A regional poverty alleviation program in which the beneficiaries have the final say in how to use the funds was launched earlier this month.

The US$6 million project, jointly sponsored by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, the World Bank and a few other international development agencies and non-government organizations, will cover 60 villages in three provinces and one autonomous region, all in western China.

The project represents a remarkable change in the country's approach to poverty reduction.

Different from the old approach, under which the government and donors make decisions, the new one features farmers' participation in the decision-making process as well as implementation of project.

The new approach, called "community-driven development (CDD)," could be more effective because members of the local community know best what should be done to improve their lives, be it building a new road or planting a new type of cash crop.

But what is even more important is that the whole process could be more democratic local residents will have more control over their own lives.

In this sense, CDD projects will also contribute to the development of self-governance in rural areas. Self-governance is spreading across China as the country seeks to empower farmers, introducing the direct election of village leaders and allowing them a greater say in major affairs affecting their local communities.

Although the CDD approach has been experimented with in some areas, both governments and farmers still need time to make the new mechanism function well.

Chinese farmers have long been used to listening to the government about what to do. They now should learn to express opinions about their development and vote for their own interests.

For government officials, the introduction of the mechanism could initially mean more work because CDD projects entail more coordination.

But these efforts are worthwhile because the new system could serve farmers better. Operation of the mechanism will be smoother as more experiences are accumulated.

Government officials responsible for CDD projects should be ready to provide assistance to villages in preparing and implementing the projects.

Officials can play a particularly important role in inviting experts to provide consultation on the feasibility and sustainability of development plans.

Officials' and experts' efforts are necessary to ensure a fair decision-making system. It must be ensured that the use of the money is in the interests of the majority of residents and that the interests of the most vulnerable people are also considered.

(China Daily June 13, 2006)