COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND INSTITUTION BUILDING TRAINING PROGRAMME FORMULATION
Nestor M. Pestelos
Consultant
February - June 1989
1.
Response to the advocacy for strengthening participatory approaches. National governments have responded positively to the Project’s advocacy for strengthening participatory approaches in planning and project implementation, as in other institution-building initiatives for the promotion of integrated atoll development.
1.1
Participatory local-level planning. The active participation of atoll communities has been sought by newly created planning and coordinative bodies in participating countries to enable these communities and the government to jointly plan, implement and monitor development programs and projects.
1.1.1During the last two years, planning workshops have been organized at project atoll level with representation from both the community and the government through the Atoll Development Assistance Committee (ADAC) and the Island Development Assistant Committees (IDACs) in Meemu atoll, Maldives; the Island Development Committee (IDC) un Tamana atoll, Kiribati; and the Island Planning and Development Committee (IPDC) in Tuvalu, a new participating country. The workshop outputs were local plans and rough project ideas submitted to the government for possible funding assistance.
1.1.2 Similar workshops, featuring high degree of collaborative efforts between atoll communities and the government, have been planned by the Outer Island Planning Commission (OIPC) of Yap, FSM and by newly-formed ad hoc planning groups in Marshall Islands, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands.
1.2
Policy and institutional support. Relevant policies and innovative institutional measures, formulated by the Project, are currently under consideration by national authorities in participating countries to improve coordination between the central ministries and the isolated island administration; facilitate replication island administration; other atolls; and implement more vigorous initiatives in information dissemination on atoll-based technologies and integrated rural development approaches. All governments have requested the Project to assist in the implementation of these measures.
1.2.1
The office for Tokelau Affairs (OTA) based in Apia, Western Samoa and the Ministry of International Affairs (INTAFF) in the Cook Islands have been formulating policy measures to improve coordination between the central administration and the island councils. The project’s Rural Development Officers (RDOs) are based in these entities to provide technical assistance and advice.
1.2.2
In Maldives, Kiribati, Tokelau and the Marshall Islands, which among the first group of participating countries, initial steps have been taken to utilize the Meemu, Tamana, Faka’ ofo and Maloelap atolls, respectively, as learning areas on atoll-based technologies and integrated service delivery schemes. The Atoll Development Officers (ADOs) in these areas act as trainers of government functionaries in carrying out project replication activities.
1.2.3
The Outer Islands Planning Commission (OIPC) of Yap, FSM and the Integrated Island Development Office (IIDO) of Tuvalu, both created two years ago, seek to bring about coordination among central agencies, and between central agencies and the island councils, to be able to formulate local plans and the project proposals based on close partnership between the government and atoll communities. The Project, to date, has provided relatively minimal inputs to these entities. In Yap, the state legislature has allocated a budget to enable the OIPC to hire a planner-trainor on a short-term consultancy. The Project has been requested to recruit the consultation and to design the training program utilizing Woleai atoll as plan preparation area.
1.3
Broadened community participation. The strengthening of traditional community groups, as well as the formation of more grassroots organizations, has been initiated by the Project in conjunction with the various governments, to broaden the scope of community participation and to establish a viable service delivery network to reach remote atoll communities. The project has imparted skills to the community as part of providing technical inputs on basic services (water supply, health and sanitation, agriculture and fisheries) and on income generation; building in the process, local confidence in manning project activities.
1.3.1
The Tamana Self-Reliance (Kiribati) was formed project some two years ago as focal point for assigning responsibilities to individual community for assigning responsibilities to individual community organizations. In effect, it has served as a functional mechanism to manage new roles of existing local organizations which have evolved in the course of project implementation.
1.3.2
In Maloelap atoll, Marshall Islands, where there had been no local organizations superior prior to project inception, the eventual formation of Youth, Fathers’, and Mothers’ Associations arose out of the need to systematically mobilize and train manpower for various project activities.
1.3.3
In Meemu atoll, Maldives, the existing tightly-knit social organization has accommodated performance of new roles and tasks required by project implementation. Channels of participation have been created for women and youth who were traditionally at the fringes of local decision-making. The Meemu experience has demonstrated a fact confirmed in other project sites, too, that given the stimulus of development programs, people will mobilize their own organizing skills, adjust local institutions and their customary ways of doing things to the perceived relevance of new tasks and social roles, pool common resources, and more significantly, widen the base of decision-making.
1.3.4
The community development experience of the Project for the last four years has confirmed the wisdom of gradually starting from where the people are, at their own level of skills, attitudes, and perceptions, rather than proceed with a full-blown institution-building program complete with a training component usually implemented in isolation from the service-delivery type of activities. The Project correctly builds on existing skills to enable the community to undertake simple projects, such as building latrines and water tanks, and providing them survey tools with which to assess local needs and in the process, enable each participating individual to appreciate the interrelated nature of project activities gradually being introduced into the community.
1.4
Development of demonstration and learning areas for integrated atoll development approaches. National governments in the first four groups of participating countries (Maldives, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and Tokelau) are keenly aware of the need to further develop their respective IADP project sites as demonstration and learning areas for the other atolls.
1.4.1
In each of the four atolls, projects implemented by the local people are quite visible in every island, making it ideal both for advocacy and skills’
training.
1.4.2
Previously-trained implementers from the community are readily available as trainors. Local councils, with varying degrees of capability and commitment, have taken to a significant measure, responsibility for project implementation. Both traditional and newly-formed organizations have come to assume project-related tasks. All these indicate that the project’s overall strategy for community mobilization has been basically correct.
2.
Assessment of training needs. In all the participating countries visited, at both government and community levels, training has been perceived as the catalyst activity which will strengthen government structures, as well as traditional community groups and newly-formed associations.
2.1
Specific needs. The most common training needs identified have been in these areas: public administration; development planning; project management and coordination, including monitoring and evaluation; financial management; and communication and training techniques geared towards the atoll-level authorities and organizations.
2.2
Sectoral orientation. While training activities conducted currently in IADP sites address some of the foregoing concerns, they are done at individual projects’ level and generally based on limited perspective and narrow sectoral orientation. The training activities undertaken often fail to stress the interrelatedness of the various sectoral concerns. This practice tends to lessen the training impact on attaining greater social cohesion among the people in the pursuit of development objectives, and on achieving cost-effectiveness on the part of agencies, in the use of training manpower and resources.
2.3
Requests for specific training inputs. In some participating countries (Maldives, Yap, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu), specific training inputs have been requested to upgrade the local level planning and management capabilities of the particular division, section, or unit responsible for overseeing the project. Assistance has been sought, too, in formulating training modules for project preparation and for training local trainers.
Recommendations
1.
On training. Based on the Training Needs Assessment undertaken, a core training program can be recommended for all the participating countries. The program will serve as basis for formulating detailed training designs for each group of participants. The sequencing of topics as well as the relative balance of inputs, for each activity will depend on the participants’ unique profile, but adherence to the objectives of each specific course is recommended to ensure pertinence to overall program orientation.
1.1
Major courses: The major courses include in the Core Training Program Integrated Atoll Development are as follows:
1.1.1
Atoll Development Planning Course in 3 modules which will refine planning and monitoring skills of project implementers at government and community levels;
1.1.2
Advocacy Course on Integrated Atoll Development also in 3 modules which will seek to generate more policy support in IAD approaches;
1.1.3
Training of Trainers Course which will strengthen local capacity to provide training inputs for IAD projects; and
1.1.4
Specialized Skills Training Courses which will be designed based on request of cooperating institutions and community organizations. Special courses requested include on-the-job- training on Project Management (Maldives and Marshall Islands); Development Planning (Yap, FSM); Community Organizing (Kiribati); and Atoll-based Technologies for project replication areas (Maldives, Kiribati).
1.2
Integrated training: It is recommended that the training for community development and institution building carried out by separate agencies be integrated to create maximum impact.
1.2.1
The formation and training of a National Training Team for each participating country of a National Training Team for each participating country is a prerequisite for such integration. Since the community development and institution building skills (planning, monitoring, management) benefit all agencies and programs, it is expected that assigning a member to such team on an ad hoc basis will not pose a serious administrative problem to the cooperating agencies.
1.2.2
The intensive training of the team should be built around these critical tasks: formulating relevant training design for each specific group of participants; upgrading skills in the delivery of core inputs; assessing training impact or effectiveness; recruiting and training potential community trainors.
1.3
Linkage to service delivery. It is recommended that the project should not deviate from its proven strategy of linking training to the service delivery capability of the project and its cooperating agencies.
1.3.1
Prior knowledge of available service is absolutely necessary to determine which inputs may be given particular emphasis during training.
1.3.2
As corollary measure, agencies should be encourage to package services for delivery to specific communities as their support to training. Training often creates tremendous demand for government services.
2.
On institution building. The following are specific recommendations in support of institution-building efforts initiated at each participating country:
2.1
Maldives
2.1.1
Prepare Meemu atoll as a consolidated demonstration and learning area for integrated atoll development. The phase-out of the UNV-ADO by mid-year and the proposed plan to implement an IADP-type project in nearby Nilandhe atoll are favorable conditions for motivating local government units to assume full responsibility for project sustainability. Timely training inputs will have to be provided the ADAC and IDACs to further develop them as viable implementing units of the project. Their training course can be built around tasks required of them during this transition phase to assume full local responsibility for the project.
2.1.2
Strengthen the MAA Projects Section as focal point for advocacy and implementation of integration atoll development approaches. The scheduled termination of the project by December, 1990 provides an opportunity to turn Phase II as an intensive training period for the MAA PROJECTS section to upgrade skills and assume more tasks related to the advocacy for integrated atoll development, as well as the planning, implementation, coordination and monitoring of actual projects. Intensive training will have to be provided around these urgent tasks: a) formulating atoll development plans; b) coordinating multi-sectoral inputs to complete remaining activities in Meemu; c) providing staff support to the National Integrated Rural Development Coordinating Committee (NIRDCC); and d) negotiating with potential donors.
2.1.3
Assist in the project preparation phase of the proposed Nilandhe project. The relationship of the new project to Meemu will have to be established as early as the project preparation phase. It is important that identification of activities in the proposed project should consider lessons learned from the Meemu experience.
2.2
FSM
2.2.1
Implement an intensive training course for the OIPC utilizing Woleai as plan preparation area. The OIPC should be trained on the basis of development planning through a combination of theoretical inputs and practical work in Woleai. The output of the three-month training activity is a Five-Year Development Plan for the Woleai atoll. Both the planning process and the output can adopted for replication in other atolls. Hence the plan preparation process in Woleai atoll will serve to: a) gradually develop the capability of the OIPC for rural development planning and implementation; b) provide for replication of the integrated atoll development planning process to other atolls; and c) validate the training modules for each participating group at central and atoll levels.
2.2.2
Train the Pan Rematau Organization (PRO) and other support groups of the OIPC on development planning. Composed of 30 professionals from the outer atolls who work in Colonia, the PRO is considered the manpower source for the OIPC membership. Each Island Chief, on the other hand, has also formed informal planning groups to assist him draft project proposals. It is recommended that the PRO and the informal planning groups in Woleai be given a modified version of the proposed atoll development planning course to make them aware of key concepts and methodologies.
2.3
Marshall Islands
2.3.1
Establish an Atoll Development Training Center in Taroa, Maloelap. In Maloelap, several conditions exist favorable to institutionalizing the training and information functions of the project. First, the projects implemented by the community are highly visible (water tanks, latrines, wells, home gardens) and are generally well-maintained; second, a network of trained project implementers from the various island communities exist which can supply local trainors on skills promoted by the project; third, infrastructure and other resources exist to set up a center at minimal costs. The center can serve two other atolls, Aur and Wotje, or a total of 9 islands.
2.3.2
Assign a UNV with training expertise during the first two years of the center’s operations. The volunteer will develop the curriculum, manage the center, and train counterpart staff from the community and the Outer Islands Affairs Division.
2.3.3
Strengthen the management capability of the Maloelap local council through its role in MV Buojlap operations. Training should be provided by the council so that it can provide sound guidance to Buojlap operations.
2.4
Kiribati
2.4.1
Include the Community Development Division (CDD) of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Decentralization (MHAD) as member-agency of the core mobile team being organized for the training of Island Development Committees nation-wide. The Division has a field force of various Island Community Workers (ICWs). This manpower, if adequately trained, can be vital both for training and post-training activities.
2.4.2
Include the Island Community Worker as regular member of the IDC. The government should study this possibility since the organization the ICW deals with are all IDC members. It will result to a more effective working relationship between the ICW and the community organizations.
2.5
Tuvalu
2.5.1
Strengthen the Integrated Island Development Office (IIDO) through support to personnel complement. The IIDO manager needs additional staff. An additional professional staff 2 or 3 in the social science field (economics, sociology, public administration) is proposed. External financial assistance will have to be sought until the posts can be funded by the Local Government Division.
2.5.2
Form and train a National core Group of Trainers for information dissemination and training requirements of the IADP Thrust in Tuvalu. The group can further complement the efforts of the Island Development Planning Process (IDPP) team and refine approaches to training and information dissemination. It can also be trained to handle documentation of the project experiences in Tuvalu for possible replication in other areas.
2.6
Tokelau
2.6.1
Further develop the long-term and project management capability of the Division of Economic Affairs and Information (DEAI). The Office for Tokelau Affairs (OTA) is determined to pursue a development strategy characterized by keen sensitivity to people’s will and articulated needs. It has managed the entire Tokelau Public Service to forge close links with atoll communities in the formulation of government programs. The recently created DEAI has been mandated to initiate a long-term planning process guided by Tokelau’s own unique vision of progress for each family and atoll community. The project’s RDO and the Director of DEAI, has initiated a series of consultative workshops with OTA and the various atoll communities in pursuit of this mandate. The Project should continue to fully support this undertaking as part of the over-all objective to strengthen the long-term planning and project management capability of the DEAI.
2.6.2
Strengthen the Site Management Team (SMT) and the Tokelau Public Service (TPS) as vital entities for carrying out institution-building efforts. Their roles should be defined vis-à-vis those of the General Fono and the Council of Elders.
2.7
Cook Islands
2.7.1
Appoint a local counterpart to the IADP Rural Development Officer (RDO). Immediate appointment of the local counterpart will ensure a more systematic government involvement in the project and prepare the conditions as early as possible for the eventual phase-out of the RDO.
2.7.2
Development training modules on development planning in Mauke (a volcanic island) for use in the northern atolls, Mauke (or any accessible island) should be used to develop the training modules for participatory planning. The documented process, as well as the outputs, will be used in training participants from the northern atolls.
2.7.3
Conduct a planning workshop for participants from the northern atolls this August. Conducting the workshop at such time will cut costs substantially since all the participants are available in Rarotonga for the Constitution Celebrations. Priority topics to cover are: a) an orientation on the IADP; b) an overview of the atoll development planning process; c) the need for a community and island profile. A minimal output from the workshop will be each village’s plan for data collection.