What Works: Top-down or Bottom-up?

Public attention to world hunger and abject poverty is growing, as is a debate about foreign aid. While most of the debate has focused on the amount of aid, there has also been growing controversy about the effectiveness of aid. Supporters of increased foreign aid point to successes such as the eradication of smallpox, yet critics point to the enormous failures. As the economist William Easterly points out in a recent book, with 50 years and US$2.3 trillion in foreign aid, there is very little to show for it.

Easterly’s book underscores what The Hunger Project concluded in 1989 — that conventional top-down planning is not the answer, it is part of the problem. Top-down, service-delivery approaches are not only too inefficient and inflexible to make a dent in world hunger, they actually undermine the most important resource — the creativity and self-reliance of hungry people themselves.

School rebuilt by the people of Atuobikrom epicenter, Ghana.

Easterly distinguishes top-down “planners” from “searchers” working to discover solutions from the bottom up. For years, The Hunger Project has worked in partnership with grassroots people in Africa, Asia and Latin America to develop effective bottom-up strategies. We have discovered three critical elements that — when combined — empower people to make rapid progress in overcoming hunger and poverty:

· Mobilizing grassroots people for self-reliant action

· Intervening for gender equality

· Strengthening local democracy

You can play a vital role by having people come to understand why the top-down, service-delivery approach so often fails, and why the bottom-up, empowerment approach succeeds.

Service Delivery vs. Empowerment:

A NEW WAY OF THINKING ABOUT HUNGER AND ABJECT POVERTY

	THE CONVENTIONAL, TOP-DOWN SERVICE-DELIVERY MODEL	THE HUNGER PROJECT'S BOTTOM-UP EMPOWERMENT MODEL
Who are hungry people?	Beneficiaries whose basic needs must be met.	Principal authors and actors in development — hardworking, creative individuals who lack opportunities.
*What must be done?*	Provide services through government or charities.	Mobilize and empower people’s self-reliant action, and stand in solidarity with them for their success.
*What’s the primary resource for development?*	Money and the expertise of consultants and program managers.	People: their vision, mobilization, entrepreneurial spirit and confidence.
*Who is in charge?*	Donors, who provide the money and hold implementers to account.	Local people: through elected local leaders whom they hold to account.
*What are the main constraints?*	Bureaucracy: the inefficiency of the delivery system.	Social conditions: resignation, discrimination (particularly gender), lack of local leadership, lack of rights.
*What is the role of women?*	Vulnerable group who must be especially targeted beneficiaries.	Key producers who must have a voice in decision-making.
*What about social and cultural issues?*	Immutable conditions that must be compensated for.	Conditions that people can transform.
*How should we focus our work?*	Carefully target beneficiaries on an objective-needs basis.	Mobilize everyone as broadly as possible — build spirit and momentum of accomplishment.
*What is the role of central government?*	Operate centrally managed service-delivery programs.	Decentralize resources and decision-making to local level; build local capacity; set standards; protect rights.
*What is the role of local government?*	Implementing arm of central programs.	Autonomous leadership directly accountable to people.
What is the role of civil society?	Implementing arm of central programs.	Catalyst to mobilize people; fight for their rights; empower people to keep government accountable.