Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring better outcomes in regional development?

1
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Chung Tsung Ping
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  Malaysia
• YKSM-CPPS/ASLI Seminar on Balanced Development in
  Malaysia
• Crown Princess Kuala Lumpur
• 13 July 2006

2
Bottoms up? Participatory approaches? Regional
development?
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Communities
• Grassroots
• Civil societies (CSOs)
• Partnerships
• Building bridges
• Open discussions and dialogues providing a
  voice to the disadvantaged
• Capacity building
• Social capital networking, social trust

3
Best practices in participatory approaches
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Using case studies analysed in countries
  globally, the analysis shows-
• Bottoms up participatory approach a possible tool
  towards better development outcomes
• Best results achieved through partnerships
• Establishing social trust (especially in post
  conflict situations)
• Capacity building is important e.g.
  strengthening of CSOs
• The need to monitor and evaluate
• Compromising needed sometimes
• Start small leading to a bigger, wider and
  longer term goals

4
The challenges
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Facilitating an enabling environment
• Laws, policies and institutions of governance
  encouraging active participation by communities
  and CSOs
• Enhancing capabilities within CSOs
• Cohesiveness
• Professional skills (e.g. leadership)
• Building bridges
• For capacities to be combined in mutually
  supportive ways

5
Thank you
6
UNDPs growth path in participatory approaches
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Since 1975, UNDP has sought to enlarge and enrich
  its engagement in participatory approaches
• 1986 Civil society organization and
  participation programme established at HQ
• 1995 world summit on social development called
  on the international community to involve actors
  and civil society to allow for positive
  contribution to development

7
Partnerships
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Combining the resources and talents of different
  organisations (e.g. private sector and CSOs)
• In Uganda, a participatory approach through
  partnerships undertaken to improve the livelihood
  of farmers

8
Starting small
Can bottoms up participatory approaches bring
better outcomes in regional development?

• Ukraine experience
• Rehabilitation of children with disabilities
• Small pilot project leading to Government buy in
• Nationwide adoption of the method