This chapter examines the view that the word participation is experienceing a renaissance in the 1990s. So widespread is its us that some talk of a paradigm shift to participatory development. Chambers argues here that reversing power relations is the key and the weak link in achieving participation.
This document proposes an approach to sustainable development that includes three environmental care objectives of ecosystem management, meeting basic needs, and community empowerment. It notes a growing consensus that sustainable human development depends mainly on what people in their families and their communities do for themselves. The document argues that under any political or economic system, sustainable development seems to follow a common sequence. Projects move from pilot phase into large scale implementation. It highlights a UNICEF program, "SCALE for human development" and discusses topics such as preconditions for sustainable development, stages of action, and basic principles in sustainable human development, among others.
This article focuses on gender aspects of participatory projects. It draws on the author's own research as well as secondary sources and states that gender inequalities in resources, time, and power, influence the priorities and framework of participatory projects as much as "top-down" development and market activities. Increasing the numbers of women involved in participatory projects cannot, therefore, be seen as a soft alternative to specific attention to change in gender inequality. Meeting the demands of poor women in the South will require not only local participatory projects, but a linking with wider movements for change in the national and international development agenda.
This manual is for development professionals and residents of local communities in the North and the South who address constraints to equitable, effective and sustainable development. The authors hope that the framework for socio-economic and gender analysis offered will contribute to capacity building and empowerment of communities. The manual is divided into five sections - an overview, outline of conceptual framework, elaboration of participatory strategies and tools, sketching of scenarios and a concluding section on measuring effectiveness. Each section is detailed and a step by step guidance is offered to conduct the analysis.
This book intends to provide participatory development tools that will enable those traditionally excluded - particularly women - from decision-making processes and control over resources to have a voice and to play an active role. The authors contend that the tools described increase the capacities of local communities, NGOs and public sector agencies by integrating applied and analytical methods. To illustrate, examples from field experience in urban, rural and agrarian communities from around the world are described. A brief overview of participatory approaches to development is described, including issues such as power relationships within a community and between local institutions and outsiders. Its explores the opportunities for using multi-media tools to strengthen the impact of other tools in conscious-raising, data-gathering, advocacy, and community decision-making and action.
This discussion paper aims to show that PRA is able to generate information that is quantifiable, objective and as reliable as any information generated from sample surveys. The paper is split into three main sections: Quantitive Data from PRA which outlines the varied types of data and information which can be generated by using PRA; Reliability of PRA Data which looks at the advantages of using participatory approaches over the older style sample surveys; Using PRA for Regional/State Planning which shows how these approaches can be scaled up to involve the community in regional planning processes. The paper concludes that information generated by PRA is both qualitative and quantitative, and unlike questionnaire surveys should not be extractive. It generates information that strengthens the capacity of marginalised communities to meet their needs, and as such is an integral part of a community-based development process.
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Rather than challenging the universal validity of PRA, this discussion paper focuses on the practical task of "doing PRAs" in a new and alien context. The authors advocate the acknowledgement and acceptance of local cultural trends, power relations and structures of authority when undertaking participatory research. This will allow to work with, rather than around these factors. Hence, the proposed "Vietnamisation" of PRA so as to allow local voices to shape the values and techniques of PRA itself. But, just how Vietnamised can PRA become until it comes into conflict with international liberal PRA values? This broad discussion originated in a workshop organised in Hanoi on Community Research Methods in February and March 1996. The issues covered by the paper include: introducing PRA and PRA values in Vietnamese communities, gender, local leadership and dominance; and international donors and PRA. Methodological issues covered are: sampling, recording of research information, interviews, focus group discussions and mapping.
This article provides a summary of the major challenges currently facing PRA, as well as the changes implied by some of these challenges. The challenges are considered at six different levels, namely the individual, community, organisational, project and programme, donor and policy levels. The challenges identified are drawn from the literature on PRA, as well as from a recent series of workshops held by the author with the staff of six NGOs that are promoting PRA in South Asia. The article concludes by attributing these challenges to five cross-cutting factors: differences in power, culture, knowledge, money and time.
The bulletin starts with an introductory article on the evolution of REFLECT (Regenerated Freirean Literacy through Empowering Community Techniques), which combines the Freirean approach to literacy with PRA. The teaching methods used in what is called a REFLECT circle (class) are described. Based on the result of the pilot projects, the article claims that REFLECT approach has been proved successful and cost-effective in teaching people to read and write and in enabling people to link literacy with wider developmental issues. Reports from the REFLECT pilots, country case study of El Salvador and Uganda, and adapting REFLECT to the urban context are included The expansion of REFLECT programme into new areas and the future of the programme is discussed. All the articles are translated into Spanish alongside the English.
This article argues that PRA, in its brief history, has helped community groups to make remarkable achievements throughout the developing world. Moreover the article highlights the lessons learnt from the application of PRA, such as the importance of participation, accountability, partnership and ownership and its impact on planning and management of development programmes. The article also outlines four key areas where additional field research, assessments, and dissemination are needed with a view to making PRA a more structured and operational approach to development planning and implementation. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening capacities of community institutions, developing methodologies and conducting research on devising new applications of PRA.
