Transcript COMMUNITY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT in the KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

COMMUNITY DRIVEN
DEVELOPMENT
in the KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
Evaluating the Potential for Scaling Up
Ayşe Kudat, Müge Kökten Finkel and Nurbek Omuraliev
Objectives
• Compare the processes and analyze the impacts of pilot
CDD projects in the Kyrgyz Republic
• Identify key conditions, institutional arrangements,
capacity elements and processes of CDD scaling up
• Discuss contextual elements/ catalysts that are
conducive to success
• Understand factors that constrain CDD scaling up
The research is part of CDD strategy in ECA
• “Learn more and scale up where there is evidence it is
working: (Irrigation, micro-credit, forestry, NRM);
• Pilot and assess feasibility of CDD approaches in new
areas: (health, municipal development, social protection)
• Link CDD with other strong institutional priorities:
( Decentralization, Governance, Civic Engagement)
• Influence the enabling environment (policy framework,
sectoral strategies, Government attitude)” (A. Marc)
Types of Scaling Up Considered
• quantitative where a program expands in size,
geographical base or budget;
• functional, involving increases in the types of
activities and integration with other programs;
• political, involving increases in political power
and engagement with wider political processes;
• organizational, involving increases in
organizational strength.
• There is potential for all types of scaling up
in the Kyrgyz Republic
Fieldwork
• Study focused on the assessment of system-wide and
household-level impacts of two programs: UNDP’s
Decentralization Program and DFID’s Sustainable
Livelihoods In Livestock Producing Communities
Program.
• A quasi experimental design utilized control-treatment
group comparisons for thirty in-depth community case
studies and 450 household surveys, collected from 12
‘treatment’ AOs (34 villages) where UNDP-DFID pilot
programs are ongoing, and 6 ‘control’ AOs (12 villages)
with no active donor supported CDD program.
Pilots use different approaches
• UNDP Decentralization pilot operates in 15 Aiyl Okmotus in 6
oblasts. It started in 1998 by building on other UNDP programs. The
pilot encourages the creation of village level CBOs and their
associations at the AO level. These associations then create a
Local Development Fund, jointly funded and managed by local
governments and CBOs, in addition to a one-time contribution from
the UNDP. The Fund finances activities of individual CBOs or
collective projects of CBO associations.
• The UNDP Decentralization Program goes beyond community level
activities and strengthens democratization, local autonomy and
decentralization.
• It supports the development of a number of legislative reforms for
political, administrative and fiscal decentralization in order to create
an enabling environment for the CDD activities. Resulting policies
and institutions, in turn, strongly endorse the institutional
arrangements and processes developed by the UNDP pilot, and
increase the pilot’s potential for scaling up.
UNDP’s support for local and regional
governments is reflected in Government strategy
• The program enlists the assistance of the Congress of Local
Communities in expanding its scope and reach, increasing the
linkages between communities and local governments.
• UNDP model aims to create transparent and accountable local
governments able to work with their citizens in a sustainable manner
with locally owned and generated resources.
• Fiscal decentralization and coordinated flow of external resources to
aiyl governments are pre-conditions for the program to achieve its
objectives.
• DFID works more directly with villagers to improve livelihoods
through capacity building and shared systems of information,
decision-making and resource management.
DFID is in an experimental stage
• DFID pilot began in 2001 in 6 Aiyl Okmotus in three regions, but
plans to be operational in 14 AOs. It concentrates on improving the
livelihoods of rural livestock communities and operates in individual
villages through village working groups.
• It bypasses local governments and instead initiates an independent
representation of the village under the umbrella of ‘working groups’.
• Most of the DFID funds are used for capacity building, with the
expectation that resources from KAFC (Kyrgyz Agricultural Finance
Corporation, established by the Bank) would provide credit to
implement the income generating programs.
• DFID program places less emphasis on the creation of formal CBOs
and CBO-local government partnerships, and utilizes village level
working groups for social mobilization in sustainable development
projects.
The World Bank
• WB has been instrumental in establishing many
of the institutions that support CDD pilots of
donors.
• WB is set to launch the Village Investment
Project, which will continue to partner with other
donors to fund community level investments.
• WB will play a key role in scaling up many of
the ongoing CBD/CDD pilots
Socio/Cultural/Economic context
contains elements supportive of CDD
Socialist Experience—provided one context for CDD
“Some participatory mechanisms had been set-up
– Individual initiative, especially in the informal sphere, was
widespread
– Rhetoric was supporting participation
– Participation was captured by the State and political elites
(outside of the State)
– People did not like imposed collective action, but if there was no
other mean to resolve a problem they used their earlier
experience and capacity to carry out participatory programs
provided that they saw rapid individual benefits.” (A. Marc)
Indigenous traditions of mutual help and community
mobilization have provided a significant context for
community action.
People are supportive of the CDD efforts
• CDD pilot programs and micro-credit experiences
empower the poor.
• Capacity creation at the community level facilitates links
between CBOs and local governments.
• Indigenous traditions of mutual help and community
mobilization mechanisms have been significant in
expanding the scope of the CDD projects.
• Information concerning the success of the pilots is
spreading rapidly.
• CDD projects have particularly empowered women by
engaging them in various group activities.
• CDD pilots have improved the targeting of private
benefits, enhanced public goods and increased social
safety for the poor and the vulnerable.
Pilot CDD Programs Produced Positive
Outcomes
• Perceived and actual impacts of CDD pilot programs on
poverty reduction and social capital formation are positive.
• They have stimulated development investments in an
increasing number of poor communities. (quantitative
scaling up)
• Capacity building efforts at the community level have been
effective in stimulating small credit group activities as well
as village based investments. (functional scaling up)
• CBOs and their associations are establishing effective links
to local governments, have undertaken joint projects, and
are forming credit associations. (organizational scaling up)
• CDD initiatives have contributed to significant changes in
the legal framework and to decentralization. (political
scaling up)
Pilot CDD Programs Produced Positive
Outcomes
• Incomes of all pilot communities have increased
compared to non-pilots.
• CDD pilots have introduced innovative
techniques for farming, livestock breeding, and
common resource management.
• There has been a visible increase in the
collective action capacities of the communities
with CDD experience. Trust between community
members themselves, and between citizens and
local governments has also increased.
CDD pilots facilitated small scale infrastructure
development
In the last 2-3 years the village families got
together to improve infrastructure
Association
Control group
UNDP
DFID
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Mean on a scale of 1-7*
6.00
7.00
CDD pilots perceived as catalyst for mobilization
Mean
People who participated in jamaat or brigades not only
helped improve their incomes but inspired others for
collective action in the village
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
DFID
UNDP
Association
Control group
CDD activities improved livelihoods
Several Factors will Facilitate Scaling up
• The Kyrgyz Republic has a relatively stable political environment.
• The Government is committed to decentralization.
• There is a positive agrarian economic environment to support both
micro-credit and village based development initiatives.
• Labor force is relatively well educated and can easily be trained in
innovative methods of farming and livestock raising.
• Indigenous self-help mechanisms facilitate group based initiatives.
• Previous CB projects exposed many communities to working
collectively.
• Favorable institutional arrangements are evolving to scale-up CDD.
CDD projects benefit from services provided by RAS and KAFC.
CBO Associations and Local Development Funds are making micro
and group credit available for the poor. The Congress of Local
Communities plays an increasing coordination role between Local
Governments (LG)and has enabled the expansion of the
Decentralization program.
• Donor coordination and experience sharing have been good,
facilitated by the Bank.
Enabling Environment can be Improved
• There is room to enhance capacities of LGs and CBOs.
Funding is needed for community mobilization and community
investments, especially because fiscal decentralization is new
and high rural poverty rates prevail.
• Social capital, new and traditional, is not fully recognized by
formal credit institutions. Despite successful repayment
histories, CBOs must produce time and money consuming
paper work for each credit application. This, in turn,
discourages participation in CBOs for projects benefiting their
communities as a whole.
• Licensing, regulatory and reporting requirements remain
excessive. Continued government intervention in agriculture
markets also poses problems, even though product prices are
mostly liberalized and agribusiness reforms have started.
• Land and housing markets are undeveloped. As a result,
many poor individuals are not qualified for micro or group
credit.
Recommended Specific Actions
• Scale-up group credit (micro-credit) quantitatively, which will require
institutional strengthening of the financial sector so that social capital
can be used as part of collateral.
• Provide incentives for group credit initiatives, such as lower
collateral requirements and longer repayment periods, to allow
groups to engage in sustainable and diverse economic activities.
• Revise regulations to avoid over taxation and over bureaucratization
of CBO activities.
• Accelerate capacity building support for CBOs and associations of
CBOs, combined with efforts directed at local governments.
• Encourage the Government to expedite fiscal decentralization
measures through a concerted donor effort.
• Liberalize land markets further.
• Facilitate the association (or federation) of CBOs to undertake
village level investments and the association of local governments
for regional investments. Decentralization efforts should empower
both the regional and local governments.
Some Immediate Steps
• Use existing programs as the basis for scaling up CDD,
and incorporate DFID, UNDP/PAC and other pilots to
support sustainable poverty reducing initiatives.
• Work within the Presidential Decree of April 23, 2003,
and make use of the enabling environment created by
the Decree.
• Collaborate with the Congress of Local Communities and
others to support further fiscal decentralization.
• Support local governments where citizens have already
been mobilized in order to lower initial expenses and to
benefit from existing positive CDD momentum. Start
with communities where the efforts of UNDP/PAC, DFID,
USAID, Swiss Helvetas, Camp, and other initiatives have
promoted group activities, which includes over a third of
the Ayil Okmotus in the country.
Some Immediate Steps
• Support legislation to reduce over-regulation, over-taxation and
excessive bureaucratization.
• Utilize Rural Advisory Services, which are operational in many
Aiyl Okmotus and have accumulated valuable experience in
assisting sustainable development initiatives.
• Support efforts of the Congress of Local Communities to
strengthen the network of local governments and to develop the
administrative and financial capacities of Aiyl Okmotus nationwide.
• Work with LGs that demonstrate enthusiasm for CDD activities;
not all LGs may be interested in working jointly and in equal
terms with their citizens in collective village level investments.
• Make sure that communities do not fall through the cracks of the
system if their hesitation and low willingness to participate in
CDD activities are attributable to extreme isolation or poverty.
• Create community based, participatory M&E systems. Utilize the
network of LGs for nation-wide monitoring.
Model for Scaling-Up CDD
Model for Scaling Up CDD for
Poverty alleviation & Enhancing social capital
Leg
al
rali
cent
on
zati
Take advantage of low costs
of social mobilization
capacity to support sustainable
livelihoods
UNDP PAC
D
F
I
D
already mobilized over 150
Ayils for micro-credit and
help establish association of
self-help groups
Fram
ewo
rk
Rural Advisory Services (RAS)
Some RASs have already
mobilized CBOs in 3 oblasts
l De
Take advantage of cost
effective local human
resources to
create capacity for
sustainable investments
Isolated and very poor may fall through
the system unless safety nets are created
Create capacity for fiscal management and business planning in communities
interested in adopting pilot programs and might have established CBOs
and/or association of CBOs
a
Fisc
Support credit
unions and
other micro
credit
institutions
CDD is not for every
community. Better off communities
may not be interested
USAID
and
other
donors
Com
plet
e
Invest in social
mobilization
START with Successful Pilot:
UNDP Decentralization Program
Continue
commitment to
Decentralization
Legislative, Policy and Coordination support from Min.of Local
Governments, Congress of Local Self-Governments
Reach new
communities to
build CDD
capacity through
training of AOs
and CBOs
Build on social
capital generated
by ongoing
community
based and
community
driven programs
and cover more
than 40 percent
of rural local
governments in
stage 1
Implications for ECA
• Build CDD from the bottom-up, collaborating
with local government
• Anchor CDD in the process of decentralization
and municipal governance
• Design systems where individual or family
benefits clearly derive from common action
• Maximize the use of community resources,
social and physical