National Poverty Reduction Strategies Fund

The Role of the Poor in Poverty Reduction

Sun Tzu’s famous advice from The Art of War – know your enemy - is perhaps applicable to the war against poverty as well. From whom else can we better know what poverty is all about than the poor themselves, right? In this issue, we feature people who have been studying poverty by engaging the poor, and projects that communicate to the poor and marginalized in their own language.

INTERVIEW:
Fighting Poverty in the Forgotten Corner of the Region
Stephen pollard, an ADB economist who has been fighting poverty in the Pacific Islands for over 23 years now, tells us about how his projects fared, lessons learned from his work, and how poverty reduction should involve, first and foremost, the poor.

CASE STUDY:
Understanding and Fighting Poverty in the Pacific [ PDF ]
To think of destitution as a pressing problem in the postcard-pretty islands of the Pacific would hardly be imaginable. Yet “poverty of opportunity” is a reality in the region. Through a technical assistance grant funded by the NPRS, ADB tried to understand what poverty in the supposedly idyllic islands of the Pacific region really is in order to influence future poverty policies and strategies.

Giving a Voice to the Poor in Water Management [ PDF ]

It is widely known that active participation of the poor, marginalized and women makes a significant difference in water management sustainability, but the application of this knowledge still has a long way to go. A regional technical assistance project funded by the NPRS and PRF tested methods in Sri Lanka and Viet Nam that can pave the way for a fuller, more substantive involvement of the poor in water management. The final workshop was held last 15 January. Read the feature article [ PDF ] and case study.

Protecting Ethnic Minorities from Risks of HIV/AIDS, Human Trafficking and Non-Traditional Drug Use [ PDF ]

By virtue of their location and rapidly improved cross-border connectivity, upland ethnic groups of the Thai-Myanmar-Laos-China borders are increasingly vulnerable to the risk of acquiring HIV, unsafe migration resulting in human trafficking, and non-traditional drug use. A regional technical assistance project, funded by the PRF, will help prevent and reduce such risks through creative radio dramas performed in the local languages.

Making a Career out of Fighting Poverty [ PDF ]

From gathering data to produce accurate statistics on poverty, to creating strategies and action plans on how to address it, three experts engaged by ADB through technical assistance grants funded by the NPRS and PRF provided valuable assistance to their respective governments and people in Cambodia, Pakistan, and Viet Nam.

Better Government-Civil Society-ADB Partnerships in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region [ PDF ]

Civil society has a significant role to play in social change and poverty reduction in Asia and the Pacific, and their engagement in strategy development at the national and regional levels should be institutionalized. A regional technical assistance grant sought to facilitate a tripartite partnership among governments of the GMS countries, civil society and ADB, so that the consultative process becomes a routine.

Supporting Pro-Poor Health Policies in Viet Nam [ PDF ]

The Government of Viet Nam’s decision to establish provincial-level health care funds was seen to be an important move in ensuring that the poor have access to cost-effective health care. A technical assistance grant funded by the PRF helped to boost the capacity of the Government to carry out this initiative, and produced studies that provided the Government with a deeper understanding of key issues relating to financing health care for the poor.

Broadening Support for the National Poverty Reduction Strategy in Cambodia [ PDF ]

Consultations and increased awareness of Government strategies promote greater support and deeper involvement from the public. Read how a technical assistance grant funded by the NPRS ensured that the public had the chance to both listen and speak to the Government about serious issues related to poverty reduction, leading to a more effective implementation of Government strategies and plans.

Understanding and Fighting Poverty in the Pacific: See the spotlight.

Participatory Methods to Assess Pro-Poor Impact of Water Supply and Sanitation Projects [ PDF ]. Read the feature article.

Citizen report card on municipal services launched in Naawan Municipality

The results of the citizens’ feedback on water and health service delivery by the Naawan municipal government in Misamis Oriental, Philippines were presented to local officials and stakeholders on 23 and 24 January 2007. ADB supports citizen report cards and other tools for direct citizen feedback on governance through a RETA on Developing Pro Poor Governance and Knowledge financed by the PRF. Under the project, mentoring and coaching program is provided to local government units on the application of citizen report card methodology and continuous improvement and benchmarking techniques to improve the delivery of services, particularly to the poor. Similar activities will also be conducted in Pakistan. To learn more about the project's activities, visit the project website.

Final EMPA Regional Workshop Held

Government agencies, NGOs and community members who participated in RETA 6224 project concluded at the final regional workshop held on 15 January at ADB’s headquarters in Manila. Participants agreed that the enhanced methodology for participatory assessment (EMPA) has increased participation, demand, gender, and poverty sensitivity within their respective water projects, and that EMPA should be applied to future projects.

Making Markets Work Better for the Poor (M4P) Week

The Markets Work Better for the Poor (M4P) week took place from 27 November to 1 December 2006 in Hanoi, Viet Nam, featuring a series of seminars and workshops on M4P research results, M4P methodological tools, new business models and PPP approaches, and generating profits from science and technology. M4P is a three year regional technical assistance project co-financed by the ADB, DFID (UK) and the Tokyo-based ADB Institute covering Viet Nam, Lao PDR, and Cambodia. The PRF provided additional funding for the activities in Viet Nam. For more information, visit the project website*.

Other Upcoming Events

• 8th Donors NPRS-PRF Strategy Meeting, 5-6 February 2007, ADB Headquarters



• 3rd Roundtable International Table of Management for Development Results [RETA 6306: Mainstreaming Managing for Development Results in Support of Poverty Reduction], 5-8 February 2007, Hanoi, Viet Nam



• Preventing the Trafficking of Women and Children and Promoting Safe Migration in the Greater Mekong Subregion [RETA 6190], Final Regional Workshop, March 2007, ADB Headquarters



• Consultative Workshop on Community Participation in Ger (traditional tent areas) Area Development [RETA 6176: Building Capacity for Participatory Approaches to Poverty Reduction in ADB Operations], 6-7 March 2007, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia



• Strengthening and Collection of Purchasing Power Parity Data in ADB DMCs [RETA 6088], Data Review Workshop on Poverty, March 2007, Manila, Philippines



• Alternative Livelihood Options to Facilitate Coal Sector Restructuring [PRC TA 4680], Final Workshop, April 2007 [Venue: TBD]

Fostering Public Participation in Budget-making This publication documents the experiences, successes, and challenges of pilot testing participatory budgeting at the local level in three countries of Asia and the Pacific: Indonesia, Marshall Islands, and Pakistan. The pilots were carried out under a RETA on Pilot Project on Institutionalizing Civil Society Participation to Create Pro Poor Budgets funded by the PRF. Read the article.

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