Resources

National and International research institutes and NGOs have a growing interest in structured and more transparent methods of priority setting. Aside from selecting and applying appropriate methods, they have to ensure that various stakeholders are well represented. This is crucial for the results and implementation of identified priorities. (Biotechnology and Development Monitor)

This article describes Redd Barna - Uganda's experiences in using the Issues Matrix to analyse intra-communal difference, by facilitating independent discussions of different gender and age groups, in order to arrive at communal decisions. The Issues Matrix is a table, which captures, in a summary form, all the issues of concern that arise out of the initial application of PRA methods by interest groups. Marginalised groups in a community can advocate for their issues in the decision-making process, through the independent analysis that this method entails. The Issues Matrix can be used for situation analysis, as a practical starting point to address concerns that need immediate attention, as a benchmark for community-based planning and for participatory monitoring and evaluation. It is not only a tool for the analysis of intra-communal difference - it also promotes consensus building and paves the way for long term community planning and action.

This article summarises some lessons learnt from a project that examined how to pursue a conservation strategy of Amazon Ecuador by working with local communities living in the area. It provides a background for the project, and discusses how those implementing the conservation strategy gained the confidence of the local communities and overcame the methodological problems they encountered. Nuturing community relations and building trust were deemed crucial for gaining a better understanding of pressing issues, and for generating more practical management recommendations.

This report is the outcome of organisational strengthening training programmes conducted by The Mel Nathan Institute and Human and Community Development Agency of the United Church in several communities in rural Jamaica. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) was the primary methodology used. Participants were asked to prepare a list of community needs and to place them in order of priority using priority ranking, voting, scoring and pairwise ranking methods: details for the methods and findings are given. Correspondence between Robert Chambers and the author are attached to the original paper. An electronic version is available from the IDS Participation Resource Centre.

This paper looks at social change in South Africa, highlighting the disjuncture between constitutional provision for community participation in local government and the absence of such institutional space, bureaucratic orientation and political will to introduce, create, foster and maintain appropriate spaces/opportunities for participatory democracy at grassroots level. It documents specifically the story of Areas Co-ordinating Teams, (ACTs) in historically black ghettos of Cape Town, using open-ended interviews and structured questionnaires to ascertain the levels of understanding, co-operation and commitment to community participation in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects. The paper is made up by a number of sections which highlight different aspects of ACTs. The first locates ACTs within the socio-economic and political dynamics of the city. This is followed by an outline of the constitutional and related statutory frameworks that underpin the concept and practice of community participation in local government. The remaining sections of the paper discuss the direction of ACTs as well as their benefits and disadvantages. The paper concludes with some of the main findings and suggestions as to how community participation could be promoted and become embedded in local governance:| ACTs constitute good public policy and should be encouraged as they create institutional space and opportunities for individuals, communities, Council administration and elected representatives to discuss issues;| In practice, however, ACTs are a structural failure as they are non-binding, the Council is not obliged to follow up issues raised through ACTs, and individual officials and Councillors are not obliged to attend scheduled meetings.| Hence, for ACTs to become effective instruments of social change Councils must support them by passing appropriate by-laws and by drawing up a code of conduct that compels officials to take these initiatives seriously.

This briefing looks at how participatory immersion techniques can be used to promote advocacy in policy planning, focussing specifically on gaining insight into the situation of the poor. Senior staff in aid agencies are involved in daily decisions about policy and practice which have direct impact on the lives of poor people. But in a rapidly changing world, how can they be sure that they are basing those decisions on up-to-date information about what poor people want and would consider to be most helpful? REALISE is a participatory approach to learning, whereby staff from policy institutions and donor agencies spend a few days living and working with host families in a poor community. This enables them to engage in critical self-reflection both on their own and in a facilitated group and can bring long-term benefits to the practice of development. The experience increases motivation and commitment and the personal contact ensures that poor peopleÆs voices and perspectives are heard and integrated into new policy approaches and practice at senior level.