The Government of Jamaica’s (GOJ) reform program in the 1990s, aimed at transforming the Jamaican economy to a market-driven one, produced high growth indicators, but resulted in a reduction in expenditures on social services. During this period of rapid reforms, political policies gradually replaced the influence of local community groups, who had for decades been active in promoting a strong social conscience and support network. The loss of independence and effectiveness of these community organisations was cited as one of the main contributing factors leading to the lack of social cohesion within Jamaican society present by the mid-1990s.
In a renewed effort to combat these challenges, the GOJ developed a Social Agenda, combining public modernization and specific sectoral reforms with an emphasis on poverty eradication. A significant component of this agenda was the National Poverty Eradication Program (NPEP), which aimed to identify and implement participatory solutions to the pressing issues of poverty, violence, and stagnant development.
In 1998, CIDA contracted FIT to manage the Enhancing Civil Society Project (ECSP) aimed at supporting the objectives of the NPEP by strengthening the capacity of CBOs involved in sustainable community driven projects. Through capacity building, training and management support, FIT empowered local community based organizations (CBOs) in Jamaica to tackle pressing development issues by means of community involvement.
The purpose of the project was to empower civil society at the community level by strengthening the capacity of CBOs to engage their communities in addressing their development needs in a sustainable manner; and in deepening their interest in and understanding of civil society issues
The Enhancing Civil Society Project (ECSP) enabled civil society to reassert its role by creating opportunities for community-based organizations (CBOs) to strengthen their capacities to address local issues, including those related to governance. ECSP’s responsive funding mechanism provided small grants to CBOs to support community-driven projects, as well as technical assistance to implement these projects, while ensuring that members have the skills and capabilities to continue to effectively manage their organizations over the long-term. The projects supported through ECSP represent a diverse range of activities and sectors, all with the underlying goal of improving the socio-economic base of their communities in a manner that is sustainable and contributes to community cohesion.
The Project also built connections among CBOs and larger support organizations through national forums and workshops. These events encouraged networking, information sharing and relationship building, and provided a forum through which organizations built their vision of Jamaican civil society. As part of ECSP’s strategy to build partnership, the project worked in collaboration with local government agencies and the Parish Development Committees (PDCs) to incorporate communities in a mechanism to enable and foster civil society participation in local governance. Central to these achievements the promotion of genuine participation of CBOs and communities in local governance and the strengthening of PDCs to recognize the need for meaningful community input in community planning.
Through our experience in Jamaica we have learned a great deal about the potential, challenges and ultimately the power of civil society as a force for change and positive community development.