Participatory technology development with livestock keepers: a guide

This guide is intended to help researchers and livestock-keepers to design and conduct participatory experiments that lead to the development of effective technologies that will benefit resource-poor farmers. The guide draws on the experiences of a goat research project in semi-arid India by BAIF Development Research Foundation and the Natural Resources Institute, whose focus has been on easing seasonal feed scarcity, and was conducted over a four-year period (1998-2001). The content covers essential, practical information about when to do participatory trials, how to get started, designing experiments, monitoring experiments, evaluation, and achieving wider impact. Through the analysis it becomes clear that these trials are substantial processes, requiring a range of skills and the support of an organisational enabling environment.