Emerging decentralization reforms in Myanmar have meant that subnational governments are beginning to gain broader responsibilities, such as budgeting and development planning. President Thein Sein has declared that the country will follow a “people-centered development”approach yet state level actors have little experience with participatory processes.
To this end, MIID has been working with the Chin State Government to produce inputs to the state’s Comprehensive Development Plan. In this project, MIID supported state level authorities and community stakeholders throughout the nine townships in Chin State to identify their development needs and priorities using sector-wide needs assessments, community-based focus group discussions, and a participatory planning process. The plan was developed by engaging various national, state, township and community-level stakeholders from the public, private and the civil society sector.
During the planning process all major sectors of the Chin State economy and social sphere have been examined and extensive forums were conducted in which the Chin People and government could articulate and jointly address problems and aspirations.
The initiative has produced both a report on the Comprehensive Development Plan and also a collection of Project Proposals (valuing over $70 million USD in total) for the government, NGOs and other interested parties to implement within the state.