Methodology
The Hunger Project works 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 people at the grassroots level to build self-reliance
- Empowering women as key change agents; and
- Forging partnerships with local government.
The Hunger Project's approach is different from the conventional, top-down planning used by many development agencies and governments. These top-down approaches follow a service-delivery model and often undermine our most important resource: the creativity and self-reliance of people living in conditions of hunger and poverty themselves.
The below table shows why the top-down, service-delivery approach so often fails, and why the bottom-up, empowerment approach succeeds.
Service Delivery vs. Empowerment
| 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. |