PRSP critique
A participatory pathbreaker? Experience with poverty reduction strategy papers from four South African countries
How participatory have the PRSPs been?
Authors:
E. Braathen
Publisher:
Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research , 2006
Has the PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Process) paved the way for a new and more democratic participatory way of governance and policy-making, or was it just an ad hoc gimmick promoted by the donor community? Has it contributed to effective poverty reduction in the rural population? This report aism to answer these questions, based on information gathered from Rural Producer Organisations (RPOs)in Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda.
More specific questions addressed in the report are:
- to what extent were marginalised or disadvantaged groups (in RPOs) incorporated into the PRSP processes through the available arrangements of civil society participation? Did the process include any in-depth studies/group work? Which measures did the RPOs themselves take to deepen participation?
- what is the range of social and economic issues and services that the RPO representatives dealt with in the participatory process? Did they participate solely on agricultural issues, or were they also dealing with general policies (macroeconomics), crosscutting issues (e.g. HIV/AIDS and gender concerns) and/or other sector-specific policies (microeconomics)
- at what level in the hierarchy of decision-making was the RPO participation conducted? Was RPO participation limited to consultations or comments given on individual basis, or were the RPOs taking part in deliberation and as such having influence in the elaboration of proposals through work groups and committees?
- if little or no satisfactory participation was found, what were the reasons?
Some of the key findings were:
- in Malawi the PRSP process was experienced by the RPOs as the most participatory policy making process ever in the country; However, implementation was very weak, as was the monitoring system. Nevertheless, participation picked up in the review and revised PRS formulation process
- in Zambia the process was reasonably participatory and the implementation process was not too bad
- as in Malawi, the PRSP formulation process was experienced as the most participatory policy making process ever in the country. However, the ultimate review process was not very participatory and responsive to CSO and RPO critique
- by contrast there was little evidence of a participatory process in Tanzania
