Context
PPCP brings all major stakeholders together to address socio-economic problems of the community. The facilitator ( like NGOs, PRIs, state institutions and Corporates etc.) makes it possible for public sector, private organizations and community institutions (informal included) to collaborate for achieving specific goals. The role of the facilitator may be modest, but it unleashes considerable energy and commitment among the actors. PPCP aims to use existing resources to address social and economical problems being faced by the disadvantageous sections of the society like tribals and dalits largely dependent upon their own resources having no access to finance and market. To ensure livelihoods to them would require huge investment so that they may become proactive participants in the market system. Currently, the central and state governments, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and community-based organizations (CBOs) are exploring innovative approaches to provide basic services to poor households that aim at higher coverage and better quality of services in a number of developing countries. However, little attention has been given to the issues like: (i) how large-scale private investments can be mobilised, which adequately cater to the needs of the poor and (ii) how the markets can be made favourable to small poor producers and they can have access to information about market opportunities and support to upgrade their technologies to access local, regional or international markets on favourable terms and iii) convergence of PPCP approach in planning process.
The most important initiative in this area was taken by the Planning Commission,GoI and UNDP under the project titled " Rural Decentralisation and Participatory Planning for Poverty Reduction" .Under this project a model of Public - Private- Community- Partnership was initiated in the four districts i.e. Mandla ( Madhya Pradesh ), Rajnandgaon ( Chhattisgarh), Ganjam ( Orissa) and Dungarpur ( Rajasthan). The major objectives of the project were :
· Creating an enabling environment at state and district level for promoting partnership between the private sector and the Panchayts
· Preparing a Public Private Community Partnership plan at district level for sustainable development
· Capacity building of Gram Sabhas and Panchayats for effective participation in local development
· Create institutional mechanisms for promoting such partnerships
The objective of this two days workshop is to facilitate evolving a strategy and framework for developing a market system that reduces poverty and entails stimulating processes that generate momentum through PPCP approach and continuously expanding, evolving and bringing more poor people into market relationships that offer better and more secure returns through improvements in the livelihoods (secure income/reduced vulnerability) of poor rural producers working in market-based production systems. It would also provide inputs to policy planners, developmental institutions and donor agencies.
Approach
The underlying approach of the proposed workshop is that PPCP focused initiatives and service delivery will go a long way in responding to the multidimensional crisis faced by project in creating substantial livelihoods options through enterprise promotion. It would aim, therefore, to strengthen participants’ capabilities in planning and implementing these initiatives that contribute directly to poverty reduction through the creation of sustainable livelihoods and improved services.
Participants will share practical ideas and tested tools to analyse problems, find possible solutions and craft targeted strategies. They will learn about best practices in the area of livelihood promotion and service delivery for poor people and role of the market.
The contents of the workshop would be practice-oriented based on the premise that participants already subscribe to the above-mentioned approach. Presentations will focus on proven practices and what successful implementation and mainstreaming require at institutional level in terms of community involvement and small enterprise support.
The workshop is intended to complement and reinforce relevant, existing and future strategy aiming at making market work for the poor through PPCP approach and will enrich the participants’ knowledge of how to adapt and utilize proven practices.
It will also provide an opportunity for practitioners to share experiences of the project initiated by the Planning Commission and UNDP in four districts of the country,
Design
Guided by these principles, the workshop will start with an overview of the evolution and conceptual moorings related to public-private community partnerships. It will also include a discussion of how such partnerships may operate within a framework of MPRLP and other similar projects. This will be followed by opening a space for participants to share their experiences, emerging challenges and opportunities for such partnerships.
A panel of experts drawn from private sector, government departments, international organizations, research institutions and community leaders will then reflect on their experiences using specific case studies from different parts of the country. This will be followed by concrete cases for building public-private partnerships. These sessions will be intended to establish a theoretical and practical knowledge base derived from the contributions of the presenters and the participants.
Finally the workshop will conclude with a wrap up of the ideas, concepts and suggestions that will be generated by participants and presenters and a broader framework for its implementation
The focus will be upon common problem solving in order to ensure that the workshop produces concrete recommendations jointly owned by a wide spectrum of stakeholders. This format will also encourage community building amongst those stakeholders who will work together to foster a comprehensive understanding for the need of commercial and governmental actions.
Structure
Day 1 (
Inaugural session
Presentations on following topics
- Areas for partnerships and assessment of needs of community and scope for participation
- Form and activities of partnerships: Potential structural and legal models for partnerships: organisation, funding, logistics, legal liability & commercial confidentiality and workable models
- Process and mechanisms for sharing information on risks an rewards for the community and arrngements for safeguarding their interest
- The role of government in the areas like i) convergence of public and private resources in district planning, supportive policy/institutional framework for PPCP etc.
- Role of the private sector
- Role of community and PRI
- Experiences and lessons learned
Day 2 (
Participants would be divided into two groups and parallel discussions and presentations would focus on
- Role of PRIs in assessment of needs of community, planning and mobilising private sector investment
- Effective ties between the corporate sector, public initiatives and the community through decentralised planning and widening the role of micro and district planning
- Employment-intensive investment programmes and community involvement in identifying, planning, executing and maintaining labour-based interventions
- Sustainability and environmental impact of assessment
- Sharing of risks and awards of such interventions
- Plenary & valedictory sessions
The officials of the Planning Commission, state governments and the UNDP are expected to guide the debates and discussions in different sessions.
Participants
Participants would be about 50 drawn from
· Projects on Public-private partnership initiatives
· Private sector
· Government departments and ministries
· Developmental and donor agencies
· Research institutions