Developing countries cannot simply pattern their social welfare programs after the programs in developed nations because their needs are quite different. Educational levels, degrees of urbanization, and wealth of the countries must be considered. Individual communities must be involved in a real sense if social welfare programs are to succeed. (AG)

A community water supply project in Cameroon illustrates the following constraints on community participation in development: paternalistic authorities, prescriptive role of the state, selective participation, bias toward "hard" issues, inattention to negative results, group conflicts, gatekeeping, pressure for immediate results,…