Grassroots Participation in Policy Formulation: Gaps and Challenges in the Developing Countries: Case of Malaysia and Zanzibar Grassroots

Abstract

The debates are still inconclusive on how best the grassroots can be included in policy formulation, and specifically supporting social development in the developing countries. Numerous policy scholars have uncovered that the issue of the grassroots inclusion in policy detailing is paramount and that participatory procedures are needed for better policy formulation process. Notwithstanding, numerous conclusions demonstrate that the endeavors are just won on principles at any rate as opposed to practices on the ground. Still, there is an extraordinary worry about how grassroots are included in term of procedure, platform, framework, methodology and the participatory component. This paper examines and investigates the major issues concerning the grassroots participation in the policy formulation in the developing countries for supporting social improvement. The paper found that the acts of policy detailing and activities are very described by lamentation and additionally pseudo grassroots participation. The procedure is for the most part appeared to be hampered by the absence of appropriate techniques, methodology and platform for taking part in one hand and extremely frail mindfulness and poor mentality and negative state of mind on the other side. Thus, grassroots are exceptionally poor, assuming any, take an interest to raise their voice and concern amid the policy detailing. In the light of this, the paper think of an integrated framework which will empower the basic and structural changes to enhance wide and different contributions in the policy formulation and grassroots participation. Our examination utilizes the various encounters and setting in these cases to investigate how the current platform neglected to get the policy premium and the substance from the grassroots level. The paper in view of information of two diverse qualitative case studies of contextual investigations directed in Malaysia, Kelantan specifically, and Zanzibar Grassroots respectively. The studies included 14 establishments in Malaysia and 34 in Zanzibar where 20 respondents secured in Malaysia study and 41 in Zanzibar.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2017.v8n2p237