Needs Assessment and Prioritization of the Needs of Local Communities with a Rural Participatory Appraisal Approach (Case Study: Malekshahi County, Ilam)

One of the main goals of rural development programs is to empower rural communities and solve the problems of these communities through the facilities and capacities of the local community. In this article, an attempt has been made to identify and prioritize the needs of the villages of Malekshahi City from the point of view of the local community. The field of study includes all 27 villages in Malekshahi. Qualitative research methods and participatory needs assessment and techniques are used in focus group meetings. It has been tried to identify and prioritize their basic needs from the point of view of the local community by holding focus group meetings of at least five people and involving different groups and strata of the residents of the villages. The findings showed that the four needs of mobile phone coverage and mobile internet, work and employment, provision of quality drinking water and water piping, and the creation of educational infrastructure for children's education are the most important needs of the villages of Malekshahi city from the point of view of the local community. The results showed that the needs of the local communities are more infrastructural and directed to the government institutions. The root of this issue can be traced to the centralization of the country's political administration, the weakening of the traditional social hierarchy, and the small contribution of local stakeholders in local management.