withering away of the center, but a joint venture or partnership among different levels of government and civil society groups. Facilitate the reaching of common ground where there is a convergence of<sup>interestsfor</sup> the benefit of all.

Based on social/institutional analysis, bring stakeholders together to examine how best they can make use of the resources and authority they will get from CDD. Explain how importance social inclusion is, how traditional attitudes to women and minorities need to give way to a new approach. Use the entire participatory process to try and create shared values. Well-designed CDD will enable traditionally voiceless groups to gain voice, and assist the emergences of a new set of shared values. Communities that function regularly in the new participative manner will find traditional discriminatory attitudes changing.

_9.2 Making sue every stakeholder undersan his/her new fnctions ad how to do them_ The major changes in institutions and mind-set required by CDD require clear-cut agreement on what precisely each stakeholder will do. These commitments should be formalized in the initiative's participation action plan (for details see Annex 3). The participation action plan should be reviewed and upgraded periodically by key stakeholders. It should equip them with the relevant training and tools (see Annex table 1).

1. Host participatory events to reach agreement/commitment from key stakeholders on the new allocation of functions for each level and stakeholder group. Participants should determine which stakeholder groups will undertake the preparation of relevant manuals (see annex 1). _reae an overal operational manual._ This needs to include manuals for all sub-functions and levels.

2. Insist on simplicity in procedures and rules, reduction of steps and intermediaries, and reduction of overlapping functions.

3. Disseminate the new roles and tasks through a well-designed communication strategy. This should involve the media as well as face-to-face training, as in the Gaoua case.

4. Facilitate learning by doing. Also facilitate interchange of experience of practitioners at each level, and between levels.

# _9.3 Droviding incentives compatible wihprogram objectives_

This is required in any program, but more so in a program that aims to change mind-sets and institutions. Field-tested roll-out logistics can help unearth incentive issues, and help design an incentive-compatible operational manual. Some examples:

1. Managers and project staff should initially have incentives related to CDD outcomes rather than disbursement. In the initiation stage, the participatory process needs to focus on creating the right processes rather than disbursing quickly, and managerial incentives should be tailored accordingly. Once the processes are well established, disbursement will pick up, and their expansion should then become an objective and be monitored. 42

> 41 It is advisable to identify these stakeholder groups as early as possible by conducting thorough stakeholder and institutional analyses, focusing on how important they are for the success of the initiative and what degree of influence they can exert over **it.** In most cases primary stakeholders and other disempowered groups, such as local level bodies, are very important yet yield the least influence. Special care might then be necessary to ensure their real participation and emnpowerment.

> 42 WordBank. Sourcebook for Communitv-Driven Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, Washington<sup>D.C., June2002.</sup>

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