RU L DEVELOPMEi AND MICROFINANCE PROJECTS IN SUDAN With Special Attention to Community Participation Nawal El-Gack With a Foreword by John Overton and Regina Scheyvens The Edwin Mellen Press Lewiston. Queenston•Lampeter Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data El Gack, Nawal. Rural development and microfinance projects in Sudan : with special attention to community participation / Nawal El-Gack ; with a foreword by John Overton and Regina Scheyvens. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7734-3075-4 (hardcover) ISBN-10: 0-7734-3075-X (hardcover) 1. Rural development--Sudan. 2. Rural development projects--Sudan- Citizen participation. 3. Sudan--Rural condition. 4. Microfinance-- Sudan. I. Overton, John, 1951- II. Title. HN787.Z9E4 2012 338.9624--dc23 . 2012034599 hors serie. A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Copyright © 2013 Nawal El-Gack All rights reserved. For information contact The Edwin Mellen Press The Edwin Mellen Press Box 450 Box 67 Lewiston, New York Queenston, Ontario USA 14092-0450 CANADA LOS 1L0 The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd. Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales UNITED KINGDOM SA48 8LT Printed in the United States of America This book is dedicated to all development planners and practitioners who are concerned about development in practice and care about genuine community participation. Table of Cc s Foreword by John Overton and Regina Scheyvens Preface iii Acknowledgements vii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Background The Significance of the Study 5 Research Question and Objective 8 Organization of the Book 13 2. RESEARCH METHODS AND FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE 19 Introduction 19 General Framework 33 Primary Data 39 Data Reduction 52 Limitations 55 Summary 56 3. PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE59 Introduction 59 Participation: Concepts and Definitions 65 Adoption of Participatory Development Approaches 77 Indigenous Values and Knowledge 93 Summary 96 4. PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE 99 Introduction 99 Role and Impact of Development Providers 100 The Role of Development Professionals 109 Formation of Community Organizations 112 Factors that Influenced People's Participation 119 Spramary 124 5. SUDAN CONTEXT: BACKGROUND AND DEVELC?M-Z,NT EFFORTS 127 Introduction 127 Political System: An Overview 129 Modern*zation and Neoliberal Policies 139 Civil Society Organizations 153 Factors that Influenced Development Processes 160 Summary 167 6. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE vriliiITEISILE AGRICULTURAL SERVICES PIL:.1ECT 169 Introduction 169 The White Nile Setting 175 The Project Mechanisms 182 Interventions and Outcomes 191 New Government Policy 213 Influencing Factors for the WNASP's Outcomes 216 Summary 225 7. NORTH KORDOFAN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND PRACTICES 229 troduction 229 The Project Context 230 forth Kordofan Setting 238 Incigenous Participatory Concepts 260 Representation 266 Summary 278 8. NORTH KORDOFAN PROJECT: APPROACHES, MECHANISMS AND OUTCOMES 281 Introduction 281 The Project's Approaches 282 Formation of New Organizations 302 Interventions and Outcomes 314 General Concerns 326 Factors Influencing Participation 333 9. REFLECTIONS ON PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES 337 Introduction 337 Policies and Credibility of Development Providers 338 Development Professionals' Attitudes and Behavior 355 Addressing Power Relationships 358 Formation of Community Organizations 362 Gender Issues 365 Indigenous Values, Structures and Practices 370 Adopting a Moral Commitment Approach 375 Conclusion 378 10. CONCLUSION 381 Specific Research Findings 382 Recommendations for Future Research 398 APPENDICES 401 BIBLIOGRAPHY 413 INDEX 459 List oiIIgiires and List of Tables List of Tis Figure 7. 1: NGOs the Case of North Kordofan State 256 List of Tables Table 6.1: Various Components Cost 172 Table 6.2: Community Forestry 206 Table 6.3: Women's Program 210 Table 7.1: The Project Sites & Targeted Communities 232 Table 8.1: Criterion for Selection of Villages 284 Table 8.2: People's Priorities in Comparison to Project Interventions 288 Glossary ci Sudanese Terms Al-Hakama'a Wise woman who provides consultation Dar Community centre EI-Goodeya Community-based mechanism of conflict resolution Feddan Unit = 0.42 ha = 1.03 acre tiara Leasing contract Mudharaba Participation contract Murabaha Purchase and resale contract Musharaka Participation contract Nafir Mobilization Qard al-Hasan Good loan Salam Purchase contract Sanduq Traditional savings, revolving fund Sheikh Village headman Takaful Social justice and solidarity Umda Locality headman Wali State Governor Glossary of Terms and Abbi .317 alc ABS Agricultural Bank of Sudan ASF Agricultural Support Fund BWA Business Women Association DANIDA Danish International Development Agency DSRI Development Studies and Research Institute DFID Department for International Development, UK FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FCB Farmer Commercial Bank, Sudan FINIDA Department for International Development Co-operation, Finland FNC Forests National Corporation FRC Federal Rule Chamber GAD Gender and Development GCRT Gender Centre for Research and Training, Khartoum, Sudan GoS Government of the Sudan GROs Grassroots Organizations HDA Human Development Approach IAAS Institute of African and Asians Studies, University of Khartoum IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD-CCU IFAD Central Coordination Unit IFPRI International Food Policy Research Institute IMF International Monetary Fund ISS Institute for Security Studies MAAI Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Irrigation (State) MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Federal) MESA Ministry of Education and Social Affairs (State) MFNE Ministry of Finance and National Economic CDS Comprehensive Development Strategy, Sudan NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations NKRDP North Kordofan Rural Development Project ODA Overseas Development Administration, UK ODI Overseas Development Institute, UK OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development WB-PDLG World Bank-Participatory Development Working Group PDW Popular Development Works SAPs Structural Adjustment Programs SCOVA Sudan Council of Voluntary Agencies SDD Sudanese Diners SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SOS Sahel International, UK SPLA/M Sudan People's Liberation Army, Movement UNDP United Nations Development Program UNEP United Nations Environment Program UNICEF United Nations Children and Education Fund UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services UNRISD United Nations Research Institute for Social Development USAID United States Agency for International Development VDOs Village Development Organizations WB World Bank WFP United Nations World Food Program WID Women in Development WRI World Resources Institute Fere7grd John Overton Dr Nawal El-Gack's book on participatory development in the Sudan is unique and illuminating, making an important contribution to development thinking. This is particularly so because it reflects insights of the author at several levels: as one who was born and raised in this fascinating country; one who has worked as a development practitioner for both NGOs and multilateral organizations in Sudan and the wider region and experienced firsthand both effective and ineffective approaches to development; as a woman, who has witnessed the personal struggles and resourcefulness of some of the most vulnerable people in this country; and, importantly, as one who completed in-depth research into the development of Sudan for her PhD thesis. These are unique insights, for rarely have researchers had such a balance of practice and theory and not often do we see in a book such as these insider perspectives on development: those of practitioners, women and Sudanese. Nawal El-Gack brings all of these roles and insights to bear on the topic of participatory development. Particularly since publication of Kothari and Cooke's book 'Participation: the New Tyranny?' in 2001, development theorists and practitioners have debated the strengths and weaknesses of this approach to development which is centered on facilitating people-led, empowering development. El-Gack's book adds considerably to discourse on participatory development by demonstrating that efforts to enhance local development should be centered on an in-depth understand of culture and society, including existing resources and institutions, and should be cognizant of the broader political, social and economic contexts. Nawal writes with passion and concern about the need for effective participation but in ways which build on and enhance established local institutions and practices of participation. Too often, development agencies insist on participation in ways that they determine and which overlook how local people interact and come to collective decisions. Practitioners and academics will learn much from this study. Whilst participation has become part of development orthodoxy, there is a continuing need to subject it to critical scrutiny and to seek ways to localize and align participatory practices with the resources, values and protocols of particular communities. This book gives us strong leads as to how this might be achieved. Prof. John Overton School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Prof Regina Scheyvens Development Studies Programme Massey University, New Zealand II Preface The concept of participation in development has attracted much discussion since the early 1970s. Although the fundamental concepts have been ultimately