A US$15 million National Community Development Project (NCDP) is being implemented in several poor communities islandwide as part of the Government's Poverty Alleviation Programme.
The project, which is financed by a loan from the World Bank, aims to provide basic services and temporary employment opportunities among the needy.
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will be the main implementing agency and will work in partnership with the Social Development Commission, Parish Councils and community-based organisations to develop the project.
Speaking at a workshop titled, 'Financing for community development' at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Monday, chairman of the JSIF Board and head of the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Dr. Wesley Hughes, said the project would incorporate the concept of community-driven development (CDD) in its approach. He said this approach "places the community at the centre of the development process".
Elaborating, the chairman said, "Providing the opportunity for communities to participate actively in development initiatives is essential to fostering a sense of ownership and has positive spin-offs in respect of maintenance and sustainability."
He pointed out that the CDD approach has informed the work of the JSIF since its inception; however, the strategy will be extended under the NCDP to include community-based contracting (CBC).
He explained that CBC was a mechanism within community-driven development, "which seeks to give the community control of decision-making and resources for its sub-projects".
