Resources

An overview of the life and work of Paulo Freire. Some of the key concepts he developed that are significant to both PRA and REFLECT are outlined.

This article focuses on defining and developing the ideas behind community organising. It starts by outlining four fundamental strategies available to neighborhood groups: organizing, advocacy, service delivery or development. This is followed by what community organizing is and is not, its principles, some rules and some advice on defining an action strategy.

A discussion of the use of the project benefit-impact matrix and show its use within the context of a project evaluation in the Maldives. The project sought to address the development needs of traditional island communities. A brief account of the process is provided with the group's interpretation of the perceived benefits and impact reflected in a chart. Observations are also made of group dynamics, gender factors and the extent of participation by the group.

In this article, the authors recount the experiences of an NGO, Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), in helping the community of Lele Mahadev Khola village to manage their water system through maintenance and funding. The activities carried out by the NGO through PAR is detailed with insights on what the PAR approach has been able to achieve.

The article describes the state of the water management system in Pakora, Pakistan when the PAR team made forays to assess the situation. Information on the process adopted by the PAR team is recounted and the response from the community is included on key issues such as the committee and transparency and record keeping. The article concludes by providing evidence of improvements to the water management system and assessing the gains made by the community.

This article describes the findings and effectiveness of the introduction of the PRA approach and methodology in the German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ).

This report highlights key discussion points that emerged from a workshop on "Strengthening Participation in Local Governance". Conceptual issues around participation, governance, citizenship and decentralisation are discussed. Country presentations highlight various experiences in strengthening participation in local governance: these include looking at the context (particularly with respect to existing legal frameworks), the dynamics of participation, strategies and approaches that are employed to overcome barriers, and the key lessons and proposed ways forward for future research. Lessons and challenges from previous research as well as a summary of action plans for collaboration and future research are also presented.