Page 48 - CARILEC CE Journal Nov 21

and equality, electric utility, health, education, A set of values were identified using inductive
communication and products and services. The reasoning, and these were validated by holding a
result is a methodology that balances community 3-day community workshop to acquire a collective
capacities with the economics of development goals. response and validation of findings. These values, or
This is illustrated with a case study. categories thereof, we refer to as ’ballasts’.

2. Materials and Methods Also, quantitative data were collected in the form
of the energy potentials in the area, and survey
information on willingness to pay. A comparative
2.1. Research objective analysis approach was used for the latter. Ethics
The objective was to develop a conceptual framework approval was obtained from the University of
whereby the sociological values of indigenous Canterbury (HEC 2017/40).
communities are better included in electrification
decision-making. The idea of balance between the values was a
strong theme that emerged from the discussion
2.2. Approach with the indigenous people. Hence, we developed
The first stage was to understand the world views a conceptual framework to integrate them – the
of rural indigenous communities, and extract their sustainability ballast framework. The conceptual
values regrading electrification. This was achieved underpinning is that these various categories of
using a grounded theory approach. This involved value need to be balanced. The participants were
the first author spending time in a rural indigenous asked to prioritise the ballasts, which was used to
community, listening to their needs and collecting derive numerical weights of importance for each
qualitative data (N=30 to 40 participants). An ballast. The number of individual participants was
unstructured interview process was applied. The N=28. A composite index was then constructed. This
community under study was Kabakabura, Guyana. was informed by guideline in [18].

Figure 1. The ballast theory of sustainability requires that the eight social ballasts and the utility infrastructure
remain in the safe range above subsistence, but not overshooting prosperity by incurring unmanageable debt.

18. Commission, J.R.C.E.; others. Handbook on constructing composite indicators: methodology and user guide; OECD publishing, 2008.

48