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All substantial pro-poor business development initiatives require partners. Western Province is in most respects an economic desert where businesses fear to tread and the main employer is the government, as provider of services. While regulation is the key role of government, there are still substantial numbers of staff in departments of agriculture and other agencies, and administration is very strong on the ground. Every location has a chief.
From the outset the intention of Farmers Own was to work with Government agencies, particularly administration and agricultural departments as these are the significant strengths for development on the ground. For purposes of learning lessons and securing a two way channel of communication between upper and lower echelons we remain in liaison with the Ministry of Planning and National Development (MOPND), particularly with the Poverty Eradication Commission that operates from within MOPND.
The current programme arose after a successful pilot operation was carried out. The Provincial Commissioner of the day urged forward a process of project formulation, one that would expand upon what was regarded as an excellent approach to poverty eradication. A team of consultants was fielded and in due course drafts circulated to government officials at Provincial, District and Divisional levels as well as to a set of farmer groups. All this culminated in a mandating operation hosted by the Provincial Commissioner in 2004, when government and private sector agreed to develop a public private sector partnership, a key component of government policy.
MOPND is the upper echelon contact point agreed for purposes of sharing information, pointing out lessons, needs and policy issues, and generally operating a two way channel of information. This operation is intended to be half yearly liaison, with a consolidation of technical results and lessons from performance reviews at grass roots, through the Districts and the Province.
The programme was subsequently launched by the Provincial Director of Agriculture in the final quarter of 2006. It was agreed that the formalities of co-operation would be agreed as part of the implementation process.
rom the outset the key officials for purposes of co-operation have been chiefs and agricultural officers. Chiefs have been most helpful as they are the key leaders in the locations. Without exception chiefs have welcomed the programme and assisted in spreading the work. In the offices of the Divisions and Districts agricultural officers have also been helpful and provided much guidance. In some cases there is already regular attendance at meetings of each side and assistance in providing land for planting observations has been initiated, all in just a few short months.
There is only so much time that a government officer can allocate unless the Farmers Own programme is built into the officers work programme with resources to meet need. Farmers Own is working to develop a meeting in coming months to bring together government and farmers with a view to accelerating the formal development of public private sector partnership.
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