This pilot developed a process for stakeholder participation in local economic planning for four districts in Tamil Nadu.
Background
This pilot project by Centre for Development Finance, in association with The Asia Foundation, focused on developing a process for stakeholder participation in local economic planning.
Approach
Four pilot districts were chosen for this project: Thanjavur, Namakkal, Thiruvallur and Chennai. A detailed study of the districts was undertaken along with intensive efforts to bring together a set of stakeholders for each district. Utmost care was taken to ensure a wide stakeholder participation in the PPD, both from the government, private and the social entrepreneur segments.
The pilot process envisaged having a local public-private dialogue (PPD) to:
• Enhance awareness of issues among local communities.
• Create a process that helps community members reach a consensus about priorities
• Build a bridge between community stakeholders, local, and higher levels of government by creating a platform for clear communication about priorities.
Implications
Learnings from the engagement can assist in measuring and representing local conditions to inform state and national policy, and the study team will document both the outcomes of the PPDs as well as our experience in convening and conducting them.