CASE STUDIES OF PARTNERSHIP EFFORTS

TO ADDRESS POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENT

PROBLEMS IN AFRICA

REGIONAL POLICY CONFERENCE

POLICY DISCUSSION PAPER FOR THE CONFERENCE

S. Bruce Schearer & John Tomlinson

May, 1995
Partnership Efforts to Address Poverty and Development Problems in Africa
Policy Discussion Paper 1

I.INTRODUCTION

This paper seeks to identify key issues for policymakers who are facing the challenges of
development in Africa today and searching for new approaches that bring diverse sectors of
society together to work in development partnerships. The authors hope that discussion of
these issues will result in strengthened government and aid agency policies in support of
partnership approaches and in strengthened capacities of communities and civil society
organizations to work effectively with governments and donor agencies.

Six major issues are identified. These issues are drawn from case studies of specific
experiences with multi-sector development efforts involving communities, the voluntary
sector (local, national and international civil society organizations), the public sector
(governments and international governmental agencies), and, in some cases, the for-profit,
private sector in six countries in Africa: Kenya, Lesotho, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.

II.CONTEXT

Poverty and Social Problems on the Increase in Africa

In Africa today, a range of indicators -- from lack of access to safe drinking water (only 41%
of the population of sub-Saharan Africa in 1988-1990) to large external debt burdens (107%
of GNP of the region in 1990), from high infant mortality (103 per 1000 live births in 1991) to
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low literacy rates (47% in 1990) -- point to a tremendous crisis. In many parts of the
continent, these problems are actually increasing.

Efficacy of Conventional Approaches to Development Questioned

The persistence of these problems points to the inadequacy of both conventional

approaches to development and the notion that global commerce and trade-led economic
growth can raise income levels sufficiently to substantially reduce poverty. In Africa
especially, efforts to overcome the legacy of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism have
failed to meet the goals that have been repeatedly set, adjusted, and set again.

National Budgets and Foreign Aid Insufficient to Meet Needs

In virtually all African countries, national allocations of resources fall short of what is needed
to provide social services and to solve domestic social problems. While foreign aid from
Northern nations and multilateral development agencies remains a critical source of
financing for development activities in African nations, the amounts are far too small to
meet the needs today and in all likelihood will play a shrinking role in the decades ahead.

Civil Society Emerging in Response to Needs

Over the past two decades, new elements of civil society have emerged with great rapidity

1
United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 1993.
Partnership Efforts to Address Poverty and Development Problems in Africa
Policy Discussion Paper 2

and energy in Africa in response to the region's problems. These elements include
hundreds of thousands of informally organized local citizen’s groups -- such as the over
30,000 self-help groups in Kenya and the more than 6,000 village-level women's groups in
Zimbabwe -- and thousands of formally chartered voluntary groups (so-called non-
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governmental organizations or NGOs) addressing diverse development issues. Civil
society also includes a broad range of other institutions such as cooperatives, credit unions,
professional associations, and membership groups serving many social, economic and
advocacy functions.

III.NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOVERNMENTS AND DONOR AGENCIES TO

COLLABORATE WITH THE CIVIL SOCIETY SECTOR IN AFRICA TO ADDRESS
POVERTY AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS

Civil Society is a Productive Sector

Civil society institutions, many building upon self-help and associational traditions (such as
nafeer in the Sudan, zenzele in Zimbabwe, matsema in Lesotho and harambee in Kenya),
are a tremendous source of energy and resources for development. Civil society is not a
consumptive sector dependent on economic surplus from other sectors. It is a productive
sector that not only profoundly improves the quality of life, but also adds to the economic
growth and wealth of countries.

Government/Civil Society/Business Sector Partnerships

The case studies show that cross sector partnerships that bring together government, civil
society, and the private business sector can leverage the tremendous productive capacities
of civil society for national development purposes. These capacities include not only the
ability to generate material and financial resources, but also creative energy and new
problem-solving perspectives.

Challenge for Governments and Aid Agencies

The challenge for government officials and policymakers is how to participate in and
support effective cross sector partnerships. The studies show that creating such cross
sector partnerships is not easy for any of the involved parties. Differences of power,
culture, work style, constituencies, capacity and mission all pose obstacles to cross sector
collaboration. Six policy issues are raised by the case studies for governments and aid
agencies in assessing when and how to participate in cross sector partnerships.

2
CIVICUS, Citizens Strengthening Global Civil Society, 1995 and West Africa Rural
Foundation, Support and Capacity Building of Local Organizations: Problems and New
Ideas, 1994.
Partnership Efforts to Address Poverty and Development Problems in Africa
Policy Discussion Paper 3

IV.SIX POLICY ISSUES RELATED TO CROSS SECTOR COLLABORATION

1.What are the fundamental reasons for governments and aid agencies to work in
cross sector partnerships with civil society?

What are the underlying potential benefits and costs associated with joint government/civil
society/business sector undertakings for development?

In what circumstances should government commit to working through such partnerships?

2.How can governments and aid agencies effectively shift from top-down systems to
genuine partnership approaches?

What policies should be adopted to ensure that all relevant government departments
endorse and comply with overall government decisions regarding participation in cross
sector partnerships?

What kinds of management changes and operational mechanisms can be put in place to
enable government departments to be more effective in working with civil society
institutions?

3.How can governments and aid agencies identify trustworthy and effective civil
society organizations with which to work?

How can issues of civil society organization legitimacy and accountability be addressed
without undermining the independence of the civil society sector?

What processes should governments and aid agencies follow in order to identify
appropriate civil society organizations with which to work?

4.How can governments and aid agencies relate effectively to the micro-capacities
and micro-culture of civil society organizations and communities?

What should government policy be regarding the diversity and small scale of civil society
organizations and community groups?

How can projects and programs be developed involving large numbers of civil society
groups so as to add up to a comprehensive whole?

What framework of partnership policies and processes can be put in place by government
to enable it to be an effective working partner of civil society organizations and
communities?
Partnership Efforts to Address Poverty and Development Problems in Africa
Policy Discussion Paper 4

5.What resources can be used to finance development partnerships?

What resources should be used to support cross sector partnerships: public revenues
supplied by government, private revenues supplied by civil society organizations and
for-profit companies, foreign aid funds supplied by external development agencies?

In what proportions? Should they be pooled?

What policies should donor agencies adopt to participate in cross sector partnerships
without dominating them?

How can they avoid undermining the sustainability of development partnerships by making
them dependent on government funding or foreign aid?

6.What are the priority areas for such collaborative cross sector partnership efforts
in Africa today?

Which areas offer the greatest promise for partnership approaches: agriculture, food and
nutrition, health, education, shelter, community economic development, access to
micro-credit, environment, broader issues of building civil society and community
capacity, or others?

What policies and mechanisms should be adopted to give communities and civil society
organizations a strong voice in setting these priorities?

V.BACKGROUND AND KEY FINDINGS OF THE CASE STUDY PROJECT

Background, Aims and Protocol

The case studies are the result of two years of participatory research planned, coordinated,
and conducted by the African Association for Literacy and Adult Education (AALAE), based
in Nairobi, Kenya and conducted with additional support from the United Nations
Development Programme, The Synergos Institute and the International Institute for
Sustainable Development. They are part of a global series of case studies examining
collaborative approaches to development in four regions: Asia, Africa, Latin America, and
North America. The global consortium that designed the protocol for the research and
oversees the project as a whole comprises six organizations: AALAE; Grupo Esquel,
Buenos Aires, Argentina; The Highlander Research and Education Center, New Market,
Tennessee, USA; The Institute for Development Research (IDR), Boston, Massachusetts,
USA; The Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), New Delhi, India; and
Synergos, New York, New York, USA. Studies of seven similar successful, collaborative
development efforts in Asia in six countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Pakistan and the Philippines) have been completed; papers on findings of these studies are
available.
Partnership Efforts to Address Poverty and Development Problems in Africa
Policy Discussion Paper 5

THE SIX CASES IN AFRICA*

Kenya: Promoting Environmental Protection through Energy Conservation -- A

community-based women's organization worked with national NGOs, the national
government, an official aid agency and an international NGO to successfully introduce and
distribute low-cost, energy-efficient fuel stoves and generate income for its members.

Lesotho: Improving the Material Conditions of Rural Communities through Credit

Unions -- With the involvement of government ministries, the National University of
Lesotho, official donor agencies and international NGOs, locally controlled credit unions
and a national league of credit unions were established. Loans, typically for investment
purposes, reached 200,000 people and additional benefits, in the form of leadership and
literacy training, reached tens of thousands of people.

Sudan: IARA-HIKMA Popular Health Programme for the Urban Poor in Greater
Khartoum -- Working with community-based mosque organizations and local NGOs, the
Ministry of Health, international donors and company health programs, an NGO
established over 40 health clinics to fill a critical gap in health services for the urban poor.

Uganda: The Revival of Fishing Villages in Nebbi District -- An international NGO

worked with government ministries, and local NGOs and community organizations to
provide a range of services and resources for fish farming and smoking, beekeeping,
agriculture, health and credit programs to a community of fishing villages. 10,000
fishermen and more than 300 local organizations benefited from the program.

Zambia: Promoting Integrated Rural Development -- The national government and an

official aid agency worked with local government, parastatal institutions and local NGOs
and community organizations to promote food security and market access for thousands
of farmers in one of the most underdeveloped areas of the country.

Zimbabwe: Providing Expanded Facilities for Water and Sanitation in Gwanda

District -- National and local government agencies worked with a broad-based NGO and
its local community associations, international NGOs and an official donor agency to
expand and improve water and sanitation facilities in an area chronically plagued by water
shortages. 50 new wells and 300 dams were constructed; 7,000 latrines benefitting
30,000 people were built.

The research in the African studies focused on the pragmatic aspects of partnership as a
development policy, including the conditions that can best sustain it. The research
was based on the concept that partnership refers to something more than a form of
cooperation or coordination in the pursuit of development objectives. Partnership, in this
formulation, is predicated on the presence of 'constructive intent' among the

* See Toward a New Development Paradigm: Preliminary Report of Findings of Case Study
Research of Partnerships in Africa for executive summaries of the case studies.
Partnership Efforts to Address Poverty and Development Problems in Africa
Policy Discussion Paper 6

involved parties to plan and act together in order to achieve a common goal, defined by the
context of a shared agenda, and based largely on a mutual commitment to empowerment.

These cases were chosen following consultation with experts in the region. To be selected,
each case needed to have achieved success in addressing poverty problems. The case
also had to demonstrate, or at least have the potential to demonstrate, impact on a wide
scale or for widespread replication. And finally, the case needed to
offer an example of multi-sector cooperation that would provide a provocative and
compelling example of collaboration to national and international policy makers,
intermediary and support institutions, and grassroots organizations.

Key Findings of the Case Studies

As in the Asia series of studies, the cases from Africa show that:

ƒlarge-scale development problems can be addressed through partnerships;

ƒpartnerships have the potential to tackle complex problems in new ways, marshaling
substantial resources in the form of creative energy, community support, and a
multiplicity of problem-solving perspectives;

ƒnational and international economic and political environments have strong impacts on
development partnerships;

ƒdevelopment partnerships can assume a wide variety of structures; what is common to all
forms is the effective involvement of civil society organizations as major actors;

ƒgovernments and official aid agencies can play an important role in enabling, initiating and
supporting such partnership initiatives;

ƒgovernments and official aid agencies must be careful to avoid undermining community
initiative and the sustainability of community and civil society actors while ostensibly
supporting such partnerships; and

ƒcompared to conventional projects, partnerships often entail significantly longer times

frames and greater commitment and effort by the parties involved.

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For more information, please contact:
The African Association for Literacy The Synergos Institute
and Adult Education 100 East 85th Street
Finance House, 6th Floor, Loita Street New York, NY 10028 USA
P.O. Box 50768 tel (1 212) 517-4900
Nairobi, Kenya fax (1 212) 517-4815
tel (254 2) 222-391/224-770 email synergos@igc.apc.org
fax (254 2) 340-849