Entrepreneur gets participatory award

JAKARTA: Jon Lindborg, deputy mission director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Indonesia, has presented Nelly Izmi with the PERFORM Participatory Award for her adoption of participatory planning methods to improve local business competitiveness.

Izmi, a traditional weaving and crafts entrepreneur from Nagari Ampek Angkek, West Sumatra, received the award during the closing ceremony of the PERFORM (PERFormance Oriented Regional Management) National Conference, held on Wednesday at the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel in Denpasar.

Nelly Izmi is the chair of a cooperative for weaving artisans in Agam. By creating a partnership between the members of these three organizations, Izmi and members were able to improve business practices and efficiency, and thus, make their products more competitive.

PERFORM is a USAID project, implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and working with the Ministry of Home Affairs and over 80 local governments in eight provinces, to improve their performance and service delivery through participatory planning. -- JP