Social Mobilisation (COs, VOs, LSOs)

The EU-funded Sindh Union Council and Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCCESS) Programme is based on the Rural Support Programmes’ (RSPs) social mobilisation approach to Community Driven Development (CDD).

Social Mobilisation centers around the belief that poor people have an innate potential to help themselves; and that they can better manage their limited resources if they organise and are provided technical and financial support. The RSPs under the SUCCESS Programme provide social guidance, and technical and financial assistance to the rural poor in Sindh.

The social mobilisation strategy of the SUCCESS is based on the development of partnerships between the rural poor and the Rural Support Programmes (RSPs). The RSPs’ objective is to help communities form the Community Organisations (COs) of 15-25 poor households, subsequently federating into Village-level Organisation (VOs), and finally the creation of an apex body of Village Organisations at the Union Council level called Local Support Organisation (LSOs).

The LSOs form higher-level (Tehsil or District) LSO networks for collaboration and cooperation with government departments, donors, NGOs, and other stakeholders.

The RSP’s social mobilisation process involves building capacities of people, focusing on the poor and women to organise, and manage their own organisations, and link these into government services, to increase the outreach and accountability of government to the people.

The SUCCESS programme provides resources to the RSPs to: train a cadre of community leaders i.e. Presidents and Managers of community institutions (COs/VOs/LSOs) to lead and run the community institutions; and train a cadre of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) with sector-specific knowledge to impart know-how on a range of topics such as education, family planning, nutrition, health and civic rights to communities.

Once the community institutions are formed, every CO member prepares a Micro Investment Plan (MIP), and decides how she will increase income. Based on MIP the eligible members are provided one or multiple support from the following components of the programme.

• The poor make profitable choices through the Micro Investment Plan for CIF loans, IGGs and training that are consistent with their resources and local markets (RSPN Self Evaluation Report 2018).

• Increase in women’s confidence and greater say in household decision making

• Increased mobility for some (esp. community leaders).