Participatory Development Praxis: A Case Study from Pakistan’s Punjab

Abstract

A programme, which began with the goal of overcoming poverty in rural Punjab within a decade, is historically unprecedented in this province for both its magnitude and complexity of effort. It was therefore clear from its inception that the PRSP would have to bring together a talented team of managers, each of whom could combine creativity with commitment. The challenge was to create a work culture in which this creativity and commitment could be sustained through an intensive work schedule and collective synergy. Since we were facing a unique set of circumstances in each of the eight regions where we started work, it was necessary to develop a management system that permitted sufficient space to each member of the team for independent thought and action, while at the same time, creating an environment for collective reflection and conceptualisation through which we could deepen the quality of social action. This report attempts to present the principles underlying the initial management style and work procedures of PRSP, while also reporting on the strategic plan we devised through initial field visits, the objectives we specified for the programme and the remarkable results that were achieved in the first four months.