The PRSP process in Rwanda

Abstract

The experience of PRSP in Rwanda has the following interesting lessons to offer for further discussion with other countries. PRSP is a paper but it is also a process depicting a different way of managing development. It brings a poverty focus in the development agenda. The challenge now is what this means in terms of the institutional framework and implications on capacity of doing the business of development management directly. The study of the Rwandan experience suggests that this challenge is being addressed by involving the traditional values and practices (e.g. Gacaca, Umuganda, Ubudehe). This attempt 24 to build on positive traditional practices is an innovation which should provide a useful lesson to other countries in Africa. The PRSP has been prepared at a time when Rwanda was emerging from genocide. This challenge is addressed as a critical issue in development. This problem raises the broader challenge of how to deal with the initial conditions of various types in the context of PRSPs.