Since 1994 CIDSE Cambodia has implemented integrated community development (ICD) programmes in the provinces of Svay Rieng, Kandal, Kampot, and Ratanakiri. These initiatives combine capacity building at village and commune levels with the provision of material and technical assistance in food security, health, education, and natural resource management. Given the scale of these efforts and the multiple aspects of their support, the ICD programmes have required a period of 10 years to complete their planned activities. Since 2003 plans have been implemented to phase out of the current ICD programmes in Svay Rieng and Muk Kampoul and to shift the focus of the programmes in Ratanakiri and Kampot towards advocacy and natural resource management.

Since CIDSE pioneered the ICD approach, bilateral and multilateral agencies have launched their own, much larger, ICD programmes, and their support for these efforts is likely to continue through government institutions like the Commune Councils. The era of large-scale ICD programmes operated by NGOs like CIDSE is nearing its end. With others assuming responsibility for funding service delivery, CIDSE has taken the opportunity to move away from the activity-driven approach that has largely characterized its programmes in the past to a problem-analysis or facilitation approach that builds the capacity of communities to solve their own problems. CIDSE likewise has an opportunity to devote more time to respond to advocacy issues emerging with the ICD programme areas.

The period 2003 – 2005 proved a challenging time for the ICD Department. The programme approach towards to local self-management reached its conclusion in Svay Rieng and Muk Kampoul. In collaboration with the Partnership Department, exit strategies were implemented through the formation of commune level civil society associations in the form of Community Based Organisations (CBOs). By the end of 2004 three CBOs were formed in Svay Rieng and the ICD programme came to a close with a formal ceremony where responsibility for the management and co-ordination of community development projects was handed on to them. In 2005, three CBOs were also established in Muk Kampoul and a similar handover of responsibilities will occur at the end of the year.

Although not an integral part of the organisational transition process occurring within CIDSE Cambodia, the exit strategies implemented in Svay Rieng and Muk Kampoul were important learning opportunities in transitions at programme level and for this reason have been included in this study. This section, based on research carried out in the field, will examine the process of transition from ICD to CBO, and the impact it has had on project beneficiaries in Svay Rieng and Muk Kampoul.

CBO Formation Process
With the exception of the BACCDA (Bakkheng Commune Credit and Development Association) CBO in Muk Kampoul which formed its structure according to its needs as a credit association, the remaining five CBOs underwent a similar formation process. One of the key objectives of the ICD programme since 2002 has been to strengthen rural development structures at the commune level in anticipation of the self -management of the programme. For the first two years of the programme, activities focused on the election and training of VDC, Village Volunteer Specialist (VVS) and Project Committee (PC) associations at the commune level. Each association secretariat was elected by community members.

In 2003 it was decided by the community that it would be more sustainable and efficient if one entity was formed at the commune level – the CBO. The CBO representatives are made up of the VDC secretariat and one elected represented from both the VVS and PC associations. With collaboration between the Partnership and ICD Departments each CBO were trained and supported in developing their organisations by-laws including roles and responsibilities, vision and mission; selecting a governing board; report and proposal writing, and; budget management.

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The main roles of the CBO, in addition to taking over responsibility for programme activities from the ICD programme, include co-ordination with development agencies, local authority and local government; co-ordination with community and community groups to implement development initiatives, and; to collaborate with the Commune Council in facilitating the commune development planning process.

In Svay Rieng, all three CBOs were registered at the District and Provincial levels in 2004 and plans were in place to be registered at the Ministry of Interior by the end of 2005. To mark the end of 10 years of the CIDSE ICD programme in Svay Rieng, and to formally present the CBOs to their communities and local authority, a formal launching ceremony was held at provincial level for the official recognition of the handover of responsibility from CIDSE Cambodia to the CBOs. Following the closure of the ICD programme, in light of capacity needs of the CBOs, a small desk office was retained to provide both institutional and programme support. The desk office is a collaborative project for the coming year between the ICD and PD. As this desk office closes the CBOs will then become a partner of the PD from whom it will get both financial and technical support.