Approaches

Demand Driven Program
PAF has adopted demand led community-based approach to alleviate poverty. Keeping the target communities at the driving seat, it encourages them to take initiatives to improve their livelihoods, particularly organizing them into community organizations.

The target communities are the sole actor. They plan what they need and prioritize on the basis of their capacity and local resource potentials.

Direct Community Funding
PAF has developed Direct-funding mechanism to community for the effective implementation of the sub-projects proposed by the community.

It provides resources directly to the poor, and thereby expects to bring efficiency and transparency of the work, and ensure community ownership. PAF is guided by the principle that the poor themselves are the best source of information and the best to manage their needs and resource.

Community Cost Sharing
Community cost sharing/community contribution is mandatory for sustainability and ownership building of the sub projects. Furthermore, 20% for infrastructure sub projects and 10% for Income generating sub projects is needed as community contribution.

Community Institution Building
PAF envisages developing the Community Organizations (CO) as an established institution in the long run. For this purpose, the Community Organizations are being facilitated by Partner Organizations for planning, designing and management of the sub projects by themselves.

High Transparency in Process
PAF believes in transparency in technical and financial process of the sub projects. For this purpose, the PAF has made provision for maintaining display boards at the project sites and carry out Public Audit periodically or at the end of the sub projects.

Co-ordination
One of the objectives of PAF is to strengthen local bodies (DDCs and VDCs) and support long term decentralization process. Thus, coordination/networking with the local bodies and other line agencies as well as other development organizations has been taking continuously.

Capacity Building
This component emphasizes on building the capacities of groups and individual beneficiaries through training, linkage, exposure visits and technical assistance. This will enhance the capacity of communities to implement the schemes in cost-effective manner and to operate these schemes in sustainable manner. This component also includes capacity building of local bodies, micro-finance intermediaries and support for Information, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Partner Organization as Facilitator
Based on the eligibility criteria set by PAF, qualified and eligible Partner Organization (PO) are selected from among Community Organizations (COs), Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Private Sector Organizations (PSOs), and Local Government Organization (DDCs/VDCs) for social mobilization, technical assistance, and capacity building programmes.

The partner organizations will work for social mobilization and capacity building of the community organizations as well as facilitate the community organizations in preparing proposals and implementing the sub projects. Furthermore, the POs are responsible for the smooth implementation and monitoring of the community sub projects.