PARTICIPATION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

CORNELL WILL PROVIDE FOUR TYPES OF SERVICES: 1. APPLIED RESEARCH AND CONSULTING ON RURAL PARTICIPATION PROBLEMS AND POLICIES: CORNELL CONSULTANTS WILL ASSIST USAID MISSIONS IN PROJECT DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION. MOST OF THESE DIRECT SERVICES WILL BE CONCENTRATED IN ONE OR TWO COUNTRIES IN EACH REGION (ASIA, NEAR EAST, AFRICA, AND LATIN AMERICA). ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: IDENTIFYING THE BASIC ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS WHICH INFLUENCE PARTICIPATION PATTERNS, ANALYZING LOCAL LEADERSHIP ROLES AND THE PERFORMANCE OF LOCAL ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS, AND EVALUATING ALTERNATIVE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES WHICH ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY OR COLLECTIVE ACTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. 2. STATE-OF-THE-ART PAPERS: FOUR PAPERS WILL SYNTHESIZE THE RESEARCH AND EVALUATION EXPERIENCE AND HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANT OR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS FOR POSSIBLE APPLICATION ELSEWHERE. 3. CONSULTING NETWORK: CORNELL WILL DEVELOP A ROSTER OF US AND OVERSEAS SPECIALISTS IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT. CORNELL WILL ALSO ESTABLISH LINKAGES WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS WORKING ON PARTICIPATION PROBLEMS. 4. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION: CORNELL WILL DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON PARTICIPITORY DEVELOPMENT TO MISSION STAFF, LDC PROFESSIONALS, AND TO MEMBERS OF THE CONSULTING NETWORK THROUGH NEWSLETTERS, SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, OR SHORT TRAINING COURSES. THE IN-DEPTH RESEARCH AND SPECIAL STUDIES TO BE CARRIED-OUT WILL IDENTIFY CONSTRAINTS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL, OFF-FARM EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME OPPORTUNITIES AND SUGGEST WAYS OF OVERCOMING THESE CONSTRAINTS. TO THE EXTENT THAT PROJECTS OF THIS SORT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED, LOW INCOME, RURAL PRODUCERS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GENERATED. FOCUSING ON VERY SMALL-SCALE RURAL ENTERPRISES, THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN. Amendment of 7/2/81 provides additional grant funding to extend the project one year. During this time, the Cornell University Rural Development Committee will complete its in-depth applied research and consulting programs to promote Mission and host country capacity for participatory rural development in Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, and Yemen. Knowledge dissemination of project findings on local management of water points in Botswana and on the use of local associations in integrated rural development in Jamaica will also be undertaken. Final state-of-the-art papers will also be completed.