Addressing challenges of social assistance schemes: rights-based approach in Orissa, India

The present article documents the programme strategy that has been used to address the challenges of social assistance schemes in Orissa, India. Key aspects of the strategy are: community mobilisation; use of mobile technology, web and media for community-led evidence-based advocacy at the local level; and graduating this effort to address structural issues at the state level. Key challenges in the process were to minimise tension among different stakeholders, and to bring changes in attitude of communities who were habituated in receiving services instead of demanding them. Despite many challenges, the strategy has successfully contributed to mobilising communities to demand their entitlements.

The full article is available here:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09614524.2012.664627