RDP is a training program conducted by the capacity building division of SAP-PK. This program was intiated in 1991 and builds the capacity of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to plan and execute development projects, and seeks to enable them to become viable and sustainable vehicles of social change. It also demonstrates to them how an integrated, self-reliant and participatory development of their respective communities is possible. The Program is conducted in two provinces each year. Thus, all the four provinces of the country are covered in a two-year cycle.

Specific objectives of RDP are to:

• Empower program participants to undertake social, economic and political analysis in micro/macro terms aimed at defining the development needs of their respective communities;
• Enable communities to move towards an optimum realization of their human potential by teaching the participants how to channelize local human and material resources through participatory development activities; and
• Ensure successful community/non-governmental initiatives addressing development/civil society issues reach beyond local parameters to help at the macro level.

The RDP considers learning a two-way process: participants as well as the facilitators learn from it. Such an environment minimizes the distinction between the trainers and the trainees. Although the agenda of RDP workshops is defined, it is by no means absolute — the participants can suggest changes in it according to their needs and interest.

This training program focuses on interactive conceptual sharing, organizational management, programming, designing community and field operations and sectoral technical skills. The entire program had inbuilt component of social activism that helps keep the program partners self motivated and charged enough for contributing to the betterment of deprived people.

The first step in the program implementation is to identify and select community based organizations. The next step is to select/nominate the participants which are preferably one male and one female from the selected organization.

The RDP offers eight workshops in a training session which are:

• Mutual Acquaintance Workshop
• Development Orientations Workshop
• Capacity Building Workshop
• CBO Management Workshop
• Advocacy and Networking Workshop
• Gender and Development Workshop
• Financial Management Workshop
• Inter-Provincial Workshop

More Information:
RDP graduates – Year wise statistics
10 years of RDP – A Report