Problem overview:

     Integrating stakeholders: This example demonstrates the achievement that coordination and cooperation between 2 stakeholders, an NGO called the Sarhad Rural Support Corporation and local communities, can lead to sustainable living of the previously poor communities.

     Training and educational initiatives: SRSC's Mission Statement commits the organization to "build the capacity of local communities through participatory community-based organizations for sustainable social and economic development, with a primary focus on the rural poor and disadvantaged".

Background in summary:

     The Sarhad Rural Support Corporation (SRSC) and its strategies: The Sarhad Rural Support Corporation (SRSC) was established 1989, as a private, non-government and non-profit organization with the objective of alleviating rural poverty at the grassroots through training and institution building for sustainable development. The SRSC strategy emphasizes participation of the marginalized rural community at all stages of the project cycle from problem identification and project design through to the re-planning loop bringing what is learned back into the process to inform and adjust directions and management.

     SRSC lays out the prerequisites that are needed for social leadership to work:

• willingness of the community to help itself;
  
  
• presence of idealists and activists within the community;
  
  
• willingness of the community to help the poorest of the poor among them;
  
  
• willingness to forge meaningful partnerships with SRSC based on fulfillment of obligations on both sides;
  
  
• willingness of the community to build a self-reliant, self-managed and sustainable system of management at the village level.

     If the prerequisites are met, SRSC provides social guidance or leadership to:

• assist rural communities to organize themselves for a selected purpose;
  
  
• help determine the size of the interest group or savings programme;
  
  
• find and train suitable community leadership from among the "idealists/activists" in the community;
  
  
• help determine community priorities matching them to feasibility and cost effectiveness to accomplish the priority projects and activities;
  
  
• help access resources such as credit, grants, and services obtainable through government line agency.

     Achievements:

• 1,227 COs/WOs have been formed in the SRSC regions with a total membership of 39,488 and savings worth approximately Rs 15.8 million.
  
  
• a total of 487 Productive Investment Programmes worth approximately Rs 96 million have been granted of which 255 are now completed.
  
  
• loans worth Rs 30 million were disbursed among 6,148 beneficiaries.
  
  
• 269 female health workers and 22 men and women health motivators have been trained.
  
  
• 11 adult literacy centres are in the process of being established in SRSC's project area.
  
  
• 30 community-based girls primary schools are in the process of being established.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	2	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		2	Participation of the community
2	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	2	Participation of resource owners/users
2	Socio-cultural adaptability.	2	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
2	Level of development adaptability.	-	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
-	Style of government adaptability.	3	Ability to attract political interest/support
3	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	-	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       If villagers were poor and unskilled to do any kind of work, they normally rely on the natural forest for food and shelter. Soon they realize they could generate income from extraction of these natural resources, and will continue the behavior until all has been depleted. Therefore, a need for groups or NGOs such as SRSC to help improve the living conditions of these villagers is required. Once these villagers well being have been improved and they our able to find steady sources of income, they would no longer need to rely on forest resources. Sustainability of the project:      Integrating stakeholders: As we can see that NGOs do play a very important role in improving the society and environment, therefore, they should receive support from the government if the projects that the NGOs are conducting could be proven to truly help improve society. Adaptability of the project to other situations:       The basic strategies and values of this project can be applied to a wide range of projects in almost any country. Process of decision making and implementation:      Training and educational initiatives: One interesting aspect of this programme is the set of prerequisites that a community should meet before being allowed into the training programme. Basically, these prerequisites are just to make sure that the communities are truly interested and willing to be trained. Otherwise, if they have been forced to participate in the programme, it would be a waste of SRSC and communities time. Cost efficiency: