Process of Community Consultation in Development Programs

Consulting the primary stakeholders of a development program on the design, deployment and outcomes of a program should be de rigueur in development organizations, whether governmental or non-governmental, public or private. The movement to involve people in development began in the 1980s and has grown strong roots ever since. The social development sector has made several changes in its frame of reference to engage and empower communities. In this changing landscape the recipients of development action have staked claim to be treated as ?consumers? rather than as ?beneficiaries?. As consumers any individual or group has rights that are not normatively available to beneficiaries. The emergence of the idea of community participation in the development process into the light of sustainable development thought sometime in the decade of 1980s coincided with demographic changes in India in favor of the young. To truly reap the benefits of the demographic dividend it enjoyed, India had to prime its public policy and governance systems to involve the youth. But, community participation extends to the entire community, not just the youth. This has a special bearing on the skill development sector since the sector delivers most of its value to trainees through private sector Skill Training Providers (STP). STPs work for profit but they have the potential for multiplying their impact if they embrace the idea of community consultation in their program-designing and deploying skill programs that are demanded by communities. Community consultation makes communities feel empowered as the researcher has pointed out in his article. Community participation norms must apply to skill development programs in India to make such programs REAL-Relevant Enterprising Accessible and Localized - for sustainable impact which would include regular incomes, reduction of distress migration, strengthening of human dignity and promoting familial cohesion and support.