Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment: Empowering People
The Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE) is a ?not-for-profit? non- governmental organization registered with Securities and Exchange Commission of Government of Pakistan, under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. Its aim is to build a support system by mobilizing all segments of the society through networking and public/private partnerships to empower local communities and ensure their participation in the development process by facilitating the formation of Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) and building their capacity to identify and implement development projects as envisaged in Local Government Ordinance 2001. DTCE's operational model is focused at the Union level, in which partnerships are formed at the grassroots level to involve all direct stakeholders in the CCB mobilization process. It is based on generating incremental value to its project as it not only institutionalizes local level organizations, but also mobilizes and involves all segments of the civil society such as local governments, NGOs, CCBs and donors through its outsourcing and networking approach.
DTCE's Patron-in-Chief is the President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf. The Trust is governed by a Board of Directors, whose ex-officio Chairman is the Minister of State and Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau, Mr. Danyial Aziz. Other members are distinguished citizens, including one from each province.
Background
The Local Government Ordinance 2001 has devolved political power, decentralized administrative authority, and enabled community empowerment, but it cannot be consolidated without politically owned institutional revival generating inclusion, integrity, interrelations and responsiveness between government, civil society, communities, and citizens, union by union, village by village, neighborhood by neighborhood. Community empowerment requires catalytic networks, alliances and partnerships to support core elements envisioned under LGO 2001. DTCE's role is to be a catalyst in this process.
Vision
Empowered communities of proactive citizens engaged in self-development with the support of, and working together with, local government and the rest of civil society.
Mission
Create an enabling environment for citizen participation and community empowerment in all Unions of Pakistan by 2009.
Objectives
- Promote organization of CCBs and facilitate implementation of community development projects.
- Build capacity of Union officials and community leaders in relation to CCB mobilization.
- Provide micro-seed financing for selected CCB identified community development projects, through cost sharing with local councils & CCBs.
- Put in place incentive and awards systems to give momentum to CCB mobilization campaigns.
- Facilitate establishment of alliances and associations of local governments and local officials to consolidate and strengthen the local government system.
- Conduct social audit across the country to establish a baseline and undertake ends-oriented annual evaluations of the results of the devolution of power process.
- To promote and sustain a viable police-public relationship and behavioral change via incentive systems.
DTCE Strategy
To empower communities at the grassroots level, DTCE is facilitating the formation of CCBs, with the support of Union Councils and their Monitoring Committees. The stragety comprises of clear, simple information and operational systems in a consultative and participatory manner as part of learning processes, in consonance with its being an ends-oriented, information-intensive, knowledge-based organization. Operations are built around the concept of campaigns to increase motivational levels and goal achievement. The strategy entails making the Unions in each Tehsil the focal point for undertaking CCB mobilization campaigns based on Union level CCB Mobilization Plans that directly involve local civil society. This energizes local social capital through public-private sector partnerships that gives impetus to the CCB movement. To have maximum outreach DTCE is accomplishing its mission through a networked movement by outsourcing capacity building activities to partner organizations.