Resources

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

This report was written in the context of the special session of the UN General Assembly on the successes and failures of the Habitat Agenda. It analyses the rhetoric of empowerment and examines whether these strategies have led to real improvements in people's lives. It was agreed at the Second UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in 1996, that sustainable urban development can be achieved if poor people are able to assert their own rights, and organise themselves to provide their own services and infrastructure. Successful urban governance depend on people power. Definitions of 'partnership' are discussed, and it is argued that partnership for good governance and poverty reduction involves poor people participating with government in policy and decision-making as well as contributing to implementation and costs. However, the privatisation of services, and lack of real decentralisation of powers to city governments, present challenges to meaningful partnership for sustainable urban governance. The report is illustrated with examples from around the world, particularly Bolivia, Kenya, Brazil and Sri Lanka.

The introduction includes a summary of the principals and evolution of PRA. Two types of spread in the use of PRA are identified - in terms of the basic components of participatory methodology, behaviour and attitudes, and sharing of knowledge and experience - and in terms of the lateral, personal and experiential mode of spread through field experiences, familiarization workshops, through villages and through materials such as RRA notes. The spread of PRA through these methods has been rapid. This has led to dangers associated with rapid and rigid adoption - as an instant fashion, work that is too rushed, formal or routinized. There is concern over the quality of much of this PRA. However, there are potentials and challenges, identified as: work that goes beyond farming systems research; participatory alternatives to questionnaires; empowerment and equity; local facilitators; policy research and change; personal behaviour, attitudes and learning; the use of PRA in organisations. The paper concludes with a discussion of the significance of PRA, parallel to paradigmatic shifts in other disciplines, and the importance of attendant shifts in development thinking.

The "pass on the pen" approach was used to identify the poorest of the poor families eligible for credit assistance under the Integrated Rural Development programme (IRDP) in Anantapur District, India. The pen, a symbol of truth and learning, was given to the poorest villager who then told about their situation and passed the pen to another poor person. The detailed description of this event shows clearly how the technique helped ensure a fair selection of families for credit assistance, avoiding manipulation by government officials.

This short paper explores the potential for using theatre as "an effective means of both feeding back and following up some of the issues raised by RRA". Whereas initial RRA training is above all practical, follow-up work has tended to be carried out on paper by a planning team. Dramatisation can be used by communities to explore development opportunities. Two techniques are described : i) the RRA team creates a drama loosely based on themes expressed earlier by the community ii) a more structured workshop approach where participants dramatise the issues themselves. The advantages of theatre are that it is open-ended and minority groups are allowed to have a voice.

The appendix to this report gives "a brief introduction to the methods of data and information collection that are appropriate to both preparation and evaluation of smallholder projects". The concepts and approach of RRA is briefly described as one of the methods. Numbered steps give useful tips for preparation of research under headings transport, accommodation, timing, interpreter.

ActionAid, a British NGO, carried out PRAs in Dingiraay and Ndawen in The Gambia, with the aim of creating a "community action plan". This report describes the process in Dingiraay, from introducing the concept of PRA to the community through leaflets and opening ceremony to conducting the activities, analysing the data, deciding options and working out the final plan. PRA activities were introduced in "sets": spatial (village sketch map, transect), temporal (time line, trend line, seasonal calendar) and institutional (inventory and ranking). Methods, findings and organization are described and evaluated in detail, including participants' responses. The report shows how the community participated in analysing the data and planning development activities, and the tensions involved. The conclusion looks at "lessons learned", such as wealth ranking activities creating mistrust.