What does national ownership do to local participation? Cambodia and Rwanda in the midst of development trends and buzzwords

Research aims

The project studies links between ‘national ownership’ and ‘local participation’ in Cambodia and Rwanda, two countries that meet the requirements within international development cooperation of such ownership and participation. A starting point is that national ownership does not per se – as is often assumed – promote local participation. In Rwanda and Cambodia ownership has increased, largely due to strong governments. Participation, meanwhile, is limited and largely driven by donors.

The project is conducted in close collaboration with reputable researchers in the two countries.

Methods

Through interviews, it investigates how strengthened national ownership affects the prospects for local participation in three areas: decentralization, forestry, and non-governmental organizations.