Growing the Wealth of the Poor - World Resources Institute

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S : A D V A N C I N G E N T E R P R I S E A N D R E S I L I E N C EBut that is not enough; it is just the starting point. Inaddition to the specifics outlined in previous chapters there mustbe a change in how government sees itself in the process.We argue that, for success, communities must “own” theirenterprise, in that they see its success as their own success andthus make the necessary investments of time and care, supportedby informed government policy. Government thus becomes anenabler, providing the legal and other tools that allow theseenterprises to take root and flourish. Government, by and large,is no longer the director or the only decision-maker. That doesn’tmean government and its officials are relegated to the sidelines.It means that they assume roles of facilitation, service provision,and guidance—roles that become critically important to theability of enterprises to scale up.In fact, as Crispino Lobo of the Watershed OrganisationTrust has found in India, government officials who accept thisnew role of enabler realize greater attention, credit, and respectthan they did when they were issuing orders and directives.Similarly, Guatemala’s National Council of Protected Areas haswon the trust of forestry enterprises in the Maya BiosphereReserve by operating as a facilitator rather than purely regulatingtheir activities.However, the transition from top-down management toenabling local management and enterprise is not easy. Itrequires attention to and reinforcement by superiors, and thechange challenges the most basic public perceptions of governmentofficials. But the payoff is well worth it. This change ofrole may be uncomfortable in the early stages of an enterprise,in light of the important place we argue that ISOs must play inthe development of the social and business skills required of asuccessful community enterprise. Seeing these intermediaryorganizations as allies rather than interlopers is part of thatshifting government role.As outlined in this report, the array of challenges that ruralenterprises must meet in order to succeed and scale up canappear overwhelming, even to the most committed of governmentsand sponsors. However, we hope we have shown thedistinctions among the various challenges, both in terms oftiming and complexity.What is important is that the challenges are addressed in amanner appropriate to the enterprise and its move to scale up.Not all challenges can or must be met at once, and the sequencingof activities and funding is essential. For example, improvedwatershed management programs may ultimately require buildingnew roads in order to market the higher agriculturalproduction that results from greater water availability. But a newroad to service urban markets may not be needed immediately,as local markets may be able to absorb the increased productionfor a time. On the other hand, increased provision of health careand upgraded educational opportunities could be necessarysooner to ensure the continued scaling up of the enterprise.Government as an enabling partner would be in a position torespond appropriately.Facing the FutureGovernments must begin to accept that the success of theirbroader development initiatives depends on increasingeconomic, social, and ecosystem resilience. The large-scaletrends that are shaping the natural world in this century must beaccommodated in development strategies.Climate change, increased demand for raw materials andfoodstuffs, and growing water scarcity are trends unlikely tochange in the foreseeable future. They will inevitably have theirgreatest impact on the rural poor, those whose futures areinextricably tied to the ecosystems in which they live. Ruraldevelopment strategies must address these challenges head on.Nurturing and scaling up nature-based enterprisesusing the approach suggested in this report is an effectiveroute to building the resilience and resourcefulness thatrural communities and ecosystems must have to withstandthe certain challenges of the future.