Resources

This article is extracted from a report outlining the experiences of a partnership between the 'People's Dialogue', a national network linking representatives from illegal and informal settlements in South Africa, and a group of three organisations in India. These are SPARC, an NGO working broadly in the area of housing and community development; the National Slum Dwellers Federation; and Mahila Milan, a federation of women's collectives. The article describes several of the participatory methods and techniques which are used in community-based shelter training programmes, and explains why the training process is important to community development. It argues that experiential learning is a more useful approach than those offered by conventional training.

This note describes the use of force-field analysis, a technique originally used to analyze the forces which keep an institution in its present state. It was used in a modified form in two projects - a non-formal education project in Bangladesh and an urban environmental project in India - to provide a way of drawing staff and stakeholders into the planning process, defining possible objectives and how to attain them. It was found to be a useful way of involving different people in the analysis of objectives and how they can be achieved.

This book is the outcome of a workshop on participation organised by Duryog Nivaran, a South-Asian network of individuals and organisations concerned with large scale disruptions in society due either to natural disasters or conflicts. This introductory chapter gives a glimpse of papers included in the above book. The papers come from a group who have not only encountered the notion of participation in different capacities but have also understood it in different ways. Four of the seven papers included in the book look at participation primarily in the context of development and development projects; two of the papers look at the link between participation and political process at the macro level and raise questions about the relationship between development projects and political processes in wider society. Finally, one paper attempts to straddle these two worlds. The book contends that it is important to promote healthy critical debates on the concept and the experience of participation in various contexts. However, the emergence of participation as a new development orthodoxy needs to be questioned.

This paper reports on recent developments in the rural-issue based research programmes of the Gandhigram Rural Institute (GRI) in Tamilnadu, India. This has involved the consolidation of its village community development programmes. Emphasis has shifted towards the needs of special groups, with whom PRA meetings have been held. Some problems with such meetings are noted, including time constraints, tendency for some individuals to dominate, constraints on multi-disciplinary team, problems in group formation and discussions, and little documentation. Three-day PRA workshops were held to derive an action plan by and for villagers. The programme of workshops is outlined, discussing the extent of community participation, the methods used, and the specific projects and proposals which emerged. Strategies to support these processes beyond the workshops are also considered, and some weaknesses acknowledged: little attitude and behaviour change, dependency syndrome and internal conflicts.

This paper examines the relationship between RRA and the theory and practice of development, and asks how it contributes to a new paradigm. It begins with an overview of the history of western thought as it relates to the origins of the conventional (evolutionary, unilineal, positivistic) development paradigm. It then sketches alternative paradigms which question notions of progress and change. They suggest alternative understandings of 'systems' and action, leading to recognition of the potential roles of local people in applying their own knowledge in determining their own development, and the need for learning processes in development activities. These processes are increasingly seen as determined by their context. RRA is suited to responding to the needs and opportunities inherent in this new paradigm in many ways. Although realising this potential depends on the acceptability of information generated by RRA to decision-makers, questions of data validity are not always relevant: openness and multiplicity of feedback circuits compensate for small sample sizes and rapidity. RRA can also facilitate dialogue and has the potential to change practitioners as well as 'objects' of development. Thus in the right situation, RRA can be a valuable supplement to conventional research methods - if done well - but should not replace them.

This report presents the results of a PRA focusing on natural resources management in Kenya. It contains descriptions of historical background on the locality, natural resources, water and soil conservation, agricultural practices, discussions of key social issues and infrastructure (health and education) and analysis of institutions and local leadership. Problems and opportunities are identified, and a village resource management plan was devised. Action by the community and other actors as a result of the PRA is discussed, and some problems in implementation are noted. The report ends with reflections on PRA and the participatory planning process. Positive reflections include enabling the community to undertake their own analysis, promoting an integrated view of development, and development of the village plan. Problems included insufficient participation by marginal groups and by women, and the feeling that PRA is inappropriate to statistical analysis.

This book pays attention to the cultural and educational aspects of communication for development and would be useful for those deciding on appropriate PRA techniques to use in particular situations. The first part of the book includes an overview of the changes in development strategies over the last few decades and the effects these have had on the utilisation of communication approaches.
The second part of the book discusses the intricate link between communication and culture and the way it influences the practice of interpersonal and mediated communication. Part three deals with media and their educational potential. The last part considers the steps involved in the planning and implementation / production of communication events, programmes and materials.