The article suggests that three processes - detailed field research, policy research and dissemination - need to run in parallel in order to make research relevant and accessible to policy-makers at different levels of decision-making. These processes are discussed in the context of an ActionAid research project on children's roles in development. Some of the problems with the approach and the lessons learned are discussed.
The understanding of children's roles in the household, how work loads are shared and how they alter over time and with different socio-economic and environmental conditions is crucial for development. Gender issues are important, and an understanding of both gender and children should be built into projects and policy. Children's work has not often been considered in planning development initiatives. The first section provides a background to this before moving onto the background to the fieldwork conducted in Nepal and a description of the area. Environmental issues and their effects on children are illustrated using flow diagrams, maps and historical analysis. The role of children is highlighted in a framework of caste/ ethnicity, poverty and gender which affects control over resources and decisions. Different perceptions are examined using seasonal calenders, activity matrices and mobility diagrams. Throughout the study participatory methods were used, in addition to a basic questionnaire, and the methodology is highlighted in the appendix. The report concludes with six "steps forward", providing practical leads for policy and action. It is stressed that this report is not an end in itself but rather a first step towards development in which children are given a voice.
The Lesotho Primary Schools Sanitation Project, undertaken in 1976-9, had limited success. When a follow-up project was proposed, it was decided to hold workshops to find out the communities' views on how the follow-up should be designed. Workshop participants included school and community representatives, ministerial and donor agency representatives. This paper describes the results of those workshops held in March 1981. Most of the report discusses technical implications of the workshop discussions. A final section discusses the role of community based workshops in development planning.
This interesting article describes how the author sought to show how an appreciative inquiry technique can be used to embed a self evaluation process in an organisation that caters for the needs of street children in Africa. The paper describes using a narrative style the findings of a three day workshop using this methodology. Appreciative Inquiry works by highlighting the organisations best practice which is then used as a bench mark for all the practitioners to assess their own performance. Several problems existed within the specific context in which this workshop was held which would influence the evaluation. These problems were promptly identified by the author and listed as being as follows; i) the contrast between the rhetoric of democracy and participation on the one hand and the reality of an authoritarian style leadership on the other, ii) the great diversity in the formal education and training levels of the participants, iii) the bias that existed in the organisation which favoured the caring/counselling role but left a gap in the administrative and finance functions and iv) what was described by the author as a kind of 'corporate introspection' where the organisation and it's participants felt undervalued by the donor communities because of the nature of their work. The key technique utilised by the appreciative inquiry methodology was that of story telling and PRA style mapping. The events of the workshop are clearly described in this paper which is generally refreshingly simple in it's style.
Based on experiences from Egypt this paper examines the role of PRA in enabling and encouraging effective participation, particularly among the poor and disadvantaged.
This paper is about the use of various methodologies such as PRA, basic communication skills, mediated learning experience and log frame in developing a community and group action plans. The use of these tools in the context of child support programmes, which aim at enhancing the development, survival, protection participation of children, are discussed. Redd Barna Uganda's experience in using a mix and match method and the process involved in it are explained. The complementarity between log frame and PRA methods, especially in the development of a community action plan after the local situational analysis is done, is emphasised for widening the scope of PRA. Questions are raised on some of the key issues, such as how to sustain community participation in the long run.
This document provides guidelines to be used as a reference for the implementation process of a proposed Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project in Uganda.
PRA is suggested as a key strategy to be used in the community planning and relevant techniques and training methods which can be used at each stage in the process are described. The guidelines also considrer the process of community mobilisation.
In spite of children and young people being involved in many aspects of community life, social policy in the UK often neglects their interests. This book argues that contrary to conventional adult wisdom children and young people are competent to take part in collective decision making and that it is essential that they do so. Practical examples from Save the Children's work are provided to show ways in which children and young people can be encouraged to participate and have a real say in how things are done.
Report of research carried out with children's club members which was designed to examine approaches/methods to effectively listen to children's voices and involve children in community planning and action.
This book includes a wide ranging collection of papers which have been divided into sections dealing with communicating with children, gender empowerment, community interactive processes, approaches and insights, ethics and values of community participation and organizational capacity building.
This book presents issues and challenges facing those facilitating children's and young people's participation. The contributors come from a wide range of backgrounds including NGOs in development, children's agencies, academic insitutions and governments and provide case studies from the UK, Eastern Europe, asia, Africa, the Carribean and central and north America. Chapter 1 gives and overview to the main issues and concepts and chapters 2-7 each expand on a particular theme. The main issues discussed and analysed include: the ethical dilemmas facing professionals, the process and methods used in partlicipatory research and planning with children, the inter-relationship between culture and children's participation, considerations for instiutions and the key qualities of a participation programme.
Initiated by Save the Children (UK) and the National Council for Child and Youth Development, this report aims to present experiences from the Youth Against AIDS Project, in Ban Pang Lao. The project has involved many groups including youth groups, youth volunteers against AIDS, housewives groups, village groups, the committee for the Prevention of AIDS and teachers from Ban Pang Lao village and from other schools. The report aims to disseminate what has been learnt from the study, so that it can be discussed and exchanged and used for the benefit of people working in the field of AIDS prevention and care.
This report is about young people leaving care in Hull and was researched and put together by young people themselves. Some themes which emerged in the research, such as the need for practical and emotional support, crop up throughout the report. The introduction explains why the research was done and the Hull context. After the key findings, an outline of how the research was done and responses from the interviewers, the next sections look at topics emergeing from the respondents: leaving care, support, money, accomodation, health, police, life now, the future and the need for change.