Partnership against poverty

MS Denmark is focusing, especially the personnel assistance. Here are abstracts from the Secretary General Lars Udsholt’s presentation

MS is now diversifying its personnel input and focusing it to make it more relevant and cost-effective.

A new paper addressing the issues is drafted and will be presented to the General Assembly for final approval in April.

The new paper entails continuity as well as change. Continuity since the new paper builds on and expands many of the strategies contained in Solidarity through Partnership; change since in certain areas Partnership against Poverty provides a new strategic thrust:

• Poverty eradication will stand out as the ultimate long-term goal of the MSiS programme, in terms of the more concrete activities in the programme, poverty reduction is the short-term goal.
• To enhance effectiveness of the programme a more political approach to poverty will be pursued directed against the root causes as the main thrust.
• Intercultural co-operation will no longer be an overall goal of the MSiS programme. It will be an important means to achieve poverty reduction. However, for MS as a whole ICC will remain an overall goal as contained in the vision and mission statement.
• There should be more emphasis on empowerment, advocacy, networking and alliance building. The policy in particular emphasises importance of links to global civil society and expanded use of exchange programmes involving individuals and institutions and engaging both student interns and professionals.
• More flexible use of Development Workers and expanded use of South Development Workers.

How will it influence MS Uganda?

In several ways the new paper has been inspired by MS Uganda policies, notably the emphasis on governance as part of a viable poverty reduction strategy. The paper also echoes MS Uganda experience of ‘a steady trend among partners of moving from service delivery towards empowerment and advocacy’.

In two particular areas one might expect changes as part of the review of the current MS Uganda policy paper:

• More focused and flexible use of personnel, including the use of South Development Workers
• More explicit strategies for how to link Uganda programme activities to ongoing regional and international CSO networks.

But I would also emphasise that MS Uganda and its partners have very valuable experience to offer to other MS programmes, in particular with regard to the solid work done on governance issues.