151

News from the Participation, Power andSocial Change Team (PPSC) at theInstitute of Development Studies (IDS)

ParticipateParticipate, coordinated by IDS andBeyond 2015, is a global researchinitiative which focuses on theexperiences of those living in greatestpoverty. It brings together participatoryresearch programmes in more than 40countries, and connects the unfilteredvoices of those most affected by povertywith UN and intergovernmentaldeliberations. Participate is filling acrucial gap in the current policy context,providing high quality evidence on thereality of poverty at ground level, bringingthe perspectives of the poorest into thepost-2015 debate. The Centre forDevelopment Services (CDS), Cairo andPraxis in India are also members of theinitiative.To date, Participate has drawn out key

lessons from existing participatorystudies and global consultations;

provided methodological support to anetwork of organisations and 18participatory research projects which arecurrently ongoing; developed a majorprogramme of research usingparticipatory visual methods; andengaged in international advocacyactivities to ensure that knowledge fromthe margins is included in post-2015policy-making. In the second half of this year,

Participate will produce a documentary ofthe research process, a synthesis of thefindings from 18 research projects, andorganise ground-level panels (to mirrorthe UN high-level panels on the post-2015 development agenda) in India,Uganda, Brazil and Egypt (see the updatefrom Praxis below). It is also creating anexhibition of the synthesis and a collageof multimedia outputs from the researchas a space for engagement at the UNGeneral Assembly in September 2013. Aseries of reflections and methodologypieces will be produced, continuingongoing efforts to ensure that

RCPLA Network

66152

participatory research and knowledgefrom the margins is embedded in globalpolicy-making. nTo find out more, please visit:www.participate2015.org or email:participate@ids.ac.uk

The Big Push ForwardThe Big Push Forward provides space fordiscussion, debate and the exploration ofappropriate approaches for assessingtransformative development processes.Evidenced-based results, rigorous data,conclusive proof and value for money areterms promising clarity about what worksand what should be funded ininternational development. For somedonors, certain ways of knowing andassessing impact are considered morelegitimate than others. Yet increasinglypeople are recognising the need formultiple and mixed methods andapproaches to better understand complexchange and that, compared to imposedstandards, are more likely to lead to fairassessments to support a fairer world. The PPSC team at IDS, Praxis and

CDS are all members of the Big PushForward – an informal internationalnetwork of practitioners seekingconstructive ways to advanceconceptually and methodologicallyinternational development aid’s supportof a fairer world, beyond the narrowbureaucratic protocols that assumeguaranteed predictable outcomes. Rosalind Eyben, a fellow at IDS and

member of the PPSC team, is one of theco-convenors of the Big Push Forward.See the In Touch section of this issue ofPLA for more information on theconference on The Politics of Evidenceheld at IDS in April 2013. nFor more information on The Big PushForward visit: bigpushforward.net

Other news from the PPSCThere has been a great deal going on inthe PPSC team in recent months. In

addition to the Participate and Big PushForward initiatives, they have beeninvolved in a variety of projects,publications and events. Accountabilitymay seem like an obvious part of therelationship between a state and itscitizens yet accountability mechanismsare often weak or absent. Working withHELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, theyhave been undertaking a multi-countrystudy which aims to gain insights intoaccountability and its contribution todevelopment and local democraticgovernance.nSee: IDS Working Paper 422 Localaccountabilities in fragile contexts:experiences from Nepal, Bangladesh andMozambique. Available online (350kb):www.ids.ac.uk/files/dmfile/Wp422.pdf Rosalind Eyben has been looking at

how unpaid care work across the world israrely acknowledged within developmentagendas, and investigating how to get thisimportant aspect of peoples’ livesincluded in development policy andprogrammes.nSee IDS Policy Briefing Issue 31:Gettingunpaid care onto development agendas.Available online (1mb):www.ids.ac.uk/files/dmfile/IFPB31.pdfThe PPSC team recently launched a

new book which explores how people can,and are, using participatory methods tocreate their own statistics and influencepolicy. Who counts? The power ofparticipatory statistics is published byPractical Action (see our In Touch sectionfor a review and more details). In addition, Zed Books have just

published Organizing women workers inthe informal economy: beyond theweapons of the weak, edited by NailaKabeer, Ratna Sudarshan and KirstyMilward, as part of the Pathways ofWomen’s Empowerment Consortium.This is the first in a Zed Books series onfeminism and development. Since 2009 we have been working

with Oxfam on tracking the social

153l RCPLA Network

impacts of economic crises. This projecthas just produced a report calledSqueezed: life in a time of food pricevolatility, year 1 results.nAvailable online: policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/squeezed-life-in-a-time-of-food-price-volatility-year-1-results-292412

New websiteSupported by the Swiss DevelopmentCorporation, the PPSC have set up a newwebsite on participatory methods atwww.participatorymethods.org. Focusingon participatory approaches to strategicanalysis, programme design, monitoringand evaluation, it also includes resourceson participatory learning, research andcommunication in organisations,networks and communities. TheParticipation Resource Centre is includedin the site – many of the resources areelectronic and others can be sourced byemailing: ppsc@ids.ac.uk. The centrealso continues to operate as a physicalspace at IDS where visitors are verywelcome.The PPSC blog goes from strength to

strength: recent postings have discussedthe lack of accountability in the garmentindustry following the tragic collapse ofthe factory in Dhaka, how communicationin development, particularly using images,can worsen a charitable ‘us and them’mentality within richer countries, andhow men are risking their lives for genderjustice. Read more online:participationpower.wordpress.comnFor further information about any of theabove, or if you wish to visit the ResourceCentre please email ppsc@ids.ac.uk or call+44 1273 915879.

Update from the Centre forDevelopment Services (CDS), CairoAs mentioned above, CDS is part of theIDS Beyond 2015 Participatory ResearchGroup, a consortium of organisationswho are working to coordinate andstrengthen participatory research projects

which engage people living in povertydirectly in the post-2015 debate. Thegroup aims to draw local initiativestogether to produce rich, in-depthqualitative evidence, co-produced withpeople living in poverty, on what theirpriorities are, what they see as pressingdevelopment needs, and what they mightneed from a post-2015 framework. CDSbring into this group its extensiveparticipatory research on youth in theMiddle East and North Africa (MENA)region. nFor more information on CDS activities visit:www.cds-mena.com

Update from Praxis IndiaPraxis Institute for Participatory Practicesis a not-for-profit organisation committedto mainstreaming the voices of the poorand marginalised sections of society inthe process of development. Based inNew Delhi, with branches in Chennai,Patna, Hyderabad and London, Praxisworks to promote participatory practicesin all spheres of human development.Praxis carries out research andconsultancies, and also engages in severalself-funded initiatives to further the causeof development.

TheWorkshop2013Praxis will be hosting its 17th AnnualCommune on Participatory Developmentfrom 21st–28th October 2013 in Thrissur,in the southern Indian state of Kerala.This year’s format offers participants theopportunity to learn about participatorymethods and attend modules to see howthese approaches work in differentcontexts. The thematic applicationmodules on offer this year include:project cycle management; publicaccountability; participatory

66154

communication; participatorymonitoring and evaluation (with a focuson sustainability); campaigning, advocacyand networking; and communitymobilisation. nFor more information visit:www.theworkshop.in or email Praxis at:info@theworkshop.in

Ground-level panelsAs part of the Participate global initiative,Praxis hosted a ground-level panel,integrating voices of poor andmarginalised people in India withrecommendations on developmentpolicies. The panel was made up of 14people who experienced poverty andexclusion in their day-to-day lives. Thispanel deliberated on therecommendations of the United Nationshigh-level panel on 14th–18th July 2013and their report was shared at an eventattended by representatives of civil

society, the media and governmentbodies. The panellists were not membersof any government, private or non-governmental organisations or associatedwith any political parties or trade unions.Instead, they drew on their ownexperiences of marginalisation andexclusion to provide a ‘ground-level’reality check to the high-level panel. Readthe ground-level panel report online:www.praxisindia.org/?q=node/245Recommendations made by a ground-

level panel of 14 people from poor andmarginalised communities from acrossIndia echoed demand more generally fora corruption-free society and a state thatfocuses on removing barriers rather thanjust handing out benefits. The recentmood in the country seemed to findresonance at a meeting hosted by Praxisin July 2013 called Voice for Change: APost-2015 Development Agenda byPeople Living in Poverty. The panel included dalits, tribal

people, religious and sexual minorities,differently-abled people, children and theelderly. The panel met in Delhi to

The ground-level panel’s exhibit at the Voice for Change meeting.

Photo: Praxis

155l RCPLA Network

deliberate on the United Nations high-level panel recommendations for thepost-2015 development agenda. Thepanellists, who experience poverty daily,used a participatory process to collectivelyreview the recommendations, agreeing 15overarching action-oriented goals: • establishing a corruption-free state andsociety; • promoting equity; • establishing robust accountabilitymechanisms; • providing identities instead of goals; • creating institutional spaces to promotepeople’s participation in local governanceand policy-making processes; • an end to stigma and discrimination;• abolishing traditions that upholddiscrimination; • creating stringent restrictions on thesale and promotion of alcohol and otheraddictive substances; • facilitating collectivisation, awarenessand sensitisation of citizens; • promoting a safe and secure homeenvironment;

• promoting the interests of agriculturallabourers, poor farmers, peasants, tribalpeoples and slum dwellers and their rights; • protecting the environment; • enforcing mechanisms to prevent taxevasion by corporations; • creating and rigidly implementingsystems that protect workers’ rights; and • promoting gender equality and safety inpublic spaces. As Raghunath Sada, a panel member

from Dabhanga district of Bihar said:

Promises of food, housing, health, employ-ment and education have been repeated indifferent forms since the 1950s. We wantaction now. We want goals to be written insuch a way that they address all barriers thatprevent the realisation of these promises.

The panel also stressed the need toinclude a ban on nuclear armaments andto address the domination of the UnitedStates in the United Nations. The panel shared its recommendations

with social activist Ms Aruna Roy,

Photo: Praxis

Ground-level panel participants collectively reviewed the recommendations and agreed 15 overarching action-oriented goals.

66156

planning commission member Dr SyedaHameed and seasoned journalist MrVinod Mehta. Dr Hameed said she wouldraise some of these issues when theplanning commission next met ondiscussions of the post-2015 developmentagenda.To commemorate the event, a postage

stamp was released and two booksdocumenting the narratives of sexualminorities, sex workers and poor peopleliving in cities was released. The Voice forChange series includes two titles:Collective action for safe spaces by sexualminorities and sex workers andCitymakers seeking to reclaim cities theybuild. These books document theexperiences of marginalised groups andtheir struggle for an inclusivedevelopment process. nFor more information on the ground-levelpanels, please contact Anusha at Praxis. Tel: +91 997 1116536Email: anushac@praxisindia.org

Beyond 2015As mentioned earlier, Praxis is part of theParticipate initiative, which enablesvoices from the margins to be heard bypolicymakers and sector experts workingon the post-2015 development agenda.Praxis facilitated participatory videoprocesses with sexual minorities andurban poor groups in Tamil Nadu. The

participants debated on the developmentframework that should replace themillennium development goals in 2015. nWatch the film online: youtu.be/O-oMKwKlX38To request a copy email: communications@praxisindia.org

Participatory disaster management planningPraxis helped to formulate a districtdisaster management plan, working withthe District Disaster ManagementAuthority in Bihar, India. Praxis mapped18 diverse indicators across 1248 villagesin Samastipur district, using an open-source GIS platforms. The mostsignificant aspect was that the plan,unlike other disaster management plans,focused mainly on ‘disaster risk reduction’and ‘preparedness’ elements. Instead ofplanning post-crisis interventions in thewake of disasters, the project sought toprepare 19 line departments and agenciesto pre-empt potential threats posed bydisasters. It customised existinggovernment departmental allocations tocreative uses for dealing with disasters,without requiring any extra budget.

Development of self-administrable tools formeasuring vulnerability reductionPraxis is associated with a programme formeasuring community mobilisationamong female sex workers, men havingsex with men, transgender people andinjecting drug users in six Indian states(Nagaland, Manipur, Maharashtra,Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and TamilNadu). The aim is to enable an effectivetransition of the HIV/AIDS interventionprogramme from donors to the state andthe communities themselves. The designwas evolved with comprehensive inputsfrom members of these communities.Data collection and analysis for the finalyear has been completed.As a logical progression from the

community mobilisation monitoring study,Praxis created a set of self-administrable

157l RCPLA Network

tools to monitor community mobilisationwith sustainability as its goal. The self-administrable tools were piloted atcommunity-based organisations in TamilNadu. The tools are meant to guide anorganisation towards self-sustainabilityunder the different parameters ofleadership, governance, resourcemobilisation, project cycle management,networking, financial and legal riskmanagement, provision of rights andentitlements and engagement withsociety.The toolbox is called From beneficiaries

to agents of change – self-administrabletools to assess community preparedness forvulnerability reduction. Download online:www.praxisindia.org/?q=booksnFor more information about Praxis and itswork, visit: www.praxisindia.orgThe Praxis YouTube channel includes videos ofprevious workshops as well as other filmsmade by Praxis:www.youtube.com/PraxisIndia

Updates from IIED

Smallholder innovation and traditionalknowledgeThe Agroecology Team at IIED andpartners are collaborating on a project tostrengthen biocultural innovation forfood security in the face of climatechange. In October 2012, a planning andmethodology workshop was held in Chinato launch the Smallholder Innovation forResilience (SIFOR) project. This broughttogether the research partners – theCentre for Chinese Agricultural Policy(CCAP, China), Asociacion ANDES(Peru), Lok Chetna Manch (India), KenyaForestry Research Institute (KEFRI,Kenya) and IIED (UK).The goal of this five-year project,

funded by the European Union and UKaid, is to improve food security andresilience by enabling smallholderinnovation and traditional knowledgesystems to thrive in developing countries.

The project will conduct research withtraditional farmers in areas of significantcrop diversity: potatoes in the AndeanPotato Park, Peru; maize and rice in theKarst mountains of southwest China; riceand millets in the Himalayas, India; andindigenous vegetables in coastal Kenya. Itwill generate new evidence of the role oflocal landraces and traditional knowledgein adaptation to climate change; developpractical approaches and tools tostrengthen local innovation systems andrights; and promote more enablingpolicies to support smallholderinnovation. The project will revitalisebiocultural innovation for adaptation andfood security through participatory actionresearch, including: the development ofseed registers, value addition and novelproducts; strengthening farmerorganisations; and participatory plantbreeding (PPB).nFor more information, download theproject information:pubs.iied.org/G03557.html or contactKrystyna Swiderska:krystyna.swiderska@iied.org

66158

New blog series: In Our WorldIIED has launched a new blog seriescalled In Our World. Each week, wepublish links to top content aboutenvironment and development that wehave seen online in the past few days. Here are recent editions:In Our World, 30th August (cities,

ecosystem services, food, forests andmore) www.iied.org/our-world-30-august-cities-ecosystem-services-food-forests-moreIn Our World, 23rd August 2013

(land, climate, cities, forests and more)www.iied.org/our-world-23-august-land-climate-cities-forests-moreIn Our World, 16th August 2013

(natural resources, cities, business andmore) www.iied.org/our-world-16-august-natural-resources-cities-energy-business-moreYou can subscribe to IIED’s news and

updates here: www.iied.org/sign-up