Document: Community Based Economic Development Strategies and Tools for CBED: Lessons learnt from Ikwezi and Baviaans

This document is a product of the Thina Sinako supported Community Based Economic Development (CBED) and Community Based Enterprise Support Services (CBESS) projects in the Ikwezi and Baviaans Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The CBED and CBESS projects were initiated in 2010, one focusing on partnerships and planning (CBED), the second on the implementation of a SMME development and support system (CBESS). The projects have been implemented through Khanya AICDD, in association with BlueFIRE Africa, and are due for completion by the end of 2011. The overarching aim of the two projects is to stimulate community based economic development in the municipalities of Ikwezi and Baviaans.

The purpose of this document is to reflect on the various tools and strategies used for implementing the CBED programme in the Ikwezi Baviaans project, evaluate the impact of the projects and suggest improvements and alternatives where appropriate based on the lessons learnt. This is driven by a belief that more attention needs to be directed to create sustainable business development solutions that specifically focus on the poorest of the poor and economically marginalised communities

This document therefore hopes to provide some guidelines and ideas for future CBED initiatives. The ideas provided in this document are by no means a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all CBED related options. Rather, this document is based on a process of reflecting on the experiences of the Thina Sinako projects in the Baviaans and Ikwezi, with the intention to provide a base of options upon which ongoing development of the CBED approach can occur. Further, this document is not intended to be a detailed description or manual for implementing each tool or strategy; rather it is intended to introduce the key ideas and processes.