TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.   INTRODUCTION. 1

II.  HOW THE PROJECT PURSUES ITS OBJECTIVES. 2

III.  PUBLIC SECTOR PREPAREDNESS. 2

IV.  CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSIVENESS. 4

V.  COMMUNITY RESOLVE. 5

VI.  WORKSHOPS. 6

VII  REFOCUSING ON DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES. 8

VIII THE STRATEGIC VISION OF THE IDP. 9

IX.   Strategies for Economic Recovery and Growth. 12

X.    Strategic Vision of Stakeholders. 15

 

TABLES

Table 1:  Most popular problems & Solutions. 6

Table 2:  Sources of Income in the Rural Economy. 13

I.  INTRODUCTION

 

The Integrated Development Planning Project (generally referred to as the IDP) in Dominica is a unique and challenging task for two reasons.  First, although many development plans have been prepared for Dominica, the people of the country have not been engaged in an organized or systematic way in the preparation or implementation of these plans.  Second, although many of these plans have targeted sectoral needs, there have been very few attempts at consolidating the country’s response to these needs into one holistic national development plan.  Our exercise seeks to change these aspects of planning in Dominica.

 

The Planning Framework that the IDP does four new and different things:

1.    The values and vision of the people are treated as key determinants of the direction and strategy for national development, and as such, the IDP Framework reflects the priority issues as determined by the stakeholders themselves;

2.    The IDP requires mechanisms for ongoing stakeholder involvement in the preparation of the plan, definition of programs and projects, implementation of associated actions and in the review of performance for possible corrective action;

3.    The Framework encourages stakeholders to shift from a paradigm that is focused on narrow local, institutional or sectoral issues to an approach to development planning and implementation that is cross-cutting and takes national issues and priorities into account;

4.    The resulting Plan is expected to influence the nature of public expenditure and transparency of expenditure controls at all levels of the economy.

 

We believe that IDP has the capacity to release the unexplored planning potential of the people of Dominica and to present new and creative arrangements among sectors and stakeholders that can respond to the development challenges facing the country.  Our expectation is that this Framework will:

·        Capture the emerging vision of the people;

·        Reflect the values that shape that vision;

·        Identify the key issues facing the people;

·        Focus on areas for priority action at the local household and community level; the enterprise and sector levels as well as the inter-sector, national and regional levels.

 

As a Planning Process, the IDP facilitates the direct engagement of people of all sectors, (Public Sector, Private Sector and Civil Society) as stakeholders in the nation’s business, continuously performing the following functions;

·        Identifying the key issues affecting their community/sector/country;

·        Determining the priorities among these issues;

·        Defining their vision for Dominica; 

·        Proposing measures (institutional, operational, legal, constitutional) for addressing these issues;

·        Proposing measures for formalizing and institutionalising a participatory approach to planning for national development;

·        Becoming involved in the design and implementation of the programs and projects;

·        Staying involved in the monitoring, review and evaluation of the activities.  

 

 

II.  HOW THE PROJECT PURSUES ITS OBJECTIVES

The project is divided into three Phases.  During Phase 1 (October – December 2001) the Team of Consultants undertook a series of sensitization, research, analysis and planning activities which were required for the design of the IDP.  The Report of this Phase was submitted on January 7^th. 2002.

 

Phase 2 of the project (2 months) will shape a new process for IDP planning and develop the contents of a draft Integrated Development Plan. 

 

Phase 3 will ensure that an implementation plan accompanies the approved IDP. This phase is also estimated to take 2 months.

 

 

III.          PUBLIC SECTOR PREPAREDNESS

How prepared is the Public Sector for a new approach to Planning? We have recognized so far, three (3) factors that would contribute positively to setting the stage for their preparedness;

a)    Recognition of the users of their services;

b)    Interaction and collaboration among departments;

c)     Sharing of resources and modification of the working conditions.

 

A sample consisting of 20 individuals was randomly selected from three departments each within three Ministries, namely, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Communications and Works and the Ministry of Community Development and Gender Affairs.

 

  a. Users of Services:

The customers of services of these Ministries were identified from all sectors of society. The Civil Society and Community groups/Village councils were the main users of these services representing 32% of the known clients. Farmers were the next largest group representing 18%.

 

  b. Interaction and Collaboration among departments:

Interaction within Ministries is expected to promote unity and improve work atmosphere.  It facilitates contacts and networking as well as allowing the staff to recognize their strengths and weaknesses.  23% of our respondents  cited good staff working relationship and special efforts by various Ministries/Departments to work together as reasons for good collaboration.

• The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry Division had the closest working relationship with its clients. There were also close internal working relationship between the departments of Environment, Administration and Lands and Surveys;
• The Ministry of Communications and Works worked closest with construction-related firms and also with the Tourism and Hotel industry and had also developed good relationship with the Financial Institutions and the Merchants and Retailers.
• 50% of the interaction of the Ministry of Community Development and Gender Affairs was related to special education; 33% to Trust Funds. Interaction among its departments took place mainly during Policy Development, Heads of Department Meetings, Interpersonal Staff relations, Training sessions and Work Development Programs.

 

   c. Sharing Resources

• 18% of all Departments shared training facilities/programs.
• 14% of all Departments shared conference facilities, equipment and material, information/data and staff/technical expertise.
• 20% of respondents felt that the quality of their services can be significantly improved through more effective hiring practices and computerization and systemitisation of work.

 

IV.  CIVIL SOCIETY RESPONSIVENESS

How responsive would be the Civil Society? Several functions were identified as constituting the role of the Civil Society in the IDP process. Chief among these were:

§         Contributing to policy/programs/ projects;

§         Participation at all levels in the process and in the execution of plans and programs

§         Being a vehicle for facilitating more grass roots participation as well as more responsibility at the local government level. 

 

The IDP Team also conducted a survey of those we considered to be key members of Civil Society. The sample selection consisted of Service Clubs, Professionals, Cultural Groups, Trade Unions, NGOs and Improvement Committees.  At the micro or village level civil society organizations were drawn from Morne Jaune, Riviere Cyrique and Grand Fond. In a survey conducted by the IDP Team,  27%  of the Civil Society respondents stated that participation in the IDP process would better enable their organization to make more informed decisions on issues affecting them.

 

We further surmised from the Survey that the most pressing issues affecting the preparedness of Civil Society to play a meaningful role in the IDP process are:

a)   Their organizational life-cycle

b)   Their financial base

c)    Their planning/reporting capability

d)   Their institutional strengthening needs

e)   The quality of collaborative experience

 

The survey responses to these issues were very enlightening:

 

 a. Organizational life-cycle

§         Out of total of 35 registered companies, 20% have been in existence for over 20 years, while 26% came into being within the last 5-14 years.