Foundation Principles of PIA's Programs

People in Action has adopted a ground-up participatory approach to development as our foundation principle to our program development. We believe that for development to be truly successful we must solicit the buy-in of the community. 

 Question: Why the ground-up participatory approach?

    Answer: The ground-up participatory approach......

• Complements market and public sector activities

• Enhances sustainability and self-reliance

• Improves efficiency and effectiveness

• Allows poverty reduction efforts to be taken to scale

• Makes development more inclusive of the needs and interests of people living in poverty and vulnerable groups

• Facilitates integrated, holistic development

• Empowers people, including those living in poverty

• Builds social capital, especially at local community level

• Strengthens good democratic governance.

PIA has recognized the need for community education and awareness on good governance; i.e. Governance that....

• Involves inclusion & participation

• Involves rule of law - the law is above everyone and it applies to everyone. It involves human rights, transparency, accountability, absence of corruption, efficient and effective public management systems & processes, etc.

• Puts people at the center of governance not only achieving inclusiveness but truly enacting democracy Commonwealth Foundation's, Citizens' Education for Good Governance Action Learning (CEAL)

PIA sees this lack of understanding as a primary contributor to the failure of community's ability to carry their development on a continuing and independent basis.

We have adopted the education and awareness development program and material by the Commonwealth Foundation's, Citizens' Education for Good Governance Action Learning (CEAL) manual. We have experienced that although the community is aware of the language - i.e. rights and responsibilities as citizens, the roles of the various sectors, transparency & accountability,   consensus, etc. - they lack the basic understanding of the concepts and how the are implemented. 

Our agency has strategically set all its programs to include the good governance training as a capacity development component.  For the delivery of the good governance education program, PIA has partnered with Agency for Rural Transformation (ART), which is trained and funded to deliver this training.

It is our agency's hope that this program can strengthen capacity to engage in participatory democracy; i.e. community engagement that....... 

• Shares the decision making process

• Has complete confidence & trust in the people

• When a problem arises or decisions have to be made, all the relevant stakeholders are called together to discuss the issues and the majority view is taken as a final decision Commonwealth Foundation's, Citizens' Education for Good Governance Action Learning (CEAL)