Community Empowerment Some food for thought

Cameroon example: Participation exercise Local organizations and committees External support Money Efforts “to keep cards on the table” Better impact with every iteration

Empowerment has many dimensions: From “begging” to “building on assets” Identifying priorities Responsibility for implementation Control over resources Accountability and transparency Right to make mistakes Many other aspects could be highlighted

Building on assets Assets are: –resources for making livelihoods and coping with setbacks; –sense of identity and meaningful engagement with the world; –emancipatory value – by providing us with the capacity to act; –catalyst for civic involvement and enterprise development. Benefits: –Focus: What can we do? vs. What can we not do? –From “ begging ” to “ leading ” –Communities ’ agenda – not donors ’ agenda

Community Problems Community Assets: Preventable diseasesExamples of healthy families as positive role models Poor housingConstruction skills, history of people working together, tradition of savings, vacant land Fatalism/apathy/ Dependency History of community- building activities (without relying on outsiders)

Identifying priorities: Only people can voice their priority Difficult for technicians: –Priority often not what we are good at Importance of being aware of dynamics in community –Power struggle and discrimination are reality –Special attention to gender No fail-proof approach but: –Striving for honesty –Participatory methodology

Responsibility for implementation: Difference between technical assistance and responsibility for implementation –Ex: Parents-teachers association Difficult: –Hard work –Leadership in community Mentality change: –Technicians: “Client is king!” –Community: “If I don’t do it, nobody will!” –Politicians: “Whose bread do I eat?”

Control over resources: Most common mistakes: –Give responsibility without resources –Avoid “political” struggle Sustainability –Transfers alone will not do it –Mechanisms for local revenue generation Pitfall of straw-fire –Look beyond resources generated through project –Fiscal transfers and decentralization –Be careful with expectations

Accountability and transparency: Empowerment (trust) can only strive if: –All resources are managed transparently –Everything is accounted for –Requires formal procedures and control processes Beware of capture by schooled elite Lateral, upwards, and downwards Great progress and strength in simplification of procedures – use it.

Right to make mistakes: Expectation to be fail-proof often prevalent –Donors, politicians, technicians, communities Mistakes and failings become stumbling blocks Overkill in procedures and ex-ante controls Learning becomes difficult Alternative: –Be realistic about risk, and accept it –Encourage learning by doing, &know the price –Focus on mistake as learning opportunity Huge change in mentality Real responsibility and empowerment