decision making is poor in the selected Prabhags. Most people are not aware about the municipal decision making process, so 83 per cent people from the selected Prabhags have not been ever engaged in municipal decision making and formulation. The majority of people from the study area have bad opinion and only 2 per cent people are satisfied and 15 per cent are rated as average the municipal decision making process and formulation. People from the selected Prabhags are used to giving their complaints to the elected representatives of the locality. Often people are not willing to visit the municipal corporation to register their complaint.
There are several reasons behind it such as:
♦♦ Lack of awareness
♦♦ Lack of time availability
♦♦ Not easy to access
♦♦ Behaviour of municipal personnel
A majority of people, 53 percent,said the complaint mechanism is good. Others saying average and bad were 21 and 26 per cent respectively. Nagpur Municipal Corporation is providing the basic services to its citizens. These services have been evaluated for the first time under the “Equi-city project”. The basic services such as water supply, sewerage & sanitation, solid waste management & parks and green spaces have been assessed through the Focus group discussions in four selected Prabhags named viz; Kapil Nagar (Prabhag 2), Dharampeth (Prabhag 15), Hanuman Nagar (Prabhag 31) &Deshraj Nagar (Prabhag 12). As per the outcome of focused group discussion the municipal services are somewhat good in the inner Prabhags but bad in the outer Prabhags.Nagpur Municipal Corporation is the implementing body for all basic municipal services within its jurisdiction. After the results taken from group discussions at four Prabhags about the municipal service delivery, it is challenging to provide equitable municipal services to all citizens.
To achieve equitable distribution of services to all citizens some of the recommendations have been presented below:
♦♦ Nagpur Municipal Corporation should do the evaluation of municipal services in all Prabhags regularly by group discussion.
♦♦ NMC should adopt the methodology to conduct the survey and group discussion focused upon the basic municipal services such as water supply, sewerage & sanitation,
solid waste management, parks and green spaces.
♦♦ Awareness about “Swachhata and Sanitation should be spread by the NMC to its citizens, so they can participate in the municipal solid waste and sanitation management services.
♦♦ There should be training and education on waste reduction and reuse to all municipal employees as well as city level campaigning through public and private institutions.
♦♦ Implement the strong provisions and monitoring about environmental degradation at the sensitive areas such as water bodies, drains and natural water courses.
♦♦ Complaint mechanism of NMC should be flexible to register complaints by the citizens.