Aid to developing countries: The importance

of the human factorA presentation on new trends and best practices

October 26, 2011Church of the Holy Family

Crossroads Cultural Center AVSI–USA The World Youth Alliance

In collaboration with International Catholic Organizations Network

Aid to Developing Countries: The Importance of the Human Factor

A Case Study of AVSI in Brazil

October 26, 2011

Jackie Aldrette

AVSI-USA

www.avsi-usa.org

Outline

I. Quick Introduction to AVSI

II. Why this Case Study?

III. Context: Salvador, Brazil

IV. Overview of Project• Phases• Method

V. Impact

VI. AVSI’s Method

VII. Conclusions

AVSI Foundation is a not for profit, non-governmental organization, founded in Italy in 1972 and presently active, with more than 110 long-term projects, in 38 developing countries of Africa, Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

AVSI Mission

To support human development in developing countries with special attention to education and the promotion of the dignity of every human person according to Catholic Social Teaching .

Sectors of Work

●Education, Child Development and Family Support ● Health Care and Prevention ●Agriculture, Food Security and Environment ●Urban Upgrading ●Vocational Training and Economic Strengthening ●Emergency Assistance

AVSI Network

AVSI links together 24 NGO’s, most of which are local institutions in non-western countries, into a global Network.

AVSI-USA

AVSI’s headquarters are in Milan and Cesena, Italy. Since 2000, AVSI-USA has been in existence to support the work done by AVSI and partner organizations throughout the world, and to liaise with institutional and private donors based in the U.S. Offices are in NY and DC.

II. Why This Case Study?AVSI Foundation is currently implementing over 100 long-term development and relief programs around the world, and many more initiatives with local partner organizations.

We have chosen to present today the experience in Urban Upgrading in the city of Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil as a Case Study that has

achieved high, sustained impact locally on a range of indicators;been scaled-up to reach a significant population; andaffected public policy in Brazil and internationally.

Our goal is to give you some insight into the actual project and how this impact was achieved, and in doing so illustrate the AVSI method of development. In doing so we hope to articulate some of the lessons learned for effective human and social development.

AVSI Method

1) Person at the Center

2) Start from the Positive

3) Doing With

4) Civil Society & Subsidiarity

5) Partnership

III. Context – Salvador, Brazil-Fast paced growth and significant urbanization as area became hub for industrialization

-High levels of inequality and internal migration due in part to various economic crises of 1970s and on

-Highest rate of unemployment in the country

-Significant housing crisis as migrants progressively occupied more and more land expanding into mangrove swamps, over landfills and eventually into the Bay of all Saints (taking advantage of commercially unattractive land and legal ambiguities)

-Important mobilization of informal settlers served both to make demands known/ engage in policy discussion and to hinder productive collaboration with public authorities

IV. Overview of Project Starting point before AVSI arrived:

Huge need to address informal slums, in particular stilt houses over the Bay of all Saints

1973-1984 Government of Salvador invests in upgrading, removal of stilt houses, and relocation of families. Initial success.

1986 New invasions of the area resumed. Stilt house settlement went even further into the Bay of All Saints and in surrounding areas. Medium term failure.

Lesson Learned: The focus only on provision of infrastructure and housing without 1) involvement of the people and 2) attention to social needs of a community made the effort unsustainable.

(1994-2000) Pilot Project in Novos Alagados

Integrated and participatory poverty reduction methodology that combined physical improvements with substantial investment in social projects

Three Principles1. Strengthen community and civic organizations2. Basic sanitation works, construction of new houses and improvements

to new dwellings3. Environmental recovery of estuary and coastal areas

Main innovation:acceptance by the public authorities of the enhanced level of involvement by the slum population itself, accomplished through:

Initial information collecting and relationship building with people Involving existing community-based associations in all aspects of the

design and implementation of program: Social Action Plan Extensive socio-economic studies done by AVSI with local participation

Project Operation/Management Arrangement Model

•Managing Committee•Participation in design and execution•Organize relations with community, governmental actors and private sector

•Managing Committee•Participation in design and execution•Organize relations with community and governmental actors

•Managing Committee•Organize relations with community and governmental actors

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS

State Government

City GovernmentAVSI

Person

(2001- 2005) Features of the PATS’ Program

PATS: Technical and Social Support Project, for the Ribeira Azul Area

Involved World Bank, Cities Alliance, Italian Cooperation, Bahia State Government, Salvador municipal government, AVSI + 70 local associations

AVSI in charge of execution of planned interventions and on-site coordination of social development plan

Challenge: to scale-up pilot project and methodology to a much larger area (15,000 residents to 150,000 residents), required complex institutional and financial arrangements

(2005- present) New Scaling-up: Viver Melhor II

The Bahia Poor Urban Areas Integrated Development Project – Dias Melhores

→ World Bank funding secured in 2005

→ Aimed at expanding the PATS methodology to other areas within the state of Bahia

Status: Still on-going today, AVSI holding PATS contract with the World Bank, Cities Alliance. Significant international attention.

Methodology – what does participation really mean?1) Engaging existing local organizations – recognizing their value

• Capacity building and training • Opportunities to present proposals and receive funding• Encouraged participation in community meetings, important

for voicing opinions regarding relocation, design of new houses, etc

• Empowered to play role in monitoring the project, ensuring maintenance of new infrastructure and monitoring that new invasions did not occur in newly protected bay shoreline

2) Extensive community meetings and planning sessions 3) Creative ways of involving small businesses and cooperatives

Increased time + money + patience invested up-front = Increased social capital and local capacity (long-term benefits hard to measure) + greater acceptance and local ownership (long-term sustainability of results)

A small cultural organization in Novos Alagdos which organizes dance, capoeira, and cultural activities that provide recreation and education.

PATS helped to:

•formalize the organization and seek registration with local authorities• provide resources and contacts for staff training on administration, accounting, finance and project development• develop identity and sense of the role that they have in the community • expand activities to include literacy classes, vocational training for women•foster networking with other agencies and government initiatives that can sustain activities over time

“Normally government support in terms of cash

goes to larger institutions. For us, the best way of obtaining support has

been to organize ourselves in a kind of network. We are now

more aware of the importance of working together rather than

merely as individuals.”- Raimilton Carvalho

Example: The Instituto Cabricultura

V. Impact

• Important Gains in terms of – Physical restoration– Environmental recovery – Social and community development

• External Evaluations done: – World Bank Poverty and Social Impact Analysis

(PSIA), 2004 – 2005 – Results evaluation by University of Trento

Infrastructural outputs Managed and funded by the State of

Bahia:

1268 pile-dwellings were removed;

984 families moved into new houses;

373 micro-houses were built (191 financed

by PATS);

221 houses were upgraded (101 financed by

PATS);

52,643 sq.m. of mangrove area were rebuilt

or preserved;

17 km of street were asphalted; and

Access roads and access to basic services

were provided extensively: water, sewers,

electricity, street cleaning and rubbish

collection, etc.

Social Development Outputsmanaged by AVSI:

•73 CBOs were strengthened;

•13 community structures were built or

restructured/extended;

•1,339 social workers were trained;

•78 social projects were completed in the fields of education,

family, health, jobs and income, and environment education;

•7 job cooperatives were established or launched in the

following sectors: textiles, fishing, food-processing, and

building;

•306 people were trained in vocational courses;

•240 community members were contracted as builders;

•79 kindergarten teachers were trained through a course of

infant education involving both theory and practice; and

•562 young people took part in sports, cultural, and/or

recreational events

Access to community services in Novos Alagados

Services 2000 2006

Street cleaning and rubbish collection 50% 80%

Connection to water network 37% 71%

Connection to electric network 72% 88%

Connection to sewerage 21% 84%

Houses without a bathroom 31% 3%

Comparison of Years 2000 and 2006

VII. AVSI Method

1) Person at the Center

2) Start from the Positive

3) Doing With

4) Civil Society & Subsidiarity

5) Partnership

Exciting Replications, currently on-going

Brazil- City of Olinda

Mozambique - Maputo

For more information:

AVSI website in Italian www.avsi.org

AVSI-USA www.avsi-usa.org

Cities Alliance publication http://www.citiesalliance.org/ca/node/695

Email: infoavsi-usa@avsi.org

Aid to developing countries: The importance

of the human factorA presentation on new trends and best practices

October 26, 2011Church of the Holy Family

Crossroads Cultural Center AVSI–USA The World Youth Alliance

In collaboration with International Catholic Organizations Network