Community introductory workshops prioritizing development activities

The Advancing Community Empowerment (ACE) project, funded by USAID, has been conducting Community Introductory Workshops (CIWs) at the village level to help communities assess their needs and prioritize activities for development in their villages. The project staff visit villages and collect socio-economic information to complement baseline assessment data and make inquiries with community leaders to determine interest in the project objectives.

Willing communities engage in a participatory CIW, after which community members decide whether to participate in the project. The workshop can also provide the community a clear picture of ACE’s approaches and the importance of their contribution in development efforts. Over the course of the ACE project, it is anticipated that CIWs will be conducted in at least 280 villages within the ACE’s priority townships in the southeastern part of the country.

The project will guide communities as they learn about, identify and choose their preferred model of village-level decision-making. Through hands-on learning and peer exchanges, the project will provide support to these community groups to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to lead in identifying and prioritizing development challenges, and planning and mobilizing a response.