Service delivery

Project activities which have the purpose of delivering specific services within e.g. health care and education may be supported. However, it is necessary to be aware of the adverse experience gained from many such service delivery activities in terms of limited impact, lack of local ownership and sustainability. Therefore, DMCDD can only support this type of activities provided they respect the following principles:

1. Service delivery projects should always be undertaken together with advocacy and capacity building, so that the target group (the poor, both men and women) is afforded increased political capacity and ability to influence structural causes of poverty, e.g. lack of basic services in the health- and education sector and lack of equal opportunities for both genders.

2. The specific distribution of roles between state interventions and civil society activities must always be analysed and respected in order to avoid duplication of effort and the establishment of parallel structures. DMCDD wishes to contribute to greater governmental responsibility, especially in health and education, and do not wish to support activities that take over state duties, but want to encourage public/private partnership in both the health and education sectors for the benefit of the poor especially in the rural areas, where governmental services often are lacking.