Role of civil society in the implementation of poverty alleviaton programmes

Abstract

Participation of civil society in the implementation of public policy has been a consistent thrust of the transformation agenda of the South African democratic government. The whole thrust has been that people need to participate in their own development and take ownership of the process. A vibrant and diverse civil society is, therefore, important in consolidating and sustaining democracy as well as in holding government accountable. This article evaluates the extent to which programmes implemented by civil society, particularly in partnership with social development, are empowering and sustainable. Poverty alleviation has been a concern of all governments globally. As such governments have developed and implemented various public policies as a way to address the plight of poverty. The continued challenge of poverty in South Africa raises questions on the quality of participation of various actors in the policy process, the implementation of public policy and the approaches used. The high levels of poverty further calls for the evaluation of the extent to which strategies and programmes aimed at addressing poverty are sustainable in order to achieve long-term benefits and remove the poorest of the poor from the cycle of poverty. The findings of this study indicate that programmes implemented by civil society organisations (CSOs) are still far from being sustainable given the capacity challenges, limited funding and lack of vision on how to mobilise resources for the future. If South Africa has to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving poverty by 2014, then this research points to a rethinking in the involvement and participation of CSOs in poverty alleviation. It calls for a paradigm shift that is completely non-bureaucratic, allowing the development of systems for capacity building and funding that will allow CSOs to participate effectively in the implementation of programmes.