ABSTRACT
The strategic framework presented in this chapter attempts to rationalise the key areas of concern to municipalities in building capacity for community participation. It is anticipated that this framework will form the basis for capacity building strategies and be moulded and adapted to respond to the specific constraints of a municipality undergoing a capacity building process. An important underlying message of this work is that social and institutional factors play a primary role in determining the most appropriate forms of participation in a given context and, accordingly, these factors will determine the key priorities of capacity building.
