About the Project

The People and Policy Project is about educating and practicing of good governance at the communities. It is a

Regional project that is implemented in 7 (Fiji, Kiribati , Samoa, Solomon, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu} Islands in the Pacific. It started in Tonga in 2005 and TCDT (a member of FSPI) is the

agency that implements this project in 5 communities:

• Neiafu - Vava'u: representing the Capital town in Tonga

• Sapa"ata - 'Eua: representing the small communities in Tonga

• Hihifo/Tongoleleka - Ha'apai: representing the large communities in Tonga

• Popua/Patangata: representing newly settled communities in Tonga

• Lapaha: representing communities that are closely working with their nobles in Tonga

Aim

To link people with policy by promoting and establishing community governance and empowering them of their economic, social and cultural rights.

Expected Outcomes

• Communities participates in decision making process and elect their leaders

• Pilot communities are empowered to develop and implement their own Action Plan

• Scaling up and replication of results in other communities in Tonga

• Development of strong community governance - local government

• The 5 pilot communities became a model on improved governance to other communities

• Sustainability in projects implementation as they have better governing community system

• Easier engagement and empathy between Government and communities when govern ance structure are clear

A speaker addressing a group of people in a room with a banner behind reading "People's Policy Program" and text in Tongan.
Four people sitting at a wooden table with microphones, surrounded by plants, against a blue curtain backdrop.
A group of people sitting around tables in a meeting room with a banner in the background that reads 'The Governance Programme'. The room is arranged in a U-shape setting with participants engaging in discussions. There are laptops and documents on the tables, and a projector is set up at the front.

Activities under the Three Pillars

The project consists of the following three pillars:

Empowerment

We help communities, identify, analyze and assess their governance systems and develop plans to address major issues. Like providing trainings and workshop to discuss community governance mapping and creating community action plan.

Engagement

We work to foster meaningful and sustainable relationships between communities, civil society and government. Such as using of media to promote and make known the works that the community is carrying out. And facilitating dialogue between the community and relevant outside parties to develop their relationship.

Empathy

We strive to integrate community priorities into policy and include government as an important partner in our works. Inviting of government representatives and relevant personal as resource persons to be involved in the activities carried out in the communities and they both be able to identify with and understand each others situations.