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Stakeholder ownership is fundamental to achieving results, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) emphasizes customer orientation and a demand-driven approach to project design. Solid stakeholder input into project design, implementation, and evaluation helps focus projects on the development needs of target groups. ADB’s project performance management system (PPMS) highlights stakeholder participation at all stages of the project cycle.
The PPMS approach to consultation goes beyond the traditional model of limited two-way communication, with key issues defined by outsiders. While information is still disseminated to stakeholders—for example, reports on the findings of various economic, sector, and thematic analyses—stakeholder input is actively sought and integrated into the project design and monitoring framework.
That framework—a results-based tool—provides structure for project planning and management and communicates essential project information to stakeholders simply and efficiently.
The success of the PPMS approach has been highlighted in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a $600,000 ADB technical assistance grant, financed by the Japan Special Fund, to prepare the Literacy is for Everyone (LIFE) Project in PNG, which is close to completion.
A linguistically and culturally diverse nation, PNG has more than 830 languages, the majority of which are unwritten: alphabets for most of these vernacular languages, which are fundamentally different from each other, have yet to be developed.
PNG’s literacy rate is just 52%, the lowest in the region. Most of the country’s illiterate are women and people living in remote areas.
PNG’s highland provinces are among the poorest in the country. In Enga, more than 70% of women are illiterate. The Government of PNG and major development partners have largely neglected adult literacy: mainly community groups supported primarily by church-based organizations and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) tackle the problem.
Despite this intervention, progress in literacy has been slow and heavily dependent on sustained community commitment, donations, and the ability and willingness of poor families to pay for literacy classes.
ADB, recognizing the seriousness of the problem, initially consulted with government agencies at all levels, development partners, and stakeholders. A clear consensus existed that improving adult literacy in PNG is essential for poverty reduction.
People who learn to read and write earn more money, participate more meaningfully in the development process, use more appropriate technologies, and more effectively influence public authorities on issues affecting their lives.
The literacy project has been based on a sector-wide approach emphasizing country ownership; broad-based participation; development partner coordination and cooperation; and an integrated, joint monitoring system.
The project aims to help increase the average adult literacy rate from 52% to 70% in five provinces by 2010, with a special focus on illiterate rural women. It aims to do this by increasing awareness of the importance of adult literacy among all stakeholders and establishing a literacy policy framework and coordinating mechanism at the national, provincial, and district levels that clearly define the roles and responsibilities of major stakeholders.
The project also aims to strengthen the capacity of government agencies, churchbased organizations, and NGOs, establishing a teacher training system, and producing basic reading materials in many regional languages.
The PPMS process applied in this project relied heavily on stakeholder participation from the beginning. Initial consultations were held in workshops designed to reach consensus on project design issues, including the desired project outcomes and associated indicators, accountabilities and responsibilities, and cost implications. Alternative approaches to achieve higher adult literacy rates were debated and strategies were developed to overcome likely challenges—or risks—during project implementation.
Stakeholder representatives at the village, provincial, and national levels shaped the project design. NGOs and church-based organizations, working in literacy-shared knowledge and field experiences identified challenges and proposed solutions.
Local, district, and provincial government representatives told of their frustrations and together devised ways to close the gaps in capacity that have made interventions difficult. Women’s groups gave insights into gender issues, especially the resistance of men when their wives or daughters sought to attend literacy classes.
After the initial workshops, provincial-level literacy committees refined training materials, advocacy approaches, and funding efforts. Working groups explored key areas, such as literacy training, training of trainers, community awareness, and capacity development. Group findings were then presented at a 5-day national stakeholder workshop, at the end of which participants agreed on the project design that was summarized in a design and monitoring framework.
All participants—including politicians and government representatives, churchbased groups, NGOs, and women’s groups—committed to remaining engaged in the project implementation and achieving the self-determined results.
The broad range of stakeholders and the depth of participation have enabled a holistic approach. The use of the PPMS project design process has created ownership of the project.
The project aims to help increase the average adult literacy rate in five provinces from 52% to 70% by 2010, with a special focus on illiterate rural women
The participatory course of action tapped the wealth of local knowledge and ensured that all aspects of the problem were considered, including local capacity and conditions, and risks associated with alternative interventions.
Most importantly, the participatory process kept the project design process focused on real constraints and helped ensure that the project implementation and desired results can be achieved.
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