Community Development (CD) in Petroleum Industry of South Sudan: A Contextual Review

Abstract

Community Development (CD), though a crucial element within the petroleum industry, has historically been neglected and insufficiently studied, particularly in relation to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This disregard has led to CD initiatives being implemented remotely, with limited effectiveness. In South Sudan, despite having a mature and robust petroleum sector operating through three Joint Operating Companies (JOCs) in blocks 3 & 7, 1, 2 & 4, and 5A, CD programs and projects have largely employed a non-participatory (top-down) approach. As a result, communities often fail to take ownership of projects, leading to unsustainable development and eventual collapse of initiatives. The study emphasizes the importance of a participatory (bottom-up) model in which communities are at the core of all petroleum industry processes—from exploration, appraisal, development, and drilling, to production and decommissioning. The proposed model advocates for comprehensive community consultation and positions Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) as the central methodology. PRA enables communities to identify, prioritize, and address their most pressing issues through the creation and execution of a Community Action Plan (CAP). Using a case study approach, the research examined CD departments across all JOCs in South Sudan. It concludes that while the petroleum industry is capital-intensive, it is equally people-intensive and must be led by the communities themselves. It further recommends that Community Development Committees (CDCs) be directly elected and managed by locals, free from political influence, to ensure effective, inclusive, and sustainable development.