DATUK DR. JEFFREY RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS ON PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT QUESTION 1 "PO Cats and RMs have not really understood the PO concept... they seem pressured by management to get projects up and going ... All these have caused deviation of the PO concept which emphasised people and not projects ..."
or implement. Therefore, PO and POP are two different things.
DATUK DR. JEFFREY: The above observation does not show that PO Cats and RMs do not understand the PO concept, but rather Management does not. It seems to me that there is a problem of expectations here - the expectation by Management that PO Cats produce. The question is what does Management expect the facilitators and catalysts to produce? Projects? Profits? Jobs? If so, then this is the wrong expectations. Projects, incomes andjobs are produced by the POPparticipants for themselves with the help and guidance of the catalysts. The job of the PO Cats is to open upthe mental eyes of the participants to see, realise and accept their responsibilities and to provide them the tools (skills and knowledge) and keys to start their own engines so that they can proceed to move on their own. Attitudinal change is one of the most important tasks to be accomplished by the catalysts/facilitators but tt is not the only important task. Motivation (achievement motivation), the development of selfawareness and consciousness, the imparting of skills, etc. are just as important.
DATUK DR. JEFFREY: No, it is not a paradox. When we say "YS is only the catalyst, coordinator, complementing, etc.." we are refering to the role of YS in relation to the State and Federal Governments and their agencies in bringing development and servicing the needs of the people in the State. PO is our tool, ourway, our strategy, our contribution to that role.
My view isthat management also understands the PO concept but tt is being influenced by ttsold stereotype thinking by using the wrong yardstick to measure the results of PD. Perhaps, management is "afraid" of what others might say, including the BOT, unless the results are visible and quantifiable. This, to me, might be the explanation. In addition, there are prizes/awards to be won if one can produce more tangible results. Well, compe1ttionsinthis mannerdo not necessarily cause a deviation in the implementation of the PO concept. After all if PO Cats do their job well in preparing/transforming their participants into a new level of awareness,
QUESTION 4 "PO is YS, YS is PO" versus "YS is only the catalyst, coordinator; complementing and supplementing ...." is a paradox?
'" desire, commitment and discipline, the chances for the latter to do well in producing tangible results are greater than otherwise. QUESTION 2 "Government Agencies are reluctant to go into a village, where there are already PO programs .... no need for them to come in." DATUK DR. JEFFREY: On the contrary,wherethere isa POprogram the assistance and role of government agencies are all the more required because we need to work together to achieve progress. YS is only a catalyst. It helps to bridge the demand and supply of government programs and assistance. The agencies have the expertise (e.g. Agriculture). We function as a channel for them to perform their extension services. As to moving into villages, I am against community development as a priority. We should have a specific target group - the youths. (See Figure 1 on page 4). QUESTION 3 There is a confusion between "PO" and" PO program" ?
DATUK DR. JEFFREY: There is no confusion here. PO or People Oevelopment is the approach, the way or method or strategy based on its concept to cause development. In order to make this happen we must have a program to deliver 2
In addition to the above, below is an added explanation to further enhance understanding of the PO concept. It gives a macroview of PO initiatives from another angle. THE PROBLEM IN PERSPECTIVE As shown in the diagram on Figure 1 the problem that we are trying to address in people development is the problem of overdependence especially society's dependence on the government for the provision of employment (especially to the youths, graduates), for basic needs (especially the poor) and for ideas, resources and the organisation to deliver these needs (Box 1). Our concern is that if this problem is not addressed, there will be grave consequences on society (Box 2) and the individuals who are victims of dependence (BOX 3) especially the unemployed and the rural communities. In order to address this problem (Box 1), we must identify and deal with the root causes ofthe problem of dependence (Box4). These include the lack of economic stimulation in the rural areas, the under- developed capacity of the individuals and potentials to participate effectively in the mainstream of society, human obstacles such as negative and passive attitudes towards life, lack of
