Empowering the poor through civil society organisations in India

Civil society is central to the fight against poverty. For this reason the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) established the Poorest Area of Civil Society (PACS) Programme in 2001 to help build capacity among civil society organisations (CSOs) in India's poorest areas. The programme is building organisations' capacity to equip the poor to exercise their rights and entitlements. By the end of 2005, the PACS programme had reached 15,300 villages across 85 districts. For many, the PACS programme has brought the poorest communities their first interaction with a non-governmental organisation. With PACS' help, community-based organisations (CBOs) have been formed with a total of more than 210,000 members. They are helping the poor to organise themselves into a more influential group that can voice their concerns over services affecting them.

There is still much to be done. Recognising that further support is needed to sustain Phase I's achievements, DFID has begun a second phase, which Crown Agents is designing. Our approach includes consultations with major stakeholders for a thorough understanding of the main issues, leading to a comprehensive analysis and clear recommendations for reducing poverty still further.