Resources

Charles Sturt University was approached to help implement a community survey for the Flowerpot Hill Landcare group (FHLG). This group was formed to control run-off water which damaged town property. The information gained from interviews with members of the group, residents, farmers and council members, is presented as "issues" (specific knowledge, problems or feelings expressed by individuals) and "themes" (generally agreed important areas of concern). The themes included "Whose problem is it?", "Who should fix it?" and "Who should pay?" A number of solutions were proposed, with many people expressing a "deep suspicion of quick-fix solutions which the council was often accused of implementing". Recommendations from the study are around "establishing common ground in perception/problem solving and trying to get people committed to working together to improve the situation".

Examines the failure of the state forestry agency (the Forestry Commission) to involve local rural communities in the management of its substantial forest land holdings in Scotland. This disregard for local people is in spite of the governments declared support for the UNCED Forest Principles and the article suggests that the FC would do well to learn from the governments overseas technical assistance programmes.
The experience of three Scottish NGO's to ensure the participation of local people at all stages of forestry planning and implementation through the use of PRA is outlined. This programme is revealed to have met with some opposition from the Foestry Commission but at the same time to have acted as a catalyst for recent changes in forest policy.

This report includes an executive summary, and conclusion, of Phase One of the Scottish Rural Development Forestry Programme (SRDFP), which began in March 1994. The aim of the SRDFP is to work with local people and interested national and local organisations to examine current forestry situations in Scotland, and identify and assist locally based rural development forestry strategies and initiatives. The document includes short summaries of the results of PRAs conducted in four Scottish communities, a national seminar, and 2 local workshops. It also presents the limitations and opportunities that have emerged as a result of the process.

This reports the findings of a village appraisal carried out in North England by the parish council. The purpose was to gain a better idea of local opinions to inform council decisions on a range of topics. The booklet gives overviews of the locality's main characteristics, population, housing, transport, local needs and concerns and suggested options for the future.

This report presents the results of a village appraisal questionnaire conducted in three parishes in northern England. The questionnaire addressed education, transport, housing, recreation, services and general issues in the communities. The tabulated responses to the questions on local peopleÆs opinions on these issues are presented. There are also short discussions of particular issues such as road safety, litter etc., and of what should be done.

This book presents a participative action model to assist groups in developing the organisational, analytical and management skills required for community action to achieve sustainable use of land and water resources at the local level. Groups using this book are expected to develop participatory mechanisms for planning and implementing land and water management projects. It is aimed at developing self-learning skills by community leaders, extension officers and students in Australia. The contents are divided into short learning units in which outlines of theories, concepts and principles are followed by personal and group activities. The organisation of chapters follows the pattern of group development. It explains the philosophy of participative action in land care (Ch. 2); and discusses learning to work together, development of leadership skills and defining of roles and responsibilities (Chs. 3-5). The next eight chapters are on 'how to' aspects of group functioning: running a meeting, organising activities, planning, motivating oneself and others, effective communication, finding human and financial resources for projects. The last two chapters discuss how to keep momentum going and how to manage conflicts that accompany change.

This is a collection of three papers on systems agriculture, written in the early -mid 1980s. The first outlines some key concepts, methodologies and practices used within the systems approach to agriculture. It emphasises experiential learning, contrasting its application within the conventional, reductionist methodology and the systems methodology. Discussing varieties of systems approaches to problem solving, the author discusses in detail the distinctive approach used by Hawkesbury Agricultural College. The second paper discusses Hawkesbury's curricula initiatives, contrasting it with other learning and research paradigms used in Australia. These emphasise experiential learning to address complex problem solving. The final paper reflects on action research concerning the development of the School of Agriculture at Hawkesbury. Viewing the school as a purposeful sub-system within a complex macro-system of agriculture, the design of appropriate activities and structures in the School are discussed.