Streamline Training & Documentation: Best Practice in Eradicating Rural Poverty

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Best Practice in Eradicating Rural Poverty

Tomorrow, I'll describe a particular example of the development model outlined below, but for today I just want to highlight the model's central principles. This improved paradigm for alleviating, even eradicating, rural poverty, is receiving increasing attention among economic development experts because of the good results it is generating when effectively implemented.

The particular version of the model I reference here comes from Pachamama Raymi, a Peruvian non-governmental organization (NGO) whose mission is "to contribute to eradicate rural poverty and reclaim the environment." "Pachamama raymi" means "fiesta of Mother Earth" in Quechua, the language of the Incas.

Pachamama Raymi identify seven shifts in the way development assistance is handled that underlie the methodology — also referred to as "Pachamama Raymi" — that they use:

Old: NGO undertakes project implementation
New: NGO provides program assistance

Old: NGO project staff have the leading role
New:Community people have the leading role

Old:Top-down approach to deciding on activities
New: NGO seeks to stimulate community people’s initiatives

Old: Top-down knowledge transfer
New: Peer learning (the focus of tomorrow's example)

Old: An external implementing agent
New: Implementing agents who are integrated with and strengthening local governments

Old: Projects invest in hardware
New: NGO helps build the capacity of local actors to undertake investment

Old: Amalgamation of fragmented approaches
New: Holistic management, involving the three major issues of sustainable development and poverty eradication: health, education, and economic development

In accordance with the set of "New" principles above, the Pachamama Raymi methodology:

identifies the best performing individuals, families and communities, in issues as diverse as natural resources or small business management. [A core element] of Pachamama Raymi is recognizing and giving credit to these outstanding persons and organizations, as well as public recognition of the value and importance of their (ancestral) knowledge and know-how. Another core element is diffusion of this knowledge and know-how among equals through exchange and other elements of Pachamama Raymi. An important tool for motivation is contests between families and between their territorial organizations, with significant prizes. Contests are also a way to identify best practices.

You can read about the history of the Pachamama Raymi methodology here.

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Labels: Knowledge management, Latin America, Productivity, Rewards and recognition, Strategy

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