FG To Plateau: You Excel In The Implementation Of (CDD) projects.
By Moses Gbande
The Plateau state Government and its Local Government Review Committee, LGRC, has been rated high for the steps taken towards the implementation of Community Driven Development, (CDD) project in the state.
The Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Coordinator, Federal Project Support Unit, Abuja, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje made these commendations in Jos, while on a working visit to the state to assess the performance of the state in the implementation of the CDD projects.
He equaly addressed participants who have been attenting a three day review meeting on the replication of Community Driven Development, for Local Government Chairmen and the Local Government Review Committee of the Eleven, (11) LGAs of Plateau state.
During the state visit, Obaje took time out to pay a courtesy call on the Deouty Governor of plateau State, Prof. Sony Tyoden and later proceeded for an assessment visit to project sites being executed by LGRC of Jos East local government area .
He explained that the (CDD) project which is a development initiative of federal government with the support from the World Bank was concieved to provide control of the development process, resources and decision making authority directly to groups in the Communities.
He said the agency is overehelmed with the steps taken by the Plateau state government in the implementation of the projects, given the state an advantage over other thirty states of the federation who had earlier indicated interest in the CDD projects.
The National Coordinator, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje,
While on a courtesy Call to the government of plateau state expressed appreciation on the effort so far, and urged the state government to step up more efforts toward the sensitiziation of communities to embrace the project.
He said the story he had about Plateau State is heartwarming, and promised that the agency shall continue to partner with the state and make funds available to enable it embark on quite number of Community Driven Development projects.
Earlier, the General Manager, PLCSDA, Mrs. Felicity Gurumyen said the state government has fully embraced the project and with the consent of the local governments authorities approved N5m monthly for the period of six months to enable LGRC go round the state to sensitize the people and carry out small projects
Addressing the stakeholders on the topic, “Development Strategy and Template for CDD Replication in Plateau State“, the Operational Manager, James Damulak Yohanna says underlying assumption of CDD projects are that communities are the best judges of how their lives and livelihoods can be improved and if provided with adequate resources and information, they can organize themselves to provide for their immediate needs.
”CDD projects work by providing poor communities with direct funding for development with the communities then deciding how to spend the money. Lastly, the community plans and builds the project and take responsibility for monitoring its progress.
“CDD programs are motivated by their trust in people (Naidoo and Finn, 2001) and hence it
advocates people changing their own environment as a powerful force for development. By treating poor people as assets and partners in the development process, studies have shown that CDD is responsive to local demands, inclusive, and more cost-effective compared to centrally led NGO-based programs. CDD can also be supported by strengthening and financing community groups, facilitating community access to information, and promoting an enabling environment through policy and institutional reform (Dongier, 2002).
“Community-driven development (CDD) programs operate on the principles of transparency,
participation, accountability, and enhanced local capacity.
“Community-Driven Development is a popular aid delivery strategy that emphasizes community control over planning decisions and investment resources. CDD operates on the principles of community and local government empowerment, decentralization, accountability (downward and learning by doing or enhanced local capacity (Davis 2004).
“Community Driven Development projects has onky been in existence since 1990 when ywo senior vice president of of the Bank first agreed to support ‘popular participation’ in development projects (Bhatnangar and Williams, 1992). World Bank support for community participation, which later paved the way for CDD first came about from a global survey published in Voices of the Poor. The study was conducted by interviewing over 60,000 people in 60 countries. The Voices of the Poor survey concludes that poor people want the following: (a) organizations of their own so they can negotiate with _govemment, traders, and NGOs; (b) direct assistance through community-driven programs so they can shape their own destinies; and (c) local ownership of funds, so they can end corruption. They want NGOs and govemments to be accountable to them and a development process driven by their own communities (Voices of the Poor 2000). These three suggestions, made on behalf of people in developing countries, characterize the very framework of CDD. While listening to the voices of underserved populations may not seem like a radical method to adopt in the fight against poverty, communicating and working directly with local communities is a relativer new strategy for the World Bank. Since taking the position of World Bank in l995, has advocated for more community involvement in development projects. The Bank has called for the use of community participation in project development as part of the World Bank’s CDD initiative. The BBC published an article which claims the CDD initiative is the “culmination of a major switch in [World Bank] strategy engineered by Mr. Wolfensohn” (BBC News Online 2000). In many respects, the CDD initiative is an admission of previous policy failures on the part of the World Bank. In particular, CDD is significant to the development of water supply systems in Centraal Asia because the use of community participation appears to be
the most effective where water supply system sustainability is concerned (Bhatnagar and Williams, 1992)
“For us here in Plateau state, CDD approach is not without challenges, however, we have opted to replicate the banks procedure and processes by replication. In addition and in line with component one outcome of CDD concept by LGAS where there is to be provision of support to communities and groups and incorporating developmental activities into their own plans, the Plateau state CSDA anchored and intensified its advocacy on this parameter. First for the funding of LGRCS as
stipulated in the project implementation manual and secondly to communities as the case may be”
He inumerated the strategy to be employed to includes the Domestication of the procedure of the SA And Training, funding arrangements and transparency.
He reveals that, in Plateau state, eleven local government within the approved poverty map have agreed to remit 5million monthly for the first six months to fund LGRC and replicate the CDD approach. Currently, the state SA has reviewed four CDPs formulated and are being funded by the Local
govemments. Worthy of note here is, all the eleven LGAs have functional LGRC offices.
Nasarawa Reporters 