The ministry of rural development (MRD) has facilitated a three day training workshop for small Malaita constituency stakeholders.
The workshop was attended by all stakeholders who have operated development projects within the constituency.
It was facilitated by Matilda Watesao, Melina Sese, and Patrick Balou Wilson the key technical people from MRD, providing technical advices and supports to constituency development plans, organising, and managing.
The aim of the workshop involved; planning, creating, and developing linkages and a networking strategy that will enhance the work of the Constituency Development Committee (CDC).
The aim is supported by the MRD policy goals, mission and vision statements.
Furthermore, MRD is looking at establishing a friendly development working relationship with the provincial government, community base organisations and leaders, as well as the rural base business and the private sectors.
On the other hand, MRD under its rural development programs is determining an effective and efficient networking system that enables a vibrant working environment for rural development priority areas.
To further support the following ideas MRD is working on building working relationship and partnership with relevant stakeholders who share the same working objectives, further, MRD is also working on identifying from its participating stakeholders their development project objectives and activities, development networking structures, current project operating sites, and available resources, expertise, skills, and knowledge to ensure accessible and reliable flow of development information and resources within the constituency of Small Malaita.
MRD’s expectation of the workshop is establishing a rural development strategic constituency networking system, focusing on strengthening the internal and external networking and partnership approach to rural development as well as an effective, efficient, and reliable participatory approach towards the MRD Rural Development Policy Implementation programs.
With this, the workshop focuses on reporting and awareness, planning, organising, and consultation, including networking and partnership.
The workshop is part of the CDF Act which encourages the establishment of the Constituency Office and the Constituency Development Committee (CDC) which will work alongside the Constituency Office as a Steering Committee that will drive the development aspirations of the Small Malaita Constituency.
The formation of the CDC is carefully identified among the existing set- ups or structures that lead from the villages, wards, constituency, and up to provincial level.
The election of the CDC members are done among the community leaders, church leaders, youth leaders, women leaders, children leaders, provincial leaders, provincial line ministries, and the local (community base organisations) and international NGOs representatives to ensure equal representation of the CDC members.
CDC committee will represent and work on behalf of the people of the constituency and the constituency office which will liaise directly with MRD head office.
Most participants, particularly those from the village level really appreciate the approach taken to facilitate the workshop, particularly the model or the strategy taken to establish constituency linkages that make up a development networking strategy, it is well represented and will encourage fair distribution of services and equal participation in decision making processes.
“We are been hoping and wishing for such an approach or the constituency networking structure that MRD is bringing to the constituency. This will enhance our work as village improvement workers”…. Daniel Ahuikela representing the community base organisations (CBOs).
MRD in its development approach will ensure fair representation of gender differences, age differences, the minorities, the disabilities, the marginalized, religions, ethnicities, education differences, and so forth.
Similar workshop will be implemented in rest of the constituencies later in the year. Small Malaita and East Choiseul constituency are two constituencies that will be used as a model to trial the constituency networking strategy developed by Patrick Balou Wilson, the technical advisor to constituency development planning.
Mr. Wilson is currently facilitating the process to ensure equal participation in development for constituencies.
The workshop ended with the establishment of the constituency development committee. The CDC committee is finally established and comprises of the representatives from the Small Malaita Council of Chiefs, constituency base NGOs and CBOs, women and youth groups, provincial and national Government, including churches.
