In the light of a recent decentralisation law in Mozambique this study examines the possible obstacles and facilitating factors regarding decision-making sharing between traditional authorities, the local government and NGOs involved in a rural development plan in Mandima Distict, Niassa Province.
This diary comprises part of a participatory mionitoring and evaluation system called an internal learning system for grassroots livelihoods and micro-finance programs. The diary is bsed on a pictorial record of the development experiences of a poor woman who is a member of a self help savings and credit group and enables the user to collect information on changes in livelihood variables such as health, education, savings etc using symbols. The accuracy of data entry is carried out using simple cross checks with fellow group members in a mutual learning process. The diary enables the direction and reasons for change in the data to be analysed and facilitates the making of plans based on the findings.
A document of the process and methodologies proposed for the Somali Natural Resources Management Programme for local level environmental interventions. These include international influences from relevant pastoralist and conflict affected situations elsewhere in Africa and a set of ideas generated by the author and his Somali colleagues.
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Literature review including references ranging from theoretical definitions of the term decentralisation to practical participatory tools and methods for enhancing its process in developing countries.
A resource kit consisting of a video and manuals, providing information and experience on participatory methods in order to support the adoption of participatory approaches in World Bank projects and studies. The kit includes modules on social assessment, stakeholder analysis, PRA, SARAR and beneficiary assessment, and participatory monitoring and evaluation.
A publication of the national slum dwellers federation, Mahila Milan and SPARC in India, this newsletter gives examples of good sanitation ideas developed by slum dwellers. Sections include municipal planning and co-ordination, community decision making, technical matters, and reports from several community run toilet projects.
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A summary of some of the findings of a workshop on participatory research and geographic information systems, with a case study from South Africa. The article describes GIS as a computer-based technology and discusses its potential as a participatory planning and policy tool. The authorse emphasise the challenges of local politics, updating and ownership. They conclude that there is valued to participatory GIS if it can help to inform process and relationships rather than simply extracting patterns from large volumes of data.
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CAMPFIRE is a Zimbabwe project which seeks to place the proprietorship of natural resources with the poepl living most closely with them. The game discussed in this article is based upon the board game "Monopoly" where the participants each have a sum of money and their objective is to develop the wildlife potential and manage visitors. The game allows participants to practice the mechanics of book-keeping, analyse their sources of income and practice developing budgets.
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This article describes a participatory business planning tool involving seveal steps: mapping land ownership, pinboarding important ideas to isolate the aims of the business, resource mapping and land use mapping, business modelling and related budgeting and finally an action planning matrix.