Planning from below : a decentralized participatory planning proposal / Marta Harnecker and José Bartolomé ; with the collaboration of Noel López ; translated by Federico Fuentes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harnecker, Marta, author.

Bartolomé, José, author.

Contributor:

López, Noel, contributor.

Fuentes, Federico, translator.

Language:

English

Spanish

Subjects (All):

Democratization.

Political participation.

Community development.

Political planning.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (368 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : Monthly Review Press, [2019]

Language Note:

In English and Spanish.

Summary:

A simple and revolutionary toolbox to help any group create an actual and functioning democracy In this book, Marta Harnecker, with Spanish economist José Bartolomé, shares some of her wisdom on how communities everywhere can gain empowerment.

Contents:

Cover

PLANNING FROM BELOW

Title

Copyright

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOLUME I. PLANNING FROM BELOW. A PROPOSAL OF DECENTRALIZED PARTICIPATORY PLANNING. THEORETICAL ASPECTS

FOREWORD

PREFACE

PART I. CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS

CHAPTER I. WHAT WE MEAN BY DECENTRALIZED PARTICIPATORY PLANNING

1) Seeking the greatest protagonism possible

2) What we mean by planning

3) Toward decentralized participatory planning

a) The need for planning to be participatory

b) The need for planning to be decentralized

4) Achievements and weaknesses of participatory budgets

5) Political importance of our proposal

CHAPTER II. VENEZUELA AND KERALA EXPERIENCES

1) The role of organized communities in Venezuela

a) What do we mean by community?

b) Unified plan that brings together all community initiatives

c) Promote community supervision

e) Ensuring an electoral result that reflects the will of the people

e) The Community Assembly: the maximum authority

f) Giving priority to actions over words and speeches

g) How to ensure a large and broad attendance

h) A team to help initiate the process

i) Handing over financial resources to small projects

j) Small public works that had a big impact in Santa Tecla, San Salvador

k) If there is a shortage of resources, hold a community project-ideas competition

2) The experience of decentralized participatory planning in Kerala

a) Three levels of local rural self-government

b) Transfer of resources and competencies

c) From the rural village to meetings in smaller areas: wards and neighborhood areass

d) Decentralization of important financial resources to the lower levels

e) Principles that govern the process

f) The contributions of the experiences of Kerala and Venezuela

CHAPTER III. LEVELS OF PLANNING AND TYPE OF PLANS.

1. TERRITORIAL DIVISIONS AND LEVELS OF PLANNING

1) Territorial distribution and corresponding levels of governments

2. A PLAN FOR EACH LEVEL

a) Development Plan

b) Annual Investment Plans

c) Budget

d) Immediate Action Plan

3. NATIONAL PLANNING SYSTEM

CHAPTER IV. NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR DECENTRALISED PARTICIPATORY PLANNING

1) Creation of suitable geographic planning units

2) Decentralising competencies

3) Decentralizing resources

a) Financial resources

b) Equipment and personnel

4) Technical Teams to promote the development of the process

5) Raising awareness among the population and key participants

a) Awareness raising days

b) Door-to-door visits

c) Raising awareness among key participants

d) The Internet and its limitations

e) Meeting spaces

f) Meeting times

6) Training participants

7) Prioritize according one's own resources

5) Generating a useful and accurate database

9) Information and transparency

CHAPTER V. PHASES IN THE PLANNING PROCESS

1. DEVELOPING THE PLAN

STEPS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS

First Step: Defining the desired changes (aspirations)

Second step: Setting out priorities

Third step: Explore alternative courses of action for implementing the changes

Fourth Step: Coming up with projects

Fifth Step: Drafting the Development plan, the Annual plan and the immediate action plan

2. IMPLEMENTION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF THE RESULTS

1) Implementation and monitoring

2) Evaluation of their results

3) Consolidating of what has been achieved

PART II. INSTANCES AND ACTORS

CHAPTER VI. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

1) Combination of direct democracy and delegated democracy

a) Direct democracy and its limits

b) Delegated democracy assemblies and direct democracy assemblies

c) Delegation strengthens democracy.

d) How to avoid a separation between the grassroots and their representatives

e) Citizens' participation in communities: a system of direct democracy

2) Public Forums

a) Thematic forums

b) Service forums

3) Training workshops

CHAPTER VII. ENTITIES AT THE HIGHER LEVELS

1) A Start Up Team

a) Legal framework

b) Identification of the geographical units where the process should be carried out

c) Guidelines for the decentralization

d) Formation of the municipal technical teams

2) Governmental coordination team

3) Distinguished Advisors Committee

4) Team of volunteer professionals and technicians

CHAPTER VIII. ENTITIES AND ACTORS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

1. TECHNICAL SUPPORT INSTANCIAS AND PARTICIPANTS WITHIN THEM

1).Planning and Budgetary Teams

a) At municipal, territorial and community level

b) Preparatory tasks of the Municipal Cabinet of Planning and Budget

c) Preparatory tasks of the Planning and Territorial Budget Teams

d) Preparatory tasks of the Community Planning Teams

e) Tasks of the Planning and Budget Teams during the process

2) Team of Animators

a) In the three levels

b) Preparatory tasks of the Teams of Animators

c) Tasks once the Planning Councils and Assemblies have been established

3) Territorial and Community Coordinators

4) Municipal Line Departments or Secretariats and other state entities

II. CITIZENS' PARTICIPATION ENTITIES

1) Planning Assemblies

a) Community Assemblies

b) Planning Assemblies based on a system of delegation

c) Tasks

d) Functioning

e) Sessions of the Assemblies

Constituent session to begin the process

First moment: to approve a unique listing of aspirations

Second moment: to approve the priorities

Third moment

to approve the different plans

f) Invitees

2) Planning Council

a) Guiding entity.

b) Tasks of the Planning Council

c) Councilors

d) Election of councilors

e) Councilors tasks

f) Duration of terms

g) Permanent invitees to Councils

h) Practical aspects of the functioning of the Councils

CHAPTER IX. OTHER ENTITIES

1). Working Groups and Working Teams

2) Group of Community Activists

APPENDICES

APPENDIX I. LEVELS OF DECENTRALIZATION AND COMPETENCIES

APPENDIX II. SYSTEM OF PARTICIPATION FLOW CHART

APPENDIX III. PROPOSALS

APPENDIX IV. TIMETABLE

APPENDIX V. CONSOLIDATING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION

1. COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND WORK AREAS

1) Thematic areas and working groups

a) Popular Economy and Endogenous Development

b) Education and Sports

c) Full Social Development

d) Housing, Infrastructure and Habitat

e) Culture

f) Communication and Information

g) Security and Defense

2) Taking natural inclinations into consideration when assuming tasks

2. COMMUNITY COUNCIL

1. Definition, function, principles and members' profile

a) What is a Community Council?

b) Who makes up the council?

c) Allow for flexibility when setting up the council

d). Its functions

e) Principles that should guide its actions

f) Members' profile

3. STRUCTURE OF THE COUNCIL

1) Executive

a) Functions

b) Composition

c) Spokespeople and not representatives

2) FInancial management Unit

3) Social Oversight Unit

4. ELECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS

1) Elections for the Executive

a) Who can be a spokesperson?

b) Spokespeople proposed by Working Groups

c) Spokespeople proposed directly in the Citizen's Assembly

2) Election to the Financial Management Unit

3) Election to the Social Oversight Unit

5. CITIZEN'S ASSEMBLY: THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY

1) Quorum4

2) Functions of the Citizen's Assembly.

VOLUME II. PLANNING FROM BELOW: A PROPOSAL OF DECENTRALIZED PARTICIPATORY PLANNING. METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I: DATABASE

1) Information that Could be included in the database

a) Cartographic data

b) Number and characteristics of residents

c) Evolution of the population

d) Existing structures

e) Infrastructure

f) Economic activities and potentialities

g) State of the environment

h) Forms of worker organization

i) Social and human potential

j) Socio-cultural traditions and activities

k) Situation of women

l) Situation of youth

m) Organized communities in each territorial area and their level of quality

n) Existing sector-based organizations or interest groups

o) Problems that exist in the community

p) Problems that transcend the local community

q) External benefits that are received

r) Solidarity-based initiatives

s) History

t) Legal framework

2) Consolidation of data into a single document

CHAPTER II. DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE LAY OF THE LAND

CHAPTER III. FORMULATING THE DESIRED CHANGES AND TRANSFORMING THEM INTO A LIST OF ASPIRATIONS (FIRST STEP)

1. ASPIRATIONS AND MOTIVATING QUESTIONS

2. METHODOLOGY IN THE COMMUNITIES (FIRST STEP)

3. METHODOLOGY FOR COLLATING ASPIRATIONS IN TERRITORIAL AREAS AND THE MUNICIPALITY

CHAPTER IV. DEFINING PRIORITIES (SECOND STEP)

1. METHODOLOGY FOR COMMUNITIES

2. METHODOLOGY FOR TERRITORIAL AREAS AND MUNICIPALITY

CHAPTER V. METHODOLOGY FOR EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION

CHAPTER VI. PROJECTS

1. General Considerations Regarding Projects

2. Description of Components that Make Up a Project

3. Project Documentation

CHAPTER VII. ESTABLISHING BUDGETARY AND SECTOR-BASED PRIORITIES

1 I.NTRODUCTION

2. COMING UP WITH BUDGET PRIORITIES

3. COMING UP WITH SECTOR-BASED PRIORITIES.

4.METHODOLOGY.

Notes:

"Originally published by Centro de Investigaciones 'Memoria Popular Latinoamericana' Havana, Cuba, February 2018."--Title page verso.

"Volumes I and II"--Title page.

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-58367-758-5

OCLC:

1099541642