MORE THAN 60 participants from six community-based organisations recently completed a two-day training course to prepare them to implement community development projects under the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP), a project of the European Union and the Government of Jamaica.
The Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), which serves as the implementing agency for the PRP, is now requiring an increased level of participation from communities wishing to receive financing for development projects.
The majority of the projects, which will be funded through the PRP, will be implemented with the utilisation of Community-Based Contracting (CBC).
BENEFITING COMMUNITIES
Under CBC, benefiting communities are responsible for critical aspects of their projects, including procurement, project management and contract administration. In order to prepare CBOs for these increased responsibilities, the PRP has funded a series of workshops, the fourth of which was held two weeks ago at the Runaway Bay Heart Academy in St. Ann. The workshops have been facilitated by the JSIF in collaboration with the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies.
Participating community groups received instructions from the Department of Co-operatives and Friendly Societies on the steps for establishing a benevolent society. According to Gangolf Schmidt, the European Union's technical advisor to JSIF, this is critical, for the CBOs because a benevolent society is a legal entity capable of carrying contracting and other financial transactions which are critical to the successful completion of development projects. Participants also received training from the Social Development Commission (SDC), who recently assumed responsibility for assisting communities in making applications to JSIF for funding.
The SDC assisted communities in identifying their existing human, financial and natural resources with a view to determining how these resources could be best utilised in implementing projects and also in maintenance efforts particularly with regards to community infrastructure. The PRP is aimed at improving living conditions in the island's poorest communities by providing access to quality basic infrastructure and services, especially in the fields of sanitation, water and health. About 35 projects should be funded under this initiative, which is being financed by a six million euro grant from the European Union to the Government of Jamaica.
