Mobilisation of the Poor – a means to Poverty Reduction? - Sida
Mobilisation of the Poor – a means to Poverty Reduction? - Sida
Mobilisation of the Poor – a means to Poverty Reduction? - Sida
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ecorded from 1997 onwards, perhaps reflecting setbacks suffered by <strong>the</strong> programme as a result <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> termination <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sida</strong> support <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> programme and <strong>the</strong> transfer <strong>of</strong> programme management<br />
from <strong>the</strong> RDTRI <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> newly formed NGO. However, group funds, which do not correlate<br />
directly with fluctuations in membership, show a dramatic increase particularly from 1997<br />
onwards. It was not possible for us <strong>to</strong> validate this information in <strong>the</strong> field. Our inquires revealed<br />
that <strong>the</strong> reliability <strong>of</strong> this information may be low since it is based on information supplied by<br />
various CAP organisations <strong>to</strong> PSMS, which did not have any <strong>means</strong> <strong>to</strong> cross check this information<br />
in <strong>the</strong> field. Inconsistencies in <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> small groups, <strong>to</strong>tal membership, and volume <strong>of</strong> funds<br />
raises questions about <strong>the</strong> validity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial information. It is quite possible that <strong>the</strong> POs tended<br />
<strong>to</strong> over-report membership and volume <strong>of</strong> funds in order <strong>to</strong> qualify for grants or loans from <strong>the</strong><br />
national-level federation.<br />
We did obtain information from POs covered by <strong>the</strong> study about trends in membership in <strong>the</strong><br />
respective organisations, and this information base was also unreliable in some instances. Figure 1<br />
presents information from four POs where we did manage <strong>to</strong> get <strong>the</strong> relevant information.<br />
Trends in membership at PO Level<br />
Figure 1 presents information about trends in membership in selected POs.<br />
No <strong>of</strong> members<br />
Source: PO records and interviews with PO staff<br />
While some POs (for instance, Akmeemana and Nagoda) report a consistent rise in membership in<br />
CAP small groups over <strong>the</strong> 1995 <strong>to</strong> 2001 period, o<strong>the</strong>rs show a fluctuating trend with a marked<br />
decrease in membership from 1997 <strong>to</strong> 1999 and a subsequent trend <strong>to</strong>wards stabilisation <strong>of</strong><br />
membership in 2000<strong>–</strong>2001.<br />
In order <strong>to</strong> illustrate <strong>the</strong> processes involved, we present below case his<strong>to</strong>ries <strong>of</strong> two POs. It must be<br />
noted here that according <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> evaluation scheme developed by <strong>the</strong> Maha Sangamaya, both <strong>the</strong><br />
POs under review are classified as moderately successful ones.<br />
22<br />
2000<br />
1500<br />
1000<br />
500<br />
0<br />
Trends in PS Membership 1995-2001<br />
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001<br />
Year<br />
MOBILISATION OF THE POOR <strong>–</strong> A MEANS TO POVERTY REDUCTION <strong>–</strong> <strong>Sida</strong> EVALUATION 02/08<br />
Ibbagam<br />
Gampola<br />
Akmeema<br />
Nagoda