Each Project Committee has terms of reference, which are agreed upon and signed by representatives of the parties. The terms of reference regulate the Project Committee=s activities and include commitments to plan and implement the project as a partnership, to promote the expeditious design and implementation of the project, to optimise the product and to ensure that beneficiaries are identified in a fair and just manner.

The Project Committee elects a chairperson, and in some cases the facilitator has been chosen for this role. This is advantageous if the facilitator is well versed in the development process in addition to being well informed about the community, its leadership and dynamics.

It is essential that community representation be inclusive of all the communities from which beneficiaries will be drawn. In the iSLP we have had up to 12 communities successfully represented in a Project Committee. It is also essential that representation be consistent - that the same people attend all meetings.

The success of Project Committees within the iSLP has been the product of a careful policy of ensuring that the whole committee is involved in the planning of the project from first principles - and that all policy issues are brought to the committee. By this means all committee members are involved, informed and can therefore exercise accountability to the community in general. 

Participation in Project Committees has proved to be the most effective capacity-building exercise for the benefit of community leadership. Furthermore, at times when the community structures have been in political turmoil the business of the Project Committees has been sustained and progress has not faltered.

The Project Committee has often proved to be the most appropriate forum to address any disputes. For which reason it is vital to maximise the members' sense of ownership of the project from the very start.

Technical Oversight
Each construction project is managed by a qualified professional civil engineer as Project Manager, appointed by the implementing agency with the approval of the Project Committee. The Project Manager is supported by specialist consultants in the land surveying, town planning and civil & electrical engineering fields, also appointed by the implementing agency with the approval of the Project Committee. These consultants report to the Project Manager, and meet with him on a monthly basis, as well as at more frequent site meetings once implementation has begun.

Consultants for the first greenfields housing project within the iSLP were appointed by the implementing agency (the Province) on the recommendation of the Project Committee. The reason for this was that at that stage (1994-95) the method used by the Province to appoint some of its consultants was insufficiently transparent, and in order to assure the community representatives of the Province's bona fides the Province had to allow the Project Committee (effectively, the community representatives on the Project Committee) the opportunity to choose consulting firms from a panel. Accordingly, three town planning firms and three civil engineering firms were invited to give short presentations to the Weltevreden Valley Project Committee. The Committee recommended the appointment of two of each. Before consultants were to be appointed for the next project the Province had adopted an acceptable selection policy.

Contracts for the installation of infrastructure are put out to public competitive tender, and awarded according to strict rules to ensure fair adjudication. The successful contractor is engaged by the implementing agent, but managed by the Project Manager and the appropriate consultants.