Village Development Plans:
Presenting a base model of an
instrument of village assocations to
achieve self defined goals
Democratic bodies
Formal:
National
Regional
Local
Informal:
Village Association
Village associations:
Non-political, voluntary organisations that:
•Execute projects
•Provide a legal person for initiatives of villagers
•Communicate with local government
• Represent the village
• Make plans for the village
‘Ruling our own future!’
What is a VDP?
A Village Development Plan (VDP) is a
plan outlining the desired
developments - according to the
inhabitants – for the quality of life
within the village and in the
immediate surroundings.
A VDP:
Identifies issues affecting the
community – social, environmental and
economic.
It’s a statement about how a
community sees itself developing over
the next few years and what actions are
needed to achieve that vision.
What issues/topics?
Amenities, traffic, housing, sense of
community, recreation and sport,
nature, children etc.
Characteristics of a Village
Development Plan
•For the whole village
and supported by the village
•10-15 ahead
•Comparison of the VDP to other
villages
Benefits of a VDP:
What are the benefits of a VDP
For all villagers, individuals and
the local government?
Benefits of a VDP:
For all villagers:
•Framework for village association
• Supported by whole village-> bigger
chance of implementation of plans
• Enhanced social cohesion
• Respond to government plans
• Increased self
awareness/confidence/determination
• Enhanced local democracy
Benefits of a VDP:
For Individuals:
Using /Learning skills
More involvement to local matters
For the (local) government:
A VDP can help to realise goals
(provide a framework)
Leaving responsibility and tasks to
villages
Approach/Getting started
5.Delivers the
finished VDP
1. Village
association
4.Leads the process
of making the VDP
3.Establishing
working
group
2. Gives
assignment
for a VDP
Step 1: Defining topics:
Why a VDP?
What does the village mean?
What are the main themes?
What is the time-frame?
Step 2: Getting everybody
involved
What parties should have a say in the themes
chosen? Inhabitants, local business people, clubs,
schools, elderly people etc.
Hard to involve groups:
Youth, parents of young children, carers of
housebound relatives, people with disabilities
Meeting youth...
Step 3: Collecting information
Making an inventory by:
•Brainstorm
•Survey
•Kitchen table discussions
•Panel of experts
Combination of methods!? (sometimes more
information needed)
Other ways of expression?
Kitchen table discussions
Step 4:List of ideas
•Making list of ideas complete
•Grouping raw data (bundling ideas)
•‘Shaping ideas’ (advantages,
disadvantages of solutions, add
figures)
Step 5:
Implementation/structure
Describing topics:
•Current situation (positive and negative)
•Desired situation (what and why)
•Solutions (what needs to happen in order
to achieve the desired situation)
•Action list (general overview of who /
partners, what and when of the solutions
described)
• Level of priority chosen by villagers
Step 6: Drawing up the VDP
•What led to the development of a VDP?
•Steps followed and results
•A description of the main topics: context,
problem, possible solutions, etc.
•Short, middle and long-term planning
•Follow-up steps, project groups, cooperation
•Appendices: participants in working groups,
results of inventories, etc
•Illustrations (photos, maps).
Step 7: Presentation
Creating and using momentum!
Presentation to:
•Villagers
•Municipality
•Local press
Forming working groups?
Time and costs
•Approximately 6 months, depending
on varieties of plan making
• Costs?
Communication
Creating support outside village:
•Inviting parties to initial meeting
Keeping them notified at every step
along the way.
•Consulting on preparations for
plans.
Key partner is local government, what do
you expect from them?
Village development plan:
possible actors
The outcome: a confrontation LP<->AP
Local program
Topic 1
proposal
proposal
Topic 2
proposal
proposal
proposal
Topic 3
proposal
Lp-ap
Area program
Village
Development
Plan EU-regislation
agreements
Government policy
agreements
plans
Market parties
plans
Trends
Rapports
Follow up of the VDP
Forming project groups:
1.Decision-making based upon VDP
2.Formulating
3.Financing
4.Realisation
Does ownership of projects fits the
villagers?
Role of Doarpswurk:
•Informing interested parties of the
objectives of and reasons for a VDP
•Advising and helping on things such as
approach/method, a step-by-step plan and
structuring the organisation.
•Leading a village meeting/discussion
and other tasks
•Acting as a ‘sparring partner’ in certain
phases