Resources

This book describes the experiences of Padek, an interntional development organisation, in introducing self-help savings and credit groups in Cambodia. They meet regularly estalbish their own rules and elect their own leaders. The program is presented in sufficient detail that readers could implement similar programs if they are interested. It looks at two years of experience of group initiation, stabilization and consolidation and then draws out issues and looks to the future.

A report of an evlauation designed to facilitate village level stakeholders to evalute the relevance of a micro-credit intervention to their needs and priorities, to evaluate its impact on them and to discuss future support from the project. Local people defined both quantifiable physical indicators such as wealth and also unquantifiable intangible indicators such as being in a better position to help others. The report notes difficulties deriving from the background of the evaluation - that it was decided upon by the project, not the people, who therefore did not participate as much as was hoped for.

We all take economic decisions in our everyday life yet we are led to believe that "economics" is best left to the experts - that it is a beast beyond most people's understanding and control. This book is one representation of the efforts of everyday people to take matters into their own hands. It is a compilation of materials developed by community groups and economic educators who have collectively explored local, national and international systems and dynamics. It represents voices that, like the vast majority of people, don't benefit from economic policies but together say "We can understand economics. We know what is at stake. And we demand a voice at the table of economic decision-making, alongside the lobbyists and politicians". The book is divided into five sections:

À Popular Patterns (in our experience)
À Threading it Together: Activities
À The Fabric of our Work: Issues and Analysis
À Expressions (of our discontent): Using Multi-media Creatively
À Resources: Individual and Organisational Contacts

The purpose of the book is to share these activities with other people in the interest of economic and political empowerment. It aims to get rid of confusing language and put economics into terms that everyone can easily understand. It provides copious tools: it is full of activities that encourage involvement, understanding, learning and action.

This is a publication that describes how the Internal Learning System (ILS) monitors self-help savings and credit groups. It consists of charts and tables of measurement that ILS groups use to monitor their progress in areas such as improving their shelter, living conditions, empowerment, etc.

This booklet describes a participatory monitoring and evaluation system for grassroots livelihoods and micro-finance programs. It contrasts the traditional techniques used to monitor and evaluate credit programmes with those of the group-oriented internal learning system (ILS). It gives details of how ILS works, a five step process involving collecting information, assessing the direction of change, analysing the information, planning based on learning and the documentation of results. Throughout it emphasises the participatory, flexible, simple, and decentralised method of the ILS.

The main objective of this paper is to discuss the concept of community participation in the context of Lake Victoria fisheries and to relate it to changes which have occurred here. The authors suggest that community participation should not only seek to involve local people in the management of the production sector of the fisheries, but also the processing and distribution sectors, and they emphasise how participation is closely linked to employment and income opportunities. The document suggests important areas for community participation and looks at the factors that influence opportunities for participation in these areas. It goes on to discuss the transformation of the Lake Victoria fisheries and how that has provided opportunities and set constraints for community participation.

This article uses a case study of the Mabalauta Workshop in Zimbabwe to examine whether PRA can produce comparable and/or better quantitative economic data than traditional economic methods and whether PRA methods are more cost effective than the traditional techniques. Both methodologies were found to have their particular strengths and weaknesses, but could be combined to create a 'portfolio' of choices that complement each other.