Participatory development and government: A Study of implementer-beneficiary syndromes

Abstract

Participatory development is said to be an empowering strategy for the poor in the alternative development discourse. Market failures and government failures promote donor agencies to channel aid through civil society organizations for development support. This policy emphasis resulted in changes in the political process of the developing world. It has either politicized the Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs) or vice versa. The objective of the present study is to highlight some important syndromes between grass-root level policy implementer and beneficiaries and to examine the impact of policy on shaping the political behavior of beneficiaries. The initial observation of syndromes has been made in a research work in 2007-2010 in relation to the official poverty alleviation programme of the government of Sri Lanka, i.e. Samurdhi Programme. The present study is a further exploration of the syndromes and has done referring to the Samurdhi programe as implemented in the Galle Four Gravetus Divisional Secretariat area. Thirty officers of the programme has been requested to mark a carefully listed of characteristics of the syndromes in relation to the respondent and of the others in the propramme. The study finds important sharing points between the beneficiaries and policy implementers such as political patronage to get into the policy programme and it raises the issues of feasibility of continuing with this policy initiative.