This BBL focused on the CDD experiences drawn from two Farm Privatization projects in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
 The Farm Privatization Project (FPP) in Azerbaijan was initiated in 1997 to reform and restructure the agricultural sector, which was vital for improving the living standards of the rural population. Some features of the FPP that led to its success are-
1. voluntary - based on the decisions of the farmer members to reorganize as a community collective;
2. choice driven - farm members were allowed to decide which activities to undertake, to make decisions regarding the management of their farm (land and non-land) assets; and
3. transparent - community members actively participated in organizing farm activities, received information, advice and guidance to make informed decisions in managing their newly acquired assets during privatization and after privatization.
Another reason for the FPP success was a massive and ongoing information campaign concerning the rights and opportunities of the farm workers and involving community in the process and the post-privatization support provided to the emerging farming community through activities such as –
- provision for the rehabilitation of dilapidated irrigation infrastructure;
- support and direction to form water user's associations (WUAs) by organizing local farmers' community for collection of water charges to operate and manage the irrigation infrastructure in a sustainable manner; and
- provision of credit facilities to meet their seasonal capital needs for farming.
- In addition, a policy commitment from the central government is necessary, as in this case, privatization was complemented with titling and a registration system.
The second part of the presentation focused on the FPP efforts underway in Tajikistan by providing a comparative picture of Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. The differences between the two countries were recognized by the FPP and accordingly the approaches taken varied. One of the major differences is that while the communities in Azerbaijan are ethnically homogeneous, there are sharp ethnic divisions between the hill and valley peoples in Tajikistan, as reflected in the recent civil war in the country. The ethnic divide, along with little agricultural land and the non-existent banking system in Tajikistan resulted in slower progress in Tajikistan than in Azerbaijan.
 Â Integrating Community Driven Development in Farm Privatization Projects: Some Experiences From Azerbaijan and Tajikistan (7.5MB ppt)
 Notes from the BBL (13K pdf)Â
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