Practical guidelines for participatory communication when promoting electricity customers' involvement during an electricity tariffs review process

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of electricity stakeholders (referred to for the purposes of the study as electricity customers) regarding their communication with Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority (LEWA) during electricity tariff reviews in 2016 and 2017. LEWA is the electricity regulator, while Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) is the national power distributor in Lesotho. The electricity customers participated in the review process. The study was framed within development communication, with particular focus on its derivative, participatory communication. The principles of stakeholder theory were also considered. The study combined both quantitative and qualitative research approaches for data collection. The findings of the study were triangulated using an online self-administered questionnaire, a focus group moderator’s guide and a qualitative document analysis. The results were interpreted in line with the proposed practical guidelines. The finding of the study is that although LEWA endeavoured to collaborate with electricity customers during electricity tariff review processes, its implementation of participatory communication was inadequate. Furthermore, electricity customers have not yet fully embraced the importance of participating in electricity tariff review processes, because they perceive such endeavours not to be useful. As a result, the findings of the study encapsulate revised practical guidelines to fit an electricity review setting, which could serve as a heuristic for similar organisations as well as provide insights into the benefits of participatory communication in the various aspects of their work.

Morero wa phuputso ena e ne e le ho hlahloba le ho hlalosa maikutlo a ba nang le seabo motlakaseng (ba boletsweng e le bareki ba motlakase molemong wa phuputso) mabapi le puisano ya bona le Lekgotla la Taolo ya Motlakase le Metsi Lesotho (LEWA) nakong ya ditlhahlobo tsa ditefiso tsa motlakase ka selemo sa 2016 le 2017. LEWA ke molaodi wa motlakase, athe Khampani ya Motlakase ya Lesotho (LEC) ke yona moabi wa matla wa naha ya Lesotho. Bareki ba motlakase ba nkile karolo tshebetsong ya tlhahlobo. Phuputso e hlophisitswe kahara puisano ya ntshetsopele, e shebane haholo le puisano ya yona eo eseng ya pele, le ya bonkakarolo. Ditekanyetso tsa dikgopolo tsa ba amehang le tsona di ile tsa hlokomelwa. Phuputso e kopantse mekgwa ya dipatlisiso ya bongata le boleng ka bobedi bakeng sa pokello ya datha. Diphumano tsa phuputso di ne di arotswe ka dikgutlo-tharo ka tshebediso ya lethathamo la dipotso le fumanehang inthaneteng, tataiso ya motho ya lekanyang wa sehlopha seo ho tsepamisitsweng maikutlo ho sona le manollo ya tokomane ya boleng. Diphetho di ile tsa hlaloswa ka tumellano le ditataiso tse sebetsang. Phumano ya phuputso ke hore leha e le hore LEWA e ne e leka ho sebedisana le bareki ba motlakase nakong ya ditshebetso tsa tlhahlobo ya ditefiso, ho kenngwa tshebetso ha yona ha dipuisano tsa bonkakarolo ho ne ho sa lekana. Ntle le moo, bareki ba motlakase ha ba so ka ba amohela bohlokwa ba ho nka karolo ditshebetsong tsa tlhahlobo ya ditefiso tsa motlakase, hobane ba bona boiteko bo jwalo bo sena thuso. Ka lebaka leo, diphumano tsa phuputso di akarelletsa ditataiso tse ntlafaditsweng tse sebetsang bakeng sa ho nepahala boemong ba tlhahlobo ya motlakase, bo ka sebetsang e le tharollo bakeng sa mekgatlo e tshwanang hammoho le ho fana ka lesedi la melemo ya puisano ya bonkakarolo dikarolong tse fapaneng tsa mosebetsi wa yona.

Die doel van hierdie studie was om die persepsies van elektrisiteitsbelanghebbers (waarna vir die doel van die studie verwys word as elektrisiteitskliënte) rakende hul kommunikasie met die Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority (LEWA) gedurende elektrisiteitstariefhersienings in 2016 en 2017, te ondersoek en te beskryf. LEWA is die elektrisiteitsreguleerder, terwyl die Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) die nasionale kragverspreider in Lesotho is. Die elektrisiteitskliënte het aan die hersieningsproses deelgeneem. Die studie het in die konteks van ontwikkelingskommunikasie geskied, met spesifieke fokus op die afleiding, deelnemende kommunikasie. Die beginsels van belanghebberteorie is ook in ag geneem. Die studie het kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings tot data-insameling gekombineer. Die bevindings van die studie is getrianguleer met behulp van ʼn aanlyn selfgeadministreerde vraelys, ʼn fokusgroepmoderatorsgids en ʼn kwalitatiewe dokumentontleding. Die resultate is geïՙnterpreteer ooreenkomstig die voorgestelde praktiese riglyne. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie is dat hoewel LEWA probeer het om met elektrisiteitskliënte saam te werk gedurende elektrisiteitstariefhersieningsprosesse, hul implementering van deelnemende kommunikasie ontoereikend was. Verder besef elektrisiteitskliënte nog nie ten volle die belangrikheid van deelname aan elektrisiteitstariefhersieningsprosesse nie, omdat hulle sodanige pogings nie as nuttig ervaar nie. Gevolglik is die bevindings van die studie ʼn samevatting van hersiene praktiese riglyne om by ʼn elektrisiteitshersieningskonteks te pas, en dit kan dien as heuristiek vir soortgelyke organisasies en kan ook insig gee in die voordele van deelnemende kommunikasie in die verskillende aspekte van hul werk.