United Nations
Development Programme World Development

undp

Office for Project Services

INTEGRATED ATOLL
DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
RAS/88/014

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR ATOLLS AND OTHER SMALL ISLANDS

PREFACE

This report attempts to bring together the implementation experience of the UNDP/OPS Integrated Atoll Development Project since it first started in 1985. The report shows how, through a deliberate and systematic participatory process coupled with the proper choice of technology, development can be made more meaningful, fulfilling and sustainable.

It also highlights the partnership between the Project, the government, the people and their indigenous institutions in working towards a more balanced and self-reliant community. The report traces the work of the Project in seven countries - how it has built on the gains and confidence achieved in its previous phase to further strengthen both island and national capabilities for the replication of the participatory and integrated development process.

The report also pays tribute to the collective wisdom of the peoples of the atolls and outer islands. Many of their cherished values, customs, practices and traditional institutions play a vital role in ensuring community stability and sustainability in these atolls and small islands. The Project will continue to integrate its programmes with those values and practices which can further provide motivation and leadership for the community to work for their general well-being, increased productivity and the enhanced sustainability of their resources.

Jeff Liew
Regional Project Coordinator

Towards Sustainable Development for
Atolls and Other Small Islands

IADP' s Institution building and Replication Phase

INTRODUCTION

As a regional project aimed at promoting sustainable development, the UNDP/OPS Integrated Atoll Development project (IADP) has sought primarily to increase the productive capabilities of the atoll environment and its people. Project activities during Phase I (March 1985 - August 1988) identified, tested and disseminated improved technologies and implementation approaches suited to the atolls in areas such as agriculture, marine resources, water and sanitation, transport, renewable energy, ecological resource management and income generation.

Promotion of these technologies has been part of an integrated programme which also applies participatory methodologies in working with national and local governments, as well as non-governmental organizations involved in rural development, and atoll communities themselves, including their indigenous institutions.

IADP has been implemented in various remote atolls of the following countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tokelau, Tuvalu, all in the Pacific; and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

PHASE II: INSTITUTION BUILDING AND REPLICATION

For Phase II (October 1988 - December 1991), the Project's main concerns are:

Institutional Outputs

The Project's institutional outputs to date are tested and validated methodologies for planning, managing and supporting sustainable development in the atolls and other small islands.

These methodologies include:

Participatory Island Profiling and Development Planning

This systematic and truly participatory development profiling and planning methodology focuses on helping island leaders and communities to really understand their local situation, assess problems based on existing resources and evolve courses of action consistent with what the entire community has defined as its common vision and goals.

Small Scale High Impact Projects

With minimal funding support, the community is encouraged to identify and implement small-scale projects which can increase income, ensure wise use of local resources and provide opportunities for implementors to hone project planning and management skills. These projects, therefore, have both developmental and training benefits.

Integrated Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development

Indigenous institutions and traditional leaders are systematically brought into the mainstream of developmental concerns through timely and adequate provision of information, training and other programme inputs, namely project planning management, community-based monitoring and participatory evaluation. Collaborative roles with government bodies are given formal recognition to foster accountability for overall development goals. Cultural values and practices are deliberately sought to enrich implementation approaches.

Social Preparation for Technology Adoption

This methodology seeks public acceptance and support as part of efforts to promote improved technologies in atoll agriculture, fisheries, and other productive sectors. The people themselves are mobilized t identify the need for technologies, test improvements or innovative features and acquire new skills to demonstrate suitability of specific technologies for widespread adoption.

National Core Team of Trainers

With the given manpower shortage in small island countries, building a strong national core team of trainers ensures inter-agency cooperation and participation in the delivery and monitoring of services and programmes for outer islands development. A viable mechanism for implementing the foregoing methodologies is thus created which can serve, in the long run, as a catalyst for the effective planning, implementation and management of integrated rural development programmes with a high degree of participation from the government sector, local institutions and the people themselves.

All these methodologies, validated and refined during the IADP Phase II, now constitute the Outer island Capability Enhancement Process (OICEP), an institutional development and social mobilization strategy for sustainable development conceptualized from concrete Project experience to suit the specific requirements of small island countries.

These experiences are the focus of this Report.

BACKGROUND NOTES

Focus on Atolls

For the UNDP/OPS Integrated Atoll Development Project, better known as IADP, the focus is on atolls, probably the world's most ecologically fragile and marginal resource base.

Atolls are low coral islands or a series of islands which nearly or entirely enclose a lagoon. There are close to 300 atolls in the Pacific and 19 in the Indian Ocean. They are very small and their isolation and wide dispersion causes extensive and difficult supply, transport and communications problems. They are often made worse by the lack of safe anchorages and treacherous reef passages. These low islands are continually exposed to the salty air and are at the mercy of tropical storms and high seas. The poor coralline soils, absence of surface water and unreliable rains make agriculture extremely difficult. Ground water is limited and, like their lagoons, is easily contaminated and polluted.

They are affected by the same problems which plague other small island economies: high out-migration rate; dependence on remittances from members of the family who work abroad; poor access t markets; shift from subsistence to cash economy; heavy reliance on government subsidies; limited manpower and skills for viable economic activities; inadequate delivery of basic services due to poor transport and communication; lack of information about specific problems to be addressed by central ministries; and relatively strong influence of traditional and indigenous institutions on the values and practices of the people.

Integrated Approach

The integrated approach is in contrast with the sectoral or single-motive programmes, i.e. health, agriculture, fisheries, income generations, energy, transport, women's concerns, local government training. It combines all these services to match the full range of community-articulated needs.

The Project is all these inputs - and more. All these inputs are planned, delivered and their impact monitored, taking principally into account:

IADP seeks to fit its development strategy to the unique requirements of the atolls and other small islands. Its intensive and integrated inputs, as well as emphasis on skills building and participatory methods, are designed to enable the atoll to overcome traditional limitations of smallness and isolation from centers of commerce, political governance and welfare services.

IADP is for small island development.

PRELUDE TO IADP PHASE II

Initially, the search for approaches suitable to small island development brought the Project in 1985 to four atolls, three in the Pacific and one in the Indian Ocean. These atolls were in Kiribati (Tamana), Marshall Islands (Maloelap), Tokelau (Faka'ofo), and the Maldives (Meemu).

The Project assigned a United Nations Volunteer (UNV) to live and work in each atoll and serve in various roles: as technician and resource person; catalyst for change and mobilizer; and recorder of the change process as well.

Eight months into their assignment, each UNV had learned the local language, adjusted to the humid climate and local food, gained acceptance from the community both as change agent and "one of us" and wrestled successfully with the scourge of field workers assigned in remote places - loneliness. In less than a year after the UNV set foot on the harsh atoll landscape, projects started to take form.

Two years after the start of the Project, the UNDP project evaluation and needs assessment mission, in late 1987, observed:

In summary, it may be noted that there were successes in training, reef blasting, water supply, agriculture, horticultural nurseries, home gardens, development of community organizations and small income generation, to name only a few.

On the use of UNVs as change agents, the mission said:

The first and most important achievement of the Project is to show methodology of development by demonstration using person contact actually works. The UNDP is to be commended for adopting this approach and encouraged to use it elsewhere.

Finally, in looking into the future, the mission noted:

In some ways the single most important question is whether the developments which have started under the catalytic influences of the UNVs will continue when they have left the atolls. It is impossible to give certain answer to this question…

For Phase II, which commenced October 1988, the Project expanded to three other countries in response to their request for replication of the unique development approach: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Tuvalu. Thus, with 7 participating atoll countries, the Project has continued in Phase II the quest for those "certain answers" to the question of how atolls and the outer islands may hope to achieve sustainable development.

COOK ISLANDS

INTRODUCTION

A United Nations Volunteer (UNV) - Rural Development Officer (RDO) was assigned by the Project to the Cook Islands in April 1989, shortly after the installation of the newly elected government. Through him, the Project encouraged the new government to set up an Outer Islands Development Unit at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (INTAFF) to facilitate a more systematic approach to rural development planning and implementation.

The person appointed to the newly-created unit was also designated as the local counterpart to the Project's RDO.

In July 1989, the Project was formally launched through a seminar in Rarotonga. The Project Coordinator shared with key government officials, planners and the Mayors and Chief Administration Officers of all the Northern Group atolls the varied experiences of the Project in the other participating countries, highlighting the lessons learned, and discussed with them the strategy adopted and refined to evoke greater participation from island communities.

The seminar participants placed high priority on strengthening the development planning and management capability at the island level and requested the Project to assist in carrying out such an institution building task.

The government endorsed the strategy and approved the Project's work plan. It was agreed that the RDO go to Mangaia, a varied coral island in the Southern Group., to test some approaches while waiting for transport to the northern atolls.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Participatory Development Planning in Mangaia

The activities initiated in Mangaia led to the preparation of two documents:

These activities have further enriched the Project's development planning and profiling methodology.

They have enabled the people to participate at each step of the profiling and planning activity, culminating in their own selection of projects and a collective decision on:

• which project to implement immediately with the use of local resources; and
• the organizational mechanism which can best sustain popular involvement in development planning, implementations and management.

  The process basically includes the following key activities:

• gathering of relevant data on the island with participation of national agencies;
• consensus-building among key officials and other resource persons on the possible development strategy for the target island;
• formulation of a tentative development profile;
• data gathering at the island and consultation with key individuals and local resource persons;
• workshop with representatives of all sectors to update profile data;
• structured analysis of problems by the people themselves to hasten their understanding of the total island economy;
• determinations of local goals and strategies in solving priority problems;
• identification of projects consistent with these goals and strategies;
• selection by the local people of a mechanism for development planning and implementation;
• preparation of a long-term (5 years) framework plan; and
• validation of the plan through consultation with the village population.

  Through involvement of the people and their leaders, government officials and island-based personnel, a truly participatory process has been initiated towards greater understanding of local problems and the need for collective action in solving them.

Mangaia Development Coordinating Committee

An outstanding output of the planning workshop was the identification by the people themselves for the need of an organizational mechanism which would carry out coordination work among the various sectors involved in the newly-formulated development plan.

The workshop participants realized that such a vital function was not provided for in the existing system. Thus they organized the Mangaia Development Coordinating Committee (MDCC) as a technical arm of the Island Council to assist both the council and the Chief Administration Officer (CAO) in the monitoring and assessment of plan implementation. The MDCC has 32 members representing a cross section of the community.

To prepare the Council for its tasks, the Project conducted workshops on project coordination and monitoring, as well as project formulation ad leadership development.

Small Scale High Impact Projects (SSHIPs)

To provide added impetus to local initiatives, the Project extended a NZ$5,000 grant to the MDCC as support to small-scale projects proposed by community groups. Repayments, as planed, would be recycled by MDCC for other projects.

By administering the fund, the MDCC would also be trained to appraise projects, manage funds and monitor loan repayments.

Priority funding assistance has been extended to projects with the following features:

• impact seen in relatively shorter time, i.e. 1 year;
• income-generating;
• high local resource use and development;
• low capital requirements;
• high community impact; and
• self-sustaining
  
  Those granted loans as of November 1990 were:
• Mangaia Vanilla Growers Association;
• Ivirua Planters Association, a 15-member youth group in Ivirua;
• Woodcarvers Association based in Oneroa village;
• Mangaia Vegetable Growers Association; and
  
  Each received a NZ$1,000 loan. Repayment rate to date was nearly 100%.

  From the first repayments, another loan was also extended to a family in Tamarua engaged in the growing of watermelons, cabbages and peanuts.

  Due to the exemplary performance of the MDCC in the management of the initial Integrated Atoll Development Project (IADP) grant, it has attracted development funds fro the Small projects Fund of the New Zealand government, as well as from other sources.

  
  Penrhyn Integrated Development

  In early 1990, the methodologies tested and refined in Mangaia were applied in Penrhyn, the country's northernmost atoll. It lies 1,365 kilometers from Rarotonga. The nearest island, Rakahanga, is about 354 kilometers away.

  Two planning workshops were actually held, one each for the villages of Omoka and Tetautua, to enable more people to participate and to ensure the broad-based collection of pertinent data.

  These workshops produced the Penrhyn Profile and Framework Plan, which has become the basis of government assistance (training in agriculture, women's development, teachers' training, etc.) to the atoll.

  
  Replication Mechanism

  With New Zealand funding, the government in mid-1990 started to implement the Northern Group Islands profiling Exercise (NGIPE). A multi-sectoral team was formed to assist the northern atolls produce socio-economic profiles and development plans.

  The RDO and his technical counterpart are members of the team. They have generously shared their experience.

  Through the NGIPE, the government has adopted the IADP methodology for participatory needs assessment and development planning. In effect, the NGIPE serves as a viable mechanism to replicate the planning and profiling methodology tested and validated by IADP in Mangaia and Penrhyn.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The following activities were also conducted in 1989 - 1990 to further contribute forging a national consciousness for a truly participatory development planning process in the outer islands:

It was jointly sponsored with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Public Service Commission.

During the planning workshops in Manihiki and Rakahanga, the RDO counterpart assumed the tasks normally assigned to the UNV. The Project conveniently gave other assignments to the RDO in neighboring Pacific countries so the counterpart could be entirely on his own.

The local counterpart's performance would later be assessed to identify other skills to be imparted to him prior to the phase-out of the RDO. He is actually being trained to head the Division for Outer Island Development which will provide for a comprehensive and more effective servicing of outer island development requirements.

Documentation

• The following documents have been published:
• Mangaia Integrated Framework Plan (1990 - 1994)
• Penrhyn Integrated Framework Plan (1991 - 1995)
• Mangaia Socio-Economic Profile (March 1990)
• Penrhyn Socio-Economic Profile (June 1990)
• Operating Guidelines for Participatory Local level Planning (Draft)
  A video documentation of both the Mangaia and Penrhyn development planning exercises is in the process of being edited as a training tool.

Anthony Ryan, the Coordinator of NGIPE, visited Mangaia on 28 November to 1 December last year. He attended a meeting of the MDCC and visited several projects supported by the IADP-initiated revolving fund.

His observations include the following:

• The development fund management process on the island has been considerably improved with the sharing of information among various groups.
• Accountability for the use of funds is greatly enhanced with MDCC involvement. The MDCC has become a functional contact point between the recipients and donor agency representatives, namely, for correspondence and project visits.
• As other donors and interest groups set up more "revolving funds", there will be more than one taro growers group, fishermen's group, etc. For better coordination, management and accountability, funding should be channeled through the MDCC.
• Developing management and leadership skills within the MDCC is important. Since committee membership is "revolving," it will ensure supply of experienced people to all the groups represented.
  
  In support of the MDCC, he suggested:
• Recognition of the MDCC as a vital island-based authority by the government, donors, consultants and other specialists;
• Training in project appraisal techniques, fund management and auditing.
  
  The Minister of Home Affairs and Local Government, Hon. Kura Strickland, in his introduction to the Penrhyn Development Plan says:

In my view as Minster responsible for local Government, the formulation of Penrhyn's Development Plan is a major step towards strengthening the country's Local Government System as well as outer island development. Consistent with the Government's policy of promoting self-reliance and development in the outer islands, particularly those in the Northern Group, the local governments and the people participate more now in identifying the priorities for the development of their islands. In doing this bottom up planning, the government and the people are drawn closer to each other in achieving local and national progress.

USP STUDY. In their study of distance teaching at the University of South Pacific, William Renwick, Douglas Shale and St. Clair King noted in their September 1990 report the efforts of the Project to involve the entire Mangaia community in integrated development planning and implementation.

RDO Ramon Bobier. Towards the end of his two-year assignment in the Cook Islands, the Rural Development Officer reflected on his experience and wrote, among other things:

On The DCC

At the island level, the creation of institutional structures such as the Development Coordinating Committee show a lot of promise in terms of strengthening the capability of the local government. For Penrhyn in particular, the significant role of the committee in making the Island Council closer to the people and to become more development oriented has been highlighted.

While the initial enthusiasm and interest of the island people towards the DCC is quite obvious, the long-term outcome and performance of this structure is still in question. The interplay of several factors, i.e. dynamism of the Island Council and DCC members, personality and political differences among those in the leadership and the extent of national government support will determine the long-term effectiveness of these committees. Continuing training and advice to the Island Councils and the DCC will help sustain motivation.

He also noted that the DCC is still an ad hoc advisory arm of the Island Council. It lacks formal recognition from the national government, i.e. through incorporation in the Local Government Act.

 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Project's thrust in the Cook Islands will be the consolidation of operations in the initial islands where the profiling and planning exercise has been undertaken. In effect, these islands will be advanced areas for developing the training modules and other operations guides needed by the government to continue its support of participatory planning processes and decentralized of plan implementation.

The IADP-developed planning and profiling methodology will be replicated to other islands under Government direction with continued technical support from the Project.

Efforts will be exerted by the Project to ensure the viability of the DCCs. It will regularly assess their performance, identify specific needs and respond to them with specific training and other programme inputs. The Project will gradually build national capability to undertake this institution building role.

 

 

FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

BACKGROUND

The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) reflects the unique situation of most pacific societies. Geographically, the country is a composite of small and resource-poor islands, some of which are high islands, while the rest are coral atolls. External aid, which has supported the government bureaucracy and the national economy for years, is being phased out. Policy-makers and development planners are increasingly faced with the urgent task to address the marked social and economic disparities between the more developed central islands and the rural outer islands.

Towards this end, the FSM government invited the Project to apply its innovative process for outer islands development initially in one remote atoll. Woleia atoll in Yap State was chosen as the pilot project site.

Yap lies at the western-most part of FSM, and its outer islands are composed of 10 atolls and 4 single islands which make up Remathau or neighboring islands. Aware of the need for more equitable development, the government has declared a policy that the people of Remathau should now foster greater involvement in decisions about programmes and projects affecting their island communities.

In Yap, the Project has been given from the start the opportunity to apply all the proven technologies, social preparation and other participatory methodologies refined in Phase I.

 

PROJECT ENTRY

Prior to the arrival of the United Nations Volunteer (UNV)/Atoll Development Officer (ADO), the state government of Yap and the Project undertook the following activities:

• formal confirmation of Woleia as project atoll by the state government on account of its being remote and relatively more traditional and underdeveloped that the other atolls;
• building of the UNV house in Woleia by the community;
• orientation of the various government agencies, the legislature and the Council of Tamol (traditional chiefs) on IADP strategy and proposed activities;
• orientation seminar on community development and communication for the Outer Islands Planning Commission (OIPC);
• training of two persons from the Yap Community Action Programme (an NGO) on appropriate low cost technologies (house, ferro-cement water tanks) at the Tarawa Training Institute in Kiribati in preparation for their active participation in Project implementation; and
• training of agricultural extension agents on nursery establishment and maintenance in preparation for the promotion of technologies for atoll food production.

After a briefing at the IADP office in Suva, the round of consultative meetings with state officials in Colonia, Yap and a five-day sea voyage, the ADO finally reached Woleia in February 1990. He immediately held a series of community consultations to find out their needs. The activities undertaken were based on this needs assessment.

KEY ACTIVITIES

The major activities undertaken in Woleia during the initial year showed direct application of IADP's proven technologies and approaches:

Integrated Community-based Food Production System

To have enough food for their families was the most pressing need expressed by the people during the social preparation and consultation process. The Project sent an atoll food production specialist to assist the UNV to plan and implement an integrated community-based food production programme for the atoll. An atoll plant nursery was established in Colonia to supply the planting materials needed for the programme in Woleia. the consultant trained 5 extension workers in various aspects of nursery development and management and in the preparation and propagation of planting materials. An agricultural field day was also organized to create greater community awareness of improved cultivation practices.

The focus of the programme is directed at making soil, a very simple but specific objective fully understood by everybody. Its inherent logic needs no tedious explanation or advocacy. You cannot grow many things in an atoll because there is little or no soil, so soil has to be made - this became the guiding force behind the entire programme. The consultant conferred first with the chiefs and traditional leaders, sought their traditional wisdom, reinforced their leadership and made them part of the project management team.

Chief Paiesal was the very first to put hoe to ground - and participated actively in the training. The significance of this gesture is quite considerable as agriculture is still very must regarded as women's activity - such has been the thoroughness and effectiveness of the Project's social preparation process.

Community-wide training was carried out involving men, women, youth and children. The objective was to train as many people as possible and to reach every section of the community which plays a role in the whole planting cycle. Hence, special emphasis was given to the children as they are the ones who are relegated to clear household rubbish and sweep up fallen leaves - the key ingredients for compost.

The people were taught various ways of making compost from available organic materials and household wastes, how to accelerate the decomposition process and how to apply compost through raised permanent planting beds, trenches, planting holes and container culture. They were also shown simple ways of improving the planting of various crops and how to multiply and propagate them.

Cooking demonstrations were organized to show the women new ways of preparing traditional crops and how to improve family nutrition.

A small nursery facility has been established in Woleia and an agricultural extension officer trained. Two youth organizations take turns in caring for the nursery and a women's group helps pot the seedlings for distribution.

All activities undertaken by the Project are driven by the need to be adaptive, to be sensitive to the needs and culture of the people, to simplify things, to lessen the amount of work, to make sure that it is environmentally compatible and as multi-purpose as possible. This adaptive and integrated approach to technology development is best illustrated by the Project's "integrated banana mat tackled the problem:

• The banana mat is thinned of secondary suckers. Unproductive, harvested plants are removed. (Introduction of simple horticultural practices).
• Dead leaves are cut off and placed around the mat as organic matter and mulch. (Making soil).
• The dying leaves can hold water and bread mosquitoes. This practice gets rid of potential mosquito breeding grounds. (Improving the health situation).
• Household rubbish, including tin cans, are piled around the mat with other organic refuse to provide more materials for compost and trace elements for bananas. What is regarded otherwise as rubbish (which breeds flies and can contaminate the groundwater or lagoon) is put to good and beneficial use. It is then covered with sand to prevent flies and to aid the decomposition process. Around the edge of the mat a trench is dug and filled with the same organic matter and planted with sweet potatoes. hence, the simple agricultural practices not only improving the sanitation, environment, general health and nutrition of the people.

Similar training and technologies have been extended to Ulithi, Fais and Ifaluk. The Project's atoll food production specialist will return in April 1991 to conduct similar training in the remaining other five atolls.

Campaign for Sanitation

When he first set foot in woleia, the first thing the ADO noticed was the unnatural number of files due to poor sanitation in the area. Flies were everywhere. In his report, the ADO noted teachers were complaining that the pupils were distracted by flies even in the classroom; they swarmed all over the place. Some families have even reverted to eating in the dark because of the flies.

The ADO found out after talking with his neighbors that there were attempts in the past to solve the problem. They tried to make fly traps, but none of them worked to their satisfaction. He decided to start with this concern since it was more visible and not so threatening to the community's sensibilities than, say, a mere lecture on the relationships between the flies and the people's sanitary habits.

The ADO listened to all the complaints from the people abut previous fly trap designs. After consultations with the Project's office, he set out to make a new design. It has a built-in feature which attracts flies and prevents their escape. He consulted the people further and made changes based on availability of materials and ease of use. Finally, he had a design the people wanted.

He next taught the son of the Chief and the medical aide on how to make the fly trap. Soon the two were training members of their community how to make them. As of December 1990, in less than three months since he made the first design, a total of 39 fly traps had been made. In some villages, contests were held on catching flies with he use of the contraption. Those who caught the most flies were awarded with prizes the winners could use for other projects, such as garden seeds, tools, etc.

The Peace Corps Volunteer adopted the design and introduced the technology in other atolls.

During his visit in Colonia, the main island, the ADO sought the assistance of the Department of Health, which assured him an awareness campaign on sanitation would be launched soon. He was also promised posters for distribution in Woleai. Meanwhile, the local board of directors of dispensaries in the atoll has announced full backing to the sanitation campaign and authorized all personnel to join the ADO in the campaign to encourage more people to make and use the fly trap.

Income Generation

The challenge of identifying and starting an income generating activity in an atoll with limited resources, shortage of skilled manpower, a very small or non-existent local market, nearly 700 kms from the capital and served by only one ship once a month (if it is not broken down) is more than formidable. With the depression of copra prices and the steadily rising necessity for cash, the need for alternative sources of income is ever more urgent.

The ADO noticed that very often fishermen returned with very good catches, sometimes catching more than could be eaten by their families and relatives before the fish went bad. He sought help from the Yap Fishing Authority to find a way of preserving the surplus fish and to convert it into a marketable commodity.

Past projects in fish salting/drying and smoking had not worked and did not find ready markets. With help from a Peace Corps Volunteer, they decided on making fish jerky - thin strips of fish which are marinated and spiced ten dried in a solar dryer. The dried fish jerky is then packed in sealed plastic bags and sent to Colonia.

The Yap Fishing Authority is assisting with marketing of the product. The product uses surplus fish which would otherwise go to waste; it is easy to make, does not need sophisticated or powered equipment and uses a renewable source of energy (solar dryer). It is also relatively non-perishable and ideally suited to the vagaries of inter-island transport. The product is unique and it needs no preparation before consumption. Appealing to local taste , it is finding a small niche in the snack food market of Colonia. Best of all, young women find jerky-making easy. It is still too early to draw any conclusion on its success and eventual financial sustainability , but it is working so far. The Project will continue to assist and monitor the activity before replicating it to other atolls and islands.

Under the encouragement and technical advice of the UNV, a small but regular production of shark fins is now being carried out in Woleia. The fins are dried in the same solar dryers used for the fish jerky, hence making optimum use of the equipment and also producing a more consistent and better quality product. The fins are consolidated in the capital for export tot he Orient. The Project is now investigating the use of other shark by-products to maximize the income yield from the fish.

The Project is also exploring the feasibility of making vinegar from left-over tuba ( the sap from the fluorescence of the coconut). There is already an active trade in local vinegar in Colonia.

Several training sessions on basket making and mat weaving were conducted with the island women in an effort to improve the quality for possible sale to tourists, who visit a nearby island now and then. Among the men, on the other hand, fish trap construction has been demonstrated as a possible alternative to the time-consuming hook-and-line method.

Survey on Water and Sanitation

The Project's consultant on water and sanitation was assisted by the ADO, the Youth Christian Organization (YCO) and the government personnel led by the Governor's Representative in the conduct of the survey. Based on the guidelines issued by the Project, the study included not only the engineering and technical training components, but also the "prevailing socio-cultural pattern of water use and attitudes to human waste disposal." The recommendations of the consultant are under review by both the Project and the community.

Conference of the Council of Tamol

consultations with traditional leaders and interaction with indigenous institutions have been a regular activity of the Project since its inception. The Project always takes the opportunity during these activities to share experiences and exchange information on development projects. For instance, the progress of the IADP activities in Woleia was reported to the Council of Tamol, composed of the paramount chiefs and island chiefs from all the atolls of Yap, during their Outer Island Leadership Conference held on Satawal Island in November 1990. The Council endorsed the Project and its accomplishments and requested that its benefits be extended to as many of the atolls as possible.

Vulnerability of the Atolls

In December 1990, the outer islands and atolls of Yap suffered the onslaught of super typhoon Owen. Houses, dispensaries, churches, schools store houses, canoe houses and canoes were severely damaged. Reports from our UNV indicated that close to 78% of the agricultural and food resources were destroyed in the badly affected atolls and what little remains will soon also die from the salt spray

Amidst the chaos and apparent hopelessness, Peter and Inesa Manginianu, a couple who attended on of the Project's food production training, wrote:

Super typhoon Owen battered our tiny atoll of Ifaluk, but this bad time will (be) quickly gone since we have the skill of improving our soil.

Indeed, it was noticed that the rehabilitation of food gardens in the islands which received training from the Project was quicker and more systematic, with the people taking the initiative themselves, rather than resort to the old practice of waiting for the government to come to their help.

It was also observed that some of the cultivation systems introduced by the Project appeared to have withstood the damage of the typhoon. Many of the raised home garden beds (built of coral) suffered only little damage and still retained the organic matter. The raised planting beds in the taro pits also appeared to have better withstood salt water intrusion. Breadfruit trees which were selectively pruned to reduce their height (for easy harvesting) also suffered less damage. Some of the introduced inland mixed gardens did not suffer as much damage as the more exposed home lot gardens. Root crops (yams and colocasia) planted in oil drums were protected by the weight and the drum itself. the fact that these drums can be moved to safety may also have contributed to thier survival. These could prove to be an immediate and important source of food, appeared to have withstood the force of the high winds and seas.

These cultivation systems and practices have been incorporated into the rehabilitation programme. This Project, in conjunction with the United Nations Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) will further investigate these systems and practices as they hold considerable importance for disaster rehabilitation and mitigation.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Project, in May 1991, will formally report the findings and lessons of the Woleia experience to the national government of FSM. It will assist the government plan the expansion of the Project processes not only to the rest of Yap, but also to the atolls and outer islands of FSM.

The other activities planned for the rest of 1991 include the following:

• Training of the OIPC and their atoll-based counterparts on Participatory Island Profiling and Development Planning;
• Identification and implementation of income-generating projects based on the recently completed Livelihood and Local Resources Survey; and
• Intensive training of traditional leaders, such as the Council of Tamol, and atoll-based government personnel on Basic Island Development Management.

 

KIRIBATI

PHASE I

Tamana is a reef island, 5 km long and a little over 1 km wide. With its 525 ha land area, it is the country's smallest island. It lies 600 kms south of the capital, Tarawa. Its nearest neighbor, Arorae, is 100 kms away. Such geographic isolation and smallness, and the frequent occurrence of long droughts which can last 6 or more months, further confound built-in constraints to development in the island.

All these constraints were taken into account by the Integrated Atoll Development Project (IADP) in devising its strategy for Tamana. Thus the Project during Phase I implemented not only integrated activities in agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, water supply and sanitation, as well as income generation activities for women, but it also sought to further enhance local skills and institutional capacities to diminish dependence on external assistance and expertise.

The Project, for instance, trained local people in:

• fish processing (salting and brining);
• constructions of fishing canoes and fish aggregation devices;
• improved atoll cultivation practices (making compost, construction of raised vegetable beds, marcotting, seed collection and storage, etc.);
• construction of ferro-cement water tanks and local hand pumps;
• installation and maintenance of solar systems;
• commercial production of coconut molasses;
• sewing machine maintenance and handicraft production;
• home crafts and improved nutrition;
• project identification, formulation and implementation management for women; and
• local level development planning and management.

  
  Towards the end of Phase I, as early as November, 1998, the Project focused attention on further strengthening local institutional capacity for development planning and management. It became apparent to the Project that given the limited composition and orientation of the Island Council (IC), and the multiplication of projects undertaken by various community groups in the island as a responese tot he United Nations Volunteer (UNV)- Atoll Development Officer's (ADO) motivational efforts, a development body with broader membership would have to be formed.

  Thus the Project, in consultation with the Island Council, formed the Island Development Committee (IDC). Ad envisioned, the IDC would be composed of representatives from the various sectors and interest groups in the island, such as the Unimane (old men's association), youth and women's groups, religious organizations, village welfare groups for health-related activities, agriculture and fishing associations.

  The IDC would serve as the coordinating body for the identification and planning of projects to be submitted to the central government through the Island Council. In effect, the IDC would function as the technical and development arm of the Island Council.

  
  PHASE II FOCUS

  The success of the Tamana IDC led the government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Decentralization (MHAD), to seek the Project's assistance in forming IDCs in all the other islands. the IDC was mandated to perform the following tasks:

• to assess the development needs of the island in all areas and sectors;
• to identify projects;
• to prepare project proposals for submission to the Island Council for discussion, approval and prioritization and eventual endorsement to MHAD;
• to assist in project implementation, coordination and evaluation.

  The UNV-ADO was next assigned to the newly-created Rural Planning Unit (RPU) of the MHAD. by the end of 1989, the RPU with active support from the Project had completed the organization and orientation of IDCs in 16 other outer islands.

  The strengthening of the IDCs as a vehicle for local-level planning and implementation remains the focus of the Project's Phase II activities in Kiribati. The activities undertaken so far are as follows:

 


Implementation of an Intensive Training Programme for the IDCs

The Project was aware as early as the organization and orientation stage that the IDCs would need intensive training inputs to enable them to perform their mandated tasks. In collaboration with both the RPU and the Community Development Division (CDD), the Project, through its Community Development Specialist/Trainer (CDS/T), designed an intensive training programme aimed at imparting these basic skills:

• how to identify priority problems;
• how to determine alternative solutions to problems;
• how to rank and classify projects; and
• how to prepare project proposals.

The Project recruited the UNV/ADO, whose extended term had expired, for an 8-month consultancy to oversee the implementation of the IDC training programme

Training of National Trainers

To institutionalize the IDC training programme, the training of national trainers was conducted in February, 1990 in Tarawa. A total of 17 participants attended from 5 government agencies (Home Affairs, Education, Works and Energy, and Health) and 3 NGOs (Save the Children Fund, AMAK - the national women's association, and the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific).

The training dealt with all aspects of training management, input delivery techniques and facilitative skills, as well as project planning, the main IDC activity. A field practical was project planning, the main IDC activity. A field practical was undertaken in Tamana to further hone the trainers' skills.

Out of the 17 national trainers, 8 constitute the core team based at MHAD, mostly with the CDD and RPU. Known as the National Core Team of Trainers (NCTT), it was this team, supervised by the Project's rural development training consultant, which implemented the IDC training activity in the initial 7 outer islands. By October 1990, they had completed training workshops in 7 outer islands 9Taman, Onotoa, Tabiteuea North, Nonouti, North Tarawa, Marakei and Butaritari).

In-depth Assessment of the IDC Training Programme

In August, 1990 the Project's CDS/T joined the training consultant and the NCTT in conducting the Butaritari IDC training. As the final activity for the year, it was entirely planned and managed by the NCTT with minimal guidance from the consultant. The team also delivered all the inputs and facilitated the various workshop sessions.

Upon the team's return to Tarawa, the CDS/T carried out the assessment of the training design; individual and team performance; training management aspect; and overall team experience in relation to Project objectives.

The major findings from the assessment are as follows:

• the design will have t incorporate inputs on community profiling and development planning to provide the IDC with a framework for prioritizing and appraising the community-generated project ideas;
• individual and team performance has been enhanced by regular assessment sessions and peer group evaluation;
• team expansion t include national trainers from other agencies will have t be considered by next year on account of the tremendous demand for island-based training;
• the Island Council itself needs intensive training on project appraisal as the first level of screening proposed projects;
• the RPU needs technical assistance in the conduct of project appraisal and in guiding IDCs to consider project identification within an integrated rural development framework;
• greater involvement of the Unimane, the village committees and other indigenous groups which wield tremendous influence in the community can be facilitated by specialized social preparation activities aimed at fostering development values, i.e. consideration of long-term benefits; broad-based organizing efforts for local decision making; support of greater participation of the traditionally disadvantaged, such as women and youth, in community activities; long term ecological perspective; anticipation of future threats and opportunities, etc.; and
• the Island Council will have to be trained intensively in basic development management skills to ensure full mobilization of the community's physical and manpower resources in achieving a common vision of a much-improved quality of life.

  
  Technical Assistance to the RPU
  
  Based on these major findings, consultative meetings with individual ministries and donor agencies were conducted by the Project Coordinator in September, 1990.

The outputs from this series of meetings include:

• government approval of the draft NCTT 1991 action plan which includes intensive training on community profiling and participatory development planning;
• endorsement by the government to recruit a United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Integrated Rural Development (IRD) Specialist assigned to the RPU with the IADP providing the necessary technical backstopping;
• general agreement with the Project thrust to explore all possible ways to further strengthen the development management capability of the Island Councils and to intensify involvement of indigenous institutions in local-level planning and implementation.

By the end of January 1990, in response to these needs, the Project was able to:

• confirm the training of national trainers on Participatory Island Profiling and Developing Planning, with supervised field implementation in Kuria and Aranuka islands, from 16 February - 22 March;
• secure external funding for a UNV to the post of IRD specialist with RPU;
• initiate preliminary research into the nature, orientation and development potential of indigenous institutions.


LOOKING AHEAD

Future activities will include the following:

Assessment of PIPDP in Kiribati

By the third quarter of 1991, the Project will conduct an assessment of Participatory Island Profiling and Development Planning (PIPDP) implementation with the RPU and CDD. The objectives are:

a) to review the outputs produced;
b) to assist RPU evolve an appraisal and referral system for these outputs; and
c) to identify training or orientation activities for all government bodies involved in responding to PIPDP outputs.

Expansion of the NCTT

Previously trained national trainers form agencies outside MHAD will be gradually involved in NCTT activities, i.e. preparation of training designs for specialized topics involving their respective sectoral concerns; assessment of training activities; and, possibly, in actual training conducted in the outer islands.


Consultative Meeting with the Development Coordinating Committee (DCC) and Donor Agencies

Planned for November 1991, this activity will involve department secretaries and representatives of donor agencies based in Kiribati. Outstanding issues arising from the implementation of the institution building phase of the Project will be discussed with the participants. The overall objective will be to draw lessons from experience and to encourage government to provide required policy and programming support for outer island development.


Formulation of Policy Framework and Guidelines for Considering the Cultural Aspect in Planning for Outer Islands Development

The Project will assist the government to define, in a more detailed manner, policies on the role of culture in rural development. It will also identify innovative ways of integrating relevant traditional institutions and socio-cultural practices in the planning, implementation and monitoring of development activities.

 

MALDIVES


PHASE I: SKILLS TRAINING AS STRATEGY TO BUILD SELF-RELIANCE

During Phase I, the Project brought to the 9 scattered islands of Meemu Atoll a diverse range of projects, as evidenced by water tanks; solar panels; power generators; navigational beacons; boat engine repairers; fish hook makers; community tool pools; jetties; boat channels; home gardens and farm lots; fuel-wood trees; handicraft; seed nurseries; and numerous businesses started under the loan programme. Most of the services, which cut across practically all the government sectors, have now become part of the country's extension or development service delivery systems to all the 19 inhabited atolls.

Through the United Nations Volunteer (UNV)- Atoll Development Officer (ADO) who lived for 4 years in Meemu, the Project used community-articulated needs as entry points to deliver scarce resources and simultaneously build up local skills and community confidence which are in themselves precious assets in the isolated atoll environment.

Fellowships were sponsored on boat building, carpentry, handicraft and jewelry making and other skills. Thus the Project also encouraged the people, through the initial phase, to learn how to repair their own boat engines; make their own fish hooks; design and erect the beacons, water tanks and jetties; and store seeds and establish seed nurseries so home gardens could flourish all year round. With these skills, they need not wait for any government workers from an agency in far-away Male' to do things for them.

In addition, to provide for both the expansion and continuity of development activities, the Project piloted in Meemu a comprehensive income-generating credit programme. Lessons from this undertaking have been shared with relevant agencies and projects and have become the basis of similar credit schemes in other atolls.

The 1987 needs assessment mission and evaluation states in its report:

The Mission believes that the major achievement of the project in the Maldives has been to open the eyes of the people to the possibility of their own development through training, and the wide range of courses which have been run on the atoll and attended in Male' is good testimony to this.

Indeed while responding to pressing community needs during the previous phase, the Project was simultaneously undertaking skills-building activities designed to lessen dependency of the outer islands on the center.


KEY ACTIVITIES

Phase II of the Integrated Atoll Development Project (IADP) in the Maldives has been a concerted effort to provide the necessary support systems for the innovative thrust of the previous phase. Project activities have been designed to provide adequate policy, management and other programme support to local development initiatives generated by the community's newly-acquired skills. At the same time, efforts have been exerted to provide for the replication to other atolls of approaches and technologies found effective and feasible in Meemu.

The key activities undertaken are as follows:


Community-wide Planning Workshops

Community-wide planning workshops, involving all sectors, including women and youth whose participation in local decision-making had been traditionally insignificant, were conducted by the Project in cooperation with local authorities and the Ministry of Atolls Administration (MAA).

The government took steps to ensure a broader base for development planning and management in the atolls. It reactivated the Atoll Development Assistance Committees (IDACs) in response to the Project's initiative to involve the island communities in participatory island development planning. The ADAC, composed of Atoll and selected Island Chiefs, and the IDAcs, composed of the Island Chief and government workers and representatives nominated from the ranks of the people, joined representatives of other sectors, such as women and youth, in the planning workshops conducted by the Project. Subsequently, they performed project management and monitoring roles in Meemu in accordance with the atoll development plans prepared under these workshops.

In October, 1989, the Project conducted a Project Assessment Workshop for the Meemu ADAC and IDAcs to review project progress in each of the islands and to identify tasks which they could assume in relation to individual projects. On the basis of the tasks, specific training requirements of both bodies were also identified.


Replication of Project Experience in Nilandhe Atoll

With the successful IADP implementation in meemu, the government requested the Project in 1989 to assist in formulating a similar project for Nilandhe, a nearby atoll. The United Nations Development Project (UNDP) would provide the funding as part of the country programme. Thus the Project prepared the conceptual framework for the entire process, which featured the active participation of the island communities. During the last quarter of 1989, training modules for generating the output were validated and refined in Meemu. The Project then trained the Project Preparation consultant and the prospective national and local staff of Nilandhe's integrated atoll development project.

Prior to the project formulation phase, the ADAC members of Nilandhe, composed of the Atoll Chief and the island chiefs, were brought by the Project to Meemu to learn from the people themselves valuable lessons on the IADP experience. They were also accompanied on a guided tour to Mulaku island by the Meemu ADAC to visit projects and interview project implementors.

The initial training activities at Faafu atoll in Nilandhe were conducted with the guidance of the Project. The final output of the three-month project preparation phase was the project document for MDV/89/003: North and South Nilandhe Integrated Atoll Development Project. the Project will train the UNV Project Planning and Management Adviser, the UNV/DDS (Domestic Development Services) community workers and local personnel prior to full-scale implementation in 1991.


Strengthening National Capability for Planning, Implementation and Monitoring Integrated Rural Development (IRD) Projects

The Project has worked closely with the IRD Projects Section which coordinates and monitors IADPs implemented by international NGOs in several atolls, as well as sectoral programmes and projects implemented by the government for the outer islands. A member of the staff has served since 1987 as counterpart to the staff member most exposed to the conditions in the atolls and to salient aspects of IADP implementation.

To enable the section to create greater awareness about integrated rural development strategies and to generate, in the process, significant inter-agency support, the Project formed the National Core Team of Trainers (NCTT) based in the Integrated Rural Development Projects (IRDP) Section. Its membership has been drawn from this section and the other agencies (Planning and Environment, Home Affairs and Sports, Fisheries and Agriculture, Vocational Training Center, Education, Women's Affairs, Public Health, and Non-Formal Education Unit).

In October 1989, the team was intensively trained on basic training techniques and project development and assessment methodologies. The team subsequently handled, under the Project's supervision, the project planning and assessment workshops for the Meemu ADAC and IDACs conducted during the last quarter of 1989.

During the ADAC/IDAC workshops in Meemu, the participants were able to identify a total of 101 projects implemented by IADP in their respective islands. They classified each one as either a success or failure based on each project's objectives. Through the interactive workshop process, both the NCTT members and the community leaders arrived at a common understanding on how to assess development projects.

In addition, the participants identified a total of 53 new projects related to newly articulated community needs, most of which could be responded to by either the ADAC or the IDAC or the island communities themselves. In these projects, there was a marked shift from infrastructure and non-productive social projects to small, self-help and skills improvement projects.

While assessing the workshop outputs, the Project and the NCTT observed that while ADAC and IDACs exist, their potential as viable entities able to plan and manage development activities has yet to be fully harnessed. Thus the Basic Island Development Management Course for ADAC and IDACs was formulated by the Project jointly with the NCTT for implementation in Meemu in late 1990.

In preparation for their handling of the course, the IRD Projects Section and the NCTT were trained on basic management in May-June 1990. New trainers sent by other agencies were given additional inputs on training techniques and project development. To validate the design and further sharpen the skills of the national trainers, the Project brought the trainers to Meemu for the supervised training of the Meemu ADAC.

The NCTT, coordinated by the Projects SEction, continued on their own the training of the Meemu IDACs during the last quarter of 1990. An assessment of both team and individual performance in handling the course will be done jointly with the Project staff during the first quarter of 1991.

The Project utilizes all available means to provide vital inputs to the Projects Section staff, particularly in the area of IADP planning and management. Assessment meetings are conducted with the staff for each field mission sent to enable the Section to get first-hand insights from the consultants and staff fielded by the Project.

During the trip to Meemu in June 1990, the Project guided the Section staff to interview the Atoll Chief and ADAC members to gather precious insights on the:

• perception by ADAC members of their own individual roles and tasks;
• relationship among ADAC members, and between the Atoll Chief and the ADAC;
• problems encountered in involving communities in development planning and implementation.

The Project next guided the staff and the national trainers on how to convert the findings into specific needs which should be responded to by a training programme; revised or new policy guidelines; or a clarification of existing policies and procedures,


Seminar on "How to Strengthen Rural Capability to Sustain Development"

In June 1990, in an effort to thresh out issues related to sustaining rural development initiatives, the Project in conjunction with the MAA, organized a seminar participated by representatives from 9 local NGOs, 1 international NGO and 6 government agencies in Male'.

The key issues which emerged from the seminar include:

• Role of ADAC/IDACs

While their present shortcomings as management bodies were generally accepted, it was also the consensus that both the ADAC and IDACs were "indispensable because they were too deeply woven into the fabric of island life and relationships between the government and the people."

The task, then, is to improve their capabilities rather than to advocate for their replacement or abolition.

• Role of Atoll Chiefs

It was observed that for the most part, Atoll Chiefs recognized their responsibilities vis-a-vis development, although it was not always clear on how they could meet those responsibilities.

the participants agreed that support and leadership to the development process is a basic responsibility of the Atoll Chief and requested MAA to "review the curriculum of future training programmes for Atoll Chiefs to ensure that they contain adequate development content, including specific actions that the Atoll Chief might take."

It was also suggested that a Development Officer be appointed in the staff of the Atoll Chief.

• Communication/Coordination Among NGOs and Between NGOs and Government

A number of participants noted that they had no knowledge of the other NGOs. It was suggested that the NGOs use the Project Section as a clearing house for information. NGO representatives were invited to visit the office at any time, even on an informal basis.


LOOKING AHEAD

During the round-up meeting held in June 1990 between the Project Coordinator and the government (represented by the Ministry for Atolls Administration, Ministry of Planning and Environment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the continued relevance of the Project to the Maldives was recognized and it was agreed that the Project assist the MAA undertake the following activities in 1991:


Training of Atoll Chiefs on Development Management

The training activity has been scheduled for April/May 1991. It will be directly handled by new members of the NCTT who will be trained by the Project in April 1991.


Training of New NCTT Members

The Project agreed with the suggestion that senior members of agencies with rural development programmes such as division heads, section chiefs, project coordinators, etc. should also take the trainers' training course and be considered members of the NCTT.


Continuing Technical Assistance to MAA and Nilandhe Project

The Project will continue to make available to government the proven technologies, development strategies, training modules, and valuable lessons from the IADP experience in Meemu atoll.

It will continue to provide technical advice and training to the Nilandhe project staff.

Periodic assessments of Meemu operations will be undertaken to ensure MAA's smooth assumption of full Project responsibility.


Information Exchange Between the Maldives and the Pacific

Finally, the Project will continue to facilitate sharing of experience among projects in the outer islands of both the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

 

MARSHALL ISLANDS

PHASE I

In Maloelap, an atoll of 5 inhabited islands, the Project vigorously pursued during the previous activities aimed at stimulating community-wide involvement:

• inter-island home gardening, cooking contests and backyard livestock improvement;
• atoll-wide construction of water and sanitation facilities (water tanks, wells and latrines) by local residents trained by the Project;
• training of housewives from all the islands in handicraft making, family nutrition and establishment of seed nurseries;
• massive replanting of coconut seedlings and coconut wood milling;
• operation and management of the inter-atoll boat by the local council; and
• organization of Fathers and Mothers associations in all the islands to implement Project activities.

In 1987 Evaluation Mission, which visited each of the 5 islands of Maloelap, noted the achievement of the Project "in changing the attitudes of the people from one of lethargy to one of considerable activity in the agricultural and home gardening sectors." The Mission further "feels that the increase in confidence in their own abilities" has prepared the people well to undertake more activities in other sectors.


PHASE II FOCUS

During the Phase II, the Project has sought to make the people take pride in what they had accomplished during the previous three years, sustain their newly-found confidence and interest in community work and forge a new partnership with the government in carrying out local development initiatives.

In undertaking these tasks, the Project has exerted efforts to unload responsibilities from the United Nations Volunteer (UNV)-Atoll Development Officer (ADO) to the government extension agents and officers of community organizations. it also seeks to extend Project lessons and benefits to other atolls during the current phase.

Since Phase II began at the same time as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Department of Technical Co-operation for Development (DTCD) development planning project started assisting the Ministry of the Interior and Outer Island Affairs (MIOIA) in preparing island plans, the Integrated Atoll Development Project (IADP) concentrated on community development and the provision of appropriate skills training for project replication. It has secured funding for a post of a UNV Community/Rural Projects Planner scheduled to be in place by march 1991.

The major activities undertaken so far to achieve IADP Phase II objectives in the Marshall Islands are the following:


Transfer of the ADO from Maloelap to Majuro

For the remainder of his extended term, from April 1988 to May 1989, the UNV-ADO was seconded to the Ministry of Resources and Development (MRD) to assist in transferring his experience in various technologies and in community organizing and motivating techniques to its extension staff.

He also worked closely with MIOIA, particularly the Local Government Division, regarding support activities required for strengthening the community-led development activities of Maloelap and to encourage other islands to undertake similar projects through the Grants-in-Aid Programme administered by the Ministry.


Training of National and Local Trainers

The formation of a National Core Team of Trainers (NCTT) from government agencies with programmes for the outer islands was initiated.

The initial training activity was conducted in February 1990 both in Majuro and Taroa, Maloelap. A total of 8 national trainers were trained from the ministries of health, education, social services, education, interior and outer islands affairs and the planning and statistics office.

For their practical experience, the participants, in turn, trained 6 local trainers in Taroa.

Through such training of trainers, government functionaries would get more intimate knowledge of the Project, including its technologies and participatory approaches, and thus further enhance their capacity to transmit Project experience to atolls outside Maloelap.


Conduct of Project Assessment and Replanning Workshop with Maloelap Residents

All 5 islands of Maloelap were represented in the assessment workshops organized by the Project in Taroa on 13 - 15 February 1990. A total of 31 participants attended, composed of 9 copra makers, 3 fishermen, 2 teachers, 4 Island Council members, 2 farmers, 1 PTA (Parents-Teachers Association) board member, and 1 chain saw operator.

The projects most often recalled by participants in connection with IADP activities in their respective islands were: water catchments; wells; nursery beds for pumpkins, potatoes and watermelons; home gardening; coconut replanting; and toilets.

The participants were also able to isolate causes why some projects failed in their islands and to identify ways in which the community itself would be able to overcome such problems. The success of most projects.

On the impact of training on changing development values and perceptions, here is an account:

• From the start, the training staff concentrated on convincing participants to think first of projects which the community could undertake without much external assistance rather than to request for money and think of projects afterwards.
• Right from the first day of training, when some participants seemed reluctant to actively participate in the workshop unless they were told how much money would be given for each island, the staff persevered in encouraging the participants to assess local resources and plan projects in accordance with priority problems and available resources.
• All inputs were revised to stress this vital point. When questions of this nature cropped up during the open fora, the 3-member staff took turns in stressing the need for the community to identify first its needs, resources and potential prior to requesting for money from either the government or donor agencies.

 

Their patience and steadfastness paid off in the end. Three of the 5 islands chose self-help projects for their priority activity:

• To solve their transportation problem, Airok would build a Marshallese sailboat using locally available resources.
• Taroa would launch an Operation Clean-up with the participation of both community organizations and government agencies to clear the island of unsightly World War II debris.
• Jang would conduct a community-wide campaign to free the island from the infestation of Crown-of-Thorns starfish (Jimakoi).

The expansion and eventual consolidation of the Maloelap Self-Reliance Movement organized through the initiative of the Project in 1989 was cited as a vital undertaking to systematically wean people from excessive dependence on external assistance or from their own "money mentality".


National Consultative Meeting on the Project's Replicability

A national consultative meeting on how to replicate the Project in other atolls was conducted in February 1990. Outer Island Minister Luckner K. Abner headed the 17 inter-agency participants who attended the meeting.

The Minister noted the urgent need to transfer technologies developed in maloelap to the outer atolls. The meeting agreed that the following issues must be considered in aspiring to transfer the Maloelap experience to the other atolls:

Vigorous promotion of self-reliance as a guiding philosophy in the initiation and implementation of development projects.

Advocacy for an integrated delivery of services to the outer islands to ensure relevance of such services to local needs.

Systematic transfer of proven technologies and the required skills to the island communities.

Strengthening of the training capability at both national and atoll levels in support of integrated outer island development.

The participants also gave suggestions on how the other atolls could benefit from the Maloelap experience:

The Health Secretary, marie Maddison, proposed that the national trainers should continue to advocate for the use of training as strategy to reach the outer islands with adequate information to motivate and help the people participate better in development programmes. She proposed that the team should go more often to the outer islands.

The Interior and Outer Islands Secretary, Carmen Biggler, noted the difficulty in motivating communities partly on account of cultural influences. She suggests that a "think-tank" be created at both the Secretary and Minister levels to tackle this issue.

The Elementary Education Division Chief, Harry Ueno, supported the idea of going to the outer atolls more often "to appreciate the relative differences among them" and thereby contribute to making projects pertinent to local needs.

The Chief Planner, Jewon Lemari, said the most important issue is how to "translate this technology" to the other atolls. He said all the ministries have a role to play through the fielding of national trainers for integrated atoll development.

Support to the Mayors Conference

The first such activity held since 1983, the 1990 Mayors Conference conducted from 27 November to 7 December discussed the main issues identified in the various local government plans recently prepared under the UNDP/DTCD project. The local executives focused on local area development, population and development, and local planning and management and presented a number of key recommendations for follow-up action.

The Project provided funding support to the Mayors Conference. In addition, it will assist MIOIA in implementing the recommendations, particularly those which aim to strengthen the development management capability of local governments, as well as those seeking to impart specialized skills to enable the community to produce more food, adopt improved technologies and augment family income.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Project will continue to assist the government in replicating successful technologies and approaches to the other atolls. A work programme for Aur has been prepared. The arrival of the UNV Community/Rural Projects Planner in early 1991 is expected to hasten replication of Project activities to the other atolls.

Re-training of the NCTT will be a top priority for 1991 on account of the new thrust for specialized skills training at the atoll level.

TOKELAU

PHASE I

During the previous phase, the Integrated Atoll Development Project (IADP) in Tokelau implemented a pilot demonstration project on integrated atoll development in Faka'ofo, one of the country's three atolls. Project activities were undertaken starting in 1985 in water supply, renewable energy, community skills training, women's development, agriculture, and fisheries. Despite setbacks caused by strong hurricanes in 1987 and 1989, the technologies tested and developed in the project atoll became part of the government's development and extension programmes.

PHASE II FOCUS

Phase II has sought primarily to address the following concerns:

• strengthening national capability to plan, coordinate and implement integrated atoll development projects;
• establishing a mechanism for participatory development planning;
• building greater awareness among local leaders and atoll administrators, as well as indigenous institutions, on the benefits of integrated development and on various options and methodologies which can further increase self-reliance and project sustainability in the atolls.

  Activities related to these concerns have been undertaken at a time when the Tokelau government is grappling with the crucial issue of integrating traditional institutions into the relatively modern administrative bureaucracy. In recent years, institutions through the granting of greater responsibilities to the General Fono and the village councils. The current task, as the Office for Tokelau Affairs (OTA) perceives it, is how to further enhance capabilities of local institutions in preparation for more complementary roles with the Tokelau Public Service (TPS).

  Aware that the current institution building issue has a bearing on the sustainability of development approaches in general, the Project has contributed to the dialogue and provided inputs to activities designed to facilitate more collaborative efforts between the traditional leadership and TPS.

  A United Nations Volunteer (UNV)-rural Development Planner (RDP) was assigned to the newly-created Department of Economic Affairs and Information (DEAI) in April, 1989. Its Director was designated the Project In-Country Coordinator and principal technical counterpart to the RDP.

  The major activities implemented so far are as follows:

  
  Community Consultation in Faka'ofo

  The RDP and the Director of DEAI conducted, in April 1989, a consultative meeting with members of the Taupulega (Council of Elders); representatives of women, education, health, public works, police administration; and the Aumaga (able-bodied men).

  The participants identified their long-range development vision and concerns, as well as current problems and constraints and possible solutions. Aside from the usual preference for facilities, such as a "well-equipped hospital," a "school boat," an "airplane and airstrips," a "telephone network," a "bridge and generator", the participants came out strongly for some intangibles:

• "retension and nurturing of the Tokelauan culture;"
• "perpetuation of local values;"
• "maintenance of social harmony."

  It was not, therefore, surprising that among the constraints listed was the "incompatibility of tradition and culture with modern development." For this problem, the participants suggested "parallel development of culture with the political, economic and social development of Tokelau."

  Ideas from such in-atoll consultations would be studied to see whether they are feasible to serve eventually as inputs to the national plan.

Periodic Workshops for the Tokelau Public Service

In the process of helping strengthen the Department of Economic Affairs and Information (DEAI), it became apparent that efforts had to be simultaneously exerted to improve existing structures, systems and procedures of the entire (TPS) and thus gear it more effectively to overall development planning and implementation.

From April to October 1989, periodic workshops were undertaken which led to clarify the mandate, role and functions, and objectives of TPS. In addition, on-the-job training was given to the DEAI and the Senior Management Team (SMT) on development programming and budgeting.

Assessment of Tokelau's Indigenous Institutions and Their Potential Role in Local Development Management

The government has supported the General Fono and other indigenous institutions in the performance of their traditional roles in Tokelauan society. The RDP carried out a rapid assessment of these institutions to determine ways to further enhance their management and leadership roles in local development.

It was noted, for instance that:

• The General Fono, where most local councils are represented, has clearly a policy-making role. The Taupulega (local council), on the other hand, performs tasks related to the management of village affairs, while the TPS has the role of providing support services.

These complementing roles could be the starting point to further strengthen collaborative efforts between the TPS and the local institutions in atoll-wide development planning and implementation.

• As Tokelau undergoes profound social changes, most notably from the implementation of more development projects and the influences brought about by an emerging cash economy, the Aumaga may have to acquire technical skills to suit the requirements of new tasks or jobs.
• The Faipule, who liaises with the Official Secretary and the department heads, and the Pulenuku, who runs the day-to-day activities of the local coordinating body along with the TPS Management Team. They require intensive orientation and training on their new role.

  These findings, along with outputs from the Project's consultative meetings with key officials and traditional leaders, were used to identify specific training needs of local institutions.

Workshop on the Role of Local Institutions in Development Planning and Management

In June 1990, the Project conducted a 5-day workshop on the role of local institutions in development planning and management. It was attended by 21 participants from the atolls and senior TPS staff.

Tokelau's socio-economic profile and the Development Framework Plan prepared by DEAI were discussed and endorsed during the workshop. The collaborative roles of the local institutions and the TPS were stressed in ensuring attainment of Plan objectives.

On-the-Job Training of the Local Training Team and the Fatupaepae Executive Committee in Nukunonu

To prepare Nukunonu for the village planning and profiling activity, an island-based training team was organized and intensively trained in October 1990. As part of its supervised field practice, the trainers in turn trained leaders of the women's group (Fatupaepae) on project formulation and the village sports executive committee on programming and budgeting.

LOOKING AHEAD

In August 1990, an assessment of IADP activities was undertaken at the OTA in Apia. It was attended by the Project Coordinator, key OTA officials and a representative from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Apia.

It was noted in this meeting that the Project had so far accomplished the following in Tokelau:

• equipping DEAI and OTA with relevant skills to meet the demands of local institutions, which will be further strengthened by the Project;
• devising mechanisms for community participation in development;
• creating awareness for integrated approach to development;
• introducing new procedures for development programme budgeting;
• instituting a regular reporting and monitoring system;
• initiating a data and management system in support of rural development planning.

  The government endorsed the Project's new thrust to focus on imparting planning, management and decison-making skills to the local leadership in the three atolls.

  Among key activities scheduled for 1990 until the end of 1991 are:

• Community profiling and planning workshops in Nukunonu, Atafu and Faka'ofo;
• Basic management workshops for local institutions of the three atolls;
• Leadership and project implementation workshop for community organizations.

  The government sees the continued relevance of the Project to its development thrust in view of the imminent transfer of TPS to Tokelau. It has requested the Project to assist in providing more capability-building inputs to prepare traditional institutions to assume greater development planning management responsibility.

TUVALU

PROJECT ENTRY POINT

In Tuvalu, the government wanted the Project to focus institutions building activities which would strengthen the planning, coordination and implementation of rural development programmes, and thereby, benefit all the atolls.

The Project was initiated at a time when the UNDP-assisted project on Community-Based Island Development Planning was about to be completed. Thus, Project assistance was focused on strengthening the Integrated Island Development office (IIDO), the unit within the Local Government Division of the Ministry of HOme Affairs created in 1987 to coordinate programmes and projects implemented at the outer islands.

preparations were also being made, at the same time, for the phase-out of the Save the Children Federation, the NGO providing technical, manpower and logistical support to the IIDO. The Island Development Planning Process (IDPP) team, composed of representatives from the various government agencies and the IIDO staff, had been formed to carry out IDPP activities, which basically consisted of going on island visits, organizing ad hoc planning committees in accordance with several sectoral concerns and generating project ideas and proposals for submission to he central government through the IIDO.

As its initial activity, the Project became part of the on-going assessment of IDPP operations to identify critical areas of support to the IIDO. In a series of consultative meetings with the government, it was decided that the Integrated Atoll Development Project (IADP) should undertake a programme to further strengthen the IIDO and the team through technical and training support for capacity building.

KEY ACTIVITIES

The key activities undertaken so far are as follows:

Needs Assessment by the IDPP Team

The Project guided the IDPP team to assess previous operations and identify basic problems in IDPP implementation. Aside from the usual administrative problems, such as lack of personnel and funding support, the team members highlighted the following:

• Need for additional expertise

At the IIDO and the IDPP team levels, additional skills are needed to help them appraise and select projects submitted by the outer islands. Proposals take a long time to be evaluated. The IDPP team members feel hey need to know more about project appraisal and selection.

• Lack of the "larger picture" to guide project identification

Generating projects, the team believes, is not the pressing problem in the outer islands. On the contrary, with the slightest motivation, the outer island communities and their councils can easily submit project ideas.

What is lacking, however, is the sense of the "larger picture," the actual development profile of the entire island which links project ideas to problems prioritized by the community and its leaders. Without such an island profile, project identification and appraisal is carried out in the dark.

• Need to seek maximum participation of traditional groups and leaders

Government-mandated structures, such as the Island Council, do not exercise sole power and influence in the community. The Ulu Aliki (Paramount Chief), the Ituala (Village Chief), the Ulu Komite (Chairperson of the Women's Committee), the Pastor, Christian youth groups, farmers' group, etc. also influence the direction of development in the outer islands. The IDPP team recommends that the Project look into ways to fully involve the traditional leaders and indigenous institutions in development activities.

In close collaboration with the IDPP team, the Project devised a strategy addressed to these three specific areas of need. Instead of their previous emphasis on generating project ideas, a sequence of activities was designed for implementation at each outer island which would result in the preparation of a development profile and a framework plan by the people themselves, with the government providing technical backstopping and support.

This strategy for Participatory Island Profiling and Development Planning (PIPDP) was subsequently adopted by the team and became the basis of their work programme for 1990-1991.

Intensive Training of the IDPP Team

The IDPP team itself underwent, in January 1990, an in-depth assessment specifically focused on its tasks and the training requirements to improve individual and team performance.

Since the island visits provide the IDPP team with an opportunity to meet with representatives of booth local communities and government agencies, the IIDO endorsed that the team be trained by the Project as national trainers for outer island development. In effect, the planning meetings conducted by the team would be training activities in themselves so as to impart relevant skills to the people and the government personnel in the outer islands.

As initial activity, 11 members of the IDPP team were taught basic training skills. This equipped the team members with the skills to formulate objectives; prepare training dressings; deliver inputs; facilitate workshops sessions; and manage and evaluate design implementation.

The Project then proceeded to train the IDPP team and the IIDO with the necessary skills to carry out the PIPDP work programme.

In September 1990, the Project conducted a training workshop for the IDPP team on the participatory island profiling methodology. Workshops were undertaken in Nukufetau to provide actual field experience for the trainers and to test both the training design and the trainers themselves.

With these newly acquired skills, the IDPP team designed and implemented local level profiling workshops in Nanumaga and Nanumea during the last quarter of 1990. These island profiling workshops are expected to help the island leadership and communities understand what is actually happening in their island and, on the basis of the larger picture, to prioritize their needs and identify relevant projects.

Participatory Island Profiling and Development Planning

To assess the team's performance and to further refine its skills on PIPDP, the Project assigned its Rural Development Officer based in the Cook Islands to Tuvalu for 5 weeks in scale PIPDP exercise in Nukulaelae. Aside from the island profile, the supervised training has resulted in the formulation of a long-term development plan by the people themselves. A work plan has been prepared by the IDPP team to enable it to carry out the same process for the rest of the outer islands.

In going through the participatory profiling and planning process with all sectors and interest groups on the island, the inter-agency IDPP team found itself more cohesive than before and more able to complement programmes in response to the needs expressed by the people. The profile, plan and project ideas derived from this involvement with he people have become, for the team, valuable tools for improving service delivery in their respective agencies.

As part of the preparation for his role as IDPP team Coordinator, the IIDO Manager spent two weeks of training attachment in February 1991 at the IADP office in Suva, Fiji. He was trained on skills required to carry out inter-agency coordination and perform management functions in a participatory context. While on this attachment, his intimate knowledge of local indigenous institutions was deliberately sought as his unique contribution to the local-level development management framework being validated by the Project.

An assessment workshop will be conducted by the Project on how to further improve IIDO and IDPP operations before the end of 1991.

LOOKING AHEAD

As the IDPP team implements the PIPDP process, the Project will direct attention to other critical concerns related to the outer islands of Tuvalu.

These concerns include the following:

Formulation of a Policy Framework for Outer Island Development

The Project fully supports the government's desire to formulate a framework to provide greater compatibility of rural-based programmes and projects with overall national development goals.

It will assist in conceptualizing a process to produce the framework and also provide technical assistance as required.

Strengthening Development Management at Outer Island Level

Now that the Project's initial inputs have been directed at strengthening capabilities a the center, the Project has to provide similar inputs for traditional institutions and government bodies based in the outer islands.

It will seek to assist the government in providing intensive training support to ensure viable institutional arrangements for sustainable development in the outer islands. The Island Council, including the Island Executive Officers, as well as traditional institutions, will be trained to act as collective management body for overall development concerns on the island.

Meshing of Local-level Participatory Process with National Development Planning

The Project will assess existing processes and innovate on ways to integrate local planning with the national level process.