EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

(Of Joint UNDP, Government and NGO Formulation Team)

 

 

Findings / Proposed Strategies for ESHDP in Solomon Islands

 

1.0     Overview of Human Development Situation

 

  1. Although major gains have been achieved in improving life expectancy, education and income, the country ranks 105 in a list of 160 countries rated according t these human development indicators (UNDP Human Development Report, 1992).  These gains have been frittered away by the 3.5% annual growth rate in population.  Access to health, education and economic opportunities is also limited by a high illiteracy rate, gender bias, and geographic diversities.

 

  1. The immediate challenge for Solomon Islands is how to equitably deliver development information and services to 300,000 people living in 6,000 widely dispersed villages, in highlands and interior lowlands with footpaths and forbidding terrains; coastal areas, outer islands and atolls; and man-made or “artificial” islands in the middle of lagoons.  More than 50% of the country’s scattered villages have a population of less than 20 inhabitants.

 

  1. Outreach services remain generally erratic and irregular in practically all sectors due to tremendous logistical problems.  Inflation has made such services and development commodities more costly to deliver.  Population growth has outstripped the capacity of the school system, which yields yearly 6500 “push-outs,” comprising a virtual social base for discontent and sheer waste of human resources.  Over the past few years, the economy could only generate an average of 500 jobs a year.

 

  1. Socio-cultural constraints are also a factor which impacts on access and full use of available services.  Women have lesser access to education, training and employment opportunities on account of their traditional role in the household and community and in subsistence food production.  Until lately, extension services routinely ignored women in agriculture and fisheries.  In many villages, traditional beliefs, customs and practices still pose a hindrance to women’s full participation in development.

 

  1. High population growth, increased perceptions about deprivations in rural areas and relatively greater educational and employment opportunities in population centers have led to rapid urbanization trends.  In Honiara alone, annual growth rate is almost double the national average which further strains the service delivery system and diverts resources from majority of the population.

 

2.0     Current Initiatives and Strengths

  1. The situation has drawn creative responses from both the government and NGOs over the last decade or so:

-          a wide range of NGO services which virtually comprise a common program for disadvantaged communities, women and youth;

-          a nation-wide network of government rural development centers for farmers and mostly church-based training centers for the youth;

-          deployment of mobile teams of development workers recruited from the rank of the people themselves to serve in their own villages;

-          distance education programs for school leavers and locally-recruited development workers;

-          a mechanism for project identification, submission and appraisal at national and sub-national levels which has generated 300 proposals a year from both rural and urban communities across all sectors;

-          broadening  the sources for funding project requests from local communities which now include funds made available through political leaders;

-          devolution of more functions to provincial governments to bring decision-making and service delivery systems as close to the people as possible.

-          Creation of substation under the provincial administration to further improve access to services;

-          Efforts to take into account cultural factors in development work, e.g. inclusion of traditional chiefs in the various area councils; current program to recruit women as agriculture extension assistants, etc.;

-          A center for community education and development studies which directly links local situation and needs to training programs and with potential to further expand the outreach to disadvantaged communities and groups.

 

3.0     Framework for Human Development Strategy

a.       These creative responses, mostly generated in disparate, isolated manner or as individual government and NGO undertakings, on the whole, can make up the strengths required to put in place an integrative human development focus in the country’s overall development efforts.

b.       In sum, these human development approach stresses:

-          redress of social inequalities as caused by gender, geographic location, age, etc.;

-          more efficient use of scarce resources to achieve economic and social goals;

-          promotion of sustainable development so as not to jeopardize future use of existing resources;

-          participatory approaches as means to generate cost-effective measures, in addition to other development benefits.

 

  1. In a series of individual consultations with policymakers, planners, fieldworkers, and representatives of community groups, as well as during the Mission’s meeting with senior government and NGO officials, the following program needs were identified:

-          A cohesive policy and program framework for undertaking development activities, rather than the current ad hoc, fragmented and thus less effective measures to overcome problems caused by social and economic disparities;

-          Close collaborative links among NGOs, government and donor agencies, community-based organizations and grassroots support structures in distilling lessons learnt from project experiences to guide policy and plan formulation and thus enhance overall program effectiveness;

-          Assessment of current resource allocation policies and programs to ensure judicious use of scarce resources to achieve priority social and economic goals;

-          A functional, multi-level and politically-supported system for the identification, appraisal, implementation, management and monitoring of projects sensitive to the needs of youth, women and other disadvantaged groups;

-          A focal point to enable development  partners to mutually share approaches, social technologies and tools so as to enrich training, enhance program effectiveness and realign policies along human development objectives.

 

4.0     Proposed ESHDP Components

  1. The ESHDP formulation process in Solomon Islands has identified the following as possible outputs:

v      policy and program support for greater human development focus in overall development efforts;

v      a positive and enabling policy and program framework for closer collaboration and interaction between government and NGOs;

v      strengthened planning, implementation, management and monitoring capabilities of the government and NGOs for the promotion of equitable and sustainable human development;

v      strengthened capability of government and NGOs for the mainstreaming of women, youth and rural communities in the development decision-making process;

v      in-depth assessment/evaluation, documentation and mutual sharing of project experiences to ensure pertinent policy and plan formulation, relevant training activities and thus further enhance program effectiveness;

v      a career path for fieldworkers;

v      a catalyst understanding to generate more innovative projects among youth and women groups and enhance management capabilities of NGOs, national and sub-national structures, donors, etc. to respond to community initiatives;

v      field-tested and validated systems and participatory process for the identification, appraisal, implementation, management and monitoring of projects with the sustained involvement of disadvantaged communities and groups.

 

  1. The proposed key interventions will be carried out under a joint government-NGO program framework.

 

 

SOLOMON ISLANDS EXPANDED OUTREACH PROGRAM

FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND GROUPS

 

The country participants during the consultations proposed that Solomon Islands formulate and implement an Expanded Outreach Program for Disadvantaged Communities and Groups as a joint government-NGO undertaking in the regional

ESHDP.

 

The national program will seek to bring to sharper focus the disparate and often mutually exclusive efforts so far undertaken by both government agencies and NGOs in their attempt to deliver development information and services to remote villages and disadvantaged groups.  Regional inputs will complement such efforts through support to catalytic activities for advocacy and policy support; outreach services and participatory approaches among disadvantaged communities, including women and youth groups; and local-level management development.

 

Parallel support from other development partners, i.e. donor agencies, international NGOs, etc. in terms of direct assistance to communities and groups will comprise major intervention.

 

 

 

 

The ESHDP participation in the national program is outlined below:

 

1.0  Objectives/ Expected Outputs

Advocacy and Policy Support

-          A comprehensive human development policy framework used as basis for formulating national programs and rationalizing development budget/ resource allocations;

-          Lessons learnt from assessment of project implementation in all sectors and used as basis for setting up a community-based project monitoring and evaluation system with links to the service delivery, programming and policymaking levels of government;

-          Specific policies formulated through the collaborative efforts of both government and NGOs in support of programs and projects designed for disadvantaged communities and groups;

-          A functional multi-level and politically-supported system for the identification, appraisal, implementation, management and monitoring of projects sensitive to the needs of youth, women and other disadvantaged groups;

-          A focal point to enable development partners to mutually share approaches, social technologies and tools, including slice-of-life cases documented to enrich training and improve program management and effectiveness;

-          Core orientation and training modules on human development concerns (gender sensitization; support to remote communities and disadvantaged groups; participatory and sustainable development; cost effective resource allocations based on priority social and economic goals, etc.) integrated in all major training programs carried out by both government and NGOs.

 

Outreach Services and Participatory Approaches among Disadvantaged Communities and Groups

-          280 out-of-school young men and women aged 15 to 24, trained and deployed as development fieldworkers (literacy teachers, program motivators and community organizers) in the country’s remote villages;

-          200 extension agents and fieldworkers of NGOs and government trained on specialized skills to assess needs and carry out training programs among disadvantaged women and youth;

-          150 academic workers trained on integrating human development concerns in both curricula and short-term courses;

-          4800 youth and women trained on how to identify, formulate, implement, manage and monitor projects;

-          More services and development commodities reaching remote villages and disadvantaged youth and women.

 

Local-level Management Development

 

-          480 villages with development profiles and plans as basis for project identification;

-          Area councils and provincial screening committees utilizing specific criteria in appraising project proposals submitted by youth and women groups;

-          Traditional chiefs actively supporting projects of youth and women groups.

 

Impact / Success Indicators

-          480 villages each serviced by a trained fieldworker living in the locality and who links disadvantaged groups directly to a specific program carried out by a rural development/ training center, NGO, provincial government, etc.;

-          Projects identified, prepared, implemented and monitored by youth women groups in the targeted 480 villages;

-          Participatory approaches and methodologies and lessons from project experiences widely shared among NGOs and government agencies;

-          Policy support to program and projects for disadvantaged communities and groups.

 

3.0 Key Activities and Implementing Agencies

3.1 Policy Evaluation Unit, Office of the Prime Minister

-          Review of the policies affecting disadvantaged communities and groups, i.e. women and youth in all sectors to identify gaps;

-          Formulation of a comprehensive human development policy framework.

 

3.2 Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning

-          Quarterly development forum involving government and NGOs to thresh out policy issues affecting work with disadvantaged communities and groups.

 

3.3 Ministry of Provincial Government/ Project Development Unit

-          Evaluation/ assessment of project experiences to draw out lessons in the planning, implementation, management and monitoring of projects involving disadvantaged communities and groups;

-          Conceptualization/ formulation/ validation of a system of participatory development planning and implementation in remote communities and with disadvantaged youth and women groups;

-          Standardization of criteria for the appraisal of projects;

-          Conceptualization/ formulation/ validation of a community-based Monitoring and Evaluation system which links disadvantaged communities and groups to the service delivery, programming and policymaking levels of government.

 

3.4 Solomon Islands College of Higher Education

-          Regular courses for locally-recruited NGO fieldworkers, at two intakes per year;

-          Regular courses for the trainers of government agencies;

-          Periodic assessment of the impact of training on the task performance of fieldworkers and possible revision of training modules used;

-          Documentation and storage of appropriate training materials, case studies and field operations manuals for easy access by NGOs and government agencies.

 

3.5 Solomon Islands Association of Rural Training Centers

-          Workshop of the staff of 24 member RTCs on the use of training modules (How to prepare project proposals; Project Management);

-          Training of women and youth groups in the various
RTCs on how to prepare project proposals; how to manage projects;

-          Program Development Workshops for non-member RTCs to upgrade their existing activities with inclusion of topics related to equitable and sustainable human development;

-          Documentation of innovative participatory approaches evolved and developed by individual NGOs in working with disadvantaged communities and groups.

 

3.6 Solomon Islands Development Trust

-          Workshops of national and field trainers and officers on specialized skills related to the promotion of equitable and sustainable development;

-          Workshops of MTMs to assess and further refine methodologies/ tools used in working with remote communities and disadvantaged women and youth;

-          Replication of the social agro-forestry approach developed in Balai, North Malaita to other marginal kastom land sies;

-          Documentation of relevant project experiences for dissemination to other development partners.

 

3.7     Development Services Exchange

-          Training of national trainers on:

a) Mainstreaming of women and youth concerns in NGO programs;

            b) Project development workshop for women and youth groups;

            c) Project management and monitoring.

 

4.0   UNDP / ESHDP Inputs

Proposed UNDP / ESHDP inputs will consist of:

a)       technical assistance for

-          policy development;

-          national capability-building for service delivery and participatory approaches among disadvantaged communities and groups; and

-          strengthening of government, NGO and indigenous structures towards effective management of equitable and sustainable development.

 

b)       direct funding of the training, social mobilization and other catalytic activities required;

c)       linkages with the UNDP regional Sustainable Development Network and other regional program resources.

 

5.0   Development partners

Consultations with the major development partners have validated the urgent need for the proposed program strategy.  Strong support to closer government-NGO collaboration has been reiterated.  Many donors have also indicated the need for realigning specific policies, programs and projects in accordance with the needs articulated by government and NGO fieldworkers, as well as by the disadvantaged communities and groups themselves.

 

ESHDP Formulation Mission – Solomon Islands

17 Jan – 10 Feb 93

 

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SITUATION : An Overview

           

1.0 Human Development Indicators

Solomon Islands ranks 105 in a list of 160 countries rated according to the human development indicators of life expectancy, education and income (UNDP Human Development Report, 1992).  While life expectancy has increased in recent years, literacy rate remains at 22%, the lowest in the Pacific region.  Per capita income has decreased from US$430 (1988) to US$256 (1991); the average monthly earnings of the formal wage sector, which comprises 15-18% of the population, is SBD544, a figure inflated several times by expatriate earnings.  The income of 85% of the population outside the formal economy is hard to determined, but a significant decrease in such income can be expected from the combined effects of price increases, trade imbalance and the 3.5% population growth rate.

Health and Nutrition

Communicable diseases, malnutrition and malaria continue to pose significant health and nutrition problems.  Yaws, leprosy and tuberculosis have not been eradicated, while new communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are emerging.  Malaria, at 400 cases per 1000, remains the most serious health problem.

 

Malnutrition affects a quarter of the child population below five years of age.  Infant mortality rate is moderate at 42.9 deaths per 1000 live births, but there has been no downward trend for the last ten years.

 

While 62% have access to water, only 9% have access to safe sanitation.

 

Life expectancy at birth IS 61.4 for females and 59.5 for males.  The rate of survival for both sexes from age 25-45 increased from 86% in 1976 to 93% in 1986.  The overall improvement in life expectancy reflects improved standard of primary health care.

 

Education

Only around 500 primary schools serve Honiara and more than 5000 villages.  Secondary schools are fewer in number.  Primarily due to lack of facilities, there are around 6500 push-outs from the school system each year.  Between 25-40% of school-aged children do not attend school.  Most children in the rural areas manage to attend school by walking or talking the canoe through long distances.  Inadequately-trained teachers, unavailable learning materials and dilapidated schools without water or sanitary facilities are some of the problems affecting

 

 

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