Radical Efficiency a Practical Guide - Nesta

CASE STUDY 3: UBUDEHE 17CASE STUDY 3:UBUDEHECommunity-led public projects in Rwanda‘U the fields in preparation for the rains and plantingbudehe’ literally describes the traditional practiceof Rwandan communities working together to digseason. Contemporary Ubudehe projects describe an ambitiousexperiment in participative community development, whichtouches – and improves – the lives of over one quarter ofRwanda’s population, radically cutting the cost of communityprojects in the process.“[Ubudehe aims] to help community groups and somepoor households to create their own problem solvingexperience… starting from [their] aspiration, ability andtraditions.” 2In early 2001, the modern Ubudehe process was iterativelytested in the old Butare Province. This began with five ‘cellules’(now ‘villages’) in February, 2001 and rose to 679 by June ofthat year. The pilot was jointly funded by the EU, DFID and bythe Rwandan Government.Ubudehe has four main stages which are delivered by trained