SDC, Project STAR partner on community planning

The Social Development Commission (SDC) and Project STAR have signed a memorandum of understanding, which will facilitate both organisations working to strengthen and expand locally led community planning processes and governance structures within targetted communities.

The MoU, which was signed recently will also improve the integration of effective monitoring and evaluation into the community planning process and respond to the infrastructural, social, economic and other needs identified within these communities.

In welcoming the agreement, Dr Dwayne Vernon, executive director of the SDC, said that the partnership will be mutually beneficial.

“We are happy for this collaboration which will increase community cohesion and action within the targetted communities,” he said.

Dr Vernon said the MoU will effectively deliver systems for participatory planning which engage all segments of the community and reflect widespread community engagement.

Saffrey Brown, project director at Project STAR, noted that one of the principles of Project STAR is that communities will guide the strategies for their own development.

“We are delighted to have this partnership with SDC and it means that we can move fully into the planning of community interventions led by the community, guided by the SDC and supported by Project STAR,” she said.

She emphasised the value of having the SDC in the implementation of initiatives by Project STAR. “The Social Development Commission is very experienced in this area and has been doing community planning across Jamaica for many years and therefore we felt that it is important that we partner with the agency of government that drives community development,” she stated.

The collaboration will see both organisations partnering towards capturing and institutionalising the lessons learned for replication and sustainability; and improving collaboration between state and non-state actors. The MoU will facilitate a joined-up approach in response to sustained community development and violence prevention.

Under the MoU, the SDC will provide strategic support to Project STAR in targetted communities in keeping with the SDC’s programming and strategic modalities and work collaboratively with Project STAR for the delivery of agreed actions coming out of the community planning process and Community Transformation Boards (CTB).

The SDC will provide capacity building support in community-based civil society organisations in targetted communities, and direction and coordination of participatory community planning towards a community-wide approved Community Transformation Plan.

Project STAR is a social and economic development initiative created by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Launched in July 2022, it is driven by communities to bring about transformation through interventions in under-resourced areas of Jamaica. Key interventions include employment, job placement and certification, education, sports and entrepreneurship.