EXPANDING COMMUNITY APPROACHES IN SOUTHERN THAILAND | KM NOTE 6 Community Driven Development: Findings and Applied Learning Background The secessionist movement in Thailand’s southernmost community-level livelihood activities, victims’ compensation provinces is one of the oldest and deadliest sub-national payments, education assistance, and skills and capacity con icts in Southeast Asia. After more than a decade of development programs. These additional investments have dormancy, violence escalated in the early 2000s. The stressed the capacities of local level institutions. ethnic separatist insurgency has since claimed over 6,000 lives, injured almost 11,000 people, and continues to negatively In response to a request by the Government, the World impact the socio-economic and mental health of all Bank mobilized grant nancing through the State and residents in the area. Trust and con dence among people Peace-Building Fund to rst study and then pilot ways to and institutions at all levels of society have been eroded. deliver local assistance in Thailand’s southernmost provinces. The Piloting Community Approaches in Con ict An estimated 80 percent of southern Thailand’s1 population from 2009 to 2013, sought to develop culturally of two million is ethnic Malay and Muslim. The region, appropriate approaches to local development that created although not Thailand’s poorest, ranks below the national oppor tunities for increased interaction among average on several key development indicators, particularly con ict-affected communities and between communities education, and is poorer than the immediately neighboring, and the state apparatus through collective action to predominately Buddhist provinces of Thailand. This strengthen the foundation for peace. The project was long-standing con ict derives primarily from limited political deliberately designed as a learning activity to test and re ne effective local-level approaches that could potentially voice, perceived economic discrimination, and the struggle be mainstreamed in local government operations. of some Malay Muslims to maintain a distinct ethnic-religious identity and local autonomy. The Thai government has invested substantial resources, both civilian and military, in the con ict-affected southern provinces. Initial development investments consisted primarily of injecting capital through large infrastructure projects to improve logistics and integrate the region’s local economy into the nation. Since 2005, the Government has 1 The conflict-affected region comprises the three southernmost focused its efforts towards winning the “hearts and minds” provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat and four districts of of the local population through village development and neighboring Songkla province. 1 Expanding Community Approaches in Southern Thailand This note is one in a series of brief, operationally relevant in six participating sub-districts (tambons) and three pieces meant to inform a broad range of stakeholders – municipalities, three each in the provinces of Yala, Pattani including government, civil society and international and Narathiwat. Multiple rounds of block grants (either institutions – about the design, implementation and results two or three per village) ranging from 250,000 to 300,000 of the project as partnering organizations strive to adapt and baht (US$7,000-10,000) nanced 107 separate activities adopt the approaches piloted and inform the government's identi ed, proposed, and implemented by bene ciaries local development efforts. Based on evidence from project themselves. Recognizing the erosion and fragility of progress reports, supervision missions, the project’s relationships caused by protracted con ict, the approach database, and a qualitative evaluation conducted in to deliver this assistance was carefully designed in its March/April 2013, this note presents both an overview of initial phase to help build social cohesion through emerging ndings from the rst phase of the project’s increased interaction among groups within communities. Community Block Grant component and their in uence on the follow-on Expanding Community Approaches in Con ict The CACS CDD pilot aimed to deliver assistance to Situations (ECACS) project currently being implemented.2 con ict-affected villages. The amount of funding available and the need to introduce and test new procedures before CACS Project – Community Block Grants considering more large-scale adoption necessitated selecting particular areas to participate. Sub-districts and Informed by analytical work on con ict dynamics in initial communities were identi ed during the research southern Thailand, the Community Approaches in Con ict phase based on the following criteria: dynamics of violent Situation project was an innovative attempt to employ incidents, urban/rural characteristics, population lessons learned from successful community-development demographics (ethnicity/religion), level of violence, programs in con ict-affected contexts. To achieve its goal feasibility of conducting applied research, and the of increasing interactions among local-level actors, the distribution of resources. Spread across the three project nanced grants through two facilities or ‘windows’. provinces, the communities represented a mix of rural and Block grants were made to villages for local development urban areas, and comprised various proportions of ethnic activities identi ed through a participatory, community- Malay and Thai people in both rural and urban settings driven development process. This area-based approach where other agencies were unwilling or unable to work was complemented by issue-focused Peace-building effectively. The wealth of data gathered during the research Partnership (PPF) grants to civil society organizations and phase, the strength of relationships built, and valuable their networks for innovative approaches and partnerships inputs provide by the communities argued for returning to that promoted trust, peace and development.The Community the same communities to conduct pilot activities. Block Grant component, implemented by the Local Development Institute (LDI) with support from the World 2 Bank, delivered over US$2 million to 27 villages The findings of the project’s Peace-building Partnership Fund (PPF) component are covered in a separate, complementary knowledge management note. 2 Knowledge Management Note Figure 1: Subproject Cycle Information and Institutional Social Completion Preparation and and Handover Subproject Proposal Implementation Preparation Proposal Consideration and Approval Villagers used a six-step participatory process to determine A Village Implementing Committee (VIC), comprising 10-15 how grants were implemented (see Figure 1) members selected from the community, developed proposals that were endorsed at village meetings. A Project facilitators employed by LDI met with local of cials committee of local technical exper ts and the LDI and villagers to introduce and explain project objectives management team reviewed proposals. Once approved, and operations. Community volunteers were recruited to the VIC managed implementation of all activities and conduct participatory surveys of village assets which were retains responsibility after completion. then used by community members to identify key issues, priority needs, and reach consensus on which activities to Findings and their Application develop into subproject proposals. The CACS project’s Community Block Grant component sought to contribute to outcomes in three main areas: delivery of local assistance, improved relations within communities, and enhanced society-state relations (see Figure 2). Figure 2: CACS Outcome Areas Delivering Improving Social Assistance Relations Alignment with Enchancing Participation and community priorities Society-State Capacity Accountability Relations Interaction Uses of funds Trust 3 Expanding Community Approaches in Southern Thailand Summary of results. Overall, project performance at the Although it disbursed grants only at the community level, village level was largely positive. The project delivered the CACS CDD pilot began to lay the groundwork for assistance to some of the most con ict-affected areas of improved relations across neighboring villages and the region – communities underserved by other agencies between villages and their local governments through – which bene ted signi cant numbers of people, including extensive information dissemination and inclusive and those traditionally excluded namely women, youth and collaborative knowledge-sharing events. others not in the inner circles of local leaders. Activities nanced were particularly effective at meeting village-level I. Delivering Assistance priorities. The use of participatory meetings to select subprojects and strict procurement provisions established Alignment with community priorities. Key among the a standard of accountability in implementing project principles upon which CDD programs operate is demand- activities. Funds were used for a range of investments. responsiveness. Experience has shown that with clear Sustainability of outcomes received more attention than explanations of process, access to information and in other local development programs. appropriate support, community members can effectively organize to identify and address community priorities. The In line with the goal of creating opportunities for increased CACS CDD pilot introduced a participatory village analysis interaction, project processes opened up space for process to develop an overall village development plan that community members to participate. Women in particular identi ed needs. Following the community volunteer-led needs played an active role in all aspects of identi cation, analysis exercise, proposed activities were discussed and prioritization and implementation. Different types of prioritized at community meetings and, after the review and subprojects engaged and bene ted parts of or the entire input of local technical specialists, assessed and community. The most positive effects on social relations approved. appear to have been realized where communities were challenged to address increasingly complex local Findings. Project processes resulted in the identi cation development issues within their villages through the and selection of subprojects that addressed community implementation of successive grants. needs. The vast majority of investments corresponded to priority needs as outlined in par ticipator y village development plans. 4 Knowledge Management Note The processes used to select priority investments in the CACS CDD project marked a signi cant departure from those employed in other government projects. Trained facilitators play an important role in ensuring the integrity of the selection process, and their responsibilities should be clearly ar ticulated and communicated to community members. Applied learning. Recognizing the critical role of village facilitators, particularly in con ict contexts, the new project includes additional training as well as the development of con ict-sensitive facilitation training manuals. Furthermore, to help build capacity for mainstreaming participatory processes in other areas, young eld staff from the Ministry of Labor and the Southern Border Province Administrative Center (SBPAC) will shadow facilitators as par t of their ‘learning by doing’ training. Accountability. As suggested above, local governance and the perceived lack of accountability of government programs are impor tant grievances that fuel the con ict. Local development initiatives are closely linked to perceptions of governance. Several key factors supported accountability in the CACS CDD pilot. The structured, participatory subproject selection process, the de ned procurement procedures, active facilitation and LDI Balancing the roles of emerging and traditional local oversight, and the relatively modest size of block grants leaders remains challenging. enhanced transparency and limited the potential for the diversion of funds. Applied learning. Recognizing that a lack of awareness and understanding underlies concerns and possible Findings. These measures contributed to confidence in suspicion, the new ECACS project emphasizes expanded the project operations, but room for improvement remains. access to information through continued emphasis on communication at all levels and additional socialization Given communities’ experiences with other projects that activities, and requires that community displays of prioritize disbursement over quality, communities have project-related information be made permanent. limited expectations for accountability of government funds. Uses of funds. Underlying the CDD approach is the degree of choice granted to project bene ciaries. CACS Over 80 percent of participants surveyed reported being procedures allowed for signi cant exibility in the types of highly satis ed or satis ed with access to information and activities eligible for funding. The pilot offered an open the transparency of the work of Village Implementing menu that allowed communities to choose to invest in Committees. private and/or public goods. Wide access to relevant project information, beyond VIC Findings. The pilot phase financed a total of 107 and implementation team members, remains a key factor activities in 27 participating communities benefiting in transparency and accountability as well as an important 16,667 people – 61% of the total population in the difference from other local development projects. target areas. Complaints handling mechanisms have not been adequate More communities chose livelihood activities over public to contribute substantially to subproject accountability. goods (e.g., basic infrastructure) re ecting their preference for meeting immediate needs. 5 Expanding Community Approaches in Southern Thailand 51% of the total number of subprojects, accounting for 37% of block grant investments, was allocated to livelihood activities bene ting women and youth and agricultural inputs. The economic livelihoods subprojects provided small but II. Improving social relations within villages important contributions to incomes (including through Participation and capacity. off-season activities). Participatory governance and enhancing local capacity Community shops and savings groups commanded an underlie the project’s approach. Participation in project additional 19% of the budget. meetings and processes was a key tool for improving relations among members of par ticipating villages. 22% of block grant investments nanced infrastructure Decisions about who would be involved in project activities subprojects. were made by villagers themselves. The inclusiveness of the decision-making processes was crucial to success, but The sustainability of livelihoods activities requires careful the devolution of such decisions risked the voices of those monitoring and technical support from LDI and local disadvantaged would be ignored. Active facilitation was technical specialists. For the on-going maintenance and required to ensure wide participation and representation operation of basic infrastructure, linkages with the local to prevent speci c interests from exerting undue in uence. authority are critical. Training, site visits and other knowledge-sharing and learning events were provided to enhance the capacities The highest levels of satisfaction were recorded in of par ticipants to responsibly carr y out their roles. communities where funds were used for common goods and infrastructure bene ting the entire community. Findings. The CACS CDD project engaged significant numbers of people in its participatory processes, Applied learning. The new project retains the use of the particularly women, and enhanced their capacities to open menu approach, and includes a critical review of engage in the development of their communities. livelihood subprojects to assess their viability, sustainability, and contribution to project objectives with a The project mobilized a total of 2,262 community view to possibly expanding support. volunteers and VIC and subcommittee members. The numbers of CACS project participants appear to exceed those involved in other local development activities. Women played active roles in all aspects of subproject selection and implementation. The involvement of men at the community level in general is constrained by their need to avoid the intense scrutiny of authorities. This reduces their roles in income earning, public participation and community social interaction. As a result, women risk bearing a disproportionate burden in terms of wor king , suppor ting their families, and participating in community activities. Implementing the par ticipator y approach was more challenging in urban areas where residents had less free time and experience with collective action. As in CDD programs elsewhere, the extent and quality of participation, particularly by typically disenfranchised groups, depended on the quality of facilitation. 6 Knowledge Management Note The in uence of local politicians and con ict in select Different subproject types engaged and bene ted different communities negatively affected par ticipation. parts of the community. The project provided training and other lear ning The nancing of facilities’ construction bene ted all oppor tunities to almost 5,000 community leaders. community members, and thus attracted broad community participation. These communities reported the highest Involvement in project processes (e.g., community data levels of bene ciary satisfaction. collection and analysis, proposal preparation, procurement and project management) as well as training, site visits Economic livelihoods activities involved and bene ted and study tours improved the capacities of community smaller numbers of people. members to plan and implement local development activities effectively. Encouragement to expand the distribution of livelihoods bene ts to larger numbers of people in order to further Almost all (98%) VIC members surveyed reported gains in community acceptance must be weighed against the risks capacity, particularly in working as a group and ability to to the sustainability of such groups. analyze and use data for planning and decision-making. Proposal writing remains a challenge given generally low Subprojects that nanced community shops and savings education levels. groups potentially bene ted all members of a community, but had to rst prove their effectiveness. Applied learning. In addition to continued investments to enhance the capabilities of facilitators and community Community contribution totaled 26% of total cost – members, the ECACS project provides for special capacity signi cantly exceeding the 10% requirement – a positive building for poor and vulnerable groups to ensure they sign of community ownership. effectively participate in the planning, prioritization and implementation processes. 86% of respondents reported that the project created social interactions among local residents within their Strengthened interaction. Through participatory project community. processes, the pilot project focused rst on strengthening the interactions between groups within Applied learning. The ECACS project will expand the communities. In line with project objectives of coverage of village development grants from 27 to all 43 increasing social capital, subproject eligibility criteria villages in the six participating sub-districts as well as emphasized socially-inclusive preparation and the equitable provide additional grants directly to the sub-districts. This distribution of bene ts. will help deepen the relationships with the original communities and sub-districts and consolidate gains. Findings. The project’s results on enhancing social cohesion are mixed. Trust. CDD is predicated on the assumption that bringing people to work together for a common purpose not only increases their capacity for collective action, but also builds trust and con dence which help form the foundation for peace. 7 Expanding Community Approaches in Southern Thailand Findings. Project par ticipants repor ted high but not III. Improved State-Society Relations necessarily increasing levels of trust. As originally designed, the CACS project envisioned increas- 89% of respondents said they could trust their fellow ing interactions not only within communities, but also community members; but only 54% reported increased among communities and between communities and the levels of trust after project implementation. Participation state apparatus. The contribution of the block grant in successive rounds of grant-making indicates that villag- component to this objective was to be through the funding ers progressively gained con dence in working together as of sub-district level grants and related inputs. As a result they tackled more complicated local development activities. of the mid-term evaluation, however, disbursements were Overcoming entrenched divisions within villages requires restricted to village-levels grants only, thereby limiting the additional effor ts over an extended period of time. achievement of this objective. However, recognition of the need over time to move beyond ‘horizontal’ social cohesion Applied learning. The ECACS project is focused more issues at the community level to include ‘ver tical’ actively on con dence-building. Establishing and integration with local government yielded promising results. strengthening partnerships with local government agencies and of cials and select UN agencies, as described below, Findings. Despite reduced attention, over the course of is critical to the achievement of this objective. The new the project engagement with government strengthened project’s results indicators include the increase in levels and the pilot began to lay a foundation for improved of trust, satisfaction and con dence within communities relations among villages and between villages and local (and between community members and the state) government structures. necessitating continued attention and measurement. 8 Knowledge Management Note Although modest, some local government authorities Applied learning. The ECACS project commits itself to contributed resources (e.g., budgetary support, personnel contribute to con dence-building between communities input, land or spaces) to subproject activities in select and sub-district authorities in the six par ticipating areas. sub-districts. The current project reintroduces the nancing of sub-district level block grants – three rounds for each Examples of government replicating the participatory of the six participating sub-districts averaging $20,000 to approach in other development programs are emerging. implement cross-village activities that also foster local Local government agencies have committed to adopting authorities’ engagement with communities. It seeks to elements of the CDD approaches in their respective enhance the capacity of local authorities to undertake programs. participatory local development activities by establishing partnerships, codi ed in memoranda of understanding, Awareness and understanding by sub-district of cials of with key central, regional and local government agencies, the participatory development approach – an indicator of including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labor, Ministry the potential for their adoption – was reported to be high of Interior (its departments of Local Administration and by the majority of those surveyed. Budget and time Community Development), the Human Rights Commission, constraints hinder the involvement of local government SBPAC, the National Economic and Social Development agencies. Board, the Prince of Songkhla University and LDI. Partnering organizations will participate in training, shadowing There remains resistance from some government of cials opportunities, site visits and other learning exchanges. and traditional local leaders to the idea that villagers can Governors in each of the three southern provinces agreed themselves initiate and manage local activities. Awareness to chair local Technical Working Committees. Potential only will be insuf cient to adjust these entrenched collaboration with UN agencies, initially with UNICEF, to attitudes. provide capacity-building to local communities and agencies in agreed areas such as early child development and gender equality is being explored. 9 Expanding Community Approaches in Southern Thailand Conclusion The Community Block Grant component of the CACS pilot project demonstrated the value of inclusive community development approaches that present a viable alternative model of community development distinguishable from other local-level government programming. The project proved that it is possible to engage communities in identifying their priorities and working together to address those needs in the most con ict-affected areas in southern Thailand. The follow-on Expanding Community Approaches in Con ict Situations currently being implemented extends community block grants across all villages in participating sub-districts and nances sub-district level grants while re ning processes and providing adequate support. In the context of a middle-income countr y with signi cant resources, the project aims to inform government’s approach to local investments with a view to improving their effectiveness and legitimacy in the eyes of the people This note was prepared by Sarah Adam as the country transitions towards peace. Knowledge Management Notes are produced under the State and Peace-building Fund (SPF) and Korean Trust Fund (KTF) For more information on the project, contact: Pamornrat Tansanguanwong ptansanguanwong@worldbank.org Poonyanuch Chockanapitaksa pchockanapitaksa@worldbank.org Tel: +662 686-8300 10 Knowledge Management Note Sources/Further Information: Local Development Institute, CACS Operations Manual. Local Development Institute, Final Report – CACS – June 2013, Bangkok: LDI. World Bank, 2011. Mid-Term Review Mission: Piloting Community Approaches in Con ict Situation in three southern provinces of Thailand, Bangkok: World Bank. World Bank, 2014. Designing CDD Operations in Fragile and Con ict-Affected Situations. World Bank, draft October, 2014. Men and Male Youth in Con ict-affected Areas in Southern Thailand. Zurstrassen, Matthew, Project Evaluation Report CACS – Community Driven Development Component draft 17 June 2013. Knowledge Management Note Series No. Title 1. The In uence of Con ict Research on the Design of the Piloting Community Approaches in Con ict Situation Project 2. Gender and Development in Thailand’s Con ict Areas 3. Youth-focused Community Driven Development: Results and Lessons Learned 4. Creating “Space” for Interaction: Description of CACS Project Operations 5. CACS Project: Monitoring and Evaluation 6. Community Driven Development: Findings and Applied Learning 7. Peace-building Partnership Fund: Findings and Applied Learning 8. Practical Lessons for Improving Livelihoods Opportunities in Con ict Contexts 9. Facilitating Community Driven Development in Con ict-Affected Deep South 10. Access to Finance: The Case of Muslim Minority in Southern Thailand 11. Deep South Incident Database: Context, Development, Applications and Impact 11 World Bank Thailand 30th Floor, Siam Piwat Tower, 989 Rama 1 Road Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 Tel: +66 2686 8300 Email: thailand@worldbank.org http://www.worldbank.org/thailand Supported by