Coverage: Focal areas under this theme include: community economic development (such as creating linkage to the markets); community capacity building (empowering communities to plan and initiate development); social capital formation (e.g. health, education, water and sanitation); political participatory development (e.g. adaptive governance systems, political and fiscal devolution); community-based natural resource management (including community forest management initiatives, including climate change adaptation); asset-based community development (e.g. infrastructure development); community-based participatory monitoring and evaluation (PME) – which empowers communities to monitor the implementation, performance and impact of community-driven development initiatives; community mobilization – including enhanced community stakeholder participation across all socio groups; and, gender equity, which includes going beyond mere participation in development initiatives to improved livelihood empowerment of women and girls. The empowerment of other disadvantaged socio groups such as the disabled, the aged, the terminally ill and the youth are also dealt with.

Qualifications of Consultants: Staff working in this space have vast experience, skills, and knowledge in fields such as development, sociology, anthropology, economics, gender studies, and agricultural development. They also have extensive experience working with communities and applying various participatory methods. They have over ten years of post-qualification experience in facilitating community-led development, including at least five years collaborating with government bodies, international agencies, NGOs, or development consultancies. They possess practical expertise in combining participatory methods with quantitative approaches, backed by strong writing skills that translate complex research into clear, compelling narratives.