Resources

This review provides an update on practice and experiences of civil society participation in the development of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). It was commissioned by DFID and conducted from August-October 2001 by the Participation Group at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). It begins with an overview of how the principle of participation has been interpreted by a range of actors and how these vary between International Financial Institutions, civil society and governments. Underpinning these variations is the difference between civil society participation as a means to a more effective poverty reduction strategy and participation as a means for non governmental actors to gain voice in their country's policy making and political processes. The review suggests that on balance civil society participation can add considerable value to PRSP processes and to transforming policy environments in ways that are beneficial to the poor and supportive of better governance and more responsive behaviour by governments and donor institutions. Although participation can add value, the review does not demonstrate conclusively that in all countries significant value has been added to date, nor that as much has been added as could be with better quality participatory processes.

In this book World Vision takes a look at Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Starting from a position of supporting PRSPs and constructively engaging with the process, World Vision undertakes an analysis of their own experience and uncovers the frustrations that have been felt by many of those involved. The following is covered in the six chapters of the book:
" Making PRSPs Work: Can Rhetoric and Reality Coincide?
" All For Naught? An Analysis of Senegal's PRSP Process
" Working Towards an Ethiopian PRSP
" Process Before Strategy: Planning a PRSP for Cambodia
" How is the Next Generation to Live? The Enhanced HIPC II and a Strategy to Reduce Poverty in Bolivia, Honduras and Nicaragua
" Conclusion: Beyond Jubilee Towards Justice

A major part of this twelve day workshop was spent in fieldwork, using the PRA techniques (listed in Section II) learnt in theory classes. This report describes in detail the methodology and findings of the field exercises, showing clearly the practical problems encountered (such as how to "reach" the women) as well as the lively and diverse information that can emerge from PRA activities. The fieldwork in Chimontu and Chongwe resulted in two methodological innovations : i) the seasonality analysis of illness was combined with trend analysis to show how illness had changed over ten years ii) the institutional diagram was used to show what the group would like to see in the area. Points about location of fieldwork, timing, structure of training and group composition conclude this report. The appendices include an interesting list of participants' concerns after completing the fieldwork, plus the actual visual results of the PRA activities.

This long and detailed study describes how the mandal (administrative area) of Devikere in Jagalar, Karnataka State was selected as the appropriate site for an Action Aid anti-poverty project. A socio-economic survey was conducted by a multi-disciplinary team using mainly RRA techniques. The methodology employed appears to have much in common with farming systems research. A section of the report is devoted to health issues. This includes: nutrition and food availability; mother and child wellbeing, health practices and beliefs; the environment; housing; occupation and health services. The anthropological/ethnographic technique of using case studies of individuals adds a strong human dimension to the study. Separate sections are devoted to women, infrastructure and sanitation, and socio-economic conditions.

The programme of economic reform being implemented in Ethiopia is likely to hit the urban poor hardest. Various schemes have been planned by the government to mitigate the impact, including introducing a system of vouchers to be exchanged with local traders for food and kerosene. The article describes a limited, one-day RUA which was carried out in Addis Ababa as part of an assessment of the feasibility of the voucher system. Information was sought on the characteristics, indicators and measurement of poverty, the type of assistance required, and whether potential beneficiaries would receive information about such programmes. A supplementary question of interest was whether Rapid Appraisal techniques were useful in designing such large-scale programmes.

This paper describes the use of rapid appraisal methods for collecting health data in a poor urban area of Tanzania. During a nine-day field-based workshop with municipal officials rapid appraisal methods were used to collect data and plan interventions in three poor municipal areas. The main technique used was semi-structured interviews with key informants. However, after conducting the interviews it was realised that the participants had no way of assigning any priority to the problems which had been revealed. A second visit had to be made to ask the informants to rank the problems in order of priority. Once the data had been analyzed and priorities for each area identified, the workshop participants considered how to develop a plan of action to respond to the problems. The paper concludes with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology based on this experience.