Working with People for Sustainable Development: Best Practices of Non-Governmental Organisation in Andhra Pradesh

Rural Development involves devolution of authority and resources to the grassroots organisations, like Local Self Government, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and NGOs. In India, NGOs have emerged as the channel for social mobilisation and play a significant role in development initiatives as they are operating closely with the local rural community. The CBOs have emerged as channel for community involvement in management of local resources and services. These organisations have emerged as significant stakeholders in the development sector that has provided major source of social capital and channel to mobilise the people for the development activities. Involvement of people through community based initiatives reveals that how best the grassroots organisations are able to work with people.

Democratic decentralisation through Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) facilitates emergence of local leadership and elected people's representations, along with devolution of development administration at village level. A Constitutional Amendment in 1992 has strengthened the PRIs that are responsible for preparing plans and management of rural development within in their boundaries. The PRIs are mandated constitutionally to work as local self-government at the district level and below. They are crucial Grassroots level organisations for social mobilisation and facilitating people's participation in the process of rural development. As the decentralisation policies are being considered as instruments for promotion of participatory development at Grassroots level, it is necessary to strengthen their organisations to effectively play their role in the development. All these organisations are aiming at participatory development within their sphere of influence.

Rural development had been adversely affected by top-down approach and has become “supply-driven” in many countries. On the contrary, recent developments in decentralisation advocate a “Demand-Driven” strategy and have the merit of considering the specific demands, priorities and potential of PEOPLE in each local community. The local government institutions and local community organisations could establish a collaborative partnership in undertaking the responsibility for developing a local vision, strategy and planning; allocating resources; and implementing and monitoring/evaluating of development activities that would cater to the local needs of the people. They would also jointly become the driving force towards development, with shared responsibility to develop a “sense of shared ownership among the people” and become “managers” of their own development initiatives.

Partnership among Grassroots organisations for rural development is significant in the context of working with people for their sustainable development. The collaborative efforts are made by various organisations to address the felt-needs and priorities of the people in the rural community provides chance to work with people. A study in Andhra Pradesh has attempted to collect information on partnership scenario in which the GP, NGO and CBOs are working together and mostly these model is replicable elsewhere; information on such best practices are discussed in this paper.

The cases discussed show that there are instances for grassroots partnership among the Gram Panchayat, CBOs and NGOs in all parts of the state. It is notable that in most of the cases, the partnership has emerged to solve one of the major issues/felt needs of the people in the village community. It is also observed that the NGOs have taken initiatives to bring together all people with the support of the GPs. There are no cases where the GP have taken a proactive role to bring together all concerned. Similarly, the members of the CBOs have been motivated to work towards solving some major issues of the people in the village by the NGOs. Highlights of the best practices noticed are:

All issues in the village are brought to the notice of GP by the concerned people.

Joint meetings among all people's organisations, such as CBOs, GP and NGO

Institutional framework has been established in many cases to deal with specific issues that include Committees or Users Groups

All these committees or groups are working under the GP; otherwise in coordination with the GP

The NGOs are providing all technical and professional support, starting from the stage of community mobilisation, planning to till the end up to the follow-up actions.

Contribution of resources by people and all partners according their ability

Mobilisation of people and local resources made possible only through joint action among the GP, NGO and CBOs.

Resources like land and building was provided by the GPs to take up activities or programmes.

Relationship of among the people and of them with organisations and institutions (other than NGO) outside their village has also helped them to solve their problems.

It can be inferred that successful completion and sustainably managing some of the programmes under partnership arrangement is due to the understanding between NGO and GP; on other hand, the interest of entire people in the village community is at stake. It is pertinent to note that the GPs, NGOs and CBOs have demonstrated that they could not only come in contact with people, but also became capable to sustain their efforts with local people.