2-Relevance for All Actors

To strengthen their capacity for self-sustainability, several development initiatives strive to make their project relevant not only for a select few, but for all the people they may impact now or in the future.

Initiatives that seek to be relevant to everyone involved usually question who their project is aimed towards, and whether the different needs, interests, conditions, priorities and even ways of working of those involved are all being taken into account. They realize that without these considerations, they run the risk of giving more weight to the voices of those with greater resources, knowledge or power. And what is more, initiatives tend to achieve more comprehensive and locally relevant development when the participation of local communities or traditionally disadvantaged groups is also sought (i.e., these projects are more sustainable).

These development projects try to be fair to the different interests, goals and aspirations of individuals, communities and institutions, because every initiative –no matter how small it is or how focused its goals are– impacts and is impacted by individuals as well as collectives, and by its local as well as its global context. Initiatives that seek more sustainable development models have come to realize how important it is that all these interests are negotiated fairly and with balance as a goal.

To achieve this objective, some projects encourage local participation and, in conjunction with different communities and individuals, design solutions that comprehensively respond to diverse needs. Others facilitate relevant education and training programs to promote people’s ability to participate, organize and negotiate more equitably. And when designed to reflect the needs and interests of all, feedback mechanisms can also be a good way of promoting equity.

The more you are aware of the factors that are diminishing the self-sustainability of your project, the better you will be able to tackle and solve them in the long-term. Who is it that benefits from your development initiative? How compatible is your initiative with global development priorities, and how compatible is it with local development needs? Are you taking the values, knowledge, customs, opinions, needs and interests of the local population into account? Could you improve in this regard?