Johnson, Vicky

Putting child rights and participatory monitoring and evaluation with children into practice: some examples in Indonesia, Nepal South Africa, and the U.K.

This paper presents a range of initiatives the authors are involved in within the field of children's rights and participation. It begins by defining the rights based approach and needs based approach to development and goes on to give details of three projects. The first project is PLAN International Indonesia's training and capacity strengthening for its field staff aimed at promoting a shift towards addressing child rights in its programmes and projects.

Tips for trainers: ranking lines: exploring local indicators of wealth and health

This short article, in the tips for trainers section of the special 50th edition of PLA notes, describes a ranking line activity. This is an activity that can be used for determining local indicators of poverty and wealth, health, local environment etc. The activity involves people lining up (or placing markers on a line) in between extremes on a continuum, such as rich and poor. Ranking lines can be useful in starting off local needs assessments and health action plans, or to explore specific issues within a community.

Completing the globe: tackling poverty and injustice in the North

This article looks at the adaptation and adoption of participatory methodologies in the north. The article draws from insights the emerged at an event in April 2004, that brought together practitioners to reflect on the development of participatory processes in the UK. The article begins by looking at the context and history of participatory approaches in the North, particularly linked with unions, poverty and women's rights.

Not for children only: lessons learnt from young people's participation

This article, as part of the special 50th issue of PLA Notes, highlights some of the learning that has been gained from discourse and practice relating to young people's participation and how it might be integrated into the broader development field. The article links background and theoretical ideas to practical learning and application in the field. Citing examples such as the Soweto uprising and the Palestinian Intifada, the authors look at young people's potential for political action.

Developing coding systems to analyse difference

This article looks at an accredited training programme called Regeneration through Community Assessment and Action (CAA) designed by Development Focus UK. It involves training teams of local residents and local professional workers in participatory research methods. This article particularly focuses on the development and use of coding systems in the CAA. Coding systems allow the research team to record selected characteristics of each person consulted during the CAA process in order to reveal agreement, differences, resolve conflict and ensure that all interests are represented.

Visuals by children

The purpose of this report is to share the way in which visuals have been used in a range of development and education projects, and to try and understand some of the benefits and difficulties of using a range of visual techniques. The report concentrates on visuals created by children within the projects visited during the 20 day study. It focuses on the use of visuals for analysing and learning as well as in terms of educational and research projects which enable children to influence adult decision makers.