Sustainability Planning and Monitoring

ADDING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR GENDER EQUITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION●●to function in a demand-responsive modewhen they have had a history of being entirelysupply-oriented) were underestimated in theproject design. Moreover, bureaucraticexigencies have caused batches of personneljoining WSLIC 2 project in a manner that isneither systematic nor properly sequenced.Their readiness to function in the project hashad to be built in a reactive “fire-fighting” modeinstead of systematically and therefore costeffectively.MPA offers a process model for gender andpoverty-inclusive participatory planning thatfits with the new planning paradigm forIndonesia, in theory. At this initial phase ofthe project the process is seen to be helpingtechnical specialists, health and communitydevelopment specialists function in a moreintegrated manner than previouslyexperienced. However, ultimate success willdepend on MPA applications being maintainedconsistently into the implementation phase toensure gender and social equity in futureoutcomes, e.g., in community capacity buildingfor infrastructure operation and maintenance,participation in water managementorganizations, and more equitable distributionof workloads, power and benefits resultingfrom the project.Monitoring and evaluation specialists are animportant target to ensure that key genderand poverty indicators are included inManagement Information Systems (MIS).While process indicators are an important partof assessing empowering approaches, projectlevel M&E is usually more concerned withphysical inputs and outputs. Successfulintegration of MPA into the project MIS is akey milestone, which has not yet been reached.Table 3 provides a sample of gender- andpoverty-sensitive process indicators built intoWSLIC project design, which now need to bemade operational through participatorymonitoring mechanisms and the MIS.Capacity building for communityprocesses●●●Capacity building is an iterative andcontinuous requirement. WSLIC 2 recognizesthat the community level interface is the mostcritical one for the success of empoweringmethodologies and for project sustainability,and that quality training is required for thosewho work at this level. WSLIC 2 provided fiveweeks of initial training for communityfacilitators in three tranches, interspersed withthree phases of fieldwork. Despite this, furthertechnical guidance in the field during initialstages has been identified as necessary andongoing refresher training is planned.Capacity building improves in quality throughlearning from the field. The first year’scommunity planning process has yieldedvaluable feedback on how to streamline andsharpen the MPA-PHAST process, and refinecommunity facilitators’ skills. A stakeholders’review of the process has been planned withthe objective of reaching consensus beforemaking changes for the next round.Who makes the best participatory facilitator?There are trade offs. WSLIC 2 experienceshowed that fresh college graduates recruitedas community facilitators were more responsiveto the new empowering approaches. Duringtraining they were more open to learning ascompared to those who have spent significanttime in bureaucracies, such as extensionworkers within government systems (asomewhat comparable finding is reported inthe section on KDP). However, while MPA toolsare relatively easily learned, the rationale fortheir use is not easily understood withoutsome fieldwork and community experience.123