Reaching Vulnerable Groups through Demand Driven Programs

1
Reaching Vulnerable Groups through Demand Driven
Programs

• Catherine Gibbons
• May 26, 2004

2
Objective of Study

• Gain a better understanding of what design
  features World Bank projects have used in order
  to ensure that vulnerable groups are able to
  benefit from programs using a demand-driven
  approach.
• Excluded ethnic groups,
• Disabled people, and
• War-affected populations
• Provide practical advice to TTLs and partners
  interested in designing their projects so that
  they serve vulnerable groups.

3
Rationale for Study

• Each of these three groups have special needs and
  are at risk of being marginalized in a
  demand-driven environment unless special features
  are incorporated into the CDD design that ensures
  their inclusion.

4
Methodology Used

• Search of World Bank Project Database for
  projects that target one of the three vulnerable
  groups and that use a demand driven approach.
• Desk review of PADs of relevant projects and ICRs
  and Evaluations, when available.
• Write-up on key findings on cross-cutting themes

5
Projects Serving 3 Targeted Vulnerable Groups
 
6
Geographic Breakdown
7
Growth in Projects Serving these Vulnerable
Groups
8
Project Sample Analyzed
9
Characteristics of Excluded Ethnic Groups

• Likely to be geographically concentrated
• Remote rural communities far from municipal
  capitals
• Poverty Rates well above average
• Higher rates of illiteracy, particularly among
  women
• Lower school enrollment
• High percent of low birth-weight children
• Lack of secure access to arable land and water
  resources

10
Characteristics of War Affected Populations

• Likely to be geographically concentrated
• Likely to include entire communities
• Destroyed or debilitated social infrastructure
  (Schools, Health Posts, Roads)
• Agriculture stalled, due to abandonment, mines,
  lack of access to inputs or markets industry
• High unemployment, due to destruction or
  abandonment of industry and lack of skills
• Loss of basic households assets (land, house,
  cooking utensils, clothes, tools, etc.

11
Characteristics of War Affected Populations
(contd)

• Psychologically and physically traumatized
  population
• Destroyed social fabric lack of trust and
  cohesion
• High levels of poverty and extreme poverty
• Children and youth who have lost several years of
  schooling
• Malnourished and in poor health

12
Characteristics of Disabled People

• Geographically dispersed
• Only 7 10 of population
• Limited access to education and health services
• Limited income earning opportunities
• Disability and poverty are linked
• Social isolation due to stigma

13
Types of Interventions Community Level

• Socio-economic infrastructure
• Social assistance projects (particularly for
  disabled)
• Productive activities (agriculture,
  micro-enterprise, etc.)
• Capacity-building for community-level
  associations (needs assessment, project
  identification, planning, implementation and
  management.)

14
Types of Interventions Regional and Municipal
Levels

• Capacity building for local government - Most
  important in Post-conflict context least
  important for projects serving Excluded Ethnic
  Group
• Projects serving multiple municipalities or
  districts
• Networks of disabled peer groups to amplify
  voice (India)
• Strategic planning for ethnic group spread
  geographically across several municipalities and
  departments (Honduras and Ecuador)

15
Types of Interventions National Level

• Changing the constitution and making laws
  protecting the rights of indigenous groups to
  ancestral resources such as land, water, and
  cultural heritage sites (Ecuador, Philippines,
  Peru).
• Laws protecting the rights of the disabled.
• Legal assistance to indigenous to establish title
  to land.
• Empowerment of ethnic group through capacity
  building of ethnic association (Ecuador, Peru,
  and early Honduras).

16
Targeting Strategy for Disabled People

• Communities with higher number of disabled
  targeted (Ukraine)
• Ensure needs assessment methodology includes
  mechanism to consult with disabled and other
  vulnerable groups in community.
• Bonus points for project serving disabled
  (Cambodia)
• Work through specialized NGOs who have
  established links with disabled populations
  (Honduras)
• Ear-mark funds at the municipal level for
  projects serving disabled and other vulnerable
  groups

17
Targeting Strategies Used for Ethnic Groups

• Geographic targeting when ethnic group is
  geographically concentrated. (Mexico) Best when
  census data is broken down by ethnic group.
  Allocate funds accordingly.
• Poverty targeting is effective in serving ethnic
  groups since they tend to experience high levels
  of poverty and extreme poverty. Ideal if poverty
  data is broken down by ethnic group. (Bulgaria)
  If no data will need to use proxies for poverty.

18
Targeting Strategies Used Ethnic Groups Proxy
Indicators

• Prioritize small communities (Mexico
  communities with less than 5,000)
• Prioritize remote communities (Vietnam and
  Maharasthtra India)
• Prioritize communities lacking basic
  socio-economic infrastructure by limiting
  sub-project menu.
• Prioritize communities using indicators such as
  literacy rates, school enrollment rates, and
  average distance to potable water supply.

19
Targeting Strategies Used Ethnic Groups

• Working through indigenous associations to
  identify beneficiary communities (Honduras)
• Using tailored local language promotional
  campaign targeting minority communities
  (Chhattisgarh, India, the Philippines, Vietnam)
• Earmarking funds for minority or mixed
  communities (Kosovo)

20
Targeting Strategies Used Ethnic Groups

• Capacity-building for minority communities to
  enhance their competitiveness in accessing
  municipal funding. (Honduras, Philippines)
• Independent Verification and Grievance Mechanisms
  (Mexico Federal verification Vietnam Special
  panel reviews commune plans Philippines
  grievance mechanism)

21
Targeting Strategies Used War Affected

• Geographic targeting of most affected areas.
  Selection criteria included
• Security and accessibility
• Presence of local government authority and
  willingness to participate
• Extent of war damage to community infrastructure
• Number of returning ex-combatants, IDPs, and
  refugees
• Presence of lack of alternative sources of
  financing

22
Targeting Strategies Used War Affected

• Poverty and Conflict Affected (Kosovo and
  Macedonia) - to ensure equity across regions
• Allocations made to regions based upon following
  criteria
• Population size
• Level and intensity of poverty
• Unemployment rate
• Number of persons displaced from each region
• Number of damaged houses

23
Targeting Strategies Used War Affected

• Allocations within regions based upon following
  criteria
• State of physical and social infrastructure
• Presence of vulnerable or marginalized groups
• Presence of ethnically mixed communities
• Under-funded communities
• Community capacity to plan
• Community commitment level
• Level of interest of municipal government in
  supporting recurrent costs

24
Targeting Strategies to Ensure Inclusion of
Vulnerable Groups in War Affected Communities

• Community Clusters of 20 families to elect
  representative to Community Development Council
  and as framework for community-wide consultations
  (Afghanistan)
• Separate forum for women to express priorities
  (Afghanistan)
• At least half of the project applications must
  come from womens groups (East Timor)
• Targeted social mobilization and communication
  campaigns to vulnerable groups (Rwanda)
• Increased block grant to communities that
  involved IDPs and returning refugees in project
  planning (Afghanistan)

25
Division of Labor Community-based Organizations
(CBOs)

• Needs assessment, project identification and
  prioritization.
• Sub-project planning.
• Sub-project implementation (procurement,
  financial management, supervision)
• In-kind and cash contributions.
• Operation and maintenance of sub-project.
• In war-affected communities, role of CBO as
  mechanism for rebuilding social cohesion old
  enemies plan a mutually beneficial activity

26
Role of Local Government War Affected

• Heavy emphasis on building a democratic,
  responsive and transparent local government
  through capacity-building in social mobilization,
  participatory needs assessment, local planning,
  budgeting, financial management, procurement,
  maintenance, etc. (Afghanistan, Rwanda, East
  Timor, Sierra Leone)
• Projects used as a vehicle to promote
  decentralization.

27
Role of Local Government Ethnic Groups

• In some cases totally by-passed given high degree
  of distrust between ethnic group and local
  government.
• In a number of cases, ethnic groups capacity is
  enhanced so it can later compete more effectively
  for funds available through local government.

28
Role of NGOs

• NGOs as implementing agencies Common for
  projects serving disabled people.
• NGOs as intermediaries between government and
  community organizations (Nicaragua Ethnic
  Group Angola War Affected)
• NGOs as facilitators or stewards of the rules of
  the game they disseminate the rules of the game
  (India Tribal Groups)
• Most common role for all groups supplier of
  training and technical assistance.

29
Role of Minority Associations

• Participate in project Advisory Committee
  (Majority of Projects)
• Assist with targeting and project promotion
  (Honduras)
• Contracted to assist communities to conduct
  participatory needs assessment and planning
  process.
• Serve as intermediaries between the program and
  the communities.
• Project builds capacity of ethnic association
  (Ecuador, Peru, and early phase Honduras)

30
Role of Minority Associations (continued)

• Monitor project implementation at the community
  level (Peru and Honduras)
• Develop strategic plans for ethnic group
  (Honduras)

31
Recommendations For Projects Serving Disabled

• Promote the formation of community-level peer
  networks to amplify voice through specialized
  NGOs
• Develop community needs assessment module to hear
  needs of disabled and other vulnerable groups
  (elderly, orphans, women-headed households,
  HIV/AIDS affected households) at the community
  level
• Integrate the priority needs identified by
  vulnerable groups at the municipal level
• Set aside funds at the municipal level for
  disabled and other vulnerable groups

32
Recommendations For Projects Serving Excluded
Ethnic Groups

• Avoid targeting long-term ultimate goal should
  to be assist ethnic minority communities to
  compete on a level playing field for available
  resources. Long-term targeting may result in
  marginalization.
• Build bridges to local government, ultimately,
  they will control the funds as decentralization
  trend proceeds.
• Involve ethnic associations in project design and
  oversight.
• Recognize that building the capacity of ethnic
  associations could have political overtones.

33
Recommendations For Projects Serving War
Affected

• Target the whole community all have been affected
  in one way or another
• Use the block grant approach and finance
  community plans, not just projects
• Pay extra attention to building representative
  community committees that involve all segments of
  the population these are mechanisms for
  rebuilding social cohesion and preventing future
  conflict
• Use this program to promote decentralization and
  build a democratic form of local government from
  the bottom up

34
Recommendations For Projects Serving War
Affected

• Give bonus points or extra money for projects
  that target particularly vulnerable members of
  the community (Afghanistan higher per capita
  for communities concerned with vulnerable groups,
  IDPs, and returning refugees)
• Be patient destroyed communities are not healed
  overnight.