Background 

The Analyzing Development Issues Centre (ADIC), registered with Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior since April 2011, aims to become a leading applied and action and learning agency working with vulnerable communities and key development actors to analyse current development issues and co-create innovative and sustainable responses. ADIC’s work spans community organisation, participatory action research (PAR), and policy-oriented applied research across various internationally funded projects. ADIC collaborates with a wide variety of initiatives, including with WorldFish, Mahidol University, University of Sussex, and University of Utah, on topics such as aquatic resource governance, migration, social protection, and child labour. Notable projects include studies on land use change and food security in indigenous communities, strengthening aquatic resources governance, and developing an aquatic agricultural program. ADIC focuses on community engagement and support in Northeast and Tonle Sap provinces. ADIC also engages in cross-border migration studies, which include studies supported by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) of the University of Sussex; and won a migration study project from The Asia Foundation’s Ponlok Chomnes Phase I (2021-2022) with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

Main Activities 

The current thematic priorities are 1) Natural Resource Governance; 2) Livelihood & Market Development; and 3) Responses to Social Change. ADIC’s approach is focused on providing capacity building support to community leaders and NGO practitioners, research studies for policy level influence, and participatory action research. Below are highlights of ADIC’s main projects: 

  • Building youth capacity in participatory research to engage in sub-national development planning on safe cross-border migration from Cambodia to Thailand. This project focuses on Kamrieng District, Battambang Province, and is supported by The Asia Foundation’s Ponlok Chomnes Phase II (2024-2025) with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 
  • Improving coastal livelihood and mangrove conservation in Kampot and Preah Sihanouk Provinces, supported by Landesa (Rural Development Institute) (2022-2025). 
  • Ensuring land rights and developing steps toward indigenous communal land titling (ICLT) in the provinces of Battambang and Preah Vihear, supported by Landesa (Rural Development Institute) (2024). 
  • Promoting horticultural development and market linkages in Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri provinces, funded by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) through The World Bank (2022-2025).  

Partnership with Ponlok Chomnes 

The ADIC team has launched a groundbreaking initiative, supported The Asia Foundation through the Ponlok Chomnes Program, to empower young individuals in Cambodia, particularly in regions where cross-border migration is prevalent such as the Cambodia-Thai border. Through action research training, young participants will gain hands-on experience and essential skills vital for engaging with their communities, including marginalized groups such as youth, women, and people with disabilities, while also influencing local policy planning. This initiative is unique because of its emphasis on involving youth in shaping commune investment plans (CIP), a responsibility typically reserved for local authorities. By providing training in action research, process development, and effective communication, ADIC aims to equip youth to influence local development policies at the commune level. This will be achieved through comprehensive training on migration issues, mock sessions to practice influencing commune councils, and utilising communication materials to advocate for community needs. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that youth play a significant role in local decision-making processes, leading to more inclusive and effective development initiatives. This initiative builds upon previous studies conducted in 2021-2022, particularly in Battambang Province. Its significance lies in ADIC’s exploration of new approaches to inform local policymakers about pressing issues and emphasis on sustainable development outcomes. 

Please click here for more information about ADIC.