63 participatory learning and action

How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) – The International Institute for Environment formerly PLA Notes and RRA Notes – is published and Development (IIED) is committed to twice a year. Established in 1987, it enables promoting social justice and the practitioners of participatory methodologies from empowerment of the poor and marginalised. It also supports around the world to share their field experiences, democracy and full participation in decision-making and conceptual reflections, and methodological governance. We strive to reflect these values in Participatory innovations. The series is informal and seeks to Learning and Action. For further information contact IIED, publish frank accounts, address issues of practical 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8NH, UK. Website: and immediate value, encourage innovation, and act www.iied.org as a ‘voice from the field’. We are grateful to the Swedish International This work is licensed under the Creative Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the UK Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial- Department for International Development (DfID), Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. Recipients are Irish Aid, the Norwegian Agency for Development encouraged to use it freely for not-for-profit purposes only. Cooperation (Norad) and the Ministry of Foreign Please credit the authors and the PLA series. To view a copy Affairs of Denmark (Danida) for their financial of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- support of PLA. nc-sa/3.0 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second This special issue of PLA was produced in Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94105, USA. collaboration with the IKM Emergent Programme (see: http://ikmemergent.net). IKM Emergent is a We welcome contributions to PLA. For information and five-year programme which started in 2007, funded guidelines, please see the inside back cover. by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was developed under the auspices of the Information Download past and current issues Management Working Group of the European All issues of PLA are now free to download from Association of Development Research and Training www.iied.org Institutes (EADI) and is administered by the EADI Secretariat, Bonn. Subscribe Subscriptions are free to the South. For more information Participatory Learning and Action 63 please contact: Research Information Ltd., Grenville Court, © IIED, 2011 Britwell Road, Burnham, SL1 8DF, UK. Email: Order no: 14606IIED [email protected] Website: Cover illustration: Regina Faul-Doyle www.researchinformation.co.uk Design and layout: Smith+Bell Design Printed by: Park Communications Ltd, London Purchase back issues Guest editors: Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman. Please contact Earthprint Ltd., PO Box 119, Stevenage, Editors: Holly Ashley, Nicole Kenton, and SG1 4TP, UK. Email: [email protected] Angela Milligan. Website: www.earthprint.co.uk Strategic Editorial Board: Nazneen Kanji, Jethro Pettit, Michel Pimbert, Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) is an umbrella term Krystyna Swiderska and David Satterthwaite. for a wide range of approaches and methodologies, including International Editorial Advisory Board: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Rapid Rural Appraisal Oga Steve Abah, Jo Abbot, Jordi Surkin Beneria, (RRA), Participatory Learning Methods (PALM), L. David Brown, Andy Catley, Robert Chambers, Participatory Action Research (PAR), Farming Systems Louise Chawla, Andrea Cornwall, Bhola Dahal, Research (FSR), and Méthode Active de Recherche et de Qasim Deiri, John Devavaram, Planification Participative (MARP). The common theme is Charlotte Flower, FORCE Nepal, Ian Goldman, the full participation of people in the processes of learning Bara Guèye, Irene Guijt, Marcia Hills, about their needs and opportunities, and in the action Enamul Huda, Vicky Johnson, Caren Levy, required to address them. Sarah Levy, Zhang Linyang, PJ Lolichen, In recent years, there has been a number of shifts in the Ilya M. Moeliono, Humera Malik, scope and focus of participation: emphasis on sub-national, Marjorie Jane Mbilinyi, Ali Mokhtar, national and international decision-making, not just local Seyed Babak Moosavi, Trilok Neupane, decision-making; move from projects to policy processes and Esse Nilsson, Zakariya Odeh, Peter Park, institutionalisation; greater recognition of issues of Bardolf Paul, Bimal Kumar Phnuyal, difference and power; and, emphasis on assessing the quality Giacomo Rambaldi, Peter Reason, and understanding the impact of participation, rather than Joel Rocamora, Jayatissa Samaranayake, simply promoting participation. Participatory Learning and Madhu Sarin, Daniel Selener, Anil C Shah, Action reflects these developments and recognises the Meera Kaul Shah, Jasber Singh, importance of analysing and overcoming power differentials Marja Liisa Swantz, Cecilia Tacoli, which work to exclude the already poor and marginalised. Peter Taylor, Tom Wakeford, Eliud Wakwabubi, and Alice Welbourn. 1

Contents

Editorial ...... 4

THEME SECTION: HOW WIDE ARE THE RIPPLES? FROM LOCAL PARTICIPATION TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING 1. Overview: How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning Kate Newman and Hannah Beardon ...... 11 2. Making sense together: the Ripples editshop Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman ...... 19

PART I: PARTICIPATORY COMMUNICATION PRACTICES: HOW IS THE INFORMATION GENERATED? 3. Where do we drop the pebble? Using participatory communication for social change Andrew Chetley ...... 25 4. Voices, voices everywhere, but how much learning is going on? Siobhan Warrington ...... 31 5. Opportunities and challenges of participatory processes: the case of Key Correspondents Alice Klein...... 39 6. Stories, critical analysis and learning in ActionAid Kate Carroll ...... 45 2 63

7. Who’s leading who? The power of partnerships Rose McCausland ...... 50 8. Digital Storytelling Tessa Lewin...... 54 9. Bridges to understanding and action: using stories to negotiate meaning across community boundaries Cynthia Kurtz and Stephen Shimshock ...... 63

PART II: MAKING SENSE: THE DYNAMICS OF INTERPRETATION AND USE OF PARTICIPATORY OUTPUTS 10. Whose accounts? Cathy Shutt...... 71 11. Telling stories: who makes sense of participatory communication? Hannah Beardon, Jasber Singh, Rose McCausland, Cynthia Kurtz and Clodagh Miskelly ...... 77 12. EthnoCorder in Burundi: innovation, data collection and data use Nathan Horst ...... 83 13. Western Balkans Green Agenda: local storytelling through participatory video making Soledad Muñiz ...... 89

PART III: LEARNING IN ORGANISATIONS 14. Are INGOs brave enough to become learning organisations? Ashley Raeside...... 97 15. ‘I’m starting with the man in the mirror …’ Reflections on personal and organisational learning Daniel Guijarro...... 103 16. Bridging the gap between individual and organisational learning: the role of HR Sofia Angidou...... 109 17. Learning in INGOs: the case of Kenya Eliud Wakwabubi ...... 115

PART IV: STRUCTURES, MECHANISMS AND SPACES 18. ‘The centre cannot hold’: reflections on the effects of a transition from single entity to global network Jonathan Dudding ...... 125 19. InsightShare global network of community-owned video hubs Soledad Muñiz ...... 130 20. Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies Jo Lyon ...... 135 21. Bringing participation back into the heart of IIED Angela Milligan and Emma Wilson...... 141 22. Developing organisational strategies: whose voices (should) count? Kate Newman and Helen Baños Smith ...... 147 l Contents 3

23. Two steps forward, one step back: broadening participation in the strategy process in IIED Michel Pimbert ...... 154 24. Participatory strategy development at ActionAid International Kate Newman with David Archer ...... 160

PART V: TIPS FOR TRAINERS 25. Working with your community's stories Cynthia Kurtz ...... 167 26. The Ripples process: a framework for facilitating reflection and analysis Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman ...... 171

REGULAR FEATURES In Touch ...... 175 4 63

Editorial

Welcome to issue 63 of Participatory March 2010 and later refined at an ‘edit- Learning and Action. shop’ held at IIED 30th September – 1st Participatory processes at the grassroots October 2010. The initial workshop was can have a powerful impact. But what hap- part of a larger process of reflection and re- pens afterwards to the learning and knowl- search, supported by IKM Emergent and edge generated? Are these experiences called ‘How wide are the ripples?’. The translated into wider organisational learn- process explored how international devel- ing, and if so how – or why not? And what opment NGOs use and manage the infor- impact do they have on decision-making or mation, knowledge and perspectives strategic planning within international generated through the participatory non-governmental organisations processes they initiate or fund. (INGOs)? This special issue explores how widely the impacts – or ‘ripples’ – created Guest editors from participatory processes spread from Kate Newman is an independent consult- their original source. ant with a background in participatory de- This issue has been produced in collab- velopment and adult education. She oration with the IKM Emergent Pro- worked as part of ActionAid’s Reflect team gramme.1 PLA 63 is the result of various for 10 years, supporting the evolution of the stages of reflection, research and analysis Reflect approach as it moved from a par- by a range of people in different combina- ticipatory approach to adult literacy and tions. The articles were developed from a social change, to one that understood the workshop held in London on 18th and 19th importance of a broader recognition of

1 IKM Emergent is a five-year research and communication programme which started in 2007. IKM Emergent is founded on a critical analysis of current practice in the use of all forms of knowledge, including formal research, within the international development sector. See: http://ikmemergent.net l Editorial 5 Photo: Louise Clark Photo:

During the March 2010 Ripples workshop, author and participant Jo Lyon explains how Oxfam’s KARL online platform facilitates knowledge-sharing.

communication in development. More re- teams. With over a decade of experience cently she has been involved in various con- working on (and with) participatory sultancies including NGO programme methodologies, she has developed an un- evaluations and producing learning and derstanding of how facilitated processes of training materials to support participatory reflection can transform development or- and rights-based development. She is an ganisations and the power relationships associate lecturer at the Open University which underpin social change processes. and draws on her experience with partici- The ‘How wide are the ripples?’ research and patory approaches within this academic reflection process documented here has also setting. She is currently completing a PhD had a profound impact on how Hannah un- which explores the tensions, challenges and derstands and approaches her work, rela- opportunities presented when an INGO tionships and analysis. This includes a works with a global human rights-based greater awareness of the power involved in vision and organisational strategy, while attributing meaning to (or making sense of) also having a commitment to bottom-up information, data and perspectives collected participatory development processes. in any evaluation or communciations Hannah Beardon is a consultant, and process. has worked with a variety of organisations to explore and strengthen the role of infor- Structure of the special issue mation and communication in international The special issue is divided into five sec- development. Recent work has included tions: evaluations of development projects and • Overview to theme section. processes using participatory approaches, • Part I: Participatory communication design of knowledge management and practices: how is the information gener- shared learning tools and strategies, and the ated? Includes articles from Andrew Chet- facilitation of multidisciplinary research ley, Siobhan Warrington, Kate Carroll, 6 63 Photo: Louise Clark Photo:

Notes taken at the Ripples workshop reflecting on the challenges of linking participatory processes and organisational decision-making.

Alice Klein, Rose McCausland, Tessa with David Archer and Michel Pimbert. Lewin and Cynthia Kurtz and Stephen • Tips for trainers: includes contributions Shimshock. from Cynthia Kurtz as well as Hannah • Part II: Making sense: the dynamics of Beardon and Kate Newman. interpretation and use of participatory out- puts. Contributions come from Cathy Acknowledgements Shutt, Hannah Beardon, Jasber Singh, Firstly, the PLA team would like to express Rose McCausland, Cynthia Kurtz and our gratitude to guest editors Hannah and Clodagh Miskelly, Nathan Horst and Kate for their tremendous energy and ded- Soledad Muñiz. ication in producing this special issue. As • Part III: Learning in organisations: this their article ‘Making sense together: the section includes contributions from Ashley Ripples editshop’ (this issue) demonstrates, Raeside, Eliud Wakwabubi, Sofia Angidou the process of producing PLA 63 has been and Daniel Guijarro. an example in practice ‘that participatory • Part IV: Structures, mechanisms and or collective processes of reflection, inter- spaces: includes articles by Jonathan Dud- pretation and sense-making can produce ding, Soledad Muñiz, Jo Lyon, Angela Mil- rich and unexpected learning’. Their ex- ligan and Emma Wilson, Kate Newman pertise and excellent facilitation of the and Helen Baños Smith, Kate Newman whole process, in particular the two work- l Editorial 7 shops in 2010, have been an inspiration. We people perceive and exercise citizenship in would also like to thank the IKM Emergent powerful ways. Young people can also drive Programme for its financial support and in change in creative and unexpected ways – particular Mike Powell for his continued a particularly promising characteristic for goodwill, understanding and support – and governance work. We hope the forthcom- especially as this issue has been published in ing issue of PLA will highlight how young 2011 instead of December 2010 as originally Africans are doing this: addressing the doc- intended. Thanks also to our authors and umentation gap that surrounds youth and editshop participants and all the partici- governance in Africa and enabling other pants at the ‘How wide are the ripples?’ participatory practitioners – young and old workshop in March 2010, for their contri- – to learn from their experiences. butions and sense-making which have been invaluable to the overall process. And, fi- Final thoughts… nally, as ever, our warm thanks to our In- For the PLA team, working on this special ternational Editorial Board for their issue and being involved in the Ripples feedback, insights and reflections. process has been challenging, thought-pro- voking and inspiring. For me personally, it In Touch has been something of a revelation. In the Our regular readers will see that this issue lead up to the PLA 64 writeshop in Kenya follows closely behind the last issue, PLA in March 2010, I spent some weeks work- 62 Wagging the dragon’s tail: emerging ing on a handbook for participants, called practices in participatory poverty reduc- ‘Kindling your spark: an editor’s practical tion in China. As such, our In Touch pages advice for writers.’ It provides tips and are somewhat shorter than usual and in- guidance on writing an article for the PLA clude a list of resources related to the series and includes many practical exam- theme for this issue. ples from PLA back issues.2 Since I wrote that first draft, I have been Next issue reading, copy editing and proof reading the In case you have not read about it in the cur- articles for PLA 63. And it has been fasci- rent issue already, PLA 64 Youth and par- nating. I have been busy compiling a file of ticipatory governance in Africa will be extracts from the articles in this special published in December 2011. The guest ed- issue, which will eventually be woven into itors are Rosemary McGee and Jessica the PLA writer’s handbook. These include Greenhalf. In March this year IIED, Plan for example an adaptation of Cathy Shutt’s UK and the Institute of Development Stud- tips on writing in a more participatory style ies brought together a group of adults and and Siobhan Warrington’s discussion on young people involved in youth and gover- the power of first-hand accounts to engage nance initiatives across Africa to take part in readers. a writeshop in Nairobi, Kenya. The idea What matters to us at Participatory behind the week-long meeting was to share Learning and Action is that we are able to learning and experiences, build writing share stories, critical reflections and learn- skills, form new relationships and develop a ing by our readers, with our readers – and set of articles for this forthcoming special by doing so we hope that we are helping to issue. improve each other’s participatory learn- Participating in governance and policy ing and practice at all levels, both as indi- processes is re-shaping the way that young viduals and within our own organisations.

2 The first draft of the handbook is now free to download on the IIED website. If you are considering writing an article for the PLA series, I hope that you will find it useful. See: http://pubs.iied.org/G03143.html 8 63

So I would like to end with a quote from trying to achieve. We aim to support au- Kate Carroll: thors to engage in an ongoing process of critical reflection in their writing and ex- … writing and distributing stories is seen plore the deeper impacts of participatory as an end in itself rather than the start of a practice. I hope that you find this special change process. We need to recognise the issue as challenging, thought-provoking role of reflection and the resulting stories and inspiring as I have: and that it will in- in changing practice and opening up spire you to share with us your own reflec- spaces for more honest communication of tions on how widely the ripples of your own our work. participatory practice flow. Please write to us! To me, this quote sums up the ethos of Holly Ashley, co-Editor, Participatory the PLA series, and reinforces what we are Learning and Action

REFERENCES Ashley, H. (2011) ‘Kindling your spark: an editor’s practical advice to writers.’ Participatory Learning and Action series online handbook (unpublished): http://pubs.iied.org/G03143.html 9 THEME SECTION How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning 10 63 11

Overview: How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning 1

by KATE NEWMAN and HANNAH BEARDON

Do you facilitate participatory processes at a very visible impact – or splash – and then the grassroots? Do you ever wonder how the ripples spread out, getting weaker and wide an impact the process might have? Do less defined as they lose momentum. In the you think the perspectives generated have same way, a good quality participatory relevance beyond local development grassroots process can have a strong local processes, in national or international deci- impact – for example more representative sion-making and analysis? prioritisation of local spending, more equal Do you work in an international or power relations within the family or more northern office of an international non- focused collective action – but the influence governmental organisation (INGO)? When and impact naturally dissipates the further you are deciding your priorities what infor- away from the original context you get. And mation do you draw on? Whose knowledge yet, the insight and analysis, evidence and and opinions feed into your sense of what stories generated and documented during an effective process or desirable outcome participatory processes are just the kinds of would be? Do you make adequate use of information which good development information in your organisation which policy and planning should be based on. represents the voices and views of diverse With that problem in mind, the IKM stakeholders in development processes? Emergent research programme commis- sioned a process to explore ‘How wide are Why this special issue? the ripples?’ of participatory processes.1 It When a pebble is thrown in the water it has aimed to look at how we can better support

1 IKM Emergent is a five-year research programme exploring how knowledge is selected, used and managed in the development sector, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More information is available from www.ikmemergent.net. The programme commissioned the guest editors, both freelance consultants working on the link between communication and social change, to facilitate the ‘How wide are the ripples?’ reflection and research process with people in different INGOs. 12 63 Kate Newman and Hannah Beardon Photo: Louise Clark Photo:

Discussions during the Ripples workshop include how to inspire other empowered activists working with INGOs to be a conscious and active part of change.

this type of information to reach other parts inal context. The further we engaged and of the INGOs who facilitate or commission reflected, the deeper and more political the such processes. This issue of PLA is the issues and insights became. It became culmination of a two-year process exploring evident that this is more than a practical that question.2 We, the guest editors, chose issue: it is also one of culture, accountabil- to work with people working in the north- ity and power. It is not just a question of ern offices and headquarters of INGOs. whose voices can be heard, but of whose Together, we looked at their experiences of knowledge and opinion counts. receiving, finding or using information on In this issue of PLA, various authors the one hand – and on the other, the chal- (most of whom have been involved in the lenges and possibilities for using the infor- Ripples process) share their experiences mation that comes out of participatory and reflections of bringing grassroots processes carried out in other parts of the knowledge and information to bear at organisation. We wanted to avoid focusing international level, and some strategies for on the quality of participatory processes or strengthening practice. We recognise that on what other people (those working in the change, whether personal or organisa- field, for example) could do better. tional, is never easy and that the context in We began exploring the question as a which we operate constrains the ability of knowledge management problem. We INGOs to listen and respond to the grass- looked at the practical issues involved in roots. However, between us we share a getting this information flowing to north- range of initiatives that are possible. We ern offices, and well used. Important emphasise the importance of acting as insights emerged from the reflections: empowered individuals to be a conscious about the difficulty of moving information and active part of change. With this issue across national and cultural borders and of of PLA we hope to inspire other empow- interpreting and using it outside of its orig- ered activists working with INGOs to bring

2 The process included a literature review; reflections or case studies on relevant work with five international NGOs and a resulting working paper (available at http://tinyurl.com/rippleswp); a follow-up workshop including about 30 people who have been trying to promote bottom-up information flows (report available at http://tinyurl.com/ripples-workshop); and, from that, this special issue of PLA. l Overview: How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning 13 about more accountable, equitable and ments. Through their advocacy work, and participatory development. their close working relationships with major official donors, they have developed Participation and voice: the role of INGOs a strong voice in policies which determine The use of participatory approaches and how development money is spent. Many methods has become ever more wide- (the authors included) expect INGOs to use spread in development organisations of all these connections, their close links with the types and sizes, as they seek to transform grassroots and deep understanding of their relationships, and contextualise their poverty, to challenge and transform main- programmes and priorities with strong stream development practice. local input. There is a growing body of liter- Power et al. (2003) argue that bottom- ature exploring the quality, effectiveness up learning commits organisations to: and scope of such approaches. The research critiques simplistic notions of …work for the liberation of those at the community which hide unequal power bottom by drawing its own sense of direc- relations, raises concerns that participatory tion and priorities from this group… to techniques are applied as technical projects adapt their internal structure, systems and rather than empowering political processes culture to the complex and evolving strug- and that analysis is limited to the micro gles of those in poverty… to let go of the level. It stresses that ‘voice’ is not just controls in community development. dependent on spaces for participation but also on the response of institutions. It tends Quality participatory processes support to focus on the quality of participatory people to develop and articulate their own development as facilitated at local level. analysis of poverty and social change. It is The aim of participatory approaches is important that INGOs find ways to incor- to develop people’s analysis, capacity and porate that analysis into their organisa- power to create personal and social change. tional learning processes, and the body of In some cases the focus may be to engage knowledge on which they draw to under- with local authorities or powers, including stand – and plan their response to – devel- the INGO itself, or to feed into wider policy opment issues. advocacy work. Some of the articles here explore the tension between facilitating Is there room to listen in the current quality, empowering participatory operating context? processes and directing these processes to We believe that most international devel- develop outputs which might influence opment NGOs do want to hear and respond policy makers. But as we explored the work to the voices of the poorest and most of our own organisations, we realised that marginalised. They do understand the participatory processes may have a local value of local knowledge and capacity and focus, even an external one, but rarely, if don’t want to reproduce and strengthen ever, a direct or intentional link to organi- existing power relations. But even as a tech- sational learning. The INGOs may be the nical knowledge management issue, there sponsors, or the facilitators, but never the are practical challenges to systematic intended audience. sharing of learning and knowledge from Yet INGOs have become increasingly local to national and international levels. prominent players in development over the The logistical and ethical issues in making last decades. They implement and fund such information available and letting programmes of work and are key partners people know that it is there are great. What for many local development organisations is more, much of the information is indi- and in some cases even national govern- vidual opinion, heavily embedded in local 14 63 Kate Newman and Hannah Beardon Photo: Louise Clark Photo:

Participants at the Ripples workshop reflecting on the challenges of linking participatory processes and organisational learning.

context and in local languages. Working out specific inputs expected to lead to pre- how it can be interpreted and used is a defined outputs. The Millennium Devel- further complication. opment Goals represent a high level But beyond these practical issues there consensus on the aims and objectives of are also questions of accountability and development. INGOs are part of this ‘aid identity. Large INGOs may want to ask chain’: organising their work and setting people on the ground what they think, their priorities in line with this consensus what they want. But to listen and respond and donor interests (Wallace et al., 2006). to those inputs is not simple. They have to This culture avoids discussion of the poli- balance this with their own strategy and tics of poverty or power and powerlessness mission, as well as their relationships with and presents development as straightfor- and accountability to their donors and ward, linear and predictable. sponsors. Discussing our experiences of This trend can affect the relationship this and the limitations of the operating between northern (international) and context at the Ripples workshop, we iden- southern (country) offices of INGOs. The tified two clear trends in the development international office(s) tends to set overar- sector, which effectively create divided ching priorities and directions, albeit loyalties and accountability for INGOs. informed by country offices. It requires The first is the trend towards stronger specific types of information for accounta- top-down management and greater profes- bility and reporting to their own donors sionalisation of the sector, where staff are and sponsors. This allows field staff limited recruited and valued for their technical opportunity to feed their learning from management abilities more than their working with communities into the wider personal commitment to social justice. organisation, restricting the flow of infor- Development is increasingly seen as a tech- mation and perspectives and opportunities nical, rather than political, process with for developing shared meaning and knowl-

3 ActionAid International, Concern, Healthlink Worldwide, Panos, Plan International. l Overview: How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning 15 edge. This linear approach ultimately limits INGOs derive their legitimacy as the ‘voice’ the potential of local relationships, expert- of civil society – and engaging in the global ise or perspectives to influence global development dialogue can be difficult to visions of what development is trying to balance or coordinate. achieve. The other, apparently contradictory, How are INGOs trying to resolve this trend is characterised by a rights-based tension? approach – an attempt to deal with the root The initial Ripples reflection explored the causes of poverty, embedded in unequal flows of information from grassroots economic, political and social power. While participatory processes into different parts many INGOs may continue their tradi- of the international offices of five INGOs.3 tional role of delivering services to amelio- We found a distinct lack of policies and rate or overcome the symptoms of poverty, procedures aimed at strengthening and they increasingly focus their attention on broadening the use of such information addressing the root causes. At community and found that even basic questions were level, participatory approaches and not being asked, let alone answered: processes help to develop an understand- • What could this type of information be ing of the complex relationships and used for? processes underpinning persistent inequal- • Who should be using it? ity and poverty. And at national and inter- • How could it be stored, packaged or national levels, INGOs are conducting disseminated in order to have more influ- policy advocacy to challenge or change the ence? relationships and policies underpinning The follow-up two-day workshop global inequality. brought together a wider range of people, The two sides of rights-based develop- including INGO staff, academics and inde- ment work – grassroots participation and pendent consultants, to share and look policy advocacy – make sense together. more deeply at what is happening inside They are very complementary and both INGOs in relation to the issue. What centred in analysis of the distribution, use emerged was a much richer picture of the and impact of power. But they are notori- possibilities and challenges in supporting ously difficult for large international organ- these processes. isations to link together. While We found that learning does happen participatory processes require slow and informally, through exposure and personal long-term relationship and capacity build- relationships and commitment, and that ing on the ground, policy advocacy tends to there are many ways to support and be carried out using complex, technical strengthen this tacit knowledge-sharing. language, focusing on fast-moving and There are also techniques and processes highly technical policy processes in Brus- being used to strengthen grassroots voices sels or Washington. This creates an increas- in policy-making, which could be adapted ingly exclusive debate between INGO for organisational learning. We talked policy staff and policy makers (Batliwala about different structures which promote and Brown, 2006). It influences the kinds sharing and influence, including those of skills and behaviour that INGOs are which instead of seeking to push grassroots looking for in their staff – and the type of information up, attempt to place decision- communication and learning they priori- making power nearer to the grassroots. tise. Especially in large INGOs, where these And we explored the links between indi- two areas of work may be carried out by vidual and organisational learning, and different teams in different countries, whether extending reflective and partici- listening to the grassroots – from where patory approaches into northern offices 16 63 Kate Newman and Hannah Beardon

could facilitate greater flow and under- standing. Many of these experiences are shared in the articles here. The participants – and their articles – highlight some different approaches that can be used to package, interpret and share Louise Clark Photo: grassroots perspectives with others in the development process, or ‘aid chain’. But they tend to be one-off processes with commu- nication as an aim. In fact, the more we shared and discussed the issues, the more we realised that the participatory nature of the process underlies not only effective Participants in the Ripples workshop position themselves in relation to how personally empowered creation of the material, but also meaning- they felt able to ‘widen the ripples’ in their own ful interpretation. When you listen to a organisations. story or read a case study with a specific intention or filter, for example to find ers are consulted and listened to, but the evidence of the need to support girls’ educa- ripples of their interventions – their influ- tion, you are more likely to find the evidence ence on decision-making and action – are you seek – and miss many other important constrained by complex power relations aspects of the communication. So in fact the and conflicting priorities within these principles and methods which underpin organisations. If their voices are to ripple participatory approaches need to be embed- more effectively throughout the organisa- ded throughout the culture and structure of tions and reach the central decision an organisation, in order for information, makers, much more attention needs to be ideas and insights to flow effectively and paid to organisational relationships and meaningfully. And this suggests a very cultures. Organisations need to invest to different way of working and relating within broaden out participatory spaces and international organisations. processes to all levels of engagement and One-off participatory communications organisation, to allow people throughout approaches are important, but we need to the development process to reflect and plan learn from what works and fight to get the for their engagement with awareness and underlying principles that they embody – consideration. These spaces would enable equality, respect and listening for example information to flow and meaning to be – mainstreamed into our organisations. constructed from many perspectives, chal- Many INGOs have made efforts to main- lenging the tendency for western or north- stream participatory processes through ern world views to dominate development their accountability and planning systems, thinking (see Box 1). such as the Accountability, Learning and Planning System (ALPS) in ActionAid or What is in this issue? Plan’s Programme Accountability and From the workshop discussions and analy- Learning Systems (PALS) (see Box 1). sis, different themes and issues began to These are an important step to including coalesce. Some of us shared examples of stakeholders’ views on what the organisa- different participatory communications tion is doing and how they are doing it. But tools and techniques, considered how they in practice they are not operating as spaces might be adapted or extended and how a for the co-construction of knowledge and focus on organisational learning might understanding the role of INGOs in devel- influence or change the process itself. opment. Poor and marginalised stakehold- Others grappled with the ethical issues of l Overview: How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning 17

Box 1: Participatory organisational learning, planning and accountability systems During the first phase of research we had the opportunity to interview and reflect with staff from ActionAid, Plan and Concern Worldwide on their organisational learning, planning and accountability systems. All three organisations have invested heavily in developing processes to enable them to involve people at the grassroots in programme development and priority setting. Each has set up annual review and reflection processes to ensure that community members have the opportunity to share their experiences, reflect on learning and plan for the coming year. The quality of these processes depends, to a large extent, on the commitment and interest of individual staff members and their line managers. But the signal sent by the wider organisation is also important. By committing resources to such processes these organisations are demonstrating that they value local knowledge, information and perspectives. Staff we spoke to discussed how important these processes had been in strengthening programme design at local and national levels. For example, the Plan team reflected on how they had worked with many different stakeholder groups including government, service providers, children in and out of school, parents and carers, teachers, community leaders and local decision makers in the Philippines, to collect data on the situation regarding child rights. This helped to build a picture of how child rights are lived and felt on the ground. However, in reflecting on these organisational wide systems, staff from all three organisations also felt that there was a gap between how well these processes developed within national programmes and the way the information generated was used and valued internationally. For example, the Plan team reflected that ‘the value given to personal knowledge, and the tyranny of deadlines, can affect how well information from communities is managed and used.’ To make sense of it all requires time – and people with the skills and awareness to consolidate and present diverse opinions. Such capacity needs to be intentionally built and valued. The issue of using such information effectively is more sharply felt at national level, but Plan staff recognised that linkages to international decisions and policies were not so clear. taking rich and complex information that The articles in Part II take these ethical concerns real people and real lives and debates further, looking at the issue of using it as ‘evidence’ out of context. Some subjectivity and interpretation and the role were thinking about the way information of technology and participatory approaches and learning flows through organisations in aggregating, transferring and sharing and how that is helped or hindered by knowledge from the grassroots. The different types of structures, policies and authors explore the real dilemmas and relationships. And others were thinking challenges in bringing together rich, about personal attitudes and skills, behav- complex, rooted knowledge from diverse iours which enable real dialogue and contexts while keeping the values of down- debate, listening and sharing of ideas and ward accountability foremost. perspectives, across cultural and institu- Part III moves from tools and processes tional boundaries. In the end, as the arti- to look at the organisations themselves. cles were developed, we identified four Building on the significant literature avail- overarching themes. able on bottom-up learning and what it The articles in Part I look at processes means to be a learning organisation, the designed specifically to support participa- authors look at the role of individuals in tory communication. The authors share shifting organisational practice. They tools and processes which have enabled explore whether there are clearly identifi- local analysis, perspectives, information able principles, values and processes which and knowledge to be captured and used in could strengthen the potential of an organ- a variety of ways beyond the local commu- isation to listen to, learn from and respond nity. These articles look at some of the to the knowledge generated by participa- ethical issues and tensions involved as tory processes at the grassroots. people’s knowledge and perspectives, Finally, Part IV looks at the spaces, generated through a participatory process, mechanisms and structures which facili- are used in alternative fora for different tate the transfer of knowledge from the purposes. grassroots. This encompasses organisa- 18 63 Kate Newman and Hannah Beardon

tional structure, online spaces and central the structural challenges of widening the processes such as the development of an ripples – and the radical shift it creates in organisational strategy. While acknowl- the development arena. It turns the edging that each space offers potential, the ‘subjects’ of development into equal actors authors also note the trade-offs involved. and allows autonomous visions of ‘devel- They recognise the range of context- opment’ to move beyond local spheres and specific factors which impact on how any into wider debates and processes. It structure or process works in practice. requires a development process which Taken together these articles provide a changes the relationship between INGOs good range of ideas of different ways to and poor and marginalised communities engage with the task of ‘widening the from one of consultation and implementa- ripples’. However we do not pretend to tion, to dialogue and negotiation of plans have all the answers. For as well as sugges- and activities – and ultimately of the kind tions for practice, the articles clearly show of world we want to live in.

CONTACT DETAILS Kate Newman Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

Hannah Beardon Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Batliwala, S. and L.D. Brown (Eds) (2006) Transnational civil society: an introduction. Kumarian Press: Hartford CT. Power, G., M. Maury and S. Maury (2003) ‘Operationalising bottom- up learning in international NGOs: barriers and alternatives.’ in Pettit J., L. Roper and D. Eade (Eds) (2003) Development and the learning organisation. Oxfam GB and Practical Action Publishing: UK. Wallace, T. with L. Bornstein and J. Chapman (2006) The aid chain: coercion and commitment in development NGOs. Intermediate Technology Publications: Rugby, UK. 19

Making sense together: the Ripples editshop 2

by HANNAH BEARDON and KATE NEWMAN

Introduction Literature This issue of PLA is the result of various stages of reflection, research and analysis by a range of people in different combi- nations. At the same time as we have Literature Review been identifying tensions and dynamics in the co-construction of knowledge, we have been dealing with them – albeit in a fairly small and homogeneous group. As INGO Reflections such, the evolution of this work, our thinking and the group dynamics and relationships provides an interesting case IKM working paper study in itself. As noted in the overview article to this special issue, Kate and I (the guest editors and facilitators of the process) started by conducting a literature review. We identi- Workshop fied key issues and questions for reflec- tion. We opened the process out for people working in northern offices of Workshop report international non-governmental organi- sations (INGOs) to undertake such reflec- EDITSHOP tion. We then drew it back in to consolidate and construct a narrative from those different reflections. Based on this report we held a workshop in PLA 63 20 63 Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman

London, March 2010.1 Here we began to and that this was a good use of the time and sketch out different areas or themes, such as space available. Alice Klein said: organisational learning and development, participatory communications, aggregation I expected to come away with a clearer of qualitative data and (organisational and structure or a new draft of my article, but personal) change. We identified different I prefer working alone so it was more tensions present – between personal and useful to have the discussion and analysis, organisational change, for example, or focus on the bigger stuff you can’t do at between shifting power down and informa- home, and take those notes away. tion up. And we developed ideas for articles for the PLA issue. We produced a workshop Jonathan Dudding felt that: report and at the same time worked with individuals to develop clearer ideas about I am in a position to go away and come up their articles. Once the draft articles were all with something which makes more sense. written we held a writeshop – which in the end was more of an editshop – at the IIED One of the main aims was to allow a offices in London, September 2010. wider group to be involved in giving feed- back to authors, to include more visions The Ripples writeshop – or editshop than just our two of the focus and themes of articles. To do this, we began by revisit- It was a great opportunity to consolidate ing the themes coming out of the previous learning and aggregate perspectives into workshop, and constructing a list of criti- the bigger themes. cal questions to use when reading each Soledad Muñiz others’ work. These included: • Is it reflective/practical/engaging/analyt- When we started planning our ical enough? writeshop, we really didn’t know what it was • What is the focus? supposed to be. Neither of us had ever been • What does it tell us about the wider to one, let alone organised one before. But issues? we were confident that the two days together • How does it link to other articles in the would be useful for the authors and editors. group? So we developed an agenda which enabled • What structural changes would you people to get back in touch with the wider suggest? issues, and feedback on each others’ work. We had already grouped articles into Rather than put aside much time for four different themes. Within those writing and rewriting we prioritised giving themes, the authors worked in pairs to read and internalising feedback – and linking and discuss each others’ articles, and then the articles to each other and to the wider in the wider sub-group to think about how themes. Although of course, in the end, the they fitted together. Authors were all happy themes evolved as much as the individual with the process and found the feedback articles. Feedback from the authors showed valuable: that, although they had expected to come away with a more finished version of their It is so useful to see how my words are articles, they had valued the time to understood. connect with others and receive feedback, Daniel Guijarro

1 The process began with a literature review, reflections or case studies on relevant work with five international NGOs and a resulting working paper (available at http://tinyurl.com/rippleswp). The follow-up workshop included about 30 people who have been trying to promote bottom-up information flows. The report is available here: http://tinyurl.com/ripples-workshop. l Making sense together: the Ripples editshop 21

I had found it difficult to see how my These spaces create reflection... it is a shame article could fit. The feedback was invalu- they can’t be more routine – spaces for us to able; I am clearer what I need to do. make sense together of ideas in develop- Jo Lyon ment and how they relate to us.

It made a big difference to interpret my The editing process analysis in relation to others. Soledad Muñiz Not only you have interpreted very well my thoughts but you also have helped me to As well as enabling people to get indi- better understand the context. vidual feedback, the writeshop also gave us Daniel Guijarro an opportunity to reinterpret the wider themes: to think about how we wanted to It was an incredibly useful process – really categorise the articles, as well as the wider appreciated. vision we are presenting, and who we are Tessa Lewin speaking with through the journal. We could not have anticipated the value of the After the editshop the authors prepared space for this. Before we started, Kate and new drafts of their articles, and sent them I had a good idea of the wider message or to us to edit. We were now all on more of a theme, and could judge the extent to which wavelength about the bigger issues and each article spoke to that. At the writeshop themes that the articles were speaking to, not only did we share our vision more and this was reflected in the quality and clearly with the authors, but they made focus of the new versions. We each their own contributions and we reinter- proceeded to edit the articles in our preted and clarified together. As Ashley sections, cutting and streamlining and Raeside explained: asking for further information and clarifi- cation as necessary. But despite the themes Kate and Hannah work together and on of this issue of PLA, and the reflections on these themes a lot, so it is good to shake that accountability and interpretation in partic- up a bit. ular, we easily strayed into directive and interventionist ways of editing. When So in the end I don’t think we did run a people are working so hard to produce very good writeshop. People had no time to something which is quite personal, it is write, and many said they think that a difficult to know whether you are being longer time should be given to do that. constructive or risk upsetting or under- What we ran instead was a very good edit- mining the author. shop! And an example in practice of partic- In the end, it was our communication ipatory editing and sense-making. We with each other and the authors which discussed our common themes and carried us through: some authors were message – the bigger points we are trying happy for us to direct them and their work. to make or vision we are trying to set out. Others were keen to keep control of their We critically read and discussed each articles and challenged some of our sugges- others’ work and developed shared tions or interventions. We changed some meaning, categories and narratives which articles for length or focus in traditional could make sense of them in a wider editing style. Other articles transformed in context. And as well as helping us in our ways that neither the author nor editors work as editors, and creating a richer could have anticipated. journal, it was a useful space in itself, as We found that the trust relationships Daniel Guijarro explained: and shared understanding of the issues 22 63 Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman

that we had developed through the Ripples my thoughts and get more clarity on what process helped the editing process signifi- it is I really want to say about my expe- cantly, whereas work with authors new to rience... I feel a renewed sense of urgency the process required more time and joint about attending to process issues, after effort to communicate well our ideas to having focused a good bit of my energy on each other. It was a process sometimes developing this tool in 2010... It takes a frustrating, but always productive. People good editor to inspire action through valued the chance to reflect on their expe- critique! riences, and often found our comments useful not only to their articles but to the In the end, the editing process has work itself. Describing the editing process, confirmed for us the message of the articles Nathan Horst (who did not participate in and reflections contained here: that partic- any of the Ripples process) wrote: ipatory or collective processes of reflection, interpretation and sense-making can The feedback has really helped me focus produce rich and unexpected learning.

CONTACT DETAILS Hannah Beardon Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

Kate Newman Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Clark, L., K. Newman and H. Beardon (2010) ‘How wide are the ripples? Report of the March 2010 workshop.’ IKM Emergent Programme. Online: http://tinyurl.com/ripples-workshop Beardon, H. and K. Newman (2009) ‘How wide are the ripples? The management and use of information generated from participatory processes in international non-governmental development organizations.’ IKM Working Paper 7, October 2009, IKM Emergent Programme. Online: http://tinyurl.com/rippleswp 23 PART I Participatory communication practices: how is the information generated? 24 63

This section looks at the (potential) role of communication work described here is not participatory communication approaches usually linked to organisational learning in in international non-governmental any formal way. Some of the articles in Part organisations (INGOs). There are many I (Siobhan Warrington looking at oral methods that INGOs and their partners testimony, Kate Carroll looking at critical can use to create space for people at the stories of change and Alice Klein looking at grassroots to analyse and articulate their key correspondents, or citizen journalism) priorities and perspectives. Some develop share experiences of using participatory long-term engagement to systematically communication approaches and consider tap into those voices. Others create the potential – and implications – of linking concrete or one-off spaces with the goal of them more closely to organisational strengthening communication on learning goals and systems. particular issues or within particular Finally, we recognised during the relationships. Andrew Chetley’s article Ripples discussions that while capturing explains why Healthlink decided to make and sharing the voices of marginalised participatory communication central to its people was an important aspect of work, what they learnt about the impact of participatory communications work, there the approach – and organisational is an inherent tension between a focus on structures needed to support it. The other the process or the product. Participatory articles share experiences and reflections methods aim to strengthen voice, yes, but from using specific approaches and by focusing on the audience rather than techniques. the speakers this voice can be distorted. Many participants in the Ripples This tension, and the implications for a process shared examples of participatory focus on organisational learning, is communication techniques, and the explored in the articles by Rose impact they can have on both the McCausland (looking at participatory participants and (where appropriate) the video) and Tessa Lewin (looking at Digital intended audience. However, we began to Storytelling). And the final article in Part I, realise that while INGOs may initiate and by Cynthia Kurtz and Stephen support the use of such techniques to Shimshock, looks at the potential of diversify voices in the media, policy participatory communications advocacy or local governance, they rarely methodologies – in this case Participatory consider themselves an audience for the Narrative Inquiry – from the side of the outputs. Many INGOs have organisational community, with interesting reflections for learning systems which build on spaces for people working in their own communities grassroots participation and feedback (see – and by implication in the INGOs Part III). But the type of participatory wanting to engage them. 25

Where do we drop the pebble? Using participatory communication 3 for social change

by ANDREW CHETLEY

Introduction the benefits was seen as the way to encour- Stimulating effective and powerful ripples age change. And underpinning much of of change in society through communica- that approach was the belief that change tion and knowledge processes involves was not happening because there was a knowing where to ‘drop the pebble’ and lack of information and knowledge. If only who is best placed to drop it. In other we can get the information and knowledge words, it demands local knowledge and in people’s hands, they will change. understanding of local cultures and Indeed, more than 30 years ago, this systems. In this article, Andrew Chetley, was one of the fundamental drivers for the Executive Director of Healthlink World- establishment of Healthlink Worldwide – wide, explains how the organisation then known as the Appropriate Health worked with a diverse group of partner Resources and Technologies Action Group organisations to use participatory commu- (AHRTAG). It emerged from a health nication processes to share knowledge, technical working group of the Intermedi- increase empowerment to bring about ate Technology for Development Group, lasting social change, and learn from and now known as Practical Action. The apply the lessons. fundamental premise was that health and In the health sector, there has long development workers, particularly those been a debate about how to use commu- in remote, resource-poor and hard to nication effectively to improve people’s reach settings in developing countries, health. For many years, a key driver in that lacked up-to-date and practical knowledge debate has been the powerful experience around life-saving techniques and prac- of marketing, public relations and mass tices. Improving their access to that communication that has so successfully knowledge was seen as essential to sold a myriad of brand named goods to an improving health. often uncritical set of audiences. Selling If only life was that simple. There is no 26 63 Andrew Chetley

question that better access to knowledge diarrhoea with little visible change in prac- and information is an essential ingredient tice. But when one of the village women (Godlee et al., 2004). There is no question started to tell their compelling, dramatic that Healthlink’s early publications and and very emotional story about how using other efforts made a huge contribution to this magic solution had rescued their improving health and in some cases have young baby from an early grave (and when been linked directly with saving lives. the baby punctuated the story with happy However, information and knowledge laughter), change began to happen. alone – although necessary – is not suffi- Both participatory communication and cient. participatory development processes Around the same time as Healthlink attempt to recognise, value, elevate and Worldwide was finding its feet, a Brazilian prioritise local forms of knowledge. They educator, Paulo Freire was beginning to allow people to tell their stories and ulti- unpack the concept of participatory mately to determine their own communication (Freire, 1973). Drawing development (Mutonono-Watkiss, 2006). largely on experience in sharing knowl- How to do this effectively is a huge chal- edge in agrarian reform activities, he made lenge and one that Healthlink Worldwide the point that dialogue was the critical has been grappling with for much of its driver for real social change and for the existence. exchange of knowledge. Through that Table 1 summarises what was one of dialogue comes a blending of local, cultur- the ‘pebbles’ used (catalyst), who dropped ally specific knowledge, understanding it (facilitator) and what ripple (effect) and practice, with some of the more tech- resulted in the four examples that this arti- nical, abstract, analytical knowledge that cle describes in more detail. inhabits most of our text books. Through dialogue, learning becomes a liberation Guatemala: clowns act as process, an empowerment process and a intermediaries real driver for change. In Guatemala, we have worked with According to Freire, the goal of Prodesca Atz’anem k’oj – a troupe of communication should be ‘conscientiza- clown-educators who have developed a tion’, or free dialogue that prioritises lively, cost-effective and culturally relevant cultural identity, trust and commitment. way to widely share information around Communication should provide a sense of HIV and AIDS. Street theatre, drama ownership to participants through sharing workshops and the efforts of youth peer and reconstructing experiences, and educators combine with the engaging through this, evolving new knowledge. nature of clowning that uses local Freire’s model proposed human-centred languages and culturally appropriate tech- approaches that value the importance of niques. The Ministry of Health of interpersonal communication channels in Guatemala now listens to staff from decision-making processes at the commu- Prodesca Atz’anem k’oj in developing new nity level. policy and programmes because the This approach resonated with much of clowns are able to represent the experi- the feedback that Healthlink was receiv- ences of the audiences they reach. The ing from partners with whom it worked in clowns are true intermediaries: using their the field. A nurse or a doctor with a communication processes to bridge the Healthlink publication in their hand could divide – whether real or perceived – lecture women in Bangladesh day in and between local, marginalised, often indige- day out about the importance of using oral nous populations and public health rehydration to deal with their children’s planners and practitioners so that under- l Where do we drop the pebble? Using participatory communication for social change 27

Table 1: Case study examples: catalysts, facilitators and effects Example What’s the pebble? (Catalyst) Who drops it? (Facilitator) What’s the ripple? (Effect)

Guatemala Humour and fun Clowns Understanding (two-way)

India Reflective questions Skilled facilitators (then Uptake of services and greater local trainers/mobilisers) community involvement

S. Asia Leadership training Women with disabilities Empowerment

E. & S. Community/family dialogue Community organisers Less stigma, more uptake of Africa services

Healthlink Reflective questions Team leader/team member Improved learning, appreciation of process standing and knowledge will flow in both personal communication practices. We directions (Savdie and Chetley, 2009). helped them to find answers to some of the questions that they were regularly asked India: being listened to and to develop some locally appropriate In India, Healthlink Worldwide was asked materials to support their work. After each by USAID to support a large coalition of session, they would go back to the commu- organisations working on polio eradica- nity and then come back for a further tion. Despite an excellent communication refresher session. Over a four-month strategy and considerable social mobilisa- period, the mobilisers all were able to tion activities throughout the country, identify key changes in the way they were there were pockets of resistance to polio able to communicate, improved confi- immunisation in two states – Uttar dence in being able to deal with difficult Pradesh and Bihar – that were threaten- questions and more capacity to find ing the success of the overall programme. acceptable solutions. And more children USAID wanted to know whether there were being immunised – a remarkable were any participatory communication turnaround in areas where there was processes that could improve the uptake strong resistance (Obregon and Waisbord, of immunisation. We worked for several 2010). A key factor in this change was that months with the coalition partners and in both the people in the communities and particular with the social mobilisation the mobilisers were being listened to: their teams – generally local residents who had concerns, their issues and their problems been trained in the main issues of the were being heard, understood and campaign. Their task was to knock on responded to, even if not everything could doors and encourage local people to bring be addressed immediately. As a result, they their children along for immunisation (or saw real benefit in being involved in the allow a technician to give the children the programme. vaccine at home). As we worked with them, we asked them what happened on South Asia: encouraging empowerment the doorstep. They described a series of Across South Asia, women with disabilities unpleasant, sometimes threatening, inter- tend to be invisible in society, excluded actions. We asked how they felt about this, from education, health services, family and and the almost universal answer was: ‘bad’. community life and employment. An inno- We took them through a set of processes vative, dynamic and participatory to encourage participatory and inter- programme led by women with disabilities 28 63 Andrew Chetley

across South Asia has made a real differ- dialogue around the issue. A significant ence in the lives of some 300 women it has outcome of this effort has been that worked with and in the societies in which communication about HIV at family and they live (Kleeman, 2010). This was an community level greatly increases or intro- advocacy project with a difference: the duces opportunities to increase uptake and advocacy was done by the women most adherence to anti-retroviral treatment. It affected. Healthlink worked with them to has helped people living with or affected strengthen their communication and lead- by HIV to take control over their lives, and ership skills. They now take a lead in has proved to be a powerful tool in reduc- discussions relating to the decision-making ing stigma and discrimination (Dunn and processes that affect them, in facilitating Hammond Ward, 2009). We were then and raising meaningful dialogue on issues able to take some of the key lessons from which affect women with disabilities in this work and adapt the processes and South Asian society – and in engaging key approaches for use with a partner in India, government agencies and civil society where the programme is now into a second organisations in meaningful discussion on phase. As a multi-partner and multi-coun- issues that affect the advancement of try programme that has been financed by women with disabilities. This has meant a number of different funding sources over that now, real dialogue is happening time, it has been a complex exercise. among different stakeholder groups. Orig- Something that emerged early on was the inally intended to work with organisations importance of face-to-face communication in just three countries, it was extended to for the development of good relationships work with groups in eight countries and is among the partners and to strengthen the described in its evaluation as ‘a genuine sharing and learning among them. As a example of South-to-South learning and result, we looked for every opportunity to skills transference’. The project has put the introduce exchange visits, partner meet- issue on the agenda for governments in the ings, learning forums and workshops to region and a South Asian network has been encourage regular exchanges and interac- developed to keep the work going. A key tion. lesson from the project was that it was not But how does this varied collection of just at the policy level where change had to local learning – valuable as it might be in occur. Some of the barriers to change were its immediate environment – translate embedded in the very fabric of the society into improved knowledge and practice in which these women with disabilities within Healthlink Worldwide – and lived. For them, it was necessary to drop beyond? the pebble and create the ripples that would stimulate change among civil soci- Final reflections ety, community, within families and peers. All this engagement and hearing from the marginalised improves our learning about East and Southern Africa: developing grounded realities, and about what people dialogue really think and feel. Our experiences in one In East and Southern Africa, stigma and setting are adapted and applied to others. discrimination among people living with We deliberately design projects with multi- HIV has been a major concern. Healthlink ple partners, sometimes in the same has been working for nearly 10 years with country, often in different countries, to a group of partners around child-centred, encourage, enable and enhance opportuni- community-focused responses to the ties for cross-cultural and cross-contextual epidemic. Central to the work has been the learning. This sharing of different local issues of increasing family and community knowledges spreads learning, encourages l Where do we drop the pebble? Using participatory communication for social change 29 analysis and stimulates thinking, innova- that does not value it sufficiently to tion and adaptation among partners. And resource this work so that it can be done makes their learning fun! properly and effectively. A more complex Processes of reflection and learning answer is that, even if every scrap of have been built into Healthlink’s regular knowledge was carefully extracted and internal routines. A quarterly in-week, for documented, it would only be useful when example, provides opportunities for all the right circumstances of culture, context staff to hear about, engage with and chal- and content come together to turn some lenge stories of practice from the field. particular nuggets from dust collectors During this quarterly event, staff have an into shining examples of golden wisdom. opportunity to reflect on a particular proj- And it would take dialogue for that partic- ect experience, to share training ular alchemy to happen. Our experience experience, to explore good practice in shows that the dialogue usually suffices to developing a new piece of work, or to surface the necessary knowledge, which conduct an after-action review of some- might only then be formally documented thing that has already taken place to distil for a particular use. lessons and practical learning. This then Overall, we have been able to deter- feeds back into planning, into the design of mine a set of eight principles that guide new work, and into the overall organisa- our approach to participatory communi- tional knowledge base. cation – derived from our own experience Some of this is documented, analysed and from the experience of many other and synthesised and finds its way into practitioners working in the health and donor reports, web articles, case studies other development sectors. These are: for publications and articles and as exam- • Paying careful attention to the existing ples for presentations, talks and dialogues. knowledge of beneficiaries and any imme- Some of it is not documented, other than diate information gaps they might have. by individual staff taking notes. It passes • Using multiple approaches and channels into the collective tacit history of the for communication. organisation, usually with little more than • Stimulating community dialogue and a memory tag that one or more staff exchange. members, partners or consultants know • Using appropriate language and commu- something significant about a particular nication style to fit in with the cultural topic, methodology or tool. When that context. knowledge is needed to be applied in a • Being responsive, timely and relevant. new situation, they know where to turn for • Building on, supporting and helping to support. sustain existing communication processes. More of the latter is the case than the • Taking the time to build trust and owner- former. Why is that? Healthlink is a ship. knowledge broker, a committed learning • Reflecting on what they are doing, learn- organisation, a promoter of reflection, ing from the experience and feeding the learning, exchange and dialogue processes. learning back into the communication It values the power of good access to infor- process as quickly as possible. mation and knowledge. So why isn’t Knowing where and when to drop the Healthlink more rigorous in documenting pebble is never easy. Sometimes it takes what happens? A simple answer is that no several different pebbles to generate one pays for the expense of doing that – ripples of change. But when it happens, and it is time-consuming, labour-intensive watching the ripples flow gives us a little and therefore expensive. We may value it. more insight into some improved likeli- But we work among a donor community hoods for the next time. 30 63 Andrew Chetley

CONTACT DETAILS Andrew Chetley Former Executive Director Healthlink Worldwide 20 Mornington Avenue Ipswich IP1 4LA UK Email: [email protected]

NOTES In October 2010, the global economic downturn caught up with Healthlink Worldwide. Earlier in the year, the unexpected loss of a significant income stream from a contract that was terminated led to a severe financial shortfall for the organisation’s running costs. Despite rapid efforts to cut costs and generate new income with a revised business plan, there simply was not enough time to put the organisation onto a secure financial footing and it was forced to cease trading. A set of Healthlink Worldwide’s publications that are available electronically can be found on the Source database: www.asksource.info (use the search function and put Healthlink Worldwide into the publisher field). A set of resource lists on participatory communication developed by Healthlink and its partners over the years is also available: www.asksource.info/res_library/participatory.htm

REFERENCES Dunn, A. and S. Hammond Ward (2009) Inspiring futures: learning from memory work in Africa. London: Healthlink Worldwide. Online: www.healthlink.org.uk/PDFs/Inspiring%20futures.pdf Freire, P. (1973) Education for Critical Consciousness. New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing. See also: Mefalopulos, P. (2009). Godlee, F., N. Pakenham-Walsh, D. Ncayiyana, B. Cohen and A. Packer (2004) ‘Can we achieve health information for all by 2015?’ The Lancet. Online: http://image.thelancet.com/extras/04art6112web.pdf Kleeman, J. (2010) Creating spaces – for women with disabilities (WWD) to communicate and advocate for their rights. London: Healthlink Worldwide. Online: www.healthlink.org.uk/PDFs/wwd_eop_evaluation.pdf Mefalopulos, P. (2009) ‘Dialogic approaches to development: beyond media and messages.’ People, Space and Deliberation blog published by the World Bank’s Communication for Governance & Accountability Program (CommGAP). Online: http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/category/tags/paulo- freire Mutonono-Watkiss, B. (ed.) (2006) Making connections: participatory development and communication for social change symposium – summary report. London: Concern Worldwide. Obregon, R. and S. Waisbord (2010) ‘The complexity of social mobilization in health communication: top-down and bottom-up experiences in polio eradication.’ Journal of Health Communication. Savdie, A. and A. Chetley (2009) ‘Sexual-health communication across and within cultures: the clown project, Guatemala.’ Development in Practice 19: 4-5. 31

Voices, voices everywhere, but how much learning is going on? 4

by SIOBHAN WARRINGTON

Introduction ing women in northern Pakistan talk about In 1988 when I was 15, growing up in the tourism and culture, I got a degree in Social north east of England, I did a local history Anthropology. I returned to Pakistan for project for school. I was expected to my first job facilitating Participatory Rural complete a project about a local building Appraisal for a large non-governmental or place, but I wanted to do it on my Nana organisation (NGO). After a couple of years (grandmother). She was local history as far I had an idea for a collaborative oral history as I was concerned. A compromise was project, entitled ‘Women on the Highway’. reached. The title of the project was ‘Life in I wanted to work with a woman from Burnhope in the 1920s’ and my research northern Pakistan and together interview, consisted of tape-recording my Nana and record and publish the stories of women of her sister talking about their childhood in different ages and backgrounds living Burnhope, a mining village in the north along the Karakoram Highway. We shared east of England. I was pleased with the the idea with some donors. There was a project, thoroughly enjoyed it in fact. flicker of interest from one, but nothing Perhaps it is no coincidence that this expe- happened. It was the first proposal I’d ever rience shaped my career. It signalled an written, and unsuccessful. early interest in people’s stories and expe- In 1998 I was back in sunny Middles- riences and a belief that we have a lot to brough, UK, doing market research on learn from them. Plus Nana’s stories helped conference centres (help!) and looking for me get an A in my history GCSE (a UK another job. Eventually an advert appeared secondary school examination). for an Oral Testimony Programme Officer In 1995, after listening to and record- at Panos London.1 ‘Wow’ I thought, ‘you

1 Panos London is part of the worldwide Panos Network of independent institutes working to ensure that information is used effectively to foster debate, pluralism and democracy. It works with media and other information actors to enable poor and marginalised people in developing countries to shape and communicate their own development agendas. 32 63 Siobhan Warrington Photos: Panos London Panos Photos:

Practice oral testimony interviews during workshops in Choma, Zambia (above) and Karachi, Pakistan (opposite page). can get a job doing this? Community-based uncomfortable participating in group oral history in the context of international discussions. development: a dream job?’ I applied, Panos London’s approach to oral testi- providing details of the fantasy ‘Women on mony involves community members, or the Highway’ project and here I am still, 12 sometimes local/national NGO workers years later. and journalists, designing and implement- I am convinced of the value and impor- ing oral testimony projects. Projects involve tance of recording and sharing the stories, a five- to seven-day participatory work- feelings and experiences of people who shop, regular review meetings for experience development issues, first-hand interviewers and support for local and on a daily basis. For me, they are the ‘real national dissemination in ways that are experts of development’ and so if that’s meaningful and useful for communities true, how do we bring that expertise into and partner organisations. Usually inter- our learning? viewers produce word-for-word transcriptions of interviews, which are What is oral testimony? translated into English by a translator I guess you know what I’m talking about, familiar with the context of the testimonies. but just to be sure. Oral testimonies are the result of audio-recorded, one-to-one, in- Voices, voices everywhere… depth interviews drawing on personal Panos, like many NGOs is increasingly using memory and experience. The one-to-one voices and first-hand accounts. Extracts nature of the interview and the use of local from oral testimonies can be found in our interviewers enable ‘quieter’ members of Annual Review and other publications. The communities to participate – those who do word ‘Voices’ has become part of our logo not speak national languages or who feel and a blog called Voices from the Ground l Voices, voices everywhere, but how much learning is going on? 33

communicates the stories of individual moment she stood on a landmine while activists who are trying to overcome the holding a box of eggs. development problems highlighted by the Millennium Development Goals. This I grabbed the basket of eggs and was looking increase of voices in journalistic outputs is for a place to go to the bathroom when I heard not confined to Panos London. First-hand a car. I crossed over… the road, climbed over accounts are commonly used in mainstream the separating wires, put the eggs to one side newspapers and broadcast journalism. and... squatted down to urinate. When the There is widespread acceptance that the car had passed, I turned around, Uf, an increased use of direct voices brings publi- explosion! What had happened? Was this a cations, presentations and websites ‘alive’. dream? I looked at myself and I’m wounded, First-hand accounts also have a degree of I touch my face and it’s bloody, and I say to immediacy and authenticity that is engag- myself ‘Oh, my feet’… And when I looked ing. They can be inspiring or motivating, down... I saw that I was missing the toes on generating an emotional connection in the my right foot. I was in the hole, all rigid, and reader. Tony Long, trustee of our partner I didn’t feel anything... I looked at the foot in an oral testimony project in southern that was missing its toes and then I looked at Madagascar the Andrew Lees Trust, shares the eggs – I wasn’t afraid or anything – and this view: I began to laugh because not a single egg had cracked.2 There is a raw energy that comes off the pages of the oral testimonies. Letting people Many testimonies also contain reflec- tell their own stories in their own words tion and analysis of a situation or surely is the most powerful communica- challenge, and knowing that this analysis tions tool you can imagine. The words is based on first-hand experience makes it stand as a brutally honest and uncluttered all the more important. For example Ismael statement of the way things are. Maestre, also from Colombia, explains:

Another two things that strike me about I don’t think people get displaced out of oral testimonies are detail and reflection. fear, but out of concern that they might die The detail of circumstance, place or person for something that they didn’t want… some that is only possible from someone who has say that we’re cowards because we fled. I experienced it first-hand. A testimony from say that we’re not… by fleeing we’re trying Mileinis, a Colombian girl, contains an to preserve life… People are displaced incredible cinematic-like description of the simply so they can protect their families.3

2 To read or listen to all of Mileinis story: www.idpvoices.org 3 To read or listen to all of Ismael’s story: www.idpvoices.org 34 63 Siobhan Warrington Photos: Panos London Panos Photos:

Practice oral testimony interviews during a workshop in Shimshal, Pakistan.

Oral testimonies: a serious source of knowledge? In the 12 years that I’ve been at Panos London, first-hand accounts and direct voices have gone from being fairly marginal in development information and projects, to being much more central to many organ- isations’ advocacy, fundraising and research activities – and to some extent the testimonies for publication, Muzaffer- their programming. It seems a good time ud-Din, a Shimshali involved in the project to question whether that increase in the asked me, ‘Will anyone take this kind of communication of first-hand accounts has material seriously?’ In some ways, that been accompanied by an incorporation of question frames this article.4 such sources into development knowledge I will reflect on the value of oral testi- and organisational learning. monies as a ‘serious’ source of knowledge Between 2000 and 2003 I worked with and consider if and how they contribute to the community of Shimshal from northern organisational learning. I draw on my own Pakistan on an oral testimony project, as experience and ideas, and those of my part of the wider international Panos colleagues in Panos London and various Mountain Voices project. While preparing partner organisations.

4 Our evaluation of Mountain Voices proved that the Shimshal testimonies and those from nine other mountain communities were taken seriously by development practitioners, researchers and journalists. And in February 2011 Muzaffer’s testimony, along with others from Shimshal, are the subject of an article in the Mountain Research and Development (MRD) journal, ‘Narratives of accessibility and social change in Shimshal, Northern Pakistan’ (Cook and Butz, 2011). See also: www.mountainvoices.org. l Voices, voices everywhere, but how much learning is going on? 35

Where does the learning take place? At a workshop in Colombia for an oral I can see three main ways in which oral testimony project with the internally testimony does and can influence learning displaced, the youngest participant, processes. Melkin, moved and informed everyone Firstly, the overall approach, methods with his insights into the different physical and process of a participatory communica- and psychological impacts of displace- tion project can inform an organisation’s ment.5 Workshops become sites of learning culture and practice. For Sahar Ali, country for everyone: trainers and potential inter- director of Panos Pakistan, it is the process viewers alike. But there is more to learn and method of oral testimony which has from the interviews themselves. Anne- contributed to the learning of an organisa- Sophie Lois, coordinator of the project tion which traditionally had a more explains: journalistic focus. ...the oral testimonies helped us understand Individual voice methodologies remind us the full extent of the impact of displacement of the biases that creep into reportage, of the on people’s lives… although I was aware of arrogance of journalism, of its selectivity multiple displacement, it wasn’t until in reporting facts and opinions, of media’s reading the testimonies that I really under- patronising attitudes and of its urban stood the repetition of trauma and loss expe- bias. Oral testimony helps us realise how rienced by such internally displaced persons we can build the capacity of journalists to who receive little or no protection... the testi- be more representative of the views and monies deepened the Internal Displace- voices of those who are seldom given the ment’s Monitoring Centre’s (IDMC) chance to speak out and be heard. Since my understanding of this huge humanitarian own experience of oral testimony, I have crisis. We also used some of the testimonies sought to incorporate individual voice as evidence at the UN Congress to demon- methodologies in all Panos Pakistan’s proj- strate the linkages between palm oil planta- ects and programmes. tions and internal displacement in the Choco region of Colombia. Three colleagues in Panos London, when asked about oral testimony and We were recently commissioned by the organisational learning, suggested its International Fund for Agricultural Devel- potential as a tool for monitoring and eval- opment (IFAD) to coordinate and edit a set uation or needs analysis – both of which of testimonies of rural poor men and could be considered institutionalised women from six different countries. The processes of learning in an organisation. testimonies with accompanying photo- Secondly, the processes to collect oral graphs became central to the Rural Poverty testimonies are participatory and dynamic Report 2011.6 The sheer volume of testi- learning experiences in themselves. Inter- mony material throughout the publication viewers set the themes for interview at a demonstrates that IFAD do consider this a workshop and throughout the project serious contribution to their and their audi- review and analyse these. And the open- ence’s knowledge on rural poverty. ended nature of oral testimonies allows the Finally, oral testimonies provide an narrator to guide the interview which can increased awareness of – and sensitivity to – result in content that may be outside the the integrated nature of development frames of reference of national partner issues. This is different to an in-depth organisations or INGOs. knowledge of a particular issue. It is an

5 See: www.idpvoices.org 6 See: www.ifad.org/rpr2011 36 63 Siobhan Warrington

ing, expressive first-hand accounts are very different to our usual professional reading material. Many colleagues at Panos London agree that testimonies can contribute to

Photo: Panos London Panos Photo: our learning and inform our programming – and are personally inspired and moti- vated by testimonies gathered. However, the challenge is that we are an organisation specialising in communication for devel- opment, as opposed to a particular issue such as internal displacement. Logically, Presenting life stories of those displaced by conflict therefore, it would be an oral testimony in Georgia at the 2008 UNHCR Annual Consultations with NGOs in Geneva. project on people’s perspectives and expe- riences of communication that could understanding of how development prob- contribute most to our learning. However lems and opportunities are interrelated, as our projects do have a thematic focus so lived through the life of one individual. I can there’s definitely scope for more integra- think of no better way to gain this under- tion. In discussion with Anne-Sophie Lois standing than through reading or listening (now working for Plan International) she to an individual life story. Yvonne Orengo, suggested: former director the Andrew Lees Trust agrees: A project needs another stage of work to internalise the testimonies into the The testimonies from southern Madagas- organisation. Many NGO managers are car provide an insightful view of the really administrators, focusing on complexity of life in fragile environments. targets, impacts, results and fundrais- They give dimension to our understanding ing; they won’t go to this kind of mate- of how a person’s life is weaved in and rial… But we should be able to use oral around the resources and external factors testimonies to improve our program- in their environment, as well as the twists ming. The fact it doesn’t happen is about and turns of ‘fate’ in that mix. As develop- lack of time, other priorities and a lack ment practitioners this can help us under- of understanding, and so the testimonies stand the balances that have to be are not used to their full potential. considered when we make decisions, and to acknowledge how everything we do will Olivia Bennett, founder of the Oral have unexpected impacts that we need to Testimony Programme at Panos London, better anticipate. made a related point:

There is definitely a bias towards using Still further to go academic literature to inform program- There is definitely a good deal of enthusi- ming and strategy, whereas people turn to asm and support for oral testimonies. oral testimonies for quotes and to add However I do not think this enthusiasm ‘colour’ to their writing. always translates into the same level of organisational learning. I think the prob- In addition to this bias, the usual plan- lem is that we still need to learn how to ning processes and cycles of development learn from these stories. It is not easy. work do not make it easy to access and use These detailed, awkward, at times conflict- this kind of material in programming. l Voices, voices everywhere, but how much learning is going on? 37 Photo: Jenny Mathews Jenny Photo:

Practicing listening skills during an oral testimony workshop in Ethiopia.

Summary: a daily dose of oral testimony? testimony on the kitchen table every day I think there’s more to oral testimonies that I’m in the office, providing some differ- than illustration, fresh breath and inspira- ent reading material for my colleagues tion. I (and many of my colleagues) do eating their lunch. believe we can learn from them. But it is a At a more institutional or program- challenge, even within an organisation matic level I can think of two solutions. that actively promotes voices. The ques- • Firstly, to design, fundraise and imple- tion that troubles me is a practical one. ment an oral testimony project which aims How can I help to increase the use of oral to get people telling stories about their testimonies in learning processes at Panos communication lives and landscapes. The London? resulting testimonies would undoubtedly Firstly, I’m going to prescribe myself inform Panos’ knowledge and challenge and at least one colleague a daily dose of our assumptions and meanings of commu- oral testimony and then make sure we talk nication in the development context. about what we’ve gained from that. Maybe • Secondly, to ensure that reflection and this is the embryo of an idea for a regular learning events for local, national and blog to introduce and share a different international partner organisations and testimony each day with a wider audience. Panos London are built into all future oral And I will also take the small-scale, old- testimony projects, and that these are prop- fashioned approach and leave a different erly budgeted and planned for. 38 63 Siobhan Warrington

Now that I have written that down it edge, oral testimony and organisational seems painfully obvious, so obvious that learning. I hope I can now put some of I have evidently just assumed that learn- that into practice, with the ideas ing and reflection will magically happen outlined above, and the results of those without any deliberate intervention! endeavours can be the subject of Being part of the Ripples project has another article in a year so. In the mean- resulted in a good deal of thinking and time if anyone else has any other ideas, reflection about development knowl- do get in touch!

CONTACT DETAILS Siobhan Warrington Panos London 9 White Lion Street London N1 9PD UK Tel: +44 20 7278 1111 Fax: +44 20 7278 0345 Email: [email protected] Website: www.panos.org.uk

REFERENCES Cook, N. and D. Butz (2011) ‘Narratives of accessibility and social change in Shimshal, northern Pakistan.’ Mountain Research and Development (MRD) journal. 31:1, Feb 2011. Online: www.brocku.ca/webfm_send/16468

NOTES For further reading and resources on oral testimonies, please see In Touch, pp. 181 and 184, this issue. 39

Opportunities and challenges of participatory processes: the case of Key Correspondents 5

by ALICE KLEIN

Introduction network of some 40 national NGOs with Citizen journalism or ‘grassroots journalism’ secretariats in the UK and India. The is participatory in its very nature. It involves programme aims to build writing skills individual members of the public playing an amongst people affected by HIV, and active role in the process of collecting, provide them with the tools to publish their reporting, analysing and disseminating work to international audiences via the news and information (Bowman and Willis, Internet. Through policy briefings, report- 2003). Its objective is to give a voice to citi- ing from national and international zens and often provides a perspective that conferences and sharing experience the mainstream media omits. It often utilises Key Correspondents team inform their blogs, social networks and audiovisual own communities and input into national media taken with mobile phones. strategies and policy processes. When citizen journalism is integrated In this article I reflect on my experi- into development programming, it has the ences of working with the Key potential to expose the experiences of the Correspondents programme: the strengths marginalised communities with whom and challenges of the approach and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) extent to which it represents an opportu- are working. At the same time, it builds the nity for international NGOs (INGOs) to capacity and potential of those communi- incorporate grassroots perspectives into ties to engage with national policy dialogue their organisational learning. and advocate for policy changes which will benefit them. The Key Correspondents team Key Correspondents is an innovative Key Correspondents (KCs) are community- citizen journalism programme, managed based writers, reporting on the health and by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance development issues that affect them and (‘the Alliance’) which is an international their communities. With unique access to 40 63 Alice Klein

their subjects and knowledge of the margin- in the HIV sector through working in non- alised groups they are writing about, such governmental and community-based as sex workers or people who inject drugs, organisations, the media and HIV positive they can generate richer content for the networks – which are national or regional audience. And as they often channel the support groups for and by people living experiences and stories of those community with HIV that advocate to improve the members with low literacy levels or with quality of their members’ lives. limited computer/Internet access, they can be seen to act as a mouthpiece for members The KC process of their community. The Alliance’s organisational model empha- The KC team is comprised of approxi- sises the grassroots by forging relationships mately 250 people in 50 countries, of with ‘linking organisations’ in different whom a large number represent people countries, who themselves link with affected by and living with HIV. As the community-based organisations which act programme is voluntary, the KCs’ motiva- as implementing partners. The Key Corre- tions for participating are not financial. spondents programme’s participatory The majority say they participate owing to nature reflects and reinforces this organisa- their passion for advocacy and their hopes tional emphasis on the grassroots. The that raising awareness of local issues will programme provides KCs with initial train- inform national AIDS policy. For example, ing to build writing skills, distance in 2010’s annual survey of Key Correspon- mentoring and editing and monthly brief- dents a Zambian KC stated: ings to provide them with the resources they need in order to write about topical issues or My role is to bring to light the nitty-gritty events. For example, in response to a brief- issues affecting people living with HIV in ing about maternal health in advance of the Western Province to the attention of power- Women Deliver conference in 2010, an HIV holders and stakeholders. positive woman from Namibia wrote about her own experience of forced sterilisation.1, 2 The survey revealed that many KCs This in turn contributed to her selection for view themselves as a representative voice a scholarship to attend and report from the for particular groups in society. The defini- conference in Washington DC. tion of representation was loose, including The process of KCs producing stories – both being from a particular group and from researching to interviewing to writ- working with them or on their behalf. KCs ing – is as important as the ‘finished stated that they represent people living product’ of the final article, if not more so. with HIV (69%), women (59.5%), children For example, one teenage girl who took and youth (54.8%), sex workers (26.2%), part in a training workshop in Uganda injecting drug users (16.7%) and men who lacked confidence in her writing skills and have sex with men (11.9%). Although had only ever written at school. But she provision of personal and sensitive infor- was incredibly passionate about HIV mation is voluntary, we know that many of issues which she observed within her own them work in the fields of HIV, sexual and community. After the training, she was reproductive health rights, as well as other mentored for six months and gained the social and health fields. Many are engaged confidence and skills to write in-depth

1 Women Deliver is a global advocacy organisation bringing together voices from around the world to call for action against maternal death. Their first conference was held in Washington 7th–9th June 2010. See: www.womendeliver.org 2 Forced sterilisation is when people are sterilised without their informed consent after being diagnosed as HIV positive and often while they are in surgery for other conditions such as caesareans: www.bbc.co.uk/news/10202429 l Opportunities and challenges of participatory processes: the case of Key Correspondents 41 Photo: Alice Photo: Klein

Key Correspondent Diana Kintu of Uganda writes up a story during a training session. features exploring themes such as vulner- and edited by professional media houses, it able children, rape and stigma. can be seen as a form of awareness-raising KCs who are interested in policy advo- and advocacy. In some circumstances, KCs cacy and want their stories to be useful for can be paid for their stories. their communities often link with policy partnerships called National Partnership Making a difference to wider Platforms (NPPs). Based on the concept of information strength in numbers, NPPs allow NGOs to The KC programme could be considered work together to agree on a shared policy more credible than mainstream media priority and create space for dialogue because unlike conventional journalists between civil society (including KCs) and who simply step in, extract information decision makers such as parliamentarians. and then leave, this process empowers indi- The model sees KCs capturing community viduals to communicate their truth directly experiences and feeding these to the NPPs to the outside world and this is an ongoing which then take this information and rather than one-off process. insert it into national policy dialogue. In his book on citizen journalism in NPPs exist in several countries through- Africa, Banda (2010) states: out Africa and Asia. The largest and most active groups of KCs exist where there are By suggesting that conventional journal- NPPs to strengthen their policy advocacy ism is undemocratic, citizen journalism influence. seeks to open it up to the participation of KCs are also supported to approach ordinary people. external media, such as local and national newspapers, to place their stories. While this In the KC context, community members is a departure from conventional ‘citizen have the opportunity to contribute to the journalism’, in so far as it is commissioned news agenda and even help shape it. 42 63 Alice Klein Photo: Hoang Hai Vuong Hoang Hai Photo:

Key Correspondents Ishdeep Kohli of India and Suksma Ratri of Indonesia Tweet updates during the International AIDS Conference 2010.

KCs can highlight some of the most I have to write on policy issues when govern- important yet neglected issues in the AIDS ments say they will change. It is a way to response. In Zimbabwe, for example, a make them accountable to the people they small group of KCs were trained in docu- claim to represent, as most of the time they mentation skills and then researched never change anything once they are in office. home-based care of people living with HIV. A publication entitled Caring from Within Another KC wrote about the then new was then produced outlining key policy website of the UN Special Envoy for AIDS recommendations which was endorsed by in Africa and how it was not appropriate Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health in 2008.3 for most Africans living with HIV. The The goal of the publication was to guide the Special Envoy, Elizabeth Mataka, signed up design and prioritisation of home-based to the KC website and responded to the care programmes, policies and funding to KC’s concerns thus opening up a direct make a real difference to people’s lives at dialogue between the grassroots and UN- the local level. level decision makers. Like independent media, KC stories can help to hold politicians and decision Managing tensions makers to account by reporting on whether When you encourage people to speak, you they are delivering what they promised. As will inevitably receive a wide range of opin- one KC put it in the 2010 Annual Key ions which may be contradictory, or in Correspondents Survey: some cases may not fit in with what the

3 See: http://tinyurl.com/caring-within. Full URL: www.nac.org.zw/sites/default/files/Caring-from-within-Zimbabwe%28HBC-findings-and- policy-recommendations.pdf l Opportunities and challenges of participatory processes: the case of Key Correspondents 43 Photo: Alice Photo: Klein

Key Correspondents discuss how to structure a news story during a training in Kampala, Uganda.

Alliance considers to be good practice. For suggested sources of alternative informa- example, the Alliance works with most-at- tion and the author was receptive to this risk-populations including men who have feedback and changed the story so it was sex with men, transgender and sex work- less likely to present a conflict of opinion. It ers. So when the Ugandan government enabled us to engage on and debate the proposed anti-homosexuality legislation, issues in a way that simply repressing there was deep concern at the prospect of differences of opinion never could. the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and In other cases, KCs present alternative transgender community being further stig- theories which – while in conflict with matised and even criminalised. However a Alliance views – stimulate Alliance staff to number of KCs agreed with the proposed consider different arguments. For example, bill and one used the website to air their while the Alliance’s policy department was personal homophobic opinions on the busy working on the UK Robin Hood Tax matter, which were in direct conflict with campaign, demanding more money be the Alliance’s view. spent on HIV treatment, a KC in Zambia In this kind of situation, we aim to wrote that too much money has been spent balance agendas and encourage more on HIV at the expense of other infectious objective, evidence-based reporting. In this diseases such as malaria.4 By presenting specific case, Alliance staff and other KCs alternative viewpoints, KCs give Alliance

4 The idea behind the Robin Hood Tax campaign is to generate billions of pounds by fairer taxation of the financial sector. That money would help to fight poverty in the UK and overseas and help tackle climate change. The Alliance has been campaigning to ensure increased financing for development, and health and HIV in particular, through a levy on currency transactions. See: http://robinhoodtax.org 44 63 Alice Klein

staff an opportunity to learn about different The Alliance supports the KC cultures and political contexts. So while programme in order to diversify the voices there are occasional differences between the informing debates and decisions around opinions of some of the KCs and those of people living with HIV. Fundamentally, the the host organisations, these are infrequent KC programme engages the very people and manageable. More importantly, they who are affected by something, yet not allow for an exchange of ideas, often spark- normally able to access the discussions and ing internal debate and discussion which decisions about it. The model could just as can include organisational decision makers. well be applied to other contexts where a marginalised group seeks to develop a voice Conclusion and/or influence decision-making. The programme has enjoyed a range of It could also be adapted for internal successes including a steadily increasing processes in other organisations and number of articles produced and the qual- contexts. So the model of KCs capturing ity of their content. Importantly, the community level information and feeding programme empowers KCs to speak for this up into decision-making processes themselves and expose the issues experi- could be transferred from an external enced by people living with or affected by policy to an internal knowledge-sharing HIV. It can therefore highlight the gaps context. This may involve training frontline between reality and policy and act as an or partner organisations’ staff – in order to effective policy advocacy tool. As one KC widen the pool of KCs – and getting them stated in the 2010 Annual Survey: to report on the issues and experiences arising from field programmes. Then Being a KC is important as it has allowed INGO senior management would be able me to highlight issues which are affecting to listen and learn directly from the the people who are voiceless, whose plight communities they purport to serve and would not have otherwise been heard had I involve them more directly in decision- not written about it. making processes.

CONTACT DETAILS Alice Klein Freelance journalist and communications consultant Email: [email protected] Website: http://tinyurl.com/keycorrs Photos: http://www.flickr.com/groups/kcteam

NOTES Alice Klein no longer works for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, however for more information about the Alliance contact: International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Preece House, 91-101 Davigdor Road, Hove, BN3 1RE, UK or visit: www.aidsalliance.org

REFERENCES Banda, F. (2010) ‘Citizen journalism and democracy in Africa – an exploratory study.’ Highway Africa, Paris, p. 27. Online: www.comminit.com/en/node/323451/38 Bowman, S. and B.C. Willis (2003) We media: how audiences are shaping the future of news and information. The Media Center at the American Press Institute. Online: www.hypergene.net/wemedia/weblog.php 45

Stories, critical analysis and learning in ActionAid 6

by KATE CARROLL

Introduction these stories are developed by staff working As an international non-governmental directly with communities, others by consult- organisation (INGO) ActionAid works with ants or staff from headquarters. In this a broad spectrum of development actors – article, I explore why and how ActionAid from community groups and public gathers and shares stories of practice – and campaigners to trade unions, corporations how much they feed into organisational and government. Much valuable knowledge learning and decision-making. and information is generated and shared through these interactions. This puts Sharing and learning through stories ActionAid in a strong position to support ActionAid uses different methodologies for knowledge flows between stakeholders in developing stories, each involving different development, and with the appropriate people and perspectives and each designed spaces for learning and reflection, it gives for a different audience or objective. Some rich material for organisational learning prioritise stakeholder learning and reflection. and using learning to strengthen practice. Others aim more at informing the reader. ActionAid’s Accountability, Learning and Planning System (ALPS) guides staff at each Frontline Stories: reflection, writing and level of the organisation to undertake regular critical analysis reflection and learning – and suggests Frontline Stories of Change are written by methodologies for doing so. ActionAid has the staff most intimately connected to developed various methods to encourage the ActionAid’s work in the field to examine documenting and sharing of its work (as well and document ActionAid’s human rights- as development issues) from different based work (see Box 1). They highlight perspectives. Several methodologies use successes but also raise critical questions stories, or narrative, to illustrate key issues and suggestions for how ActionAid might and approaches in their context. Some of deepen its work and achieve greater impact. 46 63 Kate Carroll

Box 1: ActionAid’s human rights-based Learning team (IASL) support staff to build approach (HRBA) their writing skills, deepen analytical think- ActionAid’s emphasis on human rights aims to ing and document their experiences of highlight how rights legitimately belong to every implementing a human rights-based person by virtue of their being born. These rights approach. As they write, staff are supported are independent of a person’s sex, religion, race, to ask new questions about their work, and sexual orientation, where they live or any other status. They cannot be given or taken away. All receive new ideas and new tools for human beings are equally entitled to human rights analysing and reflecting on practice. The without discrimination. Frontline Stories of Change initiative has ActionAid believes that: taken place through a series of retreats, • poverty is a violation of human rights; firstly at sub-regional level and then nation- • poverty arises principally because human rights have been denied; and ally. Most recently an international training • if we are to end poverty then we must protect, of facilitators of critical writing has taken promote and fulfill the human rights of poor and place, aimed to support future processes. excluded people. Participants choose a change in which There is no ‘one size fits all’ recipe for HRBA. they’ve been involved to write about. ActionAid’s main strategies are to empower poor people (rights holders) to claim their rights and to Although many choose to base their stories hold accountable those people and institutions on ‘successes’ the process brings in critical (duty bearers) meant to deliver those rights. analysis to support participants to step back ActionAid achieves this through: from their work and adopt a more critical • empowerment activities eye. Writers are mentored by a ‘content • solidarity activities • advocacy and campaigning activities person’ and later by a content and copy editor Throughout its work ActionAid has an explicit who accompanies the writing. Mentors pose focus on women’s rights. critical questions, help sharpen analysis and Source: Action on rights: human rights based lead the writer to relevant resource materials. resource book (ActionAid, 2010). Stories are stored publically with suggestions for use, for example for advocacy or training, The process aims to empower staff with to provoke debate or support fundraising. confidence to write powerfully, think criti- cally and work creatively, as much as Critical Stories of Change: acting on document and share their story. The stories reflection are produced through critical writing Critical Stories of Change are written and retreats and mentoring and peer support. facilitated by consultants or staff on second- These stories do not directly involve ment, for in-depth critical analysis of how communities, rather they are field staff change happens. It is important that the reflections on their own interactions. person writing is removed from the work Although the main aim is field worker self and so able to ask critical questions. They reflection and empowerment, reflections explore changes in a particular context and and learnings are also shared widely with look at ActionAid’s role within that. The other staff at the national level and with Critical Stories of Change methodology is a international colleagues to ensure wider useful learning tool, bringing to the debate awareness of ActionAid’s work. a critical analysis of how human rights- If approached with awareness, writing based change takes place and the can deepen reflection and analysis. It can challenges, as well as facilitating reflection. help both the reader and writer to under- The published stories are used for internal stand the complex contexts in which we sharing, and also for advocacy, communi- operate. It can link our experiences and cation and evaluation processes. discussions to learning and planning. To develop a critical story, the writer ActionAid’s Impact Assessment and Shared spends time with key stakeholders in the l Stories, critical analysis and learning in ActionAid 47 Photo: ActionAid Photo:

ActionAid fellows in Myanmar, from the Critical Story of Change ‘Let’s do it together for our village’.

different contexts related to the project, changes in which ActionAid is involved facilitating discussions to uncover the key from a distance. The Uganda participants drivers of change, and at the same time reflected that the story of their work was: challenging stakeholders to analyse the ‘a very good product to challenge the change more deeply. This in itself brings NGOs on the course they are taking…’ In about change. In Uganda for example, an evaluation of ActionAid’s critical participants appreciated this chance to stop stories, readers suggested that the style of and reflect: stories of change ‘allows for a much more in-depth analysis of the problem’ which We were challenged to think ... to trace our captures people’s attitudes.1 The story footsteps and think ‘who is it that we are?’ format was described as ‘powerful’, Our eyes were sharply opened, a very ‘honest’, ‘innovative’, ‘engaging’ and ‘reflec- important learning experience... In tive’. These descriptions differentiate Uganda, [it is] rare to reflect on practice Critical Stories of Change from more and offer it up to others… mainstream reports which tend to be more dry. The fact that Critical Stories are easier But it is not only the process which is to read means that they are more effective important to embed the learning. The organsiational learning tools. The stories narrative of a story product is memorable are distributed internally over the intranet and engaging, as well as thought-provok- and externally via distribution lists. Whilst ing. Not only do critical stories show the they are not part of a formal organisational critical change, but they also show how the learning and change process, they are read change is happening. This is important for by individuals who then use the messages readers in other parts of ActionAid who and lessons from the stories in their own have to try to understand, and explain, the planning processes.

1 For more knowledge and guidance materials around how to manage a Critical Story of Change process email: [email protected] 48 63 Kate Carroll

Case studies: illustrating the work we do ing, and came up with some pointers to Case studies are true stories with quotes strengthening that link. about a real individual linked to an Action- Aid programme or area of work. They Building an effective team for Critical Stories include a detailed description of their situ- of Change ation, challenges and problems and how There can be tensions in the process of defin- these are – or could be – tackled. They are ing and documenting a story, because usually written by ActionAid’s communica- everyone involved will have a different politi- tions staff for campaign and media work, cal perspective and emotional involvement and are drawn on by staff for their reports. regarding how a change happened. Potential They are less used for in-depth organisa- tensions are best resolved through good tional learning than stories since they do communication and collaboration. For exam- not explore the challenges and complexities ple, in Myanmar, the critical story process of change. However, they do offer an insight involved the whole staff team in reflection, into ActionAid’s work and so are useful as and the subsequent review and editing of the illustrative examples, particularly for story. They reported that their own under- fundraising. standing of the issue (the fellowship process) Case studies are less reflective than expanded as a result of their involvement. stories and tend to outline the ‘what’ of change rather than the ‘how’. Their value is Support the space for ongoing reflection for as a product and tends not to challenge the all stories reader nor the participants critically, or The space created by a story process – the provoke reflections on the wider context for meetings and dialogues leading up to, the change process. ActionAid tends to use during and following the writing and partic- stories more for knowledge building inter- ipatory research – allows people with nally and externally, whereas case studies different experiences of development to are more used for communications and share their perceptions. This generates new media for information sharing.2 knowledge as people question each others’ experience. In an organisation with a rela- Challenges in developing and learning tively flat structure, and where decision from stories makers are involved in such spaces, the The potential for learning in ActionAid is knowledge generated can influence deci- present – and curiosity is supported. This is sion-making and organisational working. in part personal: people are passionate about The challenge however, is to create space for the work they do and interested in knotty reflection and discussion beyond the story questions, even when they are not directly research and writing process. related to their work. It also relates to organ- isational structure, which is relatively loose Valuing internal learning generally and allows people to pioneer work they If ActionAid is to seriously value the potential believe in, and our processes for learning of reading and writing for reflection and and reflection, as set out in ALPS. But there learning, then these skills and activities have are challenges to sharing learning, not least to be supported, developed and valued. Staff due to the wide range of work and contexts often feel too busy for reflection and writing, and large numbers of people involved. or unable to prioritise it as they move from We have reflected on some of the chal- one activity to the next. But hiring a consult- lenges we encountered in developing stories ant to develop a process, without the strong and linking them to organisational learn- involvement of staff members, can under-

2 For more information see: ‘What is the difference between a case study and a Critical Story of Change?’ (ActionAid, 2008) or email: [email protected] for this note. l Stories, critical analysis and learning in ActionAid 49 mine links to local learning and make it diffi- uting stories is seen as an end in itself, cult to ensure that learning feeds into rather than the start of a change process. organisational decision-making. A good We need to recognise the role of reflection compromise in this case can be bringing in a and the resulting stories in changing prac- consultant linked to a national research insti- tice and opening up spaces for more honest tute or learning centre who will work with communication of our work. This could be ActionAid in the long term. This should help created through the setting up of informal learning to be developed together for the learning and reflection spaces for all staff. benefit of both organisations. More generally, For example, ActionAid UK hold regular it would be helpful if story gathering were ‘learning circles’ to share examples of good more central to organisational planning and practice and thinking. In addition, we need reflection processes. Currently it is a require- to better monitor the impact of our stories. ment to gather stories to illustrate the This might require not only recording who organisational annual report but it would be reads the stories, but also following up with good to see this annual process take place at these readers to ask what they have learnt different times throughout the year. and how they have used their learning.

Valuing more in-depth change processes Sharing stories widely and strategically The demand from our international secre- The stories ActionAid produces are shared tariat tends to be for case studies, which are and read through websites and its internal considered less of a burden on country intranet. People use them to learn about, programme staff and simpler for communi- and explain, ActionAid’s work. Fundraisers cating our work. But as they are less use them to communicate work to donors, analytical and participatory, they are less to show how ActionAid works and makes a likely to feed into organisational learning or difference. Of Critical Stories of Change influence change. We have to advocate for they report that donors ‘think it’s a great the use of more reflective methods of under- initiative and really useful’. The readers will standing and communicating our work, get a nuanced understanding of our work, providing examples of their effective use. and this may influence the way they think or plan. However, the formal links between the Creating evidence of the impact of stories stories and our organisational learning Related to the last point, despite the poten- could be stronger. For example, if stories tial of stories to influence learning, we don’t were integrated into our routine processes have any clear evidence of them changing of reflection, review and planning. Stories practice. The evidence is not available should be distributed more widely and because it has not been collected, and this is, strategically, and linked more closely to in large part, because writing and distrib- other learning processes.

CONTACT DETAILS Kate Carroll ActionAid UK 33–39 Bowling Green Lane London EC1R OBJ UK Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES ActionAid (2010) Action on rights: human rights based resource book. ActionAid. Online: www.ms.dk/sw185113.asp 50 63

Who’s leading who? 7 The power of partnerships

by ROSE McCAUSLAND

I sometimes wonder how the police There’s an unavoidable risk in taking on woman we met to discuss our idea for a a participatory video project that aims to participatory video project sold it to her produce a usable product at the end of it – boss… how can a process be participatory and guarantee quality output? The very nature ‘Living Lens want to produce a training of the participatory process means that the video for us on trafficking.’1 participants, in this case survivors of sex ‘Oh yes, what will it be about?’ trafficking, devise the content and shoot ‘Well I’m not really sure, but it will involve the film themselves. What they want to say women who’ve been trafficked, they’ll to the Metropolitan Police may not be what make it.’ the Metropolitan Police want to hear, let ‘The women will make the film?’ alone use as a tool in their existing training ‘Yes!’ programme on trafficking.2 Approaching ‘Are they film makers?’ this kind of project raises the question: ‘No!’ ‘Who’s leading who?’ ‘Do you know what they’re going to say?’ To me a successful participatory process ‘No!’ does not have to ensure that every aspect ‘Do you think it will be any good?’ of the project is 100% participatory to pres- ‘No idea!’ ent the authentic voice of the participants. ‘OK let’s do it!’ And in any case, it is rare to find funders

1 Living Lens has been using video as a creative tool with groups in the UK and other countries for over eight years. Living Lens started off with local projects and now run national and international projects. We use video as a tool to mobilise groups and individuals to explore the issues that bring them together. Our projects open new channels of communication and build productive partnerships. See: http://livinglens.blogspot.com 2 The Metropolitan Police are the police force for London (also sometimes referred to as ‘the Met’). l Who’s leading who? The power of partnerships 51 Photo: Living Lens Photo:

Contribution Flower – used as a tool in Fresh Start to Display from Fresh Start presenting the questions allow participants to reflect on what they were that the women wanted the Police to ask victims of contributing to the process and the team. Flowers trafficking on first point of contact. These questions can be used as a display over time to give a sense of were included in the video and later incorporated the continuity and diversity of contribution within into Metropolitan Police protocol for interviews at the team. first point of contact.

who are willing to fund a project such as In the light of this, Living Lens set up this, simply because of the time it takes and the Fresh Start project, with funding from therefore the size of the budget. What is Comic Relief, to work with trafficked vital, is that it is clear to all participants and women to gain confidence and self-esteem, project partners what aspects of the project build key skills, reduce their sense of are 100% participatory and what aspects marginalisation and support them in are not. Charting the project along the contributing to positive social change. The participatory continuum allows everyone Metropolitan Police agreed to be involved involved to understand the limitations and in the process and use the resulting DVD in opportunities of their involvement and the their training. This link was very impor- risks involved. tant. We needed to understand the needs of the Police in order to work with the traf- Creating a safe space for trafficked ficked women effectively. The Police women to talk needed to understand the production Our conversations with survivors of traf- process with the women to have a realistic ficking and their service providers, and idea of how best to integrate the women’s reading of relevant literature, highlighted film into their training. We committed to key needs which we sought to address ensuring this dialogue continued through- through the Fresh Start project. Many out the project, but we wondered if it was survivors of trafficking have insecure immi- also going to be complicated to manage the gration status, are socially marginalised, needs and interests of two such different stigmatised and very afraid of the conse- groups. quences of speaking out. They are often unaware of the support available to them. Bridging gaps and building They need a safe space to articulate their relationships? experiences, views and needs and to access We knew that in order for the DVD to be relevant information. They also need the useful – and therefore used – we needed chance to build skills for their economic to create collaboration between the and social reintegration. Meanwhile, police women and Police, but without them ever training on how to deal with victims of traf- meeting. For us to feel confident that we ficking has been, arguably, uncoordinated could deliver, we had to set up a strong and incoherent. project team – and this required building 52 63 Rose McCausland Photo: Living Lens Photo:

Display from Fresh Start revealing what women One of the cameras used by women during the Fresh thought when first dealing with the Police. Start project.

some unlikely partnerships. At this point this improved the quality of our work. It the women’s view of the Police was nega- also transformed the women’s opinion of tive. To them, they were part of the the Police. In hearing about the Police’s problem. As a result those working with commitment to the project, the women the women (service providers and NGOs) could see their willingness to learn and often took a similar view. To bring improve their ways of working. At the end together a project team that included of the project, one woman reflected, ‘[the members of these groups was a risk, but project] boosted my trust, I had a problem one we were willing to take. What the trusting people, this has changed my project team could provide was different perspective.’ points of view that needed to be taken This is a powerful outcome for a PV into account to make the project a project, but I recognise that she was not the success. If they could work in collabora- only one to experience this. An unexpected tion, we’d have a supporting process that outcome of the project was that, as a result would allow the women to lead in the of the women’s film, the Met revised their production of the film and ensure that we interview protocol. This is testimony to the could deliver a quality resource to the power of PV and the courageous work of Police. the women. The fact that the Police asked The meetings of the project team were the project team to work with them on this unexpected and inspiring. An NGO worker is testimony to the willingness of people to turned to me after the first one and said, set aside their differences and learn from ‘Wow, I’ve never had a meeting like that one another to find successful solutions with the Police’. Perceptions started to that benefit everybody. change and opportunities opened up. I believe a PV project has the potential Creating an on-going conversation ensured to leave everyone involved – participants that we could structure the workshops in and project team members – with a a way that met the needs of the partici- renewed confidence in what they have to pants and the Police. All of the project team contribute. Through building relationships were able to feed ideas into the process and and mediating between groups, the ques- l Who’s leading who? The power of partnerships 53 tion moves away from ‘Who is leading the understands their contribution and can process’, into ‘How can everyone recognise the contribution of others that contribute to the process’? In our experi- they are able to work collaboratively to find ence at Living Lens it is when someone successful solutions together.

CONTACT DETAILS Rose McCausland Living Lens Candid Arts, 3 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NQ UK Tel: +44 20 7278 5027 Email: [email protected] Blog: http://livinglens.blogspot.com 54 63 8 Digital Storytelling

by TESSA LEWIN

Introduction We know that good communication is a two-way process. To engage the public and have an impact on the people who shape policy we need real stories, told by people Lewin Tessa Photo: in their own words, on their own terms. But there is an inherent tension between making a communication product that speaks for itself – which is powerful enough to elicit a strong emotional response from A story circle at a Dhaka workshop. an audience or change their views – and see or hear these arguments? And how do one where the emphasis is on the integrity we ensure that desired changes are then of the process. A process that is concerned made? with engagement and voice has participa- This article looks at a particular partic- tion at its core. A process overly concerned ipatory methodology – Digital Storytelling with the quality of the final product will (DST) – and how it can be used in a devel- privilege this end at the expense of the opment setting to draw out stories and means by which it is arrived. engage both storytellers and their future New digital tools somewhat change this audiences. Through this example, I exam- as, for example, they make constructing ine the extent to which it is possible to visual arguments more accessible and practice communication that is both truly affordable to ‘non-experts’. But producing participatory and produces ‘useable’ results fantastic products from truly participatory – communication as engagement rather processes is just the beginning. How do we than communication as marketing. then get the right people with influence to Participatory processes such as DST l Digital Storytelling 55 Photo: Tessa Lewin Tessa Photo:

Participants building their egg mobile in the ‘egg game’ icebreaker at a Dhaka workshop.

allow NGOs to listen to, and learn from, process involves intensive workshops the people and the communities with during which participants develop a whom they work. They also enable these personal narrative, usually around three NGOs to use these stories to lobby and minutes long. They then record and illus- advocate on particular issues. For NGOs trate this narrative with still images or interested in increasing awareness and photographs. The final product is a short understanding of a particular issue, or in film, which has been produced and edited genuinely exploring how best they can by the narrator. A first person voice is used support the communities with whom they in the narration. work, DST offers a fun and empowering Pathways of Women’s Empowerment is means.1 an international research consortium that uses creative communication at every What is Digital Storytelling? stage, both to broaden engagement and to Digital Storytelling is a methodology that synthesise ideas for influence.3 In Novem- was developed in the mid-90s at the Centre ber 2008, the Pathways communication for Digital Storytelling in San Francisco.2 team was involved in the Feminist Tech- It has been widely used since then by nology Exchange instigated by APC (the activists, researchers and artists. The Association for Progressive Communica-

1 There are numerous online resources on Digital Storytelling. See e.g.: http://tinyurl.com/dst-10-steps. Full URL: www.socialbrite.org/2010/07/15/digital- storytelling-a-tutorial-in-10-easy-steps and www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf 2 Every element of this process is ‘digital’ – i.e. enabled by computer technology – and participants are able themselves to control each stage. It is the access to relatively affordable technology that has made this methodology possible. 3 The consortium comprises activists and researchers based at universities and research units in South Asia, Latin America, West Africa and the Middle East – more details can be found at www.pathwaysofempowerment.org 56 63 Tessa Lewin

Box 1: DST – a ‘feminist’ methodology? There is much debate about whether or not it is possible to call a methodology feminist. Without going into details of the debate, I believe that there are tools that can be used in feminist ways, Photo: Tessa Lewin Tessa Photo: to protect and promote women’s human rights. Digital storytelling lends itself extremely well to feminist projects. The process of women creating their own digital story is designed to transform their ‘inner’ embodied worlds, as well as have an impact on ‘outer’ material or structural conditions. In articulating their stories, the women are developing both technical and creative skills, and confidence. The collaborative nature of the workshops, and the sharing of each other’s stories, helps the women develop a sense of solidarity with each other. They are ‘not alone’ in their struggles. This kind of transformative learning process follows in the tradition of Freire and others, who see the development of personal critical consciousness as a necessary precursor to action for social change. Participant working on her storyboard.

tions). Two members of the team took part been used with groups that have experi- in the Digital Storytelling track and were enced stigma or violence. They experience so profoundly impressed by the experience the process of telling and constructing their and the methodology, that they began narratives as therapeutic, empowering and lobbying within Pathways to launch our solidarity-building. In southern Africa, for own digital story project. example, workshops have been held for DST is both about enabling people to people affected by the stigma surrounding tell stories and enabling others to listen to HIV and AIDS.4 In Palestine, workshops those stories. The combination of visual have been held with marginalised youth in images and first person audio narrative is refugee camps.5 compelling. It is hard not to listen to these stories, and they are generally far more Digital Storytelling workshops – accessible than the academic or legal docu- introducing the methodology ments that often articulate policy debates. The Pathways team first used the method- Some argue that Digital Storytelling is a ology in Bangladesh in 2009. We ran three ‘feminist’ methodology, in that research Digital Storytelling workshops, facilitated participants control the way in which their by an international team, between Novem- stories are represented, and through the ber 2009 and February 2010: two in process learn new skills (see Box 1). So Dhaka and one in the Chittagong Hill researchers are ‘giving back’ to the partici- Tracts. Participants included Pathways pants, not merely extracting data for their researchers from Dhaka, university research. Digital Storytelling has often students, local government officials,

4 This was part of an initiative funded by the Open Society working with the Centre for Digital Storytelling and Women’s Net. More details can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/sa-hiv-workshop. Full URL: http://storiesforchange.net/event/open_society_initiative_for_southern_africa_hiv_stigma_ workshop. 5 Voices Beyond Walls project. See: www.cs.uiowa.edu/~hourcade/idc- workshop/sawhney.pdf and www.voicesbeyondwalls.org l Digital Storytelling 57

women’s rights activists, peace activists, Box 2: Digital story workshops: the basic staff of local NGOs and performers from steps the Chittagong Hill Tracts.6 • Ice breaker: relaxing the participants and The three workshops enabled partici- getting them to feel more comfortable with the pants to learn about the methods and facilitators and other participants. develop their own digital stories. People • Explaining the process: looking at examples of learnt through doing: creating, editing and digital stories. There is always debate amongst showing their own digital stories together. facilitators about the timing of this – some feel that it is important to give participants concrete Participants were told about the process examples of what they will be doing, others feel before the workshops. They were asked to that this may overly influence participants’ think through possible stories and bring creativity. relevant materials with them (such as • Story circle: participants outline their ideas to photographs). Where this was not possible, the group – normally followed by small group work where participants refine and structure their participants drew illustrations to accom- narrative. This process is very important and it is pany their stories, or persuaded their vital to spend enough time on it so that colleagues to do so. Some participants also participants are happy with their stories. took photographs at the workshop. • Recording the audio narrative: This is usually After initial icebreakers, participants done using a voice recorder and some basic audio software (Audacity is the most popular free, open were introduced to the Digital Storytelling source software). process and shown several digital stories • Storyboarding: Working out which images to showcasing a variety of narrative devices. use at which stage of the story. While showing digital stories we talked • Editing: putting the audio and the images about confidentiality and ethics and together – most commonly done using Windows Movie Maker. discussed what might happen to the stories • Rendering: Exporting the final story as a movie after the workshop. We also looked at how file that can be uploaded or copied. other organisations had used stories in different contexts. In the workshop for begins to emerge and, as others respond to Pathways researchers, we also introduced it and participants pick up on new ideas various DST web resources and looked in- and narrative devices, their stories are depth at the history of its development as a refined. methodology, anticipating that they might Each participant outlined their broad use DST in their future work. ideas for their story to the rest of the group We were nervous about showing too and then fleshed out the details of the story many completed stories for fear of influ- in smaller groups or pairs. Often the stories encing participants’ own presentations of that people ended up telling were not the their stories. However, we all agreed after- ones that they set out to tell. wards that we could have shown more, as Once participants had structured, writ- the discussions that came out of the screen- ten and edited their stories, or shared them ings were extremely useful, and the with others in the group, they rehearsed participants found the stories inspiring and recorded themselves narrating their rather than prescriptive. story. Meanwhile, others began the search for supporting visual material and music Creating digital stories (bearing copyright issues in mind). Partic- The story circle is the point in the work- ipants who didn’t have photographs used shops when participants start to get their this time to illustrate their stories. teeth into the process. The idea is that With a clear sense of their story struc- through publicly articulating the story it ture, and with the necessary audio

6 More details about the Chittagong workshop and the stories can be found here: www.thedailystar.net/magazine/2010/06/02/education.htm 58 63 Tessa Lewin Photo: Tessa Lewin Tessa Photo:

Sohela Nazneen discusses story structure in one of the Dhaka story circles.

segments recorded, we began the editing ing. Participants actively construct and process. In some workshops, participants reconstruct themselves and their stories created a storyboard of the visuals in prepa- through the process of narration. And then ration for the edit. Editing was done using the stories are shared, and the ‘audience’ Windows Movie Maker, as it is the most take the narrator seriously – the feeling that common simple video-editing tool. one is being actively listened to is The last phase of the process was often profoundly important. rather frenetic, as people struggled to put As with every truly participatory process, the final touches to their creations. But we getting the best out of DST takes commit- learnt to make sure to keep enough time for ment. It involves people using unfamiliar screening, as this gives participants valuable technology and developing personal stories, insight into the thoughts of the other partic- which takes time. Our first two workshops ipants – and the benefit of seeing their own were compressed into three days, which was story on screen in public, which is always a not long enough. The next workshop was moving experience. We also found it worth- five days long and much more coherent as a while to keep time aside to talk through the result. It is also worth budgeting additional stories and facilitate a group discussion time for the unexpected technical hitches about their feedback and reactions. that invariably accompany the use of tech- nical equipment. Seven out of the eleven What we learnt about the process of computers in the Chittagong computer labo- storytelling ratory could not be used. The DST process allows a reflective space Another interesting element of the that not many people are given, or able to DST project process was how it disrupted take time for. Beyond that, the act of telling our own organisation’s age and power one’s story can be healing and empower- hierarchies. Junior members of the team l Digital Storytelling 59 Photo: Tessa Lewin Tessa Photo:

Team celebrates egg landing in the ‘egg game’ icebreaker, Dhaka. in Bangladesh led the project and taught storytellers, from a variety of backgrounds. the senior researchers. Because younger But using the stories can be tricky, espe- team members were more confident with cially when moving to different contexts. the technology, the usual age hierarchies One highly entertaining story, generated at were reversed. I would argue that this shift a workshop in Dhaka, was not considered had implications beyond the DST work- appropriate to show to participants in the shop, in increasing both the confidence of Chittagong Hill Tracts because the narrator the younger members of the team and the was ‘too upper class’ and therefore her story older members’ respect for their work. would not resonate with the participants. Another story, though aesthetically beau- Using the digital stories tiful, was seen as ‘too flat’, with little I have talked about the process and why it dramatic tension or direct linkage to is valuable, but what about the product? ‘policy’ or ‘research’ issues. In one of the The end result is usually a short video, Chittagong stories, there was a disjuncture made by a first-time director, often one between one narrator’s understanding of who has never used video or computer history, in particular local violence, and the equipment before. It is not the technical researchers’ understanding of that history. quality but the content which has most The researchers felt that using the story impact. What is interesting about these could both compromise the researchers, stories is related to the positionality of their and possibly incite political unrest. creators. In all of these cases, the fact that the So far, the stories generated through final product was not necessarily of use to Pathways of Women’s Empowerment have Pathways in a particular context does not been used to give policy makers a sense of undermine the significance of the process the textured, everyday reality of the women of their production. 60 63 Tessa Lewin

However, it is worth bearing in mind means statistical, quantitative data, bring- that if a research or communication ing real people back into the picture seems process is to be truly participatory and yield ever more important. Understanding and a ‘useful’ product, it is likely that the articulating the specific, nuanced stories of process will need to be iterative and time individual injustices are vital if we are to consuming. If the audio narrative of a digi- make any progress towards substantive tal story is well recorded, it is always and sustainable social change. Otherwise possible to spend time after the workshop ordinary people are in danger of being refining the video edit. Some of the partic- rendered invisible by the very people who ipants we worked with, who had access to purport to act on their behalf. computers outside the workshop setting, How you assess the capacity of Digital planned to ‘perfect’ their stories on their Storytelling as a process to catalyse or own, after the workshop. It would have create change depends to a large degree on been useful to have the resources to do this your theory of change. Most practitioners with them and to further ‘polish’ the visual accept that policy change happens both in elements of the digital stories. formal ‘policy spaces’ and in the broader environment within which these ‘spaces’ The impact and influence of digital sit. If I want to influence change around a stories particular issue I need to address not only People are inherently story-driven – the these formal spaces, but also their broader way we understand the world is through environment. There are numerous cases of narrative. First person stories are very new legislation, for example, which cannot powerful and emotive, particularly when be adequately implemented because the they offer us a view on the world that we social environment within which it oper- have not encountered previously. Because ates is not adequately receptive to the there are so few authentic indigenous changes. South Africa’s progressive consti- voices in mainstream media, DST provides tution is a good example of this. It was the us with genuine, non-stereotypical and first in the world to outlaw discrimination often unexpected representations of based on sexual orientation. This has not, people, gender roles and relationships. however, stopped the horrific cases of These representations often contradict ‘corrective rape’ that continue to be a threat dominant images of both men and women. to South African lesbians. These stories should not be seen as just Another example is the legal reform anecdotal but as a potential source of khul in Egypt – which gives women access change for both creators and viewers. If to a ‘no fault’ divorce, provided they give up they can be used to support, amplify or their financial rights. Khul has helped better articulate a policy campaign then some women extract themselves from they can be extremely influential. abusive marriages. But divorce, including There is a growing body of literature khul, is still very taboo in Egypt. ‘It’s impor- asserting the importance of using non-text- tant as a rights-giving mechanism – but based policy arguments. In a policy culture what can it do to change how people think where women and girls in particular are about gender norms?’7 increasingly identified as drivers of – or Because of Digital Storytelling’s emotive responsible for – broad social change rather power and its participatory approach, it is than as individuals with their own needs an excellent tool to build awareness, and differences, and where ‘evidence’ strengthen groups with a shared agenda or

7 Mulki Al-Sharmani talking at the Birds Eye View film festival in 2011 about her research on Islamic legal reform in Egypt. See: www.pathwaysofempowerment.org/Familycourts.pdf. l Digital Storytelling 61 Photo: Pathways, Bangladesh Pathways, Photo:

All participants and trainers from the two Pathways digital storytelling workshops after the final screening, Dhaka. facilitate mutual understanding amongst and to explore the complex dynamics of those who do not. Women’s Net and the institutionalised racism in the US. Sonke Gender Justice Network in South Africa have used DST to address complex DST, learning and change issues around gender and HIV/AIDS. Through constructing a story, narrators Their work with digital stories has helped are pushed to articulate a position in an to build community solidarity, break down engaging and efficient way. This process prejudices, facilitate public debate and is likely to help clarify their thoughts and inform organisational priorities, in doing so lead to further engagement or approaches and policies. action. Participants regularly set out to In Uganda, Engender Health (with tell a particular story and then, to their Silence Speaks and St. Joseph's Hospital) surprise, find themselves telling another has used DST in communities with genital one entirely. This can be extremely reveal- fistula to develop nuanced policy imple- ing as to where their true convictions lie. mentation strategies that have at their Freidus and Hlubinka (2002) talk about heart a strong understanding of the many how through the group working alongside and varied factors that affect these women.8 each other crafting their digital stories DST has been used similarly to inform and influencing each other, there is often approaches to mental health problems in a meta narrative that develops in the the UK National Health Service (NHS) group.

8 Genital fistula is a painful and uncomfortable condition, usually caused by difficult childbirth, and that leaves women with chronic incontinence. Read more on the storytelling project mentioned: www.engenderhealth.org/our-work/maternal/digital-stories-uganda-fistula.php 62 63 Tessa Lewin

DST genuinely has the capacity to and explains some of the issues in a contribute to community building, through broader sense. the space it offers for reflection and An individual digital story can enable through the process within a group. But it someone to articulate her views directly to is also because the story can then be shared. someone on the other side of the world. By giving people a platform and tools to This makes for very powerful viewing and articulate a personal story, DST can in itself does not necessarily need an intermediary be transformative, particularly in severely to interpret and relay the material. If it is marginalised communities – not only for done well, it should speak for itself. Having the storyteller, but for their friends, family, said this, to influence organisational think- colleagues or NGO workers and activists ing and learning more widely, the story fortunate enough to see it. needs to be linked into larger processes The potential for DST to impact on with more voices or analysis. Advocates people's immediate social environments need to think carefully about how to talk to and their individual capacity to make the issues raised by the stories, and link change is fairly clear. They also have the them to concrete concerns or perhaps potential to disrupt organisational ortho- broader campaigns. doxies and hierarchies. But as the ripples As other articles in this section high- of the immediate personal impact of digital light, there are tensions inherent in using stories extend outwards, away from the this kind of material out of context and out original context, they tend to get weaker of the control of the narrator/editor. But and less influential. The digital stories need with care and respect, the power of these to be supported within wider processes of digital stories can have enormous value to lobbying or learning, and with comple- organisational and individual processes of mentary material which clearly identifies learning and understanding.

CONTACT DETAILS Tessa Lewin Communications Manager Participation Power and Social Change Team Institute of Development Studies University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9RE UK Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Freidus, N. and M. Hlubinka (2002) ‘Digital storytelling for reflective practice in communities of learners.’ ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin Vol. 23:2. August 2002. Online: http://tinyurl.com/dst-freidushlubinka. Full URL: http://llk.media.mit.edu/projects/channelc/crcp- stories/freidus-hlubinka.pdf 63

Bridges to understanding and action: using stories to negotiate meaning across community boundaries 9

by CYNTHIA KURTZ and STEPHEN SHIMSHOCK

Introduction between communities by communicating Community change often involves many values and beliefs without making claims perspectives. Some people might be to absolute truth. primary benefactors of an improvement. Stories can also help us map out new Some might implement, maintain or bridge building sites. The suspension of promote it. Some might come to the disbelief that takes place when a story is community with resources and a desire to told helps people use stories to explore help. How can these perspectives come complex, difficult and even strange or together to develop a shared understand- taboo issues at the outer edges of commu- ing and a common plan of action to make nity life. Stories define communities by the improvement a reality? establishing, and revisiting, where they Bridges help us cross chasms and safely begin and end; and they can survey the travel from one area of solid ground to spaces between communities by revealing another. In the same way, stories can where they overlap and where they stand bridge chasms between perspectives and far apart. create spaces for shared understanding And stories can help us build better and action. Since ancient times, people bridges. While stories can explain ‘the way have used everyday stories of personal things are’ and support stabilising norms, experience as social devices for the ritu- they can also confront hidden assump- alised negotiation of meaning. Like tions and examine long-held beliefs. protective packages, stories help us share Stories challenge communities by feelings, beliefs and opinions without enabling transitions and welcoming new exposure to direct attack. Stories unite ideas and they can also revitalise commu- communities by building shared identities nications between communities by and transmitting unspoken rules with overturning assumptions that hamper gentle strength – and they can mediate fruitful innovation. 64 63 Cynthia Kurtz and Stephen Shimshock

Developing a community story project Box 1: Participatory Narrative Inquiry Several approaches are available to work with stories, including Appreciative Participatory Narrative Inquiry (PNI) is an approach Inquiry, Most Significant Change (MSC) to helping groups of people gather and work with and various forms of participatory commu- stories to make sense of complex situations for nity theatre.1 These are all useful and better decision-making. PNI emphasises raw recommended. Here we draw on our expe- stories of personal experience; diversity of riences with Participatory Narrative perspectives and experiences; interpretation of stories by those who told them; catalytic pattern Inquiry, but our observations apply to any exploration; and narrative group sense-making. approach that focuses on listening to and PNI is described in Cynthia's free book Working working with stories (see Box 1). with stories in your community or organization, Rarely is everyone in a community available at: www.workingwithstories.org equally willing or able to work with stories, so most story work involves some degree of patterns that complement and augment facilitation by people who have the knowl- the experiences described in the stories. edge, experience, skill, time and dedication to make the project work. In this article we Working with stories assume that you either want to facilitate A group of people (sometimes the entire story work for your own community or community, sometimes a subset) uses a want to help someone else do this. To avoid variety of narrative methods to make sense confusion, we will speak primarily to those of the stories and discover transformative who want to facilitate story work in their insights. For example, people might build a own communities. If you want to help larger composite story that incorporates someone else do this, consider how you many views of a time period or event in the can help them carry out the work we life of the community. They might also describe. explore what might have happened had things gone differently. You might help The three phases of a story project people as they go through this process of Generally speaking, any story project has discovery. three phases. They might take place within the same day or months apart. They might Returning stories involve recording stories (as text, audio or The stories go back into the community in video) or simply telling and listening to some way, for example by providing direct them – and they might happen once or access to what has been collected, by many times. reporting on the sense-making activities that took place, or by taking informed Gathering stories action based on the insights gained. Again People in the community recount their this will often be a facilitated process. experiences while others listen. As a facili- Most importantly, the goal of story tator, you might help people focus on topics work is never the creation of stories. It is of concern to the community while includ- the creation of authentic insight and ing a diversity of perspectives. You might understanding that leads to informed, also ask people to reflect on their stories balanced, multi-perspective decision- and annotate them with comments or making. Stories are the vehicle, not the answers to relevant questions. Gathering destination. A few stories of real projects many such reflections creates aggregated will serve to illustrate.

1 See e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appreciative_inquiry and www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.htm l Bridges to understanding and action: using stories to negotiate meaning across community boundaries 65

Example: story sharing for shared groups, one of which has a clear responsi- understanding bility to help the other. By sharing and A collaborative group of service providers working with their stories together, the in the Western United States who serve young adults and service providers devel- young people leaving foster care were look- oped new insights into how they could ing for a new way to evaluate their work. more effectively pursue their common goal The group’s previous experiences with eval- of supporting young people on their jour- uation had produced mixed results. ney to independence. Evaluation was expensive and failed to How was this evaluation different from capture the nuances of their work. previous evaluations? Previous inquiries Stephen approached the collaborative looked to produce outcomes that could be group with some ideas for using participa- replicated as best practice. But the term tory narrative methods. He felt this would best practice implies that the ‘best’ is in the help to change the focus of evaluation from practice, not the practitioner, which dehu- effectiveness to learning, centring on what manises both the practitioner and the the community members (service profes- recipient of the practice. Instead, the sionals and the young adults they serve) participants in this project created a rich could learn together about issues affecting tapestry of meaning together. A final report young people journeying into adulthood. was produced to summarise the method He was keen to keep the evaluation in the and findings of the project. However, the hands of the community and act only as evaluation meeting served as an interven- facilitator. tion in itself by providing an insightful A subgroup of service providers and experience to those who participated. young adults helped develop some story eliciting questions and a set of semi-struc- Example: story listening for future tured questions about the stories. Those planning questions were used to collect information Our friend John sits on the board of a from a larger group of service providers community market that has been a feature and young adults. After collecting over sixty of his town for over a century. He wanted to stories and answers to questions about help the board think about the market’s them, Stephen transcribed the stories and place in the community and plan its future. brought together the answers into patterns He went to the market and asked people to catalyse thought. Then the service about their experiences coming there. providers and young adults engaged in a Some had been coming for weeks, some for day-long group session where they years, and some for decades. They all had discussed their stories and clustered their own perspectives and their own elements from them. The two groups stories to tell. John recorded and tran- worked separately at first to develop their scribed sixty stories. He answered own frameworks of contextual meaning questions about the stories: How far people based on their clusters. Then the two did people travel to the market? How often groups came together to share their frame- did they visit it? How old were they? He works. The process helped each group see graphed the numbers of some answer the world through the eyes of the ‘other.’ combinations and chose patterns that Together the two groups created a list of seemed useful. He also picked out the recommendations, issues and ideas that stories that seemed most memorable. would be used in the strategic planning John took the stories and graphs to his process for the service providers. next board meeting. Together the group This case illustrates the use of stories wrote down themes they saw and clustered and story patterns to mediate between two them to show different needs of the 66 63 Cynthia Kurtz and Stephen Shimshock

community. Some were surprising: cleanli- projects, and follow them. For example, say ness and safety were unexpectedly strong. each group session must have equal Other themes brought out issues everyone numbers of people from different groups. had known about but nobody had Periodically review the rules to see if they discussed, like how much the community need revision to keep them relevant and relied on the market’s long-term presence. useful. Third, observe your community. Fruitful discussion followed and plans were Watch how people behave and react, and made. Long after the meeting, the board learn your collective strengths and weak- members found themselves using the nesses. themes and stories as touchstones when These three practices — channels, rules they needed to respond to new conditions. and observations — will combine to help In this case, the project took time and you resolve disputes and maintain account- effort on John’s part. Many people were ability. Say you are facilitating a group involved in the project, but John played a session, and someone suddenly objects that special role. Trust was involved when what the group has produced is too private people told him stories and when board to be revealed outside the community. How members accepted his selections of should you respond? You should have been patterns and stories. Would he recommend observing the community well enough to the process to others? Said John, know the people who are making the objec- tion and any special concerns they might Even though you will make mistakes, as have. You should have already negotiated long as you gather enough stories, the some rules that apply to the situation. And patterns will make themselves known. You you should have channels in place for will get useful, surprising, powerful results making decisions together about the proj- even if you are just starting. ect. By drawing on these resources you can reach a compromise that restores the Facilitating story work group’s sense of privacy without endanger- As a facilitator in your community’s story- ing the success of the project. telling project, you may need to negotiate While trust in the community will two relationships: one between yourself enhance a story project, strong trust is not and your community, and perhaps one an absolute requirement. In fact, because of between your community and those their role in negotiating conflicting perspec- outside its boundaries who offer help and tives without forcing consensus, narrative resources. We will start by considering your methods work better than some others relationship to the community, since it is when only partial trust is in place. Develop- the foundation on which any other rela- ing clear project outputs that maintain the tionships must stand. integrity of multiple views will increase trust Any facilitator of story work must earn in the process even when people do not the right to gather and work with their necessarily trust each other. This can community’s stories by negotiating trust improve participation in community initia- and demonstrating responsibility and tives even by those who disagree or distrust commitment. How can you do this? First, others in the community. involve community members in all deci- When there are strong internal divi- sion-making regarding the story project. sions in your community, it may be Develop participatory channels of feed- impossible to accommodate multiple back and transparency as you tailor the groups in one project. In that case we do project to the needs and wishes of the not suggest trying to negotiate participa- community. Second, negotiate clear rules tion and rules or carry out sessions that for managing ownership of stories and include all groups. Instead, conduct multi- l Bridges to understanding and action: using stories to negotiate meaning across community boundaries 67 ple parallel projects and then find ways to hand, you can explore similarities and bring them together into a larger story differences. This approach is intermediate project that bridges the entire community. in both benefit and risk, because it both This will help all groups to feel ready and shares and conceals. empowered to take part. One of the most useful aspects of stories Working with stories together is that they nest into ever larger stories of You can invite people who do not belong to stories. They can do this because they do your community to join you as you work not force unity but preserve conflict and with the stories you have collected, yours contrast at all scales. Like a folk tale that and theirs, and derive insights meaningful incorporates smaller tales within it, a story to both groups. This approach provides project can contain other story projects. greater understanding through participa- Your community’s story project can tion, but requires greater trust for deeper contain – without controlling – the proj- sharing. ects of its sub-communities and families. Completing an effective story project In the process of building the larger project that includes the goal of communicating the community may discover things about with people outside the community does its divisions it had not understood before. depend to some degree on a friendly rela- tionship with them. But while it is helpful Bridging community boundaries when outside helpers are cooperative, it is There are three ways you can bridge the not a necessity. The process will have value division between your community and to you and your community independent people who want to help it but do not of any outside group, and could support belong to it. your relationships with several such groups. Telling stories During or after your story project, you can Keeping the process internally driven simply tell some of your collected or built What if those outside your community like stories outside the community. This is the the idea of gathering stories but want to do least involved approach. It works best it themselves, or want to use a process you when you have a strong need to protect find foreign or confusing? We suggest your community’s private information, or directing attention to the greater likelihood when those outside it are not willing or able of success if you control the story gather- to be more involved in story sharing, or ing process from within the community, when you do not have the experience to and finding an approach that works best attempt more complex projects. But it also for you and your community. Because has the greatest potential to create misun- working with stories draws on ancient derstandings, because not all stories make practices of social negotiation, it does not sense outside of their original context. require statistics or computers or experts to work well. In fact, some of the most Exchanging stories powerful methods of story work are the You can tell stories to people outside your simplest. Explore your options and find a community while you ask them to tell you solution that works for you. their stories. The more you know about their stories, the more you will understand Negotiating meaning what stories they need to hear from you. You know that your stories express impor- What is their world like? What difficulties tant truths about your community. But be do they face? How do they define success aware that some people may view stories and failure? With both sets of stories in as ‘only’ anecdotal evidence that does not 68 63 Cynthia Kurtz and Stephen Shimshock

stack up into reliable facts and measure- count the answers people gave and ments. Stories are anecdotal and local, but compare the counts. You might find that they carry tremendous value by creating a women said they felt differently than men context in which facts can be better under- or that older people said something stood. Telling stories and presenting facts younger people never did. By presenting are complementary forms of communica- stories and facts you can give people two tion, each valid in its own way. forms of understanding at once. There are two ways we have learnt to address a perception of stories as insuffi- Conclusion ciently factual. One is to conduct your story The ultimate reason to pay attention to project as a complement to other projects stories, whether at the individual, family, whose goals are to collect factual data. For community or regional level, is not so much example, if people would like to know what because of what they communicate but sorts of food you eat, you can tell them because of what they help us discover. We those facts, but you can also tell them tell and listen to stories in order to make stories about why your ancestors ate partic- sense of the world around us, and we do ular foods. this both individually and collectively. The second method is to derive facts Working with stories in your community from reflections about stories. Ask people can help you reflect on the past, under- to think about stories they have just told stand the present and build a better future. and answer questions about them. For Using such a process to bridge boundaries example, after someone tells you a story, between your community and helpful ask, ‘How do you feel about that story?’ Or people outside it can help you benefit from ask them about something that happened their good intentions without losing the in the story, like ‘Do you think that person integrity of your own vision for your showed responsible behaviour?’ Then community’s future.

CONTACT DETAILS Cynthia Kurtz Independent researcher and consultant Website: www.cfkurtz.com www.storycoloredglasses.com

Stephen Shimshock Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Kurtz, C. (2008) Working with stories in your community or organization. Free online book available at: www.workingwithstories.org 69 PART II Making sense: the dynamics of interpretation and use of participatory outputs 70 63

This section explores what happens when more we discussed and shared, the more intricate, nuanced, qualitative information we understood the unrecognised power of generated through participatory processes this role. In essence we are making our own is used in other contexts. In Part I we meaning from what others tell us. Yet we explore how participatory communication often present it as representative of other processes are facilitated and the tension people’s stories – in the process giving it between creating an empowering process more legitimacy. We felt that our role as and a useable product. Here we explore sympathetic outsider, facilitator and what happens next: how this information is reporter was not to be undervalued, but interpreted and reshaped as it is absorbed wanted to explore our own accountability into a system designed to give an to the people who informed our thinking international organisation direction, and and writing. The authors look at how improve its understanding of issues of a meaning is made from the product of global scope. The interest, knowledge and participatory processes within INGOs, intention of the audience colours their examining their own roles and how they reading of the material. Stories and manage the tensions. perspectives are aggregated. Themes and The second part of the section shares patterns are discerned. Conclusions are two case studies of tools and approaches for drawn about priorities or needs. Bits of participatory approaches to aggregation people’s lives and opinions are turned into and sense-making. Many more exist, some material to justify or explain development referenced in the article by Hannah interventions or theories of change. It is Beardon et al. The first, by Nathan Horst, what Jasber Singh (Beardon et al.) calls describes a smartphone application which ‘disembodied aggregation’. enriches survey and assessment processes The first two articles in this section by allowing respondents to code, or tag, emerged from discussions at the Ripples their response. It has enhanced the workshop. First, Cathy Shutt reflects on monitoring, evaluation and assessment how context, and her sense of processes of the organisation involved – accountability to her clients and the and also had the (unanticipated) effect of communities she visited, influenced the building dialogue and exchange between outcome of a research process and draws respondents. The second, by Soledad some conclusions for designing future Muñiz, shares an experience of extending a research processes. The next is by participatory video process to involve Hannah Beardon, Jasber Singh, Rose participants in editing and aggregating the McCausland, Cynthia Kurtz and Clodagh material they produced. Both highlight the Miskelly. Working as independent opportunities of participatory aggregation, consultants to international non- coding and sense-making processes. They governmental organisations (INGOs), they reflect on some of the challenges of reflect on the role we often play of representation, managing conflict of interpreter: transferring information from opinion and so on. In the end, the quality of one context to another in the form of the participatory process, and the reports or articles. Many of us have played relationships on which it is built, are similar roles within INGOs in the past. The fundamental to the outcome. 71 Whose accounts? 10

by CATHY SHUTT

Introduction These are some of the questions explored in As a consultant carrying out research, I this article. often end up translating my own partial understandings from brief, though rich, Designing the research approach engagement with communities into objec- In 2010 I was commissioned by Plan Inter- tive and authoritative reports. This article national to research for a Participatory is a reflection on a recent experience that Learning and Action (PLA) article (Shutt, prompted concerns that my efforts to do 2010). The article was to explore the nature this, shaped by personal interests and the and degree of child and youth participation desire to appear ‘professional’, may ulti- in a Community-Led Total Sanitation mately reduce my accountability to poor (CLTS) approach being implemented in people in the Global South. Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.2 Broad For participatory research processes research questions explored how children taking place in international NGOs with and youth were involved, and whether this universalist aspirations working in differ- was empowering. While negotiating my ent cultural contexts, conceptualising terms of reference with Mark Rolls, the accountability in is no straightforward Senior Programme Officer commissioning task.1 What are the tensions that can the work, we considered various emerge in such situations and what are the approaches. Underpinned by a theory of implications for learning and practice in change shaped by national and interna- INGO northern offices and headquarters? tional managers, it could never be a truly

1 See Ossewaarde, Nijhof and Heyse (2008) ‘Dynamics of NGO legitimacy: how organising betrays the core missions of INGOs’ for a fuller discussion. 2 Although Plan had wanted to employ local consultants to undertake the work, they had not been able to identify anyone suitable within the short timeframe allocated for the research. 72 63 Cathy Shutt

bottom up, participatory research process.3 Nevertheless, we believed it provided a useful opportunity for frontline staff to crit- ically reflect on their practice. To enable community-level learning and empower- ment, we also proposed community Cathy Shutt Photo: representatives be part of the research team. The final research design, agreed in consultation with staff in each country, was devised around an ambitious three-day workshop process. My approach was influ- enced by engagement with the Youth and Plan Ethiopa staff members of the participatory inquiry paradigm that research team. encourages reflection on how our personal backgrounds shape our understandings of events in different ways.4 From this teams and village level discussions, and perspective the aim of research is not to how representative they were either. With- document ‘facts’, but rather to explore out sufficient time to visit the poorer parts multiple social realities that result from of the villages, we relied on speaking to different perceptions and interpretations those who had been invited to meet us. of events. For this reason the research While men were often vocal, the silence of teams in each country were to spend the some women in focus groups suggested first day developing research objectives and they might have been coerced to attend. culturally appropriate questions together. Despite challenges and obvious weak- The second was to be spent visiting nesses of the short research process, the communities to explore how groups of team was able to collect sufficient data to different ages and sex variously perceived form opinions about how different groups child and youth involvement in CLTS. The in the community perceived child and third day was devoted to analysis to enable youth involvement in CLTS. These were staff and community members to reflect on the result of the analytical process findings in ways that helped them learn. described below. This was also to help me, an outsider with only a very basic understanding of the How (and with whom) I made sense of specific contexts, make sense of them. what I had heard and seen In each country we went through system- The research process atic processes to look for patterns and The three-day event proved demanding in differences in perspectives related to child all three countries. As anticipated, and youth involvement in CLTS. Research language was a major challenge, as was teams were encouraged to have discussions ensuring the representativeness of commu- in their own language and look for patterns nities visited. Moreover, it was difficult to in responses from different focus groups. know how and why certain individuals had They then used a set of questions to inter- been invited to participate in research rogate the patterns and reach conclusions

3 The CLTS theory of change at the time was that triggering and training lead to increased awareness of the risks of open defecation and poor hygiene. This capacity change is expected to ignite a citizenship change – commitment to individual behaviour change and collective action, which will eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation, leading to a well-being change – improved health. 4 See Heron and Reason (1997) ‘A participatory inquiry paradigm’ for further discussion. l Whose accounts? 73 that related to the theory of change.5 Hart’s But there was a fly in the ointment. In ladder of participation encouraged debate an early session of the writeshop, a senior on how meaningful the participation member of Plan Kenya’s staff drew my described had been. It helped to identify attention to an issue to which I (and other operations of power that affected partici- members of research teams) had given pation. This prompted lively discussions inadequate attention. Very occasional and disagreements about the nature of reports of children being beaten as a result child and youth contributions to CLTS. of shaming adult open defecators raised Debates among staff and community child protection issues for Plan, an organi- members helped me understand cultural sation that aims to enable the realisation of norms that influenced the roles that chil- child rights. dren traditionally play in communities that A newcomer to the field of CLTS, I put appeared to be partly challenged by their this concern aside and allowed myself to be involvement in CLTS. infected by the enthusiasm of more experi- The sense-making process suggested to enced practitioners at the writeshop. Their me that our various experiences, back- passion for, and commitment to CLTS grounds and interests shaped what each influenced my interpretive lenses when I team member learnt from the research and started my draft. But I still struggled with analysis in different ways. Some staff and my usual writing demons. How could I community members were particularly condense the rich process and findings into interested in new conceptual lenses intro- three thousand words? What should I duced as part of the research process. include and what should I leave out? How Several engaged with the theory of change could I represent the different perspectives that emphasised the social dimensions of of community members, staff and myself? CLTS. Others could see potential use in And how should I deal with the rather applying ideas from Hart’s ladder of partic- awkward issue of child protection? ipation to their practice. Visiting Inevitably my interpretations were communities and engaging in discussions influenced by partial understandings and around CLTS experiences in unfamiliar subjective biases. For example, I wanted contexts opened new possibilities for some. to give readers a sense of the messy It also sharpened critical thinking, raising research process. I was keen to empha- new questions for further exploration. sise that imperfect processes do not As I began writing up my interpretation achieve the emancipatory potential of of the process at the Participatory Learn- truly participatory research, or produce ing and Action writeshop, I met with Mark representative ‘evidence’ for generalised Rolls.6 We were both pleased that, despite conclusions. But I also wanted to show weaknesses, the process had produced they can provide valuable opportunities convincing evidence that children and for learning, reflection and empower- young people were playing key roles in the ment, at least for some. social change necessary for CLTS to impact Discussing the findings and analysis in local health. Other writeshop participants a short article was tough. General trends shared stories that largely validated the could be briefly synthesised. But it was favourable impression I had formed of impossible to explore the apparent differ- CLTS through my brief, imperfect research ences in relationships between children encounters. and adults in the different communities to

5 The process was reduced in Kenya, where school exams meant some research activities had to be carried out on the third day. 6 The week-long writeshop in January 2010 brought together authors and editors for the then forthcoming Participatory Learning and Action 61 Tales of Shit: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Africa (Bongartz et al., 2010). 74 63 Cathy Shutt

Box 1: Towards a more participatory International’s openness to critical evalu- writing style ation, I felt rather uneasy about • Employ reflexivity to give readers an idea of who mentioning it.7 I suspected it would not you are and how your interpretive lenses/biases fit well in organisational narratives. Even- have been shaped throughout the piece. A style of tually I settled on an approach and sent a dialogue or conversation with the reader can help draft off to Mark and country representa- this. • Include details of the methodology that make tives for further comment, together with clear its limitations without compromising the more detailed country level bullet-style questions raised and conclusions made. reports. These included raw findings from • Only use an active authoritative voice for points the focus group discussions for use at for which there is general agreement by different country level and sharing with communi- groups involved. • Use ‘I’ or ‘we’ to communicate authorial ties. interpretation, and verbs such as ‘appeared’ or Feedback on written documents from ‘seemed’ to indicate uncertain interpretations that country level staff was scarce, making the might be contested by others. efforts to solicit their opinions during the • Include different perspectives and interpretations research process all the more important. in reported speech, and attribute these to different groups using pseudonyms for sensitive issues. Mark asked for some minor revisions. • Attribute analysis and sense-making by key However, several months later I received informants. much more critical comment from a PLA • Include important issues and hypotheses that reviewer, raising queries about the have emerged but not been fully explored as methodology. S/he implicitly held us to questions for reflection and further investigation. account over our response to the issue of child protection. my satisfaction. I wanted to resist the Sitting thousands of miles away in the power of ‘professional’ writing orthodoxy. UK, where hitting children is considered It favours a positivist, objective authorita- as universally unacceptable, the shades of tive speech style and discourages my interpretive lenses began to shift. I practitioners from using the first person or found myself in general agreement with making evident their own uncertainties the reviewer’s criticisms. But as a relative and doubts. I was keen to follow some outsider to Plan, I was not sure how to general principles outlined in the box respond. Eventually I decided to re-engage above. with staff in London to find out more about how the research had influenced What happened during my decision-making and practice within interpretation and reporting? different parts of Plan. Renewed commu- Among helpful comments from my initial nication with Mark reassured me that the reviewer was one that cautioned against research had stimulated further discussion the lengthy methodological section. While among various actors within Plan about he acknowledged my humility in raising possible risks to children arising from their caveats, he warned it might undermine involvement in CLTS that were considered my argument. Given I was struggling with to be very low. This was all good news. word length, I was only too happy to However, I could not help wondering comply and revert to a more authoritative whether there would have been any need writing style. I found it more difficult to for this email discussion had I thought handle comments about child protection more about links between between learn- that potentially undermined my argu- ing and accountability during the research ment. Despite personal experience of Plan process.

7 Plan International has previously published critical evaluations, one of which I was involved in, on its website: www.plan-international.org. l Whose accounts? 75

Managing accountability relationships their accounts, framed by their cultural in research: ideas for debate contexts and experiences. This highlights On the face of it this story is as an example the particular difficulties of conceptualis- of an imperfect research process shaped by ing accountability relationships and actors in the North that benefited from practices in cross-cultural research charac- community and staff participation in terised by multiple interpretations and producing data and sense-making. It illus- understandings of what is right or wrong. trates the privileged roles that consultant There is often a disconnect between the authors (like me) play and the subjective notion that poor people know what is in decisions we take about what is included their best interest and the operation of and excluded in the final outputs of power implicit in rights-based program- research processes. Often this is blamed on ming that is shaped by particular cultural pressure to be accountable to donors. lenses. This is one of several legitimacy What is interesting about this case challenges for international organisations study is that there was no real pressure to with universalist aspirations working in produce a document to demonstrate Plan’s different cultural contexts (Ossewaarde et accountability to donors. The research was al., 2008). So given the disconnect, how not part of an evaluation and I was given a should notions of accountability or respon- relatively free hand in writing up. Many of sibility be conceptualised and implemented the decisions I took were the result of a in consultants’ (and indeed staff) research desire to conform to my perceptions of practice that sometimes has to mediate what would be considered professional and between different cultural interpretations likely to fit organisational narratives. I was of ‘what is right’? so busy worrying about being able to write Unsurprisingly, there is no magic bullet. about staff and community members’ However, in this instance, acknowledging involvement in sense-making and learning and talking about such issues provided in my article I forgot to think about how opportunities for reflection and learning this learning would translate into account- that influenced the practice of northern ability to people in communities. managers. Mark and others allowed me to If I had conceptualised and prioritised play the role of a critical friend, and we learning by local staff as a means to directly became involved in an implicit process of enhance their accountability to poor cooperative inquiry and reflection on our people, the third day of the research practice. For example, it was a comment process might have looked quite different. from Mark on a draft of this article that We may have spent more time discussing if prompted greater realisation of how my and how CLTS approaches were putting own interests and desire to be considered children at risk of harm and what that ‘professional’ – able to deliver expected meant for an organisation promoting child outputs on time – had influenced my rights in African contexts. The substance behaviour. Similarly, our discussions and of these discussions could have then been reflections prompted further reflections included in the draft of the article avoiding within Plan about how the theory of calls for more accountability that origi- change (and future efforts to test it) might nated from Plan UK and the PLA external benefit from more explicit acknowledge- reviewer. ment of power relations within The above provides a neat argument in communities. favour of ‘downward’ accountability, but Could these lessons form the basis for perhaps one that is slightly disingenuous? more formal processes to expose and Children and communities did not perceive discuss the implications of various values, child protection as such a serious issue in perceptions and interpretations at differ- 76 63 Cathy Shutt

ent stages in complex research relation- realities of different groups involved in the ships? I offer here some initial suggestions process and think about: of how INGO staff and consultants might o How they might be handled in terms work together to better manage such of framing research questions; analysis and complexity and make clear assumptions decision-making; and approaches to writ- about various accountability relationships ing up and sharing findings with different that need to be negotiated during the audiences and interest groups. Consider process: whose meanings should be given priority • Frame contracts with the northern offices in final texts. or headquarters of INGOs as a process of o Implications for conceptualising cooperative inquiry for those commission- accountability relationships: who should ing the research and those conducting it to be accountable to whom, and for what? reflect on challenges and issues and how This process should aim to identify oppor- they change as relationships develop. Build tunities for negotiating specific in links between the research and decision- accountability relationships at different making during and after the process. steps in the process, as well as clear respon- • Seek to reach agreement that the consult- sibilities for responding to concerns or ant is playing the role of a ‘critical friend’ issues arising at the ‘local level’. who is granted permission to come back • Where possible try to include a relevant and ask follow-up questions. objective that links learning to accounta- • Try to anticipate and discuss possible bility to community groups in the terms of differences in values, perceptions and social reference.

CONTACT DETAILS Cathy Shutt Independent freelance consultant Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Bongartz, P., S. Musembi Musyoki, A. Milligan and H. Ashley (eds) (2010) Participatory Learning and Action 61 Tales of shit: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Africa. IIED: London. Online: www.planotes.org/pla_backissues/61.html Heron, J. and P. Reason (1997) ‘A participatory inquiry paradigm.’ Qualitative Inquiry 3:3 pp. 274–294. Ossewaarde, R., A. Nijhof and L. Heyse (2008) ‘Dynamics of NGO legitimacy: how organising betrays core missions of INGOs.’ Public Administration and Development 28:1 pp. 42–53. Shutt, C. (2010) ‘CLTS in Africa: A path to child and youth empowerment?’ In: Participatory Learning and Action 61 Tales of shit: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Africa. IIED: London.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Mark Rolls and other staff at Plan for the opportunity to research and learn with them and for comments on earlier drafts. Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman deserve mention too for all their helpful comments. I am particularly grateful to Hannah for the substantial edit of an extremely muddled early draft! 77

Telling stories: who makes sense of participatory communication? 11

by HANNAH BEARDON, JASBER SINGH, ROSE McCAUSLAND, CYNTHIA KURTZ and CLODAGH MISKELLY

Introduction Participatory processes open spaces for different stories, analysis and insights to be Those who tell the stories rule society. told and, by implication, heard. In this way we challenge, transform or subvert social Some attribute this statement to the constructs and narratives which favour the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, others to interests of the powerful. Yet whose stories the Native American Hopi tribe. Taken in and perspectives are we actually using context, the two meanings could not be when we take that information into a more different. Plato spoke of the need to different context, to influence the thinking censor the stories told to children in order or the narrative of international non- to form them into soldiers willing to die for governmental organisations (INGOs)? the state. The Hopi seem to have included How can we decide whose experiences and the proverb in their general belief system analysis should have influence? And how where each tribe member held the respon- do we know that we really understand the sibility to create the world anew every day, meaning of what they say? in part through storytelling. This article is the product of discussions These two interpretations of the same at the ‘How wide are the ripples?’ workshop, statement – one controlling, one enabling – and subsequent sharing of experiences and are both essential parts of the story of ideas between the authors. We shared a (stories in) human society. Today, as we discomfort with the way in which people’s construct our concepts of what develop- stories, analysis and ideas – generated or ment is, what constitutes a ‘developed’ shared through participatory processes – nation, and what the goals of development are packaged and used in INGOs. We should be, we still tell stories. Just as recognised that meaning is found in part in knowledge is power, so power defines what people say, but also derived from the whose stories are heard and accepted. context in which they say it. We shared a 78 63 Beardon et al.

concern that the aggregation and use of this ity with poor and marginalized people, so information in distant and different that our only bias will be a commitment to contexts lead to it being subsumed into, and the interests of the poor and powerless.’2 understood within, someone else’s narra- But this leaves INGOs with a paradoxical tive. Thus the meaning is ultimately given problem. They implicitly state their funda- to rather than drawn from it. mental bias on the part of the poor, but they cannot help but have bias on the part Bias and aggregation of participatory of the rich and/or powerful. Especially processes when that is the perspective within which Directly or indirectly INGOs deal with, and evidence is defined. have an impact on, millions of people in Participatory processes generate infor- communities across the world. It makes mation that is complex, nuanced and sense that their conclusions about global context specific. But when this type of development problems, objectives and information is collected and aggregated in priorities should be drawn from the inputs other contexts, how we make sense of it is of a range of people and groups in these influenced by pre-conceived ideas and bias. different contexts, as well as analysis of the When we bring together diverse commu- macro environment. Specific case studies nity experiences into a meta-narrative we or life stories are often used to illustrate make decisions about what the key themes particular issues, and in this process are, what issues and points are relevant and unavoidable bias appears. what gets left out. These decisions differ Bias guides what a person or organisa- depending on who is making them: the tion thinks is a relevant or acceptable participants themselves, consultants on a opinion. Reason (1994) argues that we specific mission, or local, national or inter- have to ‘accept our knowing is from a national INGO staff from teams with perspective’. Making sense, understanding different functions or objectives. Our read- or analysis is coloured by our perspectives ing of what is relevant or interesting is and worldviews – our biases. The problem coloured by our intentions in using the is not that bias exists, but when it is hidden information, as well as our own cultural and unacknowledged. If we can begin to perceptions of what constitutes valid expose it, discuss and debate it, reflect on it, communication (text? song? numbers?) or we can be more open to challenge and knowledge. more honest in our relationships with Participatory methods and principles others – and maybe call into question are now fundamental to many organisa- beliefs that we hold and behaviours which tion-wide knowledge-management we practice that are inconsistent with our systems, and may underpin how informa- professed bias. tion is gathered in the field. But they do not INGOs have a particularly complex always extend to the ways in which the relationship with bias. For example, Chris- information is chosen or interpreted. This tian Aid describes its purpose ‘to challenge can result in what has been termed ‘policy- and change structures and systems that based evidence’ – selecting the stories, views favour the rich and powerful over the poor and issues which confirm the organisation’s and marginalised.’1 On Wikipedia, bias is or individual’s pre-existing understanding, described as ‘systematic favouritism’ – does intention or policy messages. Cynthia Kurtz that not describe the role and approach of calls this ‘fighting with stories’. Many times these INGOs? ActionAid recognises this in people have asked her to help them to its vision and mission, stating its: ‘solidar- collect stories, but have then been unwill-

1 See: www.climatenetwork.org/profile/member/christian-aid 2 See: http://actionaidusa.org/who/vision l Telling stories: who makes sense of participatory communication? 79

Box 1: The disembodiment of lived turely imposing our own interpretations on experience: Jasber Singh the data. Using card sorting to categorise When I was doing participatory action research people, objects and events and social with peasant women in India I was very present, I network analysis to explore relationships listened attentively, connected emotionally, got between them, people can ‘aggregate and angry about the oppression or pain, and felt a analyse the information in a way that is deep sense of empathy and solidarity. I ‘captured’ 3 this as best I could, and this was then somehow participatory, transparent and systematic.’ made sense of: themes were picked through There is also a range of software avail- collating stories from one village to another (case able to support this kind of analysis – studies), and these were somehow aggregated. clustering or showing relationships What was presented and reported was then between stories which have previously been discussed in rooms in London, adapted to meet the needs of media, policy, funders and the like. For tagged or categorised. Software can pick sure, their interpretation is different than the out patterns from pre-determined cate- women themselves would make. gories or themes and visualise them in ways After a year in India, I came back to the NGO which enable people to make (or contest) offices in London, the home of disembodied connections when combined with partici- aggregations, and was upset to see how people were analysing and discussing the suffering I had patory sense-making processes. This can seen. Aggregation, themes and case studies result be a powerful tool. New insight can emerge from a separation of data from the human realm. It (for example see Horst, this issue). Though, effectively dislocates, disembodies the human lives on the whole, the same thing can be done to a report to be read. It is the disembodiment that with a pencil and paper. allows the disordering (ordering) into what an audience wants to hear. Not the women’s story, Just because these processes are partic- just some of the women’s words. If the women ipatory does not mean that they are bias were present, the meaning of this ‘data’ would free. As with any other data collection or have had to be negotiated. analysis processes, participatory processes come packaged with biases of all kinds. But ing to really examine the content of those participatory aggregation digs deep, asks stories, ignoring or even changing those difficult questions, crosses boundaries and that don’t confirm their existing view. can create transformative insights. The messy, complex negotiation and construc- Participatory aggregation and sense- tion of meaning, with attempts to making overcome or mediate power imbalances, is Given the influence of subjectivity and bias important and valuable. Participatory in how we interpret information there is a aggregation techniques do not pretend to strong argument to support participatory overcome bias, but to recognise it, and aggregation and sense-making within ensure that it is discussed, analysed and organisations. Muñiz (this issue) shows agreed. In the process they strengthen how participatory editing processes allow accountability to the original project partic- storytellers to decide the broader messages ipants. which emerge from aggregation, and Kurtz (this issue) shows how stories can be woven Telling our own stories into broader narratives in creative aggre- Participatory aggregation is not always gation processes. possible, or appropriate. Many of us work- Rick Davies has developed a method ing in, or with, northern offices of INGOs called Participatory Aggregation of Quali- want to include different voices and tative Information, precisely to support the perspectives in our own work, or to influ- process of aggregation without prema- ence others. However we may not be able

3 See: http://tinyurl.com/davies-paqi. Full URL: http://mande.co.uk/special- issues/participatory-aggregation-of-qualitative-information-paqi/ 80 63 Beardon et al.

Box 2: Understanding in context: Rose Box 3: Providing multiple McCausland interpretations: Cynthia Kurtz The question of gathering ‘authentic’ voices I call the reports I build for my clients ‘catalysis became a problem for the team when we were reports’, to avoid them being seen as fact-based using participatory video with an indigenous analysis results. I intentionally include some community in Southern Madagascar. None of the extreme, naïve and provoking interpretations – participants had held a video camera before, and some competing – of patterns I find in the stories we knew it was vital to work with a local NGO to and data collected. And I make sure to tell my introduce it in a relevant, sensitive and productive clients that some of what they read will seem way. However, working in partnership with local confused or wrong-headed. NGO staff made it difficult to distinguish whose This deliberately mischievous stance has two voice was being captured. We were aware that the purposes. It keeps me from slipping into making local NGO’s agenda would come through and claims to truth or providing answers to questions debated whether that mattered in some depth. We and instead keeps me focused on generating concluded that as part of the group, the views of useful catalysing material for thought and the NGO staff should come out but that this should discussion. And it helps my clients think for not be heard at the expense of the community’s themselves and take ownership of their voice. We tried to find a balance, and regularly conclusions and decisions, avoiding any tendency checked in with the local community for their to slip into easy but self-limiting statements such feedback. We accepted that, as outsiders as that ‘the data proves’ or ‘the consultant communicating through interpreters, we may not recommends’ a conclusion or course of action. have picked up subtle communications that they were telling us otherwise. our own cultural context. And if our approach to aggregation and sense-making to co-construct meaning, claim authentic is not articulated or made visible then we voice or check back on our interpretations. do a disservice to the original storytellers Awareness of our role and the inevitability and participants. We should be account- of constructing new meaning is an impor- able to these participants who have shared tant part of becoming more accountable to their stories in order to influence develop- those whose voices we use and represent. ment processes. Yet when we use stories in The authors share a commitment to work the North that have been produced in the in this way, and we have developed our own South we are rarely expected to check or approaches to being more accountable to even share the meanings we make with the the people whose stories and perspectives people whose voices we claim to represent we use. We share these as examples, not or use. Taking on the role of an intermedi- answers, to provoke reflection about our ary in participatory processes requires us own role in shaping the stories which not only to take seriously the responsibility determine how development is understood of using the voices of others, but to contin- – and how it happens. ually improve our ability to manage the Often when INGOs gather qualitative tensions between providing a meta-narra- information, it comes down to individuals tive or interpretation that can be used to make sense of it. Consultants are within the knowledge-management commissioned to produce evaluations, facil- systems and decision-making processes of itators report on a participatory workshop, INGOs’ northern offices and our responsi- or editors put together newsletters or maga- bility to the storyteller and the integrity of zines. Even when local NGO staff are the original stories. supported to document their own work they are making sense of their experiences, Cross-checking interpretations and it is their story which gets passed on The outsider, facilitator or researcher can through the organisation. be a resource for people at the grassroots In making sense and creating meta- who want to influence how development is narratives we reflect our own meaning and conceived and implemented. But dialogue l Telling stories: who makes sense of participatory communication? 81

Box 4: A useful but negotiated role: Box 5: Embedding contextual meaning: Hannah Beardon Clodagh Miskelly When developing ‘Critical Stories of Change’ (see Through Digital Storytelling (see Lewin, this issue) I Carroll, this issue) I build my own story from support people to craft tightly edited stories, conversations with different stakeholders. This facilitating a collective process of reflection, creates a two-way process: people reflect on their establishing priorities and shaping image, narrative work and take that forward in their own ways and sound with particular goals in mind. A well while their comments and contributions shape the edited and presented digital story can, in my content, structure and focus of my story. After each experience, lessen the chance of cherry-picking or conversation, I feed back my written summary of extracting data and produce an account which the conversation with the interlocutor for further shows relationships and interconnected comments and additions. But in the end, eliciting experiences – the ways people live out the issues reflection and creating a broader narrative is my affecting their lives. role and it is an important and useful one for all Where a group wants to communicate with an involved. My interpretation as a sympathetic audience unknown to them my role moves beyond outsider is what is required – it enables people to facilitator to intermediary – a powerful editorial reflect on their own work, and allows a narrative role often underplayed or hidden in participatory to be constructed which draws on diverse and practices. I share my knowledge of that distant sometimes contradictory perspectives, and sets audience and what I think might help to them within a context. Participatory editing would communicate the stories to others in a different come to a different point, with its own value but context. I try to ensure that the stories are told in a different. So the role of interpreter is given, but way which will increase their chances of being also negotiated, and handled with care. heard or understood – giving my view of the points and examples which might have most resonance or impact. and openness are essential attributes in I recognise that my skills and experience in negotiating and responsibly wielding the using different media put me in a powerful power of interpreting, and telling, other position to shape what is told and prioritised, and people’s stories. As is self-reflection and try to keep check of my own beliefs and awareness of differences in social, cultural motivations in order to ensure that people tell the story they want to tell. It is not always a and educational background which create comfortable process. our personal, subjective context for under- standing and making sense of information. wider social, political perspective which gives meaning to our work. Towards a complementary approach There is no single ‘voice of the people’. The current climate for development is INGOs have to draw their own conclusions requiring ever more value for money, and make their own sense. What is relevant evidence for decision-making and proof of or not, what they will respond to or not, results. As the overview for this issue of depends on the organisation’s (and indi- PLA notes, this trend risks simplifying vidual’s) social and political worldview and development to a technical exercise which objectives. And yet what they hear should only values that which can be measured or also inform that worldview. quickly achieved. We recognise the impor- Making the best use of the complemen- tance of quantitative information in tary information provided by facts, proof, understanding and planning development views and perspectives requires a culture work. But we argue that there is a false where each of these things is given the atten- dichotomy when statistics are classified as tion and respect it deserves. If the neutral and objective, while information information generated through participatory generated through participatory processes processes is really to inform and influence is dismissed as biased and subjective. INGO decision-making and understanding Whether we are using quantitative or qual- of development then staff members need to itative approaches we need to be able to reflect on their bias and interpretation – and abstract and analyse, but without losing the create opportunities for sense-making 82 63 Beardon et al.

together. This means using participatory solely rely on one way of negotiating truth or aggregation when appropriate, recognising one person's construction of reality but in people’s own interpretations when useful and which these truths and realities are just one negotiating representation as mediators part of a larger process of collective sense- when necessary (for example in international making for mutual benefit. That is a goal debates). It requires a culture that does not worth striving for.

CONTACT DETAILS Hannah Beardon Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

Jasber Singh Email: [email protected]

Rose McCausland Living Lens Candid Arts, 3 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NQ UK Tel: +44 20 7278 5027 Email: [email protected] Blog: http://livinglens.blogspot.com

Cynthia Kurtz Independent researcher and consultantWebsite: www.cfkurtz.com www.storycoloredglasses.com

Clodagh Miskelly Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Reason, P. (1994) ‘Three approaches to participative inquiry.’ In: N. K. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.) Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage pp. 324–339. Online: www.peterreason.eu/Papers/Three_approaches_participative_inquiry.pdf 83

EthnoCorder in Burundi: innovation, data collection and data use 12

by NATHAN HORST

Introduction might further enhance our approaches to Participatory research is a key to under- data collection and use. standing complex contexts, but using the results for learning and decision-making Why we needed EthnoCorder can be difficult. To grapple with complex HCB’s food assistance interventions were realities of the context and assess the impact done in response to food shortages and of its interventions, Help Channel Burundi famine. Our project designs were based on (HCB) identified a need for a tool to facili- the assumption that prevalent donor- tate multimedia mobile collection and driven approaches to food assistance would real-time processing of the field data result- be effective in Burundi. Over time, HCB ing from various participatory processes, observed various unexpected results from consultations, focus group discussions, its projects, such as the increasing commer- surveys and inter-stakeholder dialogue. The cialisation of food, which raised several organisation wanted to immediately questions. What was the relationship analyse the results and respond. between food distribution and food secu- In early 2010, I worked with an inde- rity? Did the fact that people were selling pendent technology firm to adapt its food mean that they were not hungry? existing mobile data collection software to What were the dominant social dynamics the specific needs of field research.1 We at play? created EthnoCorder, a powerful mobile My efforts to make sense of these unex- system for conducting rich multimedia pected results – and strengthen HCB’s surveys in the field.2 In this article, I discuss impact assessment capabilities – were our experience of developing and using complicated by the organisation’s weak EthnoCorder. I look forward to how we capacity for data processing. Much previ-

1 Robot Blimp Industries is a technology firm based in Portland, OR and San Francisco, CA. 2 For more info about EthnoCorder, visit: www.ethnocorder.com 84 63 Nathan Horst

ously collected survey data were not avail- data entry and support data analysis. HCB able, or could only be accessed in hard copy. needed functioning information feedback The organisation barely had the capacity loops. No such tool existed: we needed an for quantitative data entry and had no innovative solution. strategy for systematic aggregation of qual- itative data. I had some ideas about how to The process of innovation address this situation from my experience HCB’s management was quick to recognise as a monitoring and evaluation practi- the potential benefits of such a tool, and tioner. But I also wanted to consult with decided to subsidise the development of the latest research on food assistance software that could address our needs. The impact assessment. This was to make sure software, EthnoCorder, would have a desk- I was considering any sector-specific issues top component allowing simple design and related to decision-making and complex- management of surveys, and a mobile ity. My brief review of literature proved to component for administering surveys in be quite helpful. the field using iPhones. It would allow us to Research emphasises the need to design use text, photos, audio and video to ask food assistance interventions to be contex- questions and record responses. It would tually appropriate (see e.g. Levine et al., also package the results in a way that we 2004) and the importance of using narra- could easily analyse using a spreadsheet or tive, perception-based approaches to assess other data analysis software. outcomes (see e.g. Pimbert, 2009). Other At the same time, I was working with research shows that learning from – and use my colleagues at HCB to design an end-line of – evaluation findings requires dialogue survey for our current projects. These between actors to generate actionable processes were mutually influential and knowledge (Johnson et al., 2009). Snowden beneficiaries of HCB’s projects influenced and Boone (2007) have also argued that this design process through their feedback complex contexts call for ‘increased levels of on the use of video to document and share interaction and communication’. their perspectives. Such an approach made a lot of sense in the context of HCB’s work in Burundi. From data extraction to data (inter) However, HCB had a history of working action with donors who expected to achieve EthnoCorder supports HCB to infuse planned results. This left little room for multi-stakeholder dialogue into our moni- monitoring and evaluation activities to toring and evaluation (M&E) processes. affect learning and change processes. We use video clips drawn from focus group When participatory processes were used as discussions and interviews as question and part of planning, there was a perception discussion cues (see Photo 1). Our facilita- that costs were high – in terms of time and tors coded these video responses to the money. This resulted in reduced program- questions in real time, using pre-deter- ming flexibility, caused by avoidance of mined themes that appear on the video costs associated with participatory display touch screen as data tags (Photo 2). processes needed to inform revisions. These themes are derived from the HCB had an urgent need to improve its results of pilot research and discussion with systems for planning, monitoring, evalua- stakeholders, and updated through itera- tion and learning. We needed a tool that tions of the process. We have tried to could help us utilise qualitative and quan- balance what Mohan (2001) describes as titative data, enhance our methodologies the need ‘to allow local people to generate by incorporating multimedia and higher their own categories, concepts and criteria levels of participation, eliminate manual for understanding and changing their lives’ l EthnoCorder in Burundi: innovation, data collection and data use 85 Photo: Nathan Horst Photo:

Photo 1: Survey participant viewing a video cue.

– with enough methodological consistency Box 1: Inevitable ethical issues to ensure data validity. This is a critical balance to achieve. Validity can be compro- It is important to acknowledge a number of ethical concerns that users will undoubtedly face in any mised by insufficient participation of data collection process, regardless of the tool used. stakeholders in determining tags used for Ultimately, these are ethical questions of use and thematic coding, but also by the use of abuse of data and the researcher remains obliged different tags to code data in the same to answer for their methods. series. Informed consent is always a topic of debate. Some researchers must navigate stringent privacy EthnoCorder prompts the user to and legal regulations, while in other contexts the immediately play back the recording to issue may be almost irrelevant. The question approve, use or re-record the response – becomes more complex when considering research this puts beneficiaries in direct control over with children. The possibility of personal video initial stages of data analysis and valida- statements winding up in the public domain presents opportunities, but also threats, tion. In a context where there are particularly in contexts of political volatility. significant issues related to informed As we push into new areas of investigation, consent (literacy, awareness, lack of legal types of interactions, dimensions of citizenship and regulation etc.), this process also helps to forms of subjectivity, there will inevitably be address ethical concerns (see Box 1). unprecedented ethical issues to consider. Video recordings can later be viewed to ‘drill-down’ into the data, but patterns in tative data is one of the major benefits of the qualitative data can be immediately this tool that has led to a dramatic increase detected based on the codes assigned in the use of this information in decision- during the data collection process. Ethno- making. Corder’s real-time coding capability When HCB piloted EthnoCorder in the reduces the need to review extensive video field, many respondents expressed interest footage before conducting primary analy- in meeting the people in the video clips for sis. This allows us to focus on using the face-to-face discussion. This indicates the information for analysis, decision-making tool’s potential to stimulate dialogue and and further communication activities. The build social networks. We have come to see immediate availability of quantified quali- EthnoCorder as a tool for data collection 86 63 Nathan Horst Photo: Nathan Horst Photo:

Photo 2: Coding video response of a Food-for-Work beneficiary in Burundi.

and data use. As part of the endline survey has noted, ‘the difficulty of remembering for our Food-for-Work project, we asked story details when writing retrospectively, people about the most significant change and the problem of maintaining the “voice” they had experienced in recent years of the villager’. By enabling HCB to use related to food security – these stories were digital video in the MSC process, Ethno- coded in real-time as described above. Corder has helped us to address concerns Then, using video recordings of change about data validity and heighten levels of stories that had been collected and vali- stakeholder participation. There has been dated earlier in the project, respondents compelling discussion of the added value were asked to select which of several stories that digital video methods can bring to the was most significant from their perspec- MSC technique (Lunch, 2007). The tive. We then asked them to explain their process we used in Burundi is an example selection – these responses were also coded of that. and validated on the spot. The results of this process provide an EthnoCorder: the next generation example of project beneficiaries participat- EthnoCorder already provides a powerful ing in data analysis, determination of set of communication possibilities. relevance and sense-making. Research on However, a few improvements will allow for the use of Most Significant Change (MSC) even higher levels of participation, data methods (Willetts and Crawford, 2007) validity, data use and influence of stake- l EthnoCorder in Burundi: innovation, data collection and data use 87 holder perspectives in decision-making heard in participatory processes (levels of processes. We have identified some techni- participation ultimately depend on method- cal capabilities that will create an even ological choices). But its multimedia abilities better fit between this tool and a wide array can significantly change who hears in the of participatory methodologies: more process by opening new communication options for navigation, features enabling channels between stakeholders at all levels researchers to comply with more stringent of participatory processes. research protocols, composable results tabulation options, validation and real-time Ways forward data display, processing and analysis for Previously, HCB barely participated in data example. Highly connected environments analysis, but simply hoped to get survey (places with strong telecommunications results tabulated in time for reporting. infrastructure) present many possibilities With a drastically different time horizon for more dynamic and interactive research enabled by EthnoCorder, the door is now designs. HCB plans to explore these areas wide open for HCB to utilise processes that in the future. involve beneficiaries throughout various EthnoCorder has revolutionised data stages of data analysis and decision- utilisation for HCB by eliminating manual making. HCB also plans to dramatically data entry and helping us integrate data increase sample sizes in its survey work to analysis, data collection and data use increase the power of its statistical analysis processes. Our investment in software devel- and strengthen the validity of its data trian- opment and iPhones is not a luxury, but gulation between quantitative and rather an innovative strategy that saves time qualitative results. EthnoCorder has and money while increasing our use of infor- allowed HCB to leapfrog many constraints mation generated from participatory to data use: the main challenge that lies processes. As a result, we have increased the ahead is taking full advantage of this tool by adaptability of our projects and the extent to strengthening methodological practices. which HCB’s M&E processes can be consid- Networking with other organisations to ered participatory. It is not clear that share knowledge and experience will be an EthnoCorder necessarily changes who is important part of that process.

CONTACT DETAILS Nathan Horst Monitoring and Reporting Officer Child Protection Section UNICEF Nepal UN House, Pulchowk, Lalitpur PO Box 1187, Kathmandu Nepal Email: [email protected] Tel: +977 98511 33069 Website: http://about.me/nathanhorst/bio

NOTES Nathan Horst left Help Channel Burundi in June 2011 and now works for UNICEF Nepal.

REFERENCES Johnson, K., L.O. Greenseid, S.A. Toal, J.A. King, F. Lawrenz and B. Volkov (2009) ‘Research on evaluation use: a review of the empirical literature from 1986 to 2005.’ American Journal of Evaluation 30:3. 88 63 Nathan Horst

Levine, S., C. Chastre, S. Ntububa, J. MacAskill, S. Lejeune, Y. Guluma et al. (2004) Missing the point: an analysis of food security interventions in the Great Lakes. Overseas Development Institute: London. Lunch, C. (2007) ‘The Most Significant Change: using participatory video for monitoring and evaluation.’ Participatory Learning and Action 56. Online: www.planotes.org/pla_backissues/56.html Mohan, G. (2001) ‘Beyond participation: strategies for deeper empowerment.’ In B. Cooke and U. Kothari (Eds.) Participation: the new tyranny? Zed Books: London. Pimbert, M. (2009) Towards food sovereignty: reclaiming autonomous food systems. London: International Institute for Environment and Development. Online: http://tinyurl.com/tfs- pimbert Snowden, D. and M.E. Boone (2007) ‘A leader’s framework for decision making.’ Harvard Business Review 10. Willetts, J. and P. Crawford (2007) ‘The most significant lessons about the Most Significant Change technique.’ Development in Practice 17:3. 89

Western Balkans Green Agenda: local storytelling through participatory video making 13

by SOLEDAD MUÑIZ

Introduction using participatory video not only to docu- Who tells the story is as relevant as the ment local issues but also to build broader story itself, or even more so. It speaks of consensus. I describe how it was done in their understanding, feelings, reflections communities across six Balkan states, and and actions around particular issues reflect on some of the challenges involved portrayed in the story. Often it also speaks in blending local stories into national and of their dreams, suffering, resilience and regional narratives. expectations. Green Agenda is a participatory process Building a local and national picture to promote greater involvement of local with participatory video people in shaping their own environment and influencing local level policy-making. We have made a small treasure that will Between 2007 and 2010, 18 communities remain as a tradition for new generations. from six countries in the Western Balkans Participant from Albania. worked to develop their Green Agenda, coordinated by Millieukontakt – a Dutch In the future when people see this they will NGO – and Kocka, an NGO from Macedo- be motivated to do some things themselves. nia. InsightShare (UK) worked in Participant from Kosovo. partnership with them to use participatory video for collective storytelling in the Green The community Green Agenda Agenda process.1 processes were coordinated by local NGOs, In this article, I reflect on the process of who were given training to set up and facil-

1 InsightShare is an international network that uses participatory video (PV) as a tool for individuals and groups to grow in self-confidence and trust, and to build skills to act for change. Our PV methods aim to value local knowledge, build bridges between communities and decision makers, and enable people to develop greater control over the decisions affecting their lives. 90 63 Soledad Muñiz Photo: InsightShare Photo:

Zavidovici – Bosnia and Herzegovina.

itate multi-stakeholder working groups. films made by the three communities in These included active citizens and local each country into shorter national films, government, businesses and education with a broader target audience, and finally institutions. The working groups used a single regional trailer. participatory approaches to debate issues To begin this process, we trained one and prepare a sustainable local strategy and person from each community to be video action plan. The process included writing coaches: to be part of the trainers’ team up the local Green Agenda and getting it during fieldwork and develop skills to passed as local policy, as well as imple- support their own groups in the future. The menting pilot projects proposed within it. video coaches were selected by the local Participatory video provided a pathway NGOs using criteria developed by Kocka to ‘widen the ripples’ of Green Agenda, and InsightShare (see Figure 1). Local raise awareness of the process, share groups used participatory exercises to iden- knowledge, build skills and strengthen tify and focus on their target audiences advocacy. Millieukontakt and Kocka were before planning their films, and Kocka and also interested in raising awareness of the Millieukontakt were consulted to define the Green Agenda methodology and the audiences for the national films. There were impacts on people’s lives – as drivers of crossovers in the selected audiences: local their own sustainable development agenda community groups, decision makers and the – as well as influencing policy at national media. In order to connect with these varied and regional levels. InsightShare helped audiences, a variety of outputs was needed. the communities to create their own 15-30 The process of making the community minute films, for use mainly in a local videos enabled a wider group to come context and for sharing with other commu- together to reflect on the achievements and nities. Later, we helped them aggregate the challenges of the Green Agenda process, l Western Balkans Green Agenda: local storytelling through participatory video making 91

Figure 1: Partners involved in the process

• 194 were involved through screenings and/or appearing in the films. There was a high degree of consensus building, reflection and collective working, which along with the new skills and Photo: InsightShare Photo: approaches increased the capacity of the groups to act for themselves. Using partici- patory planning tools the groups decided the content of the film. Achieving consensus was a key part of the planning and filming process, bringing all the working groups Video coaches workshop, Macedonia. together. Naturally, each working group usually wants to highlight their own area of and learn how to communicate its impor- work (e.g. water, human potential, cultural tance and value through film. This focused heritage etc.) The process of creating the the groups and enabled more people from film gave them a unique space to discuss the communities to become involved in the and collectively select what they wanted to Green Agenda process. Participation was say and to whom. For example, in Ulcinj, high, in terms of numbers, time, commit- Montenegro, the community team wanted ment and enthusiasm, and this had to talk to their neighbours, show them what important outcomes: they had been doing and the importance of • 394 people were involved in the project actively caring for their hometown. ‘Our • 180 participated directly in the participa- film will make the citizens of Ulcinj think tory video workshops to develop the about and take care of their town’, one of the community films participants proudly told us after finishing 92 63 Soledad Muñiz Photos: InsightShare Photos:

Istog and Rugova, Kosova. the storyboard. Women and men, young and this required trust. Despite detailed and old worked together for four days guidelines and an application process, the (sometimes more than 10 hours a day!) to people put forward for this voluntary role craft their message. Everyone had a chance were not always the most suitable. On the to film or speak. These positive changes and ground we were able to work with groups relationships happened before the story to select suitable replacements in some even left the video camera. cases, but it was a delicate task to ensure A key concern for us was to balance the that everyone was fully satisfied. In partic- participatory process and the work towards ular, we encouraged our partners to choose an output for wider use. During the field- someone who was involved in the project, work, the trainers and video coaches highly motivated to keep collaborating and facilitated regular local screenings of mate- being available to the groups, as well as rial. The groups created paper edits having patience and willingness to pass on together.2 An initial draft version of the film the skills. This selection process is clearly a was developed and screened for approval critical aspect to the long-term success of or to elicit different people’s inputs. At a the project and is very hard to do remotely. regional participatory editing workshop, The paper edit process and draft film video coaches finished their communities’ screening were essential for consensus films based on the feedback they had building and for agreeing on broad struc- collected. This was a crucial time for them tures. But some final editorial decisions to feed in their ideas on the content that had to be made at the workshop, far away should be in to the national films using our from the community. This placed great paper edit method. Reproducing the responsibility and power in the hands of audiovisual timeline in paper, the partici- the video coaches. In general they stayed pants represent with drawings the footage true to the participatory process and ethos using post-it notes and go through a group and fully honoured this commitment, but consensus process to agree on the final there were cases where the community order of their film. groups were not fully satisfied with the resulting video. In one case, InsightShare The challenge of representation and the local NGO coordinated an extra A major challenge of the process was session to resolve a conflict between a video selecting the local video coaches. At the coach and a working group member and editing and aggregation stage, video support them to reach an overall satisfac- coaches represented their communities tory consensus.

2 You can learn more about the paper edit method from the InsightShare online toolkit: http://insightshare.org/resources/right-based-approach-to-pv-toolkit. l Western Balkans Green Agenda: local storytelling through participatory video making 93 Photo: InsightShare Photo:

Ulcinj, Montenegro.

The challenge of aggregation of editor, which strengthened the contin- Transforming 18 locally made films into six uum. In this way we sought to reduce the national films presented several challenges. directive role of the editor to a minimum, To ensure transparency and fairness, we but still some decisions had to be taken to decided that each locally made film should shape the films for the intended audience contribute five minutes to the 15 minute and distribution channels. For example, in national films. The editing workshops and some cases the music was changed or cut to collective paper edit processes were key ensure copyright was not infringed. ingredients. The main InsightShare facili- For many participants, the final regional tator for each community advised the editor meeting in Macedonia (that I had the pleas- on each national film to ensure continuity ure to facilitate) was the first time they were and sensitivity. From a team of five Insight- able to see these national edits. Not every- Share facilitators, each built skills in an one was satisfied. Some of the comments average of six communities in two countries were related to changes in the music. Others (I was part of Kosovo and Montenegro). related to the fact that in their allocated five One of the facilitators also played the role minutes the effort of the communities could Photos: InsightShare Photos:

Voskopoja, Albania and Knajazevac, Serbia. 94 63 Soledad Muñiz

Local participation: regional impact

For the first time I have the feeling I am doing something for my city. Participant from Montenegro. Photo: InsightShare Photo: The method built cooperation between us. Participant from Serbia.

Participatory editing workshop, Montenegro. The videos provide an invaluable insight into people’s perceptions and not be fully honoured. There was clearly a understandings of Green Agenda and how conflict between the creative process itself their local values have shaped this and the wider needs of the programme, programme. Through making and screen- which recognised that to get the maximum ing these films, relationships have been impact from this dynamic process on the strengthened and discussions stimulated. ground, the films needed to be packaged for The process gave participants the space to multiple audiences. participate. They not only took this space, The discussions that followed were but shaped it to their own interests and interesting and reinforced the clear sense of identities. This opened a window for pride and ownership the participants felt Kocka and Millieukontakt themselves to over their local films. They also gave people look through and reflect on what Green a view of the bigger picture: a regional Agenda meant to each community and programme with communities sharing the country. same goals across national borders. Part of In this way, the videos have not only this bigger picture was the need to commu- influenced policy, but the organisations nicate the work with a variety of different themselves. Partners are now able to iden- partners and communities: for raising tify commonalities, interpretations and awareness, fundraising, peer-to-peer learn- ways of representation – and share critical ing and policy influence. The fact that the information and feelings that cannot be diverse partners (INGOs, NGOs and found in a report. They can see through the community groups) had several products eyes of those people who are the main available for multiple uses reconciled their actors of the story, the real makers of Green individual interests. Agenda.

CONTACT DETAILS Soledad Muñiz InsightShare The Old Music Hall 106-108 Cowley Road OX4 1JE Oxford UK Email: [email protected] NOTES For more information about the project or participatory video, visit: • InsightShare: www.insightshare.org • Green Agenda: www.greenagenda.net To watch the regional trailer and access some of the national films (with English subtitles), look at a photostory of the process and watch the community films (without subtitles) visit: http://tinyurl.com/is-green-agenda-videos. Full URL: www.youtube.com/user/Insightshare#grid/user/97EA7CF384AE2F65 95 PART III Learning in organisations 96 63

If international non-governmental informal power relations prevent these organisations (INGOs) are to listen and initiatives from achieving their desired respond to the information and knowledge intention. generated through participatory processes Sofia Angidou shares her experience at the grassroots, they need to be ready to in the Human Resources department of an learn. At a basic level, being a learning INGO, arguing for the important role of organisation implies a recognition that this often sidelined function in facilitating learning can mean change. Change in how both individual and organisational development is understood, in what the learning. Reflecting on changes to the relationship with and expectations of appraisal process, Sofia notes that, while partner and community organisations are, individual learning can happen without and in terms of everyday practice and organisational learning, for organisational culture within the organisation. learning to occur support has to be given to The first article in this section by the individual. Ashley Raeside argues that to be learning The importance of individual reflection organisations, INGOs have to be brave. and empowerment is extended by Daniel They need to recognise constraints on local Guijarro, who explores how through the staff, work to devolve power, and create use of a participatory process in the cultures where local staff are empowered northern office of an INGO, a staff to listen to and learn from what they hear member was able to assert her active through grassroots processes, and to agency, negotiate organisational power respond and change. She draws on and influence decision-making processes. numerous examples from the work of For Daniel, the transformation of North- Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to South power relations within INGOs is a illustrate the difference between learning crucial precursor to recognising, valuing organisations and organisations which, and responding to the knowledge and constrained by top-down assumptions, information generated through struggle to respond and learn. participatory processes at the grassroots. This argument is further illustrated by He argues that for transformation of Eliud Wakwabubi who, drawing from power to occur we need to recognise our interviews and long-term interaction with own power, becoming active agents in our three INGOs in Kenya, explores the blocks organisational learning and development. to organisational learning. The three Together these articles illustrate the organisations all have a strong complexity of bottom-up learning and commitment to organisational learning, responding to grassroots voices, but also and have developed innovative strategies show possible strategies for strengthening to strengthen bottom-up learning and this ambition, and in the words of Ashley, downward accountability. However, basic for investing in becoming ‘brave cultural pre-dispositions and formal and organisations’. 97

Are INGOs brave enough to become learning organisations? 14

by ASHLEY RAESIDE

Introduction context and the challenges local staff face. International non-governmental organi- Local staff are responsible for imple- sations (INGOs) need to make proper use menting development projects. But they of the information and knowledge gener- are often low down and marginalised in ated through the participatory processes the hierarchy of international NGOs. This they support in communities if they are to empowerment gap is a complex product of live up to their own declared values of history and culture, influenced by factors participation and empowerment. To do such as the historically paternalistic role of this, they need to understand how their westerners towards low-income countries, organisational relationships and processes local power dynamics (based on education, impact on their staff’s ability to learn from class, culture), and organisational theories and respond to the outcomes of local which associated centralised command participatory work. with efficiency and effectiveness, which are During the Ripples process for the often inappropriate for enabling local preparation of this issue (see Beardon and development initiatives. Newman’s Tips for Trainers, this issue), we Local staff need to be empowered analysed how information generated within the development process to make through grassroots participatory processes decisions such as: could and should have more influence on • What information and knowledge is INGO decision-making. We distinguished worth passing on? between supporting information to flow • When is it worth changing the organisa- up to decision makers in the North, and tional direction? pushing decision-making power nearer to • When should entrenched views that may where that information is available and prevent transformative change locally be makes sense – the grassroots. Within this challenged? dynamic it is central to understand local But too often, the potential for local 98 63 Ashley Raeside

Table 1 Learning is limited Learning is enabled

Interactions

E.g. Recognising staff

Front-line staff rarely receive positive feedback, Managers praise and show appreciation for learning even though they work hard. They feel they are behaviour, in a culturally appropriate way. When a only pointed out among their colleagues when staff member asks a challenging question about their they fail to achieve their targets, or if their report work, the manager proceeds to help the staff member is late. Eventually, this discourages them from reflect and resolve their challenge. When staff draw on taking time to do quality work, and makes them their community-level experiences or opinions to prioritise what goes into the reports rather than recommend a way forward or change, this ‘evidence’ what they can learn from or provide to the is strongly considered and warmly received by community. managers. Staff are acknowledged and/or rewarded for hard work, openness, critical thinking and creativity.

E.g. Supervision techniques

Managers do not go out to the field very often. Managers regularly book time in their schedule to go When they do, field staff are anxious to ensure to the field, in addition to official ‘monitoring visits’. everything looks successful, lest any failures Visits by the manager are usually informal, with the reflect on their own abilities or efforts. The manager joining staff in implementation of normal manager’s visit becomes highly planned and activities. Due to this frequent on-the-job interaction, controlled, inhibiting the manager and staff’s managers develop confidence in their staff, and staff ability to learn together. trust managers to understand and help with the challenges of the work.

E.g. Community mobilisation

Project staff visit a community to ‘sensitise’ them In an attempt to trigger community-led changes in about an upcoming project of a new well being latrine building and use, project staff visit communities drilled. It emerges that the community members to listen, ask questions and provoke discussions on would prefer to have a less expensive hand pump local sanitation practices. If it comes out that there are that they can fix themselves, and so that the health problems, and if the community becomes project could afford an additional well to cover charged with a desire for change, the staff will help the village. them build an action plan. If through careful Project staff believe the community’s idea is a facilitation and follow-up visits the community cannot good one but the number and location of water be provoked to see links between health problems points have already been determined by project and poor sanitation, staff do not force the issue, even planners and people from the drilling company. The if the project has set a goal for a certain number of budget, timelines and technology have already villages to ‘respond positively’ and for a certain been approved, and the front-line staff are not number of latrines to be built.1 confident to ask for a change from management.

Procedures

E.g. Planning meeting

After the first ‘pilot‘ year of a project, staff get When the manager from the capital city visits for a together with representatives from the donor planning meeting, s/he tends to play a facilitative role agency to plan for years 2 and 3. Those with in the planning process. S/he helps the front-line higher positions tend to dominate the discussions. managers and staff identify the current issues that

1 For more information on this unique process of Community-Led Total Sanitation, see Bongartz et al. (2010) PLA 61: www.planotes.org/pla_backissues/61.html l Are INGOs brave enough to become learning organisations? 99

Table 1 (continued) It is clear to front-line staff that management’s need attention (resources and staff time). This gives proposed goals for years 2 and 3 will not be front-line staff an opportunity to raise issues from the possible, based on how many communities they community’s perspective. Since the manager works so were able to support in year 1. But they don’t far from the field, s/he limits his/her role to asking share these doubts with managers and probing questions to make sure the ultimate plan is consequently no discussion of the implementation well thought through, feasible and relevant. context takes place during the meeting.

E.g. Performance appraisals

An NGO which is funded through child In a different INGO, staff at field level who sponsorship programmes has front-line staff with demonstrate excellence at supporting community two major responsibilities: facilitating community development are offered peer leadership positions development initiatives and fulfilling where they play a role in coaching, training and administrative duties. However, regular supporting their fellow staff. This puts them in a performance reviews only assess their completion position to pull together knowledge from many field of sponsorship-related duties. One female field staff and act as a representative to present ideas for staff, who does amazing development work and is change to management. These promotions prove to loved by the community, received a failing grade staff that management considers learning and because her sponsorship/administrative numbers adaptation to be valuable aspects of performance. weren’t good enough.

Systems

E.g. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems

Many NGOs have standard M&E reporting One NGO refrains from trying to build an entire M&E templates where the same indicators and system for their project at the beginning. They admit questions are answered every quarter. Usually that the behaviour and outcomes they are trying to these reports are generated by staff to satisfy their influence are complicated, that they will occur over bosses and are not seen as an opportunity to unknown timelines, and that valuable changes may reflect on practice. The assumption is that there is occur in sequence and not concurrently. For those never going to be a reason to change focus or reasons, the NGO only plans for monitoring the kind measure something different. of changes they expect to see in the initial stages. This NGO also encourages the documentation of qualitative learning and observation to help the organisation get a strong sense of how it should adapt its practice based on what it learns.

E.g. Financial system

For some donors, the consistency and size of Some developing country governments and donors funding they disperse depends mostly on a are experimenting with performance-based funding development organisation’s ‘financial capacity’. models where the organisations/offices who achieve That is, their capacity to keep organised and most in partnership with the community (e.g. transparent records of their financing and their infrastructure allocation where it is most needed) are ability to fully spend precise budgets in the encouraged to continue doing so with funding boosts allotted time. on top of normal funding levels. staff to access and share new and different This article draws on my own experi- knowledge and perspectives, and act as a ences, and that of my colleagues at link in the chain between poor and Engineers Without Borders Canada excluded communities and senior INGO (EWB). EWB is an NGO that provides management, is not effectively valued or capacity-building and organisational supported. development support to national and 100 63 Ashley Raeside

international NGOs, governments and Box 1: Questions for your own businesses involved in southern commu- reflection: organisational culture nity development. Since 2000, EWB has • How would you describe your organisational worked with hundreds of organisations in culture? 27 countries to help strengthen capacity • What is the relationship between northern for organisational learning. offices and frontline staff? • How does knowledge flow? Where and how Impact of organisational culture on are decisions made? Who has the power to respond to information and knowledge learning emerging from grassroots processes? An organisation’s culture impacts on its • How does your organisational culture impact ability to learn and respond. If an organi- on your ability to respond to the feedback and sation is authoritarian, bureaucratic and emerging priorities of your front-line staff and focused on satisfying the requirements laid the communities you work with? down by its funders, it may not have enough flexibility truly to respond to and tional levels do not recognise and under- learn from knowledge generated through stand the dynamics of local-level work, it is participatory processes. Even organisa- unlikely that they will enable spaces or tions which take a more participatory dynamics to emerge to support local learn- approach to decision-making can be blind ing. to the interactions and power relations The question of ‘How wide are the which determine whether and how ripples?’ of participatory processes in community knowledge is valued. INGOs depends largely on the types of A true learning culture recognises the relationships which are prioritised. Sitting complexity of any development interven- in a northern office you may feel very tion and the dynamic nature of managing distant from the grassroots. But if your this process. Mistakes are embraced and role involves interacting with donors, learnt from. Staff are encouraged and feel northern publics and policy makers, it is safe to be honest and speak out, and the important to consider the relative strength organisation itself is flexible and creative. of your relationships with colleagues at the Learning organisations not only ask, but grassroots – and how your behaviour also listen (to communities, staff members, affects their ability to learn and respond to and other stakeholders). They evolve how grassroots priorities. they operate in response to what they hear. Table 1 is based on real examples from They proactively develop and foster a EWB’s work with hundreds of community culture of learning and development development partners and illustrates some among staff members and teams, and of the pressures that EWB’s partner organ- develop processes to enable fruitful collab- isations have experienced at local level oration. They recognise the importance of which impact on their local staff’s ability decentralised decision-making. In this way to learn. they ensure that they have the necessary As you read through the examples, ask knowledge, capability and attitude to yourself: respond to complex and changing • Does this sound like something my community knowledge and contexts. organisation does right now? Learning at the grassroots does not • Does this sound like something my happen in isolation. In fact, organisational organisation could do to enable learning? cultures tend to be replicated. If learning is not valued at national and international Leadership for learning levels, it is unlikely to be supported locally. There is extensive research (e.g. Senge, Equally, if staff at national and interna- 1990) that an organisation’s leaders are the l Are INGOs brave enough to become learning organisations? 101

Box 2: Questions for your own succeeding with all of their change efforts. reflection: leadership for learning Therefore, much can be done by those who • How would you describe your own management fund development work to encourage and style? support organisations willing to shift their • What do you do that helps you and others focus towards communities. around you learn? EWB’s support for organisational • What do you do that might prevent your own learning and change is tremendously learning? • What do you do that might discourage those you appreciated by our partner organisations. work with from learning? We have helped our partners make a number of changes that help them learn most responsible and best positioned for better from communities and the experi- ensuring individual and collective learn- ences of field staff, and which help their ing. In development organisations, funders better understand what behaviour revolutions for learning and change are is required on their part to enable this unlikely to come from the base. Even if change in focus. But when it comes to local staff had the answers and the confi- securing funding for our own work, we are dence, they are unlikely to have the power not generously rewarded for our down- to do much about the situation. They may ward focus on partners and the continual also feel that they would jeopardise their iterations we make in our approach for jobs if they were to speak up, and for hier- supporting organisations. Some donors archical organisations (which many become confused with our evolving and INGOs are) this kind of behaviour would customised, partner-specific approach. go against the culture. It is the role of the They would be more comfortable if we organisation’s leaders to create a safe and could just describe one, simple, uniform inviting space for continuous reflection change that we work on with all our part- and redirection planning, so that commu- ner organisations, across the board on a nity information and realities can have pre-established timeline. But we know increased influence over the organisation’s that’s not how valuable and sustainable goals and plans. change occurs. While senior leadership is key it is also Multiple accountabilities complicate important to recognise that wherever we how an organisation is able to put its are in the organisational chain of manage- learning approach into practice. But if ment we have a responsibility for trying to learning is prioritised this can guide the change things from where we stand. As way these accountabilities are managed – Guijarro shows (this issue) it is important ensuring that funding is supporting a to recognise your own power to create learning approach and strengthening, not change in your organisation. undermining, an organisation’s ability to listen and learn from the grassroots. A final word It is local staff who interact with It is easy to dismiss the possibility of communities every day, who have the becoming a learning organisation or knowledge and information generated blame a difficult funding environment, through participatory processes at their where it could be seen as inefficient, stren- fingertips. If these staff are not empowered uous or risky (in terms of funding or to act on this knowledge, it is unlikely that political positioning) to prioritise organi- real power transformation will occur at sational learning and responsiveness to this level, or that this information will ever communities. Until an organisation trickle into mainstream development thrives by becoming a learning organisa- debates. Organisational learning is not tion, most will have serious difficulty straightforward, and can lead to uncom- 102 63 Ashley Raeside

fortable and difficult organisational organisations will support truly empower- change. Only brave organisations can be ing participatory processes at the true learning organisations, but only these grassroots.

CONTACT DETAILS Ashley Raeside Former African Programmes Staff Engineers Without Borders Canada 366 Adelaide Street W Suite 601 Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R9 Canada Email: [email protected] Website: www.ewb.ca

REFERENCES Bongartz, P., S. Musembi Musyoki, A. Milligan and H. Ashley (eds) (2010) Participatory Learning and Action 61 Tales of shit: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Africa. IIED: London. Online: www.planotes.org/pla_backissues/61.html Senge, P. (1990) The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization. Doubleday/Currency. 103

‘I’m starting with the man in the mirror…’ Reflections on personal and organisational 15 learning

by DANIEL GUIJARRO

Introduction occurred in the northern office of an INGO. Through this process we became empow- If you wanna make the world a better ered individuals, able to use our knowledge place, you should take a look at yourself, and analysis to engage with power struc- and then make the change.1 tures within the organisation and bring about policy change. This article explores the role of individual reflection, learning and empowerment in Background bringing about organisational change. I Throughout my several years experience of believe that, if community programmes are evaluating NGO development programmes truly to be led by the local level, the tradi- in different contexts I realised that the char- tional roles and relationships between acter, empathy and critical reflection of northern and southern development individuals are important factors in bring- agents need to be challenged. If those ing about transformative and empowering working in the northern offices of interna- processes in the South. This behaviour of tional non-governmental organisations individuals is as important as a range of (INGOs) recognise their own power and organisational features including missions, the power dynamics within their own visions, policies and strategies. Furthermore organisations, they will be better placed to in my experience the subversion of organi- support the approaches and uses of partic- sational norms and values are sometimes ipatory processes in the South. key for a transformative process. This In this article, I describe a process of personal dimension is generally absent in collaborative learning and change involv- analysis and reflections on programmes, ing myself and another individual, which therefore I decided to spend some time

1 Lyrics taken from ‘Man in the Mirror’ by Michael Jackson, the American pop star. 104 63 Daniel Guijarro

looking at the relationship between indi- Box 1: Remaining proactively naïve viduals and their organisations – to see if One of the main aspects I have learnt from this they shape each other, and if so how and process is that remaining proactively naïve about why. certain issues is powerful. Sometimes I joined the northern office of an INGO understanding both the implicit and explicit norms as an unpaid volunteer. I found myself in a of an organisation leads a person to justify certain privileged position, able to take the time to behaviours and adopt certain mechanical attitudes. I challenged this by asking for reflect on what I was doing and why, with definitions and explanations of the core concepts less pressure than there is on paid staff we were dealing with such as ‘fragile states’ or members to show results. While the main ‘aid effectiveness’. reason for my presence was to support a staff member, Mary, in designing a new with, local power structures. Community advocacy strategy on aid issues, I also members are supported to analyse their discussed with her my specific interest in context, reflect on their own positions and the role of individuals in organisational power, decide on any changes they wish to change.2 bring about and plan a process of change – As the trust between us developed we which includes identifying local power started to share more personal views and holders and understanding how best to professional knowledge. At the end of this engage with them. At this juncture, I process, we both reflected and wrote about consciously started to establish parallels what had changed and why.3 between communities and the organisation in which I was working. The reflection process While this reflective process was As a new person in the organisation, I happening, Mary and I were asked by the showed my curiosity. I wanted to under- team leader to present ideas to the wider stand the main ideas put forward by the team for the new aid strategy. We used organisation. Mary started to act as a trans- participatory visuals to map out institu- lator, explaining the NGO’s opinions and tional and personal interests across the ideas to me. Through this exchange she organisation, to help us to understand the began a critical reflection process herself, expected output of our work. We mapped identifying some incongruence between out the organisation’s values and rhetoric, institutional discourses and actions. I and then explored how power and deci- decided to promote the habit of posing sion-making functioned in practice. We uncomfortable questions (see Box 1). We started by trying to understand how the talked about organisational issues that organisation’s values should influence the Mary was not completely happy about or INGO standpoint on the aid debate, and did not know how to progress with. It from this how it would understand its insti- occurred to me how different interests and tutional role in this debate (Box 2). power within the organisation affected her We understood that if we were going to daily work. propose anything specific for the new strat- I found a manual used by the INGO for egy we had to engage with the reality of working with local people to analyse power how power worked within the INGO. This dynamics within communities. Stories of meant recognising how influential the successful change at community level tend marketing and funding divisions were. For to rely on recognition of, and engagement example we saw that the marketing depart-

2 This is not her real name. I have protected ‘Mary’s’ identity and the identity of the organisation to protect the space and the process that we started. 3 Mary gave permission for me to write this article, based on my interpretation of the experience and drawing on quotes from her own reflections. She also commented on drafts of the article. l ‘I’m starting with the man in the mirror…’ Reflections on personal and organisational learning 105

Box 2: Understanding the aid debate Box 3: 1 + 1 = 4: the power with There is a range of views concerning what role In the strategy preparation process I had the INGOs should play in relation to aid. Should chance to realise that 1+1 = 4. We were more INGOs be campaigning for more aid, for ‘better’ powerful because of: aid (for example: untied aid, and aid directly linked • What I was learning from Mary to a pro-poor agenda), or for an end to aid (due to • What Mary was learning from me the global power relations that are reinforced by • What I was learning about me by interacting aid flows from North to South)? with Mary Where an organisation stands will depend on • What Mary was learning about herself by its values, on its analysis of the causes of poverty interacting with me and on its response to the current context. As part of our reflective process Mary and I explored the aid-related topics to deal with, but we were values held in our INGO. We discussed how, when not completely happy with how this discus- and where the INGO discussed and understood aid, and how this interacted with its concept of sion evolved. We felt that something was development. We built from this to look at the missing so we decided to delve deeper into policy implications of these understandings and the similarities and differences between definitions. these different topics. By using participa- tory visual tools and mapping we ment were keen to avoid questioning the developed a more holistic analysis. This nature of aid, and attributed this to the fact helped us to understand the core issue we that the INGO, like many INGOs, received were dealing with: the problem of aid official funding. It seemed that as an aid dependency in the South. recipient the INGO felt constrained in Our process challenged common prac- looking too deeply into the nature of aid. tice for analysis and decision-making But, Mary and I were clear that the organ- within the northern offices of INGOs. Staff isation needed to redefine its position on working in the North, particularly those aid; and she felt empowered through our working on policy issues, generally collect reflection and analysis process (see Box 3). ‘objective evidence’ to make ‘rational’ deci- In her reflections, Mary wrote: sions. For example, literature reviews are one of the most commonly used tools to I feel very strong ownership over the evolv- give any specific discourse legitimacy. ing strategy. I can’t remember the last time While we read widely and explored something work related kept me awake at other people’s analysis we felt the impor- night. tance of creating one that we ‘owned’. We acknowledged that we were unconsciously My confidence that aid is important and influenced by what we read, and the that the NGO should work on it has really specific culture and beliefs of the INGO we improved. I know that I have really good were working for. But by starting with our knowledge and expertise, and experi- own analysis we turned from customers of ence/understanding of southern perspec- ideas to cooks of ideas. We were cooking to tives that is growing all the time. But I have order: creating the ideas that fit our struggled to work out how to use this and context, our reality, or our perception of it. have been uncertain of the boundaries of The use of participatory methods gave northern and southern work. us the chance to learn more about how different ‘ingredients’ interact with each The action process other and evolve. We identified some key Based on our analysis we prepared a draft ‘drivers of flavour’ which must be consid- for an aid strategy which was discussed in ered in any position taken on aid, and also different departmental meetings. The first developed a more dynamic understanding strategy meeting had identified possible of aid (see Box 4). 106 63 Daniel Guijarro

Box 4: The cooking process Step 1: Problem tree of aid dependency The problem tree was useful in order to identify the main ingredients:

• donors’ self-interest in aid; Daniel Guijarro Photos: • the southern response to aid; • an unfair global trade system; • the poor quality of aid; and • the role of global institutions in (de)regulating aid delivery. Nevertheless it was not helpful in helping us understand how the ingredients interact with each other; our analysis was too static.

Step 2: Dynamic wheel diagram This analysis helped us understand better how the ingredients link to and reinforce each other. New flavours appeared in this dynamic understanding. For example, in the outermost circle we identified the (level of) legitimacy of governments in the South as a sub- driver of aid dependency. If you move the outer wheel you can link this issue to the drivers identified in the inner wheel. For example you can see legitimacy of governments – the outermost wheel – through the lens of donor-self interest or through the failure of international institutions – both of which are in the inner wheel. This enabled us to extend our analysis and understanding of the complex issues involved.

Our next reflection was: ‘OK, we are INGO. We had to ensure that our commu- learning how to cook but what is our restau- nication was coherent with the vision and rant (i.e. what is specific about the INGO we mission of the organisation. are working for)? What makes our dishes We were also aware that engaging with different from other restaurants? How does the way power worked within the organisa- this INGO’s rights discourses and practice tion – using the personal and institutional fit into our dishes?’. We needed to involve power dynamics – was as important as others to answer these wider questions. having a brilliant idea in terms of influenc- ing decisions. We needed to be strategic in Engaging others how we presented our analysis. To engage other staff members in our We started by sharing our ideas with analysis and get their support for the way potential allies, using both formal and we were approaching the aid debate we informal spaces. We found that in informal needed to frame our propositions within spaces people were often more open and the discourse currently used within the able to consider different angles, whereas l ‘I’m starting with the man in the mirror…’ Reflections on personal and organisational learning 107 in formal settings they tended to stick to The first reactions to our presentation the opinions they were known for. We held and process were really positive. For exam- one-to-one meetings to ensure that influ- ple, another staff member who had ential people were on board prior to the previously been critical of the organisation’s second aid strategy meeting. We deliber- work on aid started to share writings about ately included certain concepts in our the synergies between aid and his area of analysis, such as tax justice or women’s work. Mary wrote: rights, to provoke reactions and engage potential sceptics in the process. We had An important part of the change has been also gained the approval of Mary’s boss. making people feel part of the process of This was crucial for our success. As Mary developing the strategy, and consistently wrote: thinking about how the strategy can reach out to both internal and external I remembered how things are in this INGO, constituencies so that we can persuade where you just contact the right person others to get involved. rather than worry about their title or status in the organisation. I’ve moved roles In a follow-up meeting with the head of and currently work with management who department we also shared the process and are more formal in their approach, but I analysis. She pointed out the need to widen need to shake off what I’ve learnt here the process, to engage with stakeholders in about status and hierarchy, and go back to the UK and with southern partners. She thinking about how the organisation oper- recognised the links between redefining ates in practice. I’ve known where our how the INGO understood aid and devel- powerful allies were, but it’s been impor- opment and North-South relationships, tant to think strategically about when and including its own organisational relation- how to get them on board as part of getting ships. She realised the need to build and buy-in to the strategy. share a common vision within the INGO around development and aid issues. At a second strategy meeting we shared What had started as a process of indi- our analysis process with the participants vidual reflection and empowerment had and we engaged them as participants in the become an entry point for organisational analysis. For example, during the discus- change. The INGO started to explore its sion, we gave them post-its to write on and own position in the aid debate; and both stick on a flipchart so that we had a more Mary and the head of department started dynamic and interactive debate. Mary involving others across the organisation wrote: (including the UK marketing department and country programmes based in the Challenging people’s ideas about aid and South) in discussions on aid and aid whether it’s worthwhile to work on it (and dependency. whose job it was to work on it) has been really important. We’ve broken down some What have we learnt? of the artificial walls and been able to build As in any social structure, different inter- more interest and excitement about work ests and needs, both personal and that supports our joint objectives. I think institutional, create certain behaviour that people who wanted to be involved now patterns and influence how we, as north- feel that they can be, and that perhaps ern development practitioners, act. We some of the sceptics can see some utility need norms and patterns of behaviour both in aid for aid’s sake, and in aid for (both explicit and implicit) to enable us to their agenda’s sake. develop our identity as individuals and as a 108 63 Daniel Guijarro

group, and to facilitate our interactions picture of the system we are immersed in, with others. But we also need to be and enable us to act. conscious of how this process of routinisa- By reflecting on our norms, values and tion of behaviour affects us. Moreover we ways of behaving we can become more need to be aware of the power relationships open to the ideas of others, and to knowl- that underlie our behaviour. edge and information received through In this case, we acknowledged how the non-traditional channels. But equally funding needs of the organisation were importantly we can become aware of our creating a certain pattern of thought about own agency, our own power, and our abil- the nature of aid, since the expected ity to influence our organisational positions outcome of our work in the strategy was and strategies, how we work with and based on the ‘more aid’ discourse of the aid relate to others, which organisational debate. To change these routines it was norms we buy into and which norms we necessary to create spaces for reflection and challenge. As empowered individuals we critical analysis to help clarify the wider can play our role in widening the ripples.

CONTACT DETAILS Daniel Guijarro Independent researcher and consultant Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Tel: +44 7536 499 946 (UK) or +34 656996398 (Spain) 109

Bridging the gap between individual and organisational learning: the role of HR 16

by SOFIA ANGIDOU

For international NGOs to listen and a conceptual understanding of them? Do respond to the information, knowledge and we have the necessary learning attitudes learning generated through participatory to help us to transform our individual processes at the grassroots they need to be learning into organisational learning? Do able to learn, but this is not always easy for we feel comfortable, able and willing to them. share our learning, to challenge the mental During my time with Bond, part of my models of others and be challenged on our role was to work with and support NGOs own? on organisational learning. I was able to Looking for a new angle to approach listen, discuss and debate the barriers to these questions, I made a rather adven- organisational learning with a number of turous and, according to some colleagues, different actors, as well as reflecting on bewildering decision to move to a differ- how to overcome them.1 During these ent role, in Human Resources (HR). I discussions, what always struck me was was aware of the traditional image of HR that the focus of our analysis is always on as a bureaucratic function dealing with an organisation’s capacity (or incapacity) recruitment and personnel processes – to learn. Our analysis rarely touches on research by The Chartered Institute of individual capacity to learn. If learning is Personnel and Development on graduate a process that leads to behaviour change, I perceptions of HR revealed that the three cannot help wondering if we, as individu- words most associated with HR were als, know how to learn. Do we have the ‘dull’, ‘bureaucratic’ and ‘repetitive’! skills and abilities needed to observe our However, The Brooke, my new employer, experiences, reflect on them and articulate took a much broader view of HR’s

1 Bond is the UK membership body for NGOs working in international development. See: www.bond.org.uk 110 63 Sofia Angidou

responsibilities.2 They saw a wider learn- and I decided to introduce changes to make ing role for HR: supporting training, the appraisal process more learning- learning and staff development, instilling oriented and less administrative. a culture of learning across the organisa- tion, and ensuring that individual Creating space for individual reflection learning links to organisation learning. and discussion A few days after I started in my role as We transformed most of the questions in learning and development manager in the the appraisal form into open questions that HR team, I was asked to review the organ- encouraged reflection and ‘sense-making’ isation’s staff appraisal process. At first, I and discouraged staff from just listing and was rather sceptical as the word ‘appraisal’ reporting activities against objectives. The did not resonate very well with my learning questions encouraged staff to reflect on ethics. I knew also from experience that their experiences of the last year, the chal- appraisals are often cumbersome, bureau- lenges they faced, how they overcame cratic and top-down, rarely resulting in them, what kind of support they would actual change. have liked, how they felt about the past The Brooke appraisal process was paper- year, and why? The questions gradually based: staff appraised themselves and then moved towards asking staff what they discussed their views and comments with wanted to do differently and/or better over their line manager who then gave feedback the next year, based on their experiences, and finalised the form. Most people saw it and what they felt they (and the organisa- as a time-consuming, bureaucratic require- tion) needed to change so as to be able to ment and it was followed somewhat do that. mechanistically. The process was re-engi- Figure 1 (which was used in all neered annually, in part in the hope that this appraisal workshops) reflects the idea that would stimulate more interest amongst staff. the appraisal meeting should be a discus- However, this time there was a genuine sion between the staff member and his/her drive for change, related to the new ‘people- manager where they ‘look back’ (review the focused’ approach of the new chief past year), they reflect and discuss learn- executive officer (CEO). This had already ing and then ‘look ahead’ (plan the next led to a number of initiatives such as a staff year) based on that learning. representatives group, cross-organisational Staff, by and large, appreciated this new work in areas identified by staff, and my space and approached it with a positive atti- recruitment to support learning. A sense of tude rather than viewing it as a ‘renewal’ and ‘creating space’ was in the air, finger-pointing exercise. However, it did and the HR team felt that appraisals could create challenges. Managers (and staff in play a role in that. some cases) found that the appraisal meet- Soon, my initial scepticism was over- ings and forms became rather long. For those taken by excitement: excitement that who managed lots of staff the whole process appraisals could create a facilitated environ- of discussing, noting and writing became far ment for feedback and discussion that could too heavy and time-consuming. We aim to eventually lead to learning and change! improve this next year by simplifying the Although there was not enough time to form further, and also extending the dead- transform the entire process, my manager lines for completion of appraisal forms.

2 The Brooke is the UK’s leading animal welfare charity working to improve the welfare of working animals in the world’s poorest communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Brooke UK office employs about 65 staff across three directorates: international development, fundraising and communication and resources. The Brooke UK is governed by a board of trustees while managerial responsibilities lie with the senior management team (the CEO and the directors of the three directorates). l Bridging the gap between individual and organisational learning: the role of HR 111

Figure 1: Creating the space – a visual representation of an appraisal meeting

Looking Looking back forward Review Reflect and learn Plan

Developing skills and attitudes for issues and lack of time or interest. effective appraisal discussions Most staff valued our approach of Another significant challenge we antici- encouraging dual responsibility for their pated in introducing the new approach was appraisals and they felt positive and the quality of relationships between staff empowered to exercise that responsibility. and their line managers. For example, However, for certain people, the discussion where trust was an issue, discussions would around these fundamental and deep- not be open or honest enough and, as a rooted challenges made them realise that result, the ‘space for reflection’ would not be they felt disempowered more generally in used effectively. To begin to overcome this, their work. As a result, some of them with- we helped staff recognise that they are also drew from the process and others responsible for the quality of the appraisal remained rather negative. These reactions discussion. We worked to empower them to and signs were indicative of the potential take on this responsibility, increasing their that the appraisal process has to unearth, confidence and capacity to break through explore and potentially transform power some of the power and trust issues by open- dynamics across the organisation. ing up themselves and by asking open We also noted that some of the tools we questions to their line managers. used, such as the reflection and feedback tool To this end, we provided workshops to in Box 1, carry significant cultural assump- all staff as well as one-to-one ‘coaching’ tions. There are differences of view and level sessions for individuals who wanted to of comfort between staff from different discuss issues in a more confidential way. cultures in giving feedback to senior staff and The workshops were run separately for in questioning authority, which we need to staff, line managers and senior managers. further acknowledge and address as we We focused particularly on listening, giving continue to develop the new processes. feedback, asking questions and having ‘courageous conversations’. It was impor- Aggregating findings from appraisal forms tant that we clearly acknowledged to staff Aggregating findings from appraisal forms the challenges and obstacles they would was a major change as appraisal findings face in running an open and learning- had not been properly analysed before. The focused appraisal process. We particularly confidentiality aspect was very important talked about the power dynamics in line and staff were reassured that their management relationships, including trust appraisal forms were read only by their line 112 63 Sofia Angidou

Box 1: Reflecting and giving feedback Box 2: Prerequisites for change across (the start of an open and honest the organisation relationship) • Staff can openly talk about their expectations or This simple technique was used to help staff at all concerns about their involvement in a project/area of levels feel more comfortable in giving ‘behavioural’ work. feedback in a constructive and less threatening way. • Staff feel comfortable with the need to prioritise both • Behaviour (when you did/said/acted like that…) on a strategic and on a day-to-day level. • Outcome (I felt…) • It is OK to say ‘no’ to others. • Consequences (as a result…) • Staff feel comfortable and safe with sharing learning, • Action (what can you… change/do differently…?) asking questions and critically reflecting on their work. When you criticised my work at the last partners’ • Informal learning is promoted, encouraged and meeting it made me feel very uncomfortable and I rewarded by all within the organisation. could not then engage with the rest of the • Horizontal growth (learning and growing from others discussion. I would ask you, in the future, to first at similar levels across the organisation, e.g. through discuss this feedback with me during our one-to-one secondments or shadowing) is promoted and valued. meetings so I can understand it better before it gets • Critical reflection is encouraged both at an individual discussed with others. and at an organisation level. • Staff have a more proactive approach to seeking manager, the director of their department information (finding information has been recognised and HR. Reading and analysing all the as a major challenge across the organisation). • Staff have a sense of individual responsibility in information from the appraisal forms took understanding and learning more about their work. significantly longer than we anticipated, but it was an extremely useful exercise. It Comparing and cross-referencing findings allowed the HR team to identify trends and from different resources proved to be links between different individual ‘stories’. extremely powerful, helping us gain a Given time and capacity constraints, we deeper understanding of organisational decided to aggregate the findings by direc- challenges and giving more legitimacy to torate only (international development, the changes we were proposing to the fundraising and communication and senior management team. resources). This enabled the heads of each A good example is around the area of directorate to have a more in-depth analy- communication. We had strong feedback sis of the findings relevant to their teams. from both the staff survey and last year’s exit We felt that this would facilitate stronger interviews that communication of depart- engagement with follow-up of the findings, mental plans needed to improve. However, although we realised that we were missing given that all plans were available on the out on analysis of other important variables, intranet, the nature of the problem was not e.g. years of service within the organisation clear to managers. Through analysis of the and level of seniority (see Beardon et al., this appraisal findings it became evident that the issue, on the dynamics of aggregation). main issue was that staff were not able to We decided to prioritise analysis of: identify the links and dependencies between • learning to be taken forward; and different plans and therefore not able to incor- • prerequisites for change (organisational porate them into their individual plans, cultural and attitudinal changes needed to resulting in last-minute requests to contribute create a learning environment and tackle to projects and stressful deadlines. As a result operational challenges – see Box 2). of that, we introduced dedicated staff meet- ings to discuss departmental plans. Directors Cross-referencing the findings highlighted cross-team dependencies and We used information and findings from the priorities when they presented the plans and annual staff survey and exit interviews of managers were advised to discuss with their the same year to validate and enrich the teams planned projects from other depart- findings from the appraisal forms. ments that were expected to impact on them. l Bridging the gap between individual and organisational learning: the role of HR 113

Box 3: How HR can enhance individual learning and the links between individual and organisational learning Direct access to grassroots information HR coordinates various formal organisational processes which generate and consolidate information about employees’ needs (appraisals, personal development plans) and their views of the organisation (staff surveys, exit interviews). These can feed into meeting individual and organisational learning needs. Creating space for learning HR can create spaces for learning and reflection through changes in the employee-related processes it coordinates (e.g. performance management, appraisals, personal development and inductions). Because of the scale of HR processes, changes in how these processes are run and in how staff experience them can impact on the whole organisation and can expand space for learning in a highly visible way. HR can also create new spaces for learning through formal or informal internal processes and systems (e.g. introducing staff meetings, setting up staff representatives schemes, organising internal networking and learning events across departments and teams, creating communities of practice or peer support groups or even organising social events!). Strengthening learning capability HR can strengthen learning capability within the organisation by creating a conducive environment for change and by building learning competencies like listening, giving feedback, reflective skills, being open to new ideas, questioning skills, sense-making and others (which every organisation needs to define to reflect their own context and character). For example, it can look for staff with learning attitudes when recruiting, it can promote and reward learning attributes and competencies (through performance management and reward approaches) and it can support individuals to build learning skills, as well as offering learning opportunities such as secondments and peer groups.

Sharing the findings with the senior Developing an action plan management team The senior management team committed to We discussed our findings with the senior an organisational action plan in response to management team, helping them (and us) the appraisal findings, which was reviewed to make sense of them. We were careful and discussed with the staff representatives not to alter or edit the information for the group. HR led the development of the action sake of the senior managers’ ears. plan and provided quarterly updates on its However, we recognised that we needed to progress to senior management and the staff consider style and tone when presenting representatives. Not all challenges could be the information. We knew that the tackled through this annual action plan as management team would be more able to some of them required longer-term changes. listen and respond to the information if it However, the level and kind of responses fitted with their leadership style, in our that were put in place signal a commitment case, a positive, forward-looking, action- to change which we hope has a positive focused style (see Guijarro, this issue, for psychological impact on staff. more on this point). Another learning point from this stage Lessons and impact was the importance of the ‘travel time’ of Box 3 summarises three areas within the the information. Time delays in the process HR function which, in my experience, offer meant that by the time the information great potential for enhancing individual reached the top level of the organisation a learning and the links between individual couple of the challenges were no longer and organisational learning. Of course, relevant. This was a strong reminder that these opportunities can only become a real- organisations are dynamic places that ity if the organisation recognises them and constantly change (due to external or inter- gives HR the legitimacy and space to capi- nal factors) and that learning needs to be talise on them. In our case, the broader considered in the context, and at the time, organisational culture changes that were that it takes place. happening facilitated staff’s interest and 114 63 Sofia Angidou

investment in the changes we were making. The relationship between individual and In terms of impact, it is too early to know organisational learning is still one of the most the full extent of change resulting from our contested issues in debates amongst learn- efforts. However, there are some visible shifts. ing practitioners. It is a very complex one • There is a real sense of commitment and which has been explored by many: from accountability around the follow-up of the Archer’s (2000) ‘stratified individual’ appraisal findings. HR gives updates and approach which incorporates both individ- reports progress to management and the ual and social learning into the staff representatives group. organisational learning theory, to Kim’s • There was a significant increase in partici- ‘observe, assess, design and implement pation in the appraisal process – from around shared mental model’ (OADI SMM) (Kim, 60% in the previous year to 100% this year. 1994). As much as I recognise the complexi- • There has already been change in a number ties of transforming individual learning into of areas across the organisation, most signif- systemic organisational learning, I believe icantly around communication, cross that we tend to overlook the power of this departmental work and planning processes. simple statement: • A significantly greater appetite for learning spaces! Since the appraisals, I have intro- Individuals can learn without the organisa- duced an organisation-wide learning and tion learning but the organisation cannot development programme (with courses, peer learn if its individuals don’t learn. learning, coaching, share and learn meetings and internal learning workshops on thematic It makes even more sense to me in the areas). Both participation and engagement work I am doing within HR. I constantly levels have been extremely positive. realise that, as important as it is to work on Finally, this whole process offered an improving our organisational processes, invaluable platform to HR to introduce and structures and systems to enable organisa- advocate for individual learning skills and tional learning, it will not get us far if at the behaviours in a very practical and relevant way same time we do not work on empowering (rather than in an abstract and theoretical way and enabling individuals to be better learn- as is sometimes the case). We have created a ers and change agents. After all, change momentum as well as interest and excitement starts from within! I hope that you are – encouraging staff to become better learners inspired to speak to your HR team to help and to drive change. We need to ensure that bridge the gap between individual and we continue to fuel this momentum. organisational learning.

CONTACT DETAILS Sofia Angidou Learning and Development Manager The Brooke 30 Farringdon Street London, EC4A 4HH UK Tel: +44 20 7653 5871 Email: [email protected] Website: www.thebrooke.org

REFERENCES Archer, M. (2000) Being human: the problem of agency. Cambridge University Press. Archer, M. (2003) Structure, agency and the internal conversation. Cambridge University Press. Kim, Daniel H. (1994), ‘Do organizations learn?’ Chemtech magazine, pp. 14-21. 115

Learning in INGOs: the case of Kenya 17

by ELIUD WAKWABUBI

In thinking about how staff sitting in the of the community-based organisations northern offices of international non- (CBOs) through which they work, to reach governmental organisations (INGOs) learn grassroots communities. The goal of the from and use the information and knowl- action research was to establish the extent edge generated through participatory to which these INGOs learn from promot- processes, it is important to consider how ing and using participation in their knowledge flows function from the local to programmes. Specific research objectives the national level. At the international level were to: the Ripples process was keen to look at • Establish the extent to which participa- what staff in the North or international tory development lessons are being applied offices could do differently to strengthen (or not) by the INGOs, by examining and the ripples. However, reflecting on what documenting evidence of such applica- can be done at this level requires under- tions. standing the dynamics in-country. How • Compile learning through case studies of well are flows actually happening from good practice on how learning from partic- local to national level? What are the obsta- ipation has changed or changes INGOs. cles faced by those working in national The research included interviews with offices? Where are the opportunities to key informants (key leaders in the INGOs strengthen these flows? and resource people in charge of knowl- In 2009 the Participatory Methodolo- edge management and information flows), gies Forum of Kenya (PAMFORK) a review of INGO material, and a partici- conducted research involving 20 INGOs patory workshop to share and analyse the with offices in Kenya. These INGOs were findings and further explore how INGOs all members of PAMFORK and therefore learn from the participatory processes they had an interest in participation, and were support. We found that, while there are working to build the participation capacity many initiatives to support learning from 116 63 Eliud Wakwabubi

Box 1: Strategies for accountability and transparency at ActionAid ActionAid facilitates sessions in local communities to enable groups to analyse their context and develop community action plans. These are directly linked to the development of staff members’ annual work plans. But it is not just a question of integrating community plans into staff workplans. The workplans themselves are shared with the community. This then forms part of the accountability agreement by which community members can hold ActionAid accountable for programme delivery. Once a year, community members are invited to discuss annual work plans with staff and ask critical questions such as: What was done? What is working? Why? What are the renewed ways of doing things and what can be done differently? Following the community-level discussion, emerging lessons and recommendations are used to develop new work plans or improve existing ones. Local staff work plans are also discussed quarterly at the regional level, with the involvement of local staff, partners and target beneficiaries. Here the challenges and achievements are identified and emerging issues are discussed, along with suggestions as to how they can be resolved. There are also biannual sessions (Jadili, meaning debate) for ActionAid Kenya middle- and senior-level staff. These week-long sessions provide an opportunity to link learning from local-level work to regional and national priority- setting and position-taking. Local staff are invited along to the sessions relevant to their work. ActionAid’s emphasis on transparency has led the organisation to develop strategies to share a range of organisational information. For example, they post information about their plans and budgets on community notice boards. They have also implemented a complaints policy so that community members can raise issues in relation to their work. local participatory work, a range of involve community members in cultural, structural and capacity issues limit programme design and delivery and to the extent to which the information and nurture active citizenship. But, there were knowledge generated through participa- differences in the importance placed on tory processes flows to the national offices participation, and in the extent to which of these INGOs. participation was transformative or instru- This article is a summary of the find- mental. For some, participation was ings from our original research, extended limited to consultation on community by further interviews with key staff in development plans. For others, the role of ActionAid International, Plan Interna- local perspectives and knowledge was tional and SNV. These three INGOs were considered more broadly. selected because they were rated in the For example, SNV and ActionAid both research as having a good history of learn- used participatory action research to ing from participatory processes. As a encourage community members to discuss network coordinator of PAMFORK, I also issues (SNV focusing on water and sanita- had long-term relationships with them tion, ActionAid on HIV and stigma), and working as a participatory communication drew from this to develop national policy and development consultant for SNV and positions. Beyond this, there were exam- Plan and on networks and networking for ples of how participatory approaches were ActionAid. I was therefore able to write linked to organisational transparency and about their participatory learning practices accountability. Plan discussed how the with both a practical and theoretical under- shift from top-down service delivery to a standing. rights-based approach meant that they started to look at community involvement Understanding the role of participation in programme design and in ongoing If an INGO does not value participatory discussions. ActionAid shared how a development at the local level it is unlikely commitment to participation meant that that poor people’s voices will be heard else- community members were invited to where in the organisation. All the INGOs discuss and give feedback on organisa- involved in the study felt that community- tional strategy and plans, and to hold the level participation was important, both to organisation accountable (see Box 1). l Learning in INGOs: the case of Kenya 117

national or local staff. Key respondents from 16 out of 20 INGOs noted that docu- menting lessons learnt as a result of applying participatory methodologies was not their major concern. These 16 priori- tised service delivery over learning. Only 4

Photo: Eliud Wakwabubi Eliud Photo: out of 20 INGOs have used knowledge from their work and interactions from communities to change the tools and meth- ods they use, specifically their planning, monitoring and evaluation tools. This suggests that much documentation fulfils Plan International doing action research at St Johns international agendas, rather than Community Centre, Nairobi. responding to local priorities (cf. Beardon et al., this issue). While the use of participatory methods was extensive across the 20 organisations Supporting staff to learn who participated in the research, only four Staff implementing development felt that they had ways to learn from these programmes are often busy, with excessive participatory processes. These four had demands on their time. They face the established community dialogue structures added complication of poor communica- for generating feedback from communities. tion systems and time-consuming travel. They had institutionalised regular fora Learning is not going to happen if staff do with communities to listen, capture and not have time and incentives to reflect, integrate the feedback into subsequent share experiences, read documents and programming activities. They had estab- critique other people’s work. For organisa- lished participatory action research tions to learn, they need to support processes in which they visited communi- individuals to learn (see Angidou, this ties and listened to them, and they reported issue). having used these to improve on their The majority of the INGOs (12 out of programming approaches. 20) had cultures that encouraged learning, while the rest had cultures that inhibited Documenting participatory work learning. Some INGOs (4 out of 20) A major stumbling block for all organisa- focused on using knowledge to become tions was documentation. For most more effective by drawing their staff’s organisations documentation was not a attention to innovations and promoting the priority. Where documentation did happen use of best practices. Within others (16 out it was geared towards writing funding of 20), individual staff learning was seen as reports, rather than learning: a hindrance to organisational learning, especially if staff members do not have the We only document because our donors attitudes, skills and motivation to learn. require us to do so. If we were to be given a Key respondents from 16 INGOs noted choice, we would not document since we that their staff are either overworked or do never use the final documentation outputs. not set aside time to reflect in order to adopt new approaches – and there are no What is more, we found that for many incentives to encourage staff to do this. organisations, when documentation did The space given to staff learning across happen it was often done by staff from the our sample INGOs was limited, but most international offices, rather than by organisations provided annual or biannual 118 63 Eliud Wakwabubi

learning opportunities. SNV stood out as Box 2: Learning opportunities at SNV one of the few organisations which had regular monthly learning opportunities Currently, SNV is working with over 25 partner organisations in Kenya. To ensure learning among (see Box 2). its advisors working in different regions in Kenya, These spaces are clearly important and SNV has been organising learning events called effective in providing staff with time to ‘monthly home days’ where all its development reflect on their experiences of interacting advisors working in the field meet and exchange with communities. However, having their sectoral experiences and lessons, and listen to each other in order to draw lessons to inform discrete spaces does not make up for the their future programming. The specific sectors lack of incentives for ongoing learning. include education, water, livestock and tourism. There is a concern that these spaces are Within each of these sectors, good practice planned and structured from above, and recommendations are produced. SNV is very therefore may not offer the opportunity for familiar with the practice of knowledge brokering and networking and this forms the basis for open learning. Rather than listening and measuring the performance of all its advisors. Each responding to grassroots priorities, they adviser is required to document a case study each often reflect organisational priorities and year. SNV has put in place an incentive mechanism discussions. Moreover, by limiting reflec- that rewards advisors whose case studies are tion and discussion space these judged to be the best, based on the success of the documented project and how well they are organisations run the risk of losing the written. Such case studies are also published in timely response that may be possible with renowned international journals. a more dynamic approach to development planning and reflection. study had country offices based in our capi- Beyond these spaces there are some tal city, Nairobi, distant from the other attempts to encourage learning, communities which they serve. However, particularly by ActionAid, which has a well many of these organisations have estab- resourced and institutionalised Impact lished regional offices which are closer to Assessment Unit. This unit was established their target groups. While the form and to create a vibrant structure to promote function of these offices differs from organ- internal knowledge management and isation to organisation, in general they are learning, and has two functions: to directly operating as outposts of the national office, capture knowledge; and to facilitate and rather than as empowered organisations in build capacity for knowledge-sharing and their own right. For example, they devote understanding impact. The unit has devel- most of their energy to generating reports oped a variety of approaches and regularly to send to the national offices (and onto trains staff in a range of areas, including donors) rather than generating knowledge the use of participatory methods. based on their work with communities. In addition, both ActionAid and SNV They also have limited power to determine have established communities of practice how knowledge flows down or up to the to facilitate sharing knowledge, although headquarters, and therefore have limited these are informal and voluntary and are influence to ensure that the outcomes of not part of staff performance contracts. community-level work flow to national offices and beyond. This relationship was Structures to support information flows replicated through partners. For example, If INGOs do not have good linkages at the SNV respondent suggested that while grassroots level, it is unlikely that they will local capacity builders (NGOs and private be able to respond to and learn from the organisations funded by SNV to implement information generated through the partic- their work at local level) are expected to ipatory processes that they support. implement SNV’s programmes, the SNV Most of the INGOs involved in our staff still hold onto many of the responsi- l Learning in INGOs: the case of Kenya 119 Photo: Eliud Wakwabubi Eliud Photo:

A staff member from SNV’s regional office learning from school water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) processes, Kajiado District. bilities which these local capacity builders Box 3: Limits to knowledge-sharing could effectively execute. ‘Handing over the stick’ is still a challenge – and this acts a For the knowledge and information generated barrier to good information flows. through participatory work to influence INGOs, this information needs to be documented and shared. We found very limited evidence of Translating information to knowledge documentation for learning, or for translating All organisations have access to plenty of information into organisational knowledge. raw data, but they do not necessarily turn Only two organisations had physical resource this into knowledge that can be used. centres, where documentation was available (whether this was published material, or ‘grey’ Consequently, the wealth of valuable learn- material – organisational reports, programme ing they come across gets lost and, in due plans etc.). This limits the potential for staff course, forgotten – leaving nothing behind members to access information. Unless for future reference. Only two of the 20 knowledge-seeking cultures are nurtured organisations involved had established a within organisations, it is unlikely that the outputs of participatory processes will be unit to support documentation and known about or capitalised upon. What was communication, and it is this unit which surprising was that, often, information on local plays a role in translating this information and national work was more easily available – into useful knowledge, packaged to influ- via public websites – to the public or staff in ence policies and policy-making processes. international offices than it was to local and national staff, who did not have the benefit of But whether this accurately represents the easy Internet access. voice of the poor or not has not been deter- 120 63 Eliud Wakwabubi

mined (see Part II of this issue for more • staff need to be given an incentive to discussion of this point). learn; • spaces need to be available for ongoing Learning and culture learning; Africa has an oral culture. People are good • power dynamics need to be considered at talking, but not so good at writing. It was and dealt with; clear from those involved in the research • policies need to respond to cultural real- that if learning is to happen it needs to ities; and respond to the realities of our culture. • information flows need to be actively People will share knowledge through work- supported. shops, they will learn together. But But instead, these INGOs take an ad- encouraging people to document is a hoc approach to organisational learning, Herculean task. investing in some key functions without Tacit knowledge is stored in people’s thinking through how to integrate learning heads and people are reluctant to write. across the entire programme. If the infor- They have a fairly limited knowledge of mation and knowledge generated through existing technological innovations. Lessons participatory processes is to flow to, and are discussed in many fora but are not docu- influence, the policies and practice of mented: yet it is documentation that can INGOs, learning needs to be strengthened. ensure that lessons are used. In addition, This can be done through establishing while the people interviewed for this inter- and intra-organisational peer-learn- research acknowledge the value of learning, ing teams, to facilitate both horizontal and they commented that a conservative culture vertical learning, and an annual ring-fenced of hoarding knowledge still exists. Organi- budget to support implementation of these sational learning therefore remains a learning processes. To promote internal challenge. It needs to be addressed head-on learning, some INGOs have set up their through institutional policies that require own information silos, either resource staff to take the time to reflect and docu- centres or websites, to ensure that knowl- ment their reflections, and to draw lessons. edge is available to their own staff. However, this needs to be extended to external audi- Conclusion ences who do not access information stored This brief analysis of the systems and struc- in these silos and also move a step further to tures that INGOs in Kenya have put into include beneficiaries. The challenge of stor- place to support information flows suggests ing knowledge in formats and language that, while there is strong support for appropriate to audiences at different levels engaging communities in programme needs to be addressed. Continuous training development and implementation, invest- and capacity building is a prerequisite for ment in bottom-up organisational learning changes in attitude and behaviour of INGO is limited. Approaching learning holisti- staff and this should be promoted for learn- cally involves recognising that: ing and change to take place.

CONTACT DETAILS Eliud Wakwabubi, Participatory Methodologies Forum of Kenya (PAMFORK) PO Box 2645 KNH Post Office, 00202 Nairobi Kenya Tel/Fax: +254 2 716609 Email: [email protected] 121 PART IV Structures, mechanisms and spaces 122 63

In exploring how information and and responds directly to the desire to knowledge flow from grassroots to support community empowerment and influence international non-governmental engage local people in global interaction, organisation (INGO) decision-making and debate and exchange. Taken together these understanding of development, we quickly case studies illustrate how it is not enough began to consider questions of to consider organisational structure. There organisational structure, culture and are a whole host of other decisions, decision-making. The default assumption concerning the locus of work, the content when considering INGOs is that they will for potential links and sharing and the be headed by an office based in the global dynamic nature of organisations that need North, implementing programmes in the to be considered. Moreover, they challenge global South – and that the distance the assumption that locally based between programme implementation and organisations are more able to use decision-making is therefore a long one. information from the grassroots, However, INGOs are complex beasts. By identifying how in creating and sustaining their very nature they operate across this organisation diverse other tensions continents. But where and how power arise, including the tension between operates, both formally and informally, organisational survival and fulfilling a across different organisations is not development vision. straightforward. This section explores This is followed by two more case three interacting strands which mediate an studies, which look at how organisational organisation’s ability to learn from and spaces can be created or occupied to respond to information generated through strengthen the potential for multiple grassroots participatory processes. knowledges and perspectives to be shared. The first strand, with case studies from Jo Lyon discusses the introduction of a Jonathan Dudding and Soledad Muñiz, virtual platform which is enabling Oxfam shares how network structures – designed staff around the world to make connections with the specific intention of being locally with each other, sharing insights and owned and responsive – interact with the experiences and building new knowledge. challenges of supporting information to As Jo highlights, what has been particularly reach the ears of staff sitting at the interesting about this experience is that the organisation’s centre. When the Institute of platform was introduced informally, and Cultural Affairs took the decision to yet staff uptake has been phenomenal. This support the emergence of local indigenous suggests that where supportive cultures organisations, the resulting change of exist, staff will take the time to build incentives and organisational culture shifts understanding and collaborate together meant that there was a lack of investment across diverse offices and work contexts, or recognition of the need for a central even within a vast institution such as organisation or coordinating body. Lack of Oxfam. Angela Milligan and Emma attention meant that while power had been Wilson reflect on how they were able to use devolved, there was no system for a pre-existing research discussion space information to flow beyond the national within IIED to bring questions of level. This was a missed opportunity to participation back onto the agenda. IIED build from community knowledge to was at the forefront of the participatory influence global policy makers. For research movement, and yet in recent years InsightShare, the analysis that sparked shifting priorities and staffing had meant ‘Global hubs’ was different – it emerged that participatory values and capacities had during a time where globalisation and slipped off the agenda. Inspired through global links were seen to be paramount, the Ripples process, Angela and other IIED 123 staff decided to claim the existing space and their articulation of a response to it, there use it to re-energise debate around is no choice but to engage the poor and participation, challenging IIED staff to excluded groups that these organisations reflect on how and where community exists to serve in developing it. voices influenced their research agendas Structures, spaces and mechanisms is a and development understanding. vast topic. These articles only scratch the The final sub-set of articles considers surface in relation to the challenges and organisational strategy development potentials of INGOs listening and processes. Organisational strategies are responding to the information and becoming increasingly important for knowledge generated through INGOs. Issues of accountability and participatory processes. We are aware, for representation imply that poor and example, that we have not included excluded people should be actively reflections on organisational wide systems engaged in strategy development such as ALPS (ActionAid’s Accountability, processes. Kate Newman and Helen Learning and Planning System) or PALS Baños Smith reflect on interviews carried (Plan’s Participatory Accountability and out with senior staff in eight INGOs on Learning System), and how they support their strategy development processes, and information flows or devolution of power. identify very real tensions and Equally we have little reference to self- contradictions in responding to people’s organised virtual spaces, blogging and voices through this process. This article is social networking and what potential followed by two case studies, on ActionAid influence these might have. What this (Kate Newman with David Archer) and section does illustrate are the dynamics IIED (Michel Pimbert) which show involved, issues to be considered and practical ways of engaging with poor opportunities that we should attend to people in these seemingly complex across organisations, in facilitating and abstract processes. But they also raise strengthening the flows of such knowledge. questions about how involvement is Suggesting that responding to the sustained overtime as strategies are information and knowledge generated revised or extended – and illustrate the through local participatory processes is not challenges in aggregation and just about a good participatory interpretation of diverse voices (see also communication tool (see Part I, this issue). Part II, this issue). Ultimately though, as It is also about whether and how an Helen and Kate argue, if strategies contain organisation values this knowledge, and an organisation’s analysis of poverty, and whether space exists to act on it. 124 63 125

‘The centre cannot hold’: reflections on the effects of a transition from single entity to 18 global network

by JONATHAN DUDDING

This article shares the experiences of the tion is able to use or learn from informa- Institute of Culture Affairs (ICA), an inter- tion generated at the grassroots. national network linking national ICAs which are concerned with the ‘human Introducing ICA factor in world development’.1 Drawing on When ICA was established as an inde- my experience of working for different pendent organisation in 1973 (previously it member organisations since 1992, I reflect had been part of the Ecumenical Institute) on the changing dynamics as ICA moved its mission was ‘to further the application from a unitary organisation with its head- of methods of human development to quarters in Chicago, USA, to a network of communities and organisations all around national organisations, each locally funded the world, based on a secular philosophy’. It and accountable. I explore how this emphasised process, providing the tools change in structure has enabled or and techniques to enable people to learn hindered the influence that grassroots together, to make decisions for themselves information and knowledge has on deci- and to make long-term and short-term sion-making across the organisation. plans together. This focus was informed by Through doing this I suggest that while at extensive research carried out in the late first glance you might assume that a 1960s which identified the three main network of local organisations is more able dynamics that drove society – the to respond to information generated economic, political and cultural – and the through participatory processes at imbalance between them. ICA’s role (and community level this is not necessarily the from where the name derives) was to case. Structure is only one of the many strengthen the cultural dynamic. factors which impact on how an organisa- The approach was rooted in a strong

1 See: www.ica-uk.org.uk/ica-worldwide 126 63 Jonathan Dudding

commitment to participation, both inside based in-country, who were able to gener- the organisation and in its programmes. ate income by, for example, working in the The mutual respect for the voices and ideas private sector. While the overall direction of everyone led to a decision-making of the organisation was managed from process based on consensus – with as many Chicago the staff based there spent signifi- people as possible involved in the decisions cant amounts of time in the field, asking that mattered. Equally the importance of questions and understanding the context. reflective practice was recognised. This Their insights and understandings would meant that it was not enough to reach influence decisions concerning local ICA agreement on a topic or issue – there programmes, but primarily in areas of needed to be an understanding by those process, focusing on the right questions to who had reached such an agreement as to ask, rather than proposing solutions. its significance, its implications for the Much less attention was paid to record- future and further discussion on how to ing the results of these processes, the effect apply this agreement in reality. Another and impact of the approach, or the more important factor in ICA was the concept of tangible achievements that the processes ‘service’ which encouraged people to help led to. This kind of information tended to others without necessarily counting the be left with the community. Hans Hedlund, cost to themselves. Although ICA’s work writing of his experience as a member of a was explicitly and deliberately secular in Swedish Cooperative Centre mission in nature, it came out of a more religious Kenya in 1982, wrote: ‘We were told that movement and the element of spirituality plans and schedules were normally only remained. kept in the particular villages where the ICA was working, rather contrary to the conven- The early days tional development projects, where project These beliefs and values influenced the documents would rarely leave the confines emerging organisational structure, its of the head office’ (Hedlund, 2009). While internal processes and the types of people acknowledging the gaps this left in organi- who worked for ICA. For example there sational knowledge, this practice was was a strong culture of generating, dissem- supported by a belief that the information inating and utilising knowledge – people really belonged to the community. It was within the ICA family were brought their project and their development. What together to learn, develop new ideas and ICA contributed, as facilitators and cata- make decisions. This was not just about lysts, was the process. The focus was very strengthening the organisation, it was also much at the community level and any shar- part of a concern for personal development ing of information and experience was of staff and volunteers, many of whom were primarily geared towards informing the recruited from ICA target groups, and different community-level initiatives. therefore blurring the line between benefi- ciaries and ICA staff. There was also a Shifting structure: from an international blurring of the often-made distinction organisation to a global network between ‘making a difference in the In the period between 1979 and 1988, ICA community’ and ‘building and developing transformed from an organisation which the organisation’. was run centrally from Chicago to a At this time ICA relied heavily on network of independent organisations. ICA volunteers who were paid a stipend. Funds had been like a movement, driven by came from individual and institutional beliefs, values and an almost messianic supporters in the North, through local zeal. There was a culture of hard work and fundraising or through expatriate staff low (or no) pay and an inherent feeling that l ‘The centre cannot hold’: reflections on the effects of a transition from single entity to global network 127 what was being done was right and impor- communities. Local cultures, ways of work- tant. Now, it became a group of more ing and priorities and demands took professionally orientated organisations. precedence over global priorities. Decision- This change was driven by a recognition making within national programmes now that ICA’s main contribution to local devel- became more complex, and while decision opment was to support and develop strong makers were much closer (both physically local institutions. ICA perceived that local and culturally) to the communities they development occurs through: were serving, they now needed to take into • strengthening and diversifying local account not only community priorities and economies; expectations, but also the demands of staff • developing training models to give people members, the fledging organisation and adequate skills to support themselves; the constraints placed on a local organisa- • developing and motivating local leader- tion by the social and political context they ship; were operating in. • supplanting disunity and separation with patterns of cooperative action; and Radical participatory practice and • sustaining people inwardly in the organisational development and exhausting work of community renewal survival (avoiding vocational burnout) (Griffith, In the early days of ICA there was often a 1994). tension between the radical, and at times For this approach to work, people dangerous, impact of participatory needed to be supported to develop them- processes and the limited capacity of many selves. Rather than reflecting on a of those involved, who were poor, margin- power-down/information-up paradigm alised and unready to take on the (cf. Newman and Beardon, this issue) ICA established powers and structures of the argued that both power and information State. Although afforded some protection should be with the community. ICA’s task by their association, in many cases with was to: local churches, this tension led to ICA • help reinforce communities’ own deci- keeping its activities hidden from the sion-making processes; and public eye and focusing more on commu- • offer support to communities in the nity-level activities rather than seeking to implementation of those decisions. raise its profile. Such a bias contrasted directly with the needs of emerging NGOs From international volunteers to locally looking for profile, reputation, friends and managed organisations supporters. To this extent, the survival, One implication of the shift in structure growth and development of the local was that expatriates who had previously organisation and the need to acquire managed the programmes at national and resources and retain staff came into tension local level left. With them left the funding with the communities and clients ICA was that they had been able to access. The local working with. staff who remained found themselves in a position where they not only had to A local–international disconnect? fundraise for the ICA programmes, but also Beyond the tensions of ensuring local to cover their own living costs. organisational survival while preserving With the change to a network structure, the original ICA values, there was also an the commonality around beliefs and values increasing recognition of the importance became less pronounced, with members of globalisation and wider influences on deciding their own priorities and adapting local development possibilities. However, the message to their own markets and the structure and organisational practice 128 63 Jonathan Dudding

did not facilitate global links. For example, working with communities. The issue drew ICA relied on international gatherings for increasing attention across the network, global decision-making, bringing people spanning African ICAs and ICAs in the UK together to discuss and reach decisions by and USA (who had a history of working consensus. In the shift to a network struc- with African ICAs), to the point where ture, such global gatherings continued to HIV/AIDS became a global priority for the take place. But now, ICA national members ICA network, supported by a global policy had to find their own funding to partici- paper outlining ICA’s approach. Despite pate. For many members, national issues the apparent success of this bottom-up were prioritised above international, and process, the impact of the upward infor- therefore they were reluctant to invest in mation flow remained limited. ICA has yet international structures when they to establish a strong global presence or the perceived them to be of limited benefit. sort of connections and partnerships which Virtually all key decisions were made at the would enable it to engage in global policy local level anyway, and the focus on local advocacy with, for example, governments, development (both community and organ- multilateral and bilateral agencies. isational) meant that global influence was given less priority. So what does this all mean for the Equally, the focus on process over ‘ripples’…? outcome or impact meant that staff Firstly, I think it is important to recognise members were much more comfortable that knowledge and ideas will flow effec- writing reports relating to what had been tively to those places where people see the done and how people had been involved need for it, and where they perceive there is rather than trying to describe the much less a benefit for their mission in enabling such tangible results of being part of a partici- a flow. Such a flow, if desired, depends not patory process. This is not an uncommon only from structure, but from a range of issue and can be due to a number of factors, other criteria which facilitate or obstruct it. but for ICA the feeling that such informa- In the case of ICA, during the early tion really belongs to the community has period there were strong information flows certainly contributed. There was a lack of to the centre in addition to a shared support for information flows from the responsibility for decision-making. With community level upwards. The ‘upwards’ the creation of nationally accountable and space had not been recognised or valued managed organisations and programmes sufficiently to justify, in most members’ the need for knowledge flows was less clear. minds, diverting limited resources that There was no strong voice from the centre were much needed at the local level to a less demanding information – and little recog- tangible use and into another set of hands nition at national level of the need for this. and structures yet to prove themselves. Very little support was given to the emerg- This does not mean that there have ing local organisations during ICA’s been no international connections. In fact, transition process, and as a result they increasingly connections are made across became very locally focused. The global the network. Rather than starting from a presence weakened and lost its relevance point of unity and catering for diversity, the to the members and the communities they network now seems to start from diversity were serving. and seeks points of commonality. In the Secondly, the ICA experience suggests late 1990s in Africa, for example, individual to me that, for the effective flow of knowl- ICAs began to recognise and address edge and information, it is not enough to HIV/AIDS. This was based on their expe- consider top-down versus bottom-up or rience and understanding drawn from centralising versus decentralising power. l ‘The centre cannot hold’: reflections on the effects of a transition from single entity to global network 129

One of the advantages that ICA has is that Decisions on structure cannot be taken in there are very few steps between a commu- isolation. The path of evolution needs to be nity member and any international office. considered, along with the opportunities The distance that ‘a voice’ has to travel to and obstacles it might provide. Beyond reach a global audience is very short. A this, careful attention needs to be paid to community member can talk to a director those who might inherit decision-making from a national ICA, who can talk to the power, their own pressures, influences and international office. To take advantage of bias and how this will affect the functioning such an opportunity stronger mechanisms of any structure created. are needed to generate, store and dissemi- ICA is now evolving again. At the recent nate knowledge and ideas by and from the general assembly (October 2010) it was community. But this will only happen if decided that, apart from a limited gover- there is a strong demand for such flows, nance role, the global structures will be both globally and among network suspended and a decentralised ‘peer-to- members and their constituents, who will peer’ approach would be the most effective need to see the value of them. way for national ICAs to support one Finally, it is important to recognise that another. However the issue of developing any changing structure – and the shifts this and maintaining global structures will be entails – will be strongly influenced by the revisited in future: maybe the centre can culture and practices of the earlier entity. hold after all.

CONTACT DETAILS Jonathan Dudding Director, International Programmes, ICA:UK 127a Laleham Road London SE6 2JD UK Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 20 8697 6896 Website: www.ica-uk.org.uk www.ica-international.org

REFERENCES Griffith, B. (1994) A chronological history 1952–1994 of the Ecumenical Institute and the Institute of Cultural Affairs (unpublished). Hedlund, H. (2009) From mission to profession: a narrative of the Institute of Cultural Affairs. In (eds) Hagberg, S. and C. Widmark C (2009) Ethnographic practice and public aid, methods and meanings in development cooperation. Edita Vastra Aros: Sweden.

NOTES ‘The centre cannot hold’ is a quote from the poet WB Yeats, ‘The Second Coming’ (1921). 130 63

InsightShare global network of community- 19 owned video hubs

by SOLEDAD MUÑIZ

InsightShare, a small northern-based Box 1: Extracts from InsightShare’s core organisation which supports the use of values and charter participatory video (PV), has a big vision: a Values: make mistakes, lose control, have fun, heterogeneous village globe that uses pass it on, celebrate and come together. communication media to shift power and Charter: enable positive change and relations and create equality. We hope that transformation, empower individuals, be satisfying through providing an enabling environ- for participants, aim for legacy and sustainability, ment a peoples’ video movement will grow, put reflection at the core of the process, give giving greater power, voice and decision- participants the final say, promote clarity, transparency, ensure informed consent, respect making to excluded groups and and protect participants’ intellectual property communities. rights, be inclusive, respectful and peaceful, allow This short case study reflects on how we creative experiences, enable positive and have supported the emergence of commu- continuous learning. nity-led video autonomous ‘hubs’ and Our work should be: satisfying for donors and worked with them to create a global stakeholders, challenge power inequality, bridge network to enable community voices to be divides, give ownership of PV equipment to communities. shared internationally. Through devolving power, these hubs are locally rooted and Source: http://insightshare.org/about-us/charter locally accountable, but we have enabled community information to flow across itate a participatory organisational culture. continents. The structure promotes and relies on high As an organisation we believe that our levels of pro-activeness and self-motiva- core values and charter (see Box 1) need to tion. Beyond this, the organisational influence how we are organised and how structure reflects our belief that we must we work. With this in mind we operate go beyond local people participating to with a flat and flexible structure and facil- communities achieving full control and l InsightShare global network of community-owned video hubs 131

What is a hub? A hub is a focal point and community cata- lyst: a physical space where community groups can meet and use participatory video for social change purposes. It’s also

Photo: InsightShare Photo: the place where their locally owned equip- ment is kept. The hub network began in 2006 and there are now nine community hubs oper- ating across four continents. Hubs aim to InsightShare retreat: visioning exercise, February empower marginalised communities 2010, London, UK. directly. They do this by building a new generation of facilitators that do not ownership of their development. depend on an external organisation or Hubs are supported to emerge and intermediaries. They work with their own develop, and to engage with and influence communities using participatory video the emergence of the global network. methods to build bridges horizontally and Beyond this, through continual active vertically and develop greater control over communication, online portals (blogs, the decisions affecting their lives. This websites and wikis) and involvement in ranges from deciding how to represent retreats the hubs are also able to feed into themselves in a video message to propos- and influence the plans and strategy of ing community interventions and InsightShare itself. This means that influencing policy-making. For example, community voices, analysis and experi- an indigenous group filmed their discus- ences influence directly how InsightShare sions about waste management to raise learns and evolves as an organisation. awareness of the issue among their peers.

Figure 1: Global network of community-owned video hubs 132 63 Soledad Muñiz

Figure 2: Hub life cycle

They later used a small grant to implement context and based on the unique needs of their own solution to making their land the community groups and location. In free of plastic. some cases hubs are discrete organisations. Hubs are run by activators – develop- In others they might be a PV unit working ment workers, local activists and within a grassroots organisation, network community organisers – who come from or or movement.1 Initially hubs are part of the are linked to the communities. These acti- InsightShare organisational structure, but vators, working with the hub community through support and capacity building, members, draw from the information mentoring and development they grow generated in participatory processes and into autonomous organisations, part of the reflected in the videos to develop action looser network. This change process is plans for the future, including financial driven by the needs and aspirations of each management and resource allocation. hub, with InsightShare facilitating a reflec- Some hubs are financed through a social- tive and forward-looking process that enterprise model. Others receive funds that allows the hub members to revise their flow through InsightShare, raised from initial motivations, confirm or adapt their partners such as The Christensen Fund vision and strategy, check with the commu- and the United Nations Development nity groups and partners involved and take Programme (UNDP) Small Grants collective decisions for the stage to come. Programme. These funders are willing to be flexible and keep an open agenda. My experience in InsightShare Given the emphasis on participation it I entered InsightShare in January 2009, on is unsurprising that the hubs take on differ- my birthday to be exact. It was a good way ent forms, according to cultural and social to celebrate a new year of life! Initially I

1 For more details see: http://insightshare.org/hubs/list l InsightShare global network of community-owned video hubs 133 Photo: InsightShare Photo:

Urban youth screening, 3rd August 2010, London hub. was an intern in the headquarters. After a schools and community-based organisa- few months, as part of an ‘accompaniment’ tions.2 Today it provides a range of services strategy to build the capacity of the London including social media, post-production, hub, I was invited to join the London hub participatory photography and participa- team as an activator, facilitator and then tory video across the UK, alongside manager. I became the London hub InsightShare. ‘mamma’ for the InsightShare family, The formation of the collective nurturing this ‘young’ project. followed two years of work building the Two years after I joined, and three years skills of the team, training local video after the London hub came into being, the coaches and reaching diverse community hub achieved a certain level of legal and groups through participatory video. economic autonomy, driven by a team of During this process, we, as the London freelance filmmakers and development hub, actively influenced InsightShare’s professionals who decided to form a collec- agenda through meetings, workshops and tive. This hub had originated in a continuous online communication. We partnership with a local NGO that worked together on strategy, planning, manages a community centre in the heart evaluation and resource allocation in rela- of London. It is now following a social- tion to the London hub, particularly enterprise model to achieve economic during 2010. sustainability. During its life, it has reached The structure has given the hub and the more than 200 people with participatory InsightShare teams spaces to find common video workshops and local screenings, ground. I have also found space to be involving a range of young people and local empowered as a hub ‘mamma’, Insight- ‘elders’, activists and community workers, Share team member and as a person. I

2 You can read more here: http://insightshare.org/resources/update/urbanhubs-update-2009 134 63 Soledad Muñiz

haven’t had to wait until someone else tells Impact on InsightShare me what to do, what project or policy to The learning process for InsightShare is explore, or who to target our videos at. I extremely rich, but also time-consuming, was able to make these decisions with my messy and challenging. As part of its learn- co-workers in the London hub. We choose ing approach, it builds trust with the hub where to focus, how we will participate and activators, who are the main link between who our audience is. In addition, we had the organisation and the rest of the the opportunity to make bilateral links with community groups. It also learns about the hubs in other parts of the world. For exam- influence that participatory video has in the ple, in 2009 we used live streaming chat to personal lives of all those who are part of exchange ideas and share our videos with the hubs, and builds upon their experiences the Durban hub in South Africa. In 2010 to promote their involvement as drivers of we were visited by a Philippines hub the process. What really makes this struc- member to share videos and comment on ture work is the fact that InsightShare’s experiences and challenges. Based on our long-term relationships with its partners experiences and interactions we were able and members are based on its core values to decide how to link to the global hub and core charter (summarised above). network, and to InsightShare itself. These are the cornerstones for building Because we are able to make autonomous meaningful conversations for any develop- decisions, we can influence as a hub what ment – whether this is how a local hub we expect of InsightShare as an organisa- operates, or how InsightShare develops as tion, mentor and partner. an organisation.

CONTACT DETAILS Soledad Muñiz InsightShare The Old Music Hall 106-108 Cowley Road OX4 1JE Oxford UK Email: [email protected] 135

Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies 20

by JO LYON

Technology often gets a bad press, and organisation. Yet a combination of the sometimes this is deserved. Too often, inap- particular qualities of KARL (intentional on propriate tools are introduced in the part of its creators) and the process we inappropriate ways. But there are times ended up using to introduce it (completely when the opposite happens: think of the unintentional) produced some interesting impact Skype has had on communications side-effects. In an emergent, if also limited, round the world, or the way in which Twit- way I have seen how this kind of technology ter enabled grassroots activists in Iran to can be used to open new spaces for dialogue bypass controlled government channels. and bring previously unheard voices into This article is about a far more modest debates. innovation: the introduction in June 2009 of a tool called KARL, which enabled staff How and why Oxfam decided to use KARL at Oxfam GB to create online communities Before we started using KARL, the only which they can set up themselves and invite ‘official’ collaboration spaces in Oxfam GB others to join.1, 2 were Lotus Notes TeamRooms.3 These were There was no explicit intention to secure, but required technical support to set address issues of participation or empower- up and a half-day training course to moder- ment beyond, or even within, the ate. Because they were not web-based,

1 KARL was developed by the Open Society Foundations (www.soros.org) and named for the philosopher Karl Popper. The name also serves as an acronym: Knowledge And Resource Locator. The software itself is now available under an open source (GPL) licence. Partner organisations, who each have their own installation, or ‘instance’, pay for hosting and support, and there are plans to create a KARL Consortium to oversee future development. For more information see: www.karlproject.org 2 An INGO headquartered in the UK with around 5000 staff working with thousands of partners in 70+ countries. 3 TeamRoom is a ‘groupware’ application developed by Lotus in the late 1990s to support team working and collaboration. 136 63 Jo Lyon

many people also found the interface clunky It didn’t turn out to be that simple, and non-intuitive to use, and there was no however. My proposal to introduce KARL published list of all the different Team- was turned down not once but twice. Our IT Rooms and their purpose. So it was difficult department was being restructured and was to link across the different spaces or join trying to standardise tools and streamline TeamRooms if you weren’t specifically processes. They didn’t want to support the invited. project for several reasons: they were As new web-based tools came into exis- concerned that it was untested; they didn’t tence, we found that people were setting up have the resources to provide training and sites and online spaces to support their proj- user support; and Oxfam had recently made ects or their communities of practice as and a strategic decision to move away from open when they needed them. This was messy for source and use mainstream tools. This is a the organisation – it was impossible to prevailing wisdom in large organisations at manage or even maintain awareness of the the moment, and is frustrating to many range of new spaces – and also messy for people working to support learning and users. At the same time, we were talking knowledge-sharing. As part of my second about ourselves as a learning organisation attempt to get a green light for KARL, I and coming under increasing pressure to ended a presentation with a quote from demonstrate transparency and effectiveness, Dave Snowden: but lacking some of the tools to enable us to do this. ….the biggest obstacle to adoption [of social In early 2008, I saw an online demon- computing] is not gaining participation, but stration of KARL, then in its early testing the IT department trying to over-constrain phase, and it seemed like the perfect next the system to retain control of an environ- step for us. None of its features, which ment which by its very nature needs to be include public and private communities, evolutionary. They want to choose one appli- blogs, wikis, file sharing and tagging, are cation when multiple, changing applications unique. There are many other tools and plat- in different combinations are more effective. forms, both free and paid for, which provide Worse still, [this means] fitting all the social something similar. In fact, in terms of a computing requirements into one enterprise- feature set, it is at the low end, and its wide purchase.5 creators judge success ‘as much by what is left out as by what is put in’.4 ‘Well,’ said one of the directors present, This emphasis on usability really ‘It’s a point of view.’ appealed to me. The majority of our staff and Some people felt that my enthusiasm for partners are not early adopters of new tech- KARL was based on a particular approach nologies, and many face connectivity and to solving problems: iterative, organic, intu- other accessibility challenges which make itive and small scale. I reflected on this, and some tools unusable. The Open Society the more I thought about it, the more I Foundations’ development team had built realised that this was precisely because this something specifically for their needs, and was the kind of change that was required. they were looking to make the software avail- In much of the work that we do, we aim able via an open source licence. We would be to enable communities to have their voices able to use a ready-made platform focused heard in decision-making processes, and to on the collaboration and knowledge-sharing access the information they need to help needs of a global non-profit organisation. with this. Yet we are also a large organisa-

4 See: www.karlproject.org/isandisnot.html 5 See: http://tinyurl.com/dsnowden-quote. Full URL: www.cognitive- edge.com/blogs/dave/2008/11/the_major_obstacle_to_the_adop.php l Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies 137

A screenshot of global online KARL communities. tion, with centralised control of information warrant an ‘interim solution’. An agreement flows. These largely exclude those who are was struck to use KARL until an alternative on the margins of the hierarchy but who are was available. This would be managed by the also at the front line: the people (almost knowledge management team (which I always nationals of the country they are lead), and would require minimal involve- working in) who have the most direct ment from the IT department. contact with our beneficiaries. These are Crucially, while the climate change teams tensions and contradictions which may would have priority for support from my never be resolved, but they are live issues. team (setting up accounts, advising on KARL couldn’t genuinely resolve any of this, making best use of communities etc.) there but I began to realise that there was a polit- was no deal to restrict use of KARL to these ical aspect to the challenge also. teams. In the end, we got the go-ahead for We set up the first 150 or so users straight human, rather than strategic, reasons. It was away. We posted some information about going to take the IT department 18 months KARL on our intranet, and we got back in to specify and introduce a solution to our touch with teams who had asked for collab- collaboration needs. This was unacceptable oration or knowledge-sharing support and to our campaigns and policy department, let them know KARL was now available. But whose need to share information effectively we did no active promotion, and made it around climate change work – our top clear that this was ‘interim’ when people corporate priority – was urgent enough to asked. And we stood back and watched. 138 63 Jo Lyon

Figure 1a: Number of KARL accounts created on request or by invitation, 2009–10 2500

2000 Number of users 1500

1000

500

0 June 09 July 09 Aug 09 Sep 09 Oct 09 Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 Mar 10 Apr 10 May 10

What happened next? of members of a community is 12, but We have seen steady growth in the number several are much larger. of users since KARL was introduced in June 2009, with around 2100 accounts created How this changes things in the first year. The number of communities Structurally, KARL communities are pretty has also grown steadily to over 200, and simple. Each has a blog (forum/discussion two-thirds of these are ‘public’, which means area), a wiki (set of linked web pages), a any staff member using KARL can see the calendar and some folders where people can community, comment on posts in it, and store files. Many are being used in a request to join it if they want to be more predictable and straightforward fashion: a involved. Non-Oxfam staff members can team sets up a space so they can share docu- also join as ‘affiliate members’ by being ments and develop materials together, and invited in to specific communities and can maybe use the blog feature to structure participate fully in those communities to discussions or do some consultation. There which they are invited. The average number are also now some fairly formal ‘corporate’

Figure 1b: Number of communities created by KARL@Oxfam users, 2009–10

250

200 Number of communities

150

100

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0 June 09 July 09 Aug 09 Sep 09 Oct 09 Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 Mar 10 Apr 10 May 10 l Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies 139 communities, providing information and by accident, we created something that updates on significant projects. users felt ownership of. But, many of them are much more inter- There are also some key features of esting than this, for example: KARL which support this ‘of the people’ feel: • The climate change campaign team used • Anyone can create a community their KARL blog to record outcomes and • All communities have the same status results. Where they were successful, they • Communities are visible to all staff users tagged them ‘success’ – an easy way to track by default this information later for evaluation, but also So the process of how KARL was intro- to share with others. duced and supported has shaped the • The supporter relations team used a KARL outcome. On reflection, this shouldn’t be wiki to manage the information about surprising: in many areas of our work we Oxfam’s programmes and policies that we practise, and argue for, participatory share with supporters when they contact us. approaches. But technology, usually, is This information is now accessible to the imposed from and controlled by the centre. whole organisation, increasing internal Sometimes this is entirely appropriate – transparency. accounting systems, for example, don’t lend • A digital-innovation community shares themselves to spontaneity and iterative rein- ideas on how to make better use of tools like vention. But in the case of relatively informal Skype and video conferencing. People from tools to support the evolution of good prac- regional and country offices provide infor- tice, or the sharing of learning, my mation about their bandwidth and the experience has been that it’s more powerful problems they experience with connectivity to provide some basic building blocks and first hand, which influences decisions. then step back. More generally, KARL has proved popu- User feedback has on the whole been lar with many of our staff. Even I have been very positive, with high support among staff surprised by the rapid, voluntary take-up, in a user survey and various spontaneous the creative uses to which it has been put and comments to my team, including ‘KARL is the potential for genuine collaboration and really helping us improve transparency. We participation which it has revealed. love it’. Fairly early on, the director of our It was not (and still is not) compulsory Pan-Africa programme sought me out while to use KARL. With the exception of one of he was in Oxford, and said, ‘I hear you are our regional directors, who got all of his Mamma KARL’. This made me laugh, but staff set up on KARL and started using it as also feel that we had managed to introduce a core tool, it has been something that you something which people were genuinely use because you want to and find it useful. able to engage with. I thought its ‘unofficial’ status would put There have been some problems too, of people off, but in fact it seemed to give it a course. When the Haiti earthquake hit, a certain attraction. The first view you got of KARL community was set up immediately it was shaped by the people who used it by the crisis team in Oxford. It was confusing early, who were enthusiastic, influential for people on the ground in Haiti, as they and – importantly – not all based in our were already using a platform provided by headquarters. There was a user manual, Oxfam International. As a result we are look- but there weren’t any restrictions (beyond ing at how it should be used in circumstances basic terms and conditions covering things where clear guidelines are required. like our code of conduct). If people needed advice and support, we did our best to Future potential provide it, but generally we encouraged Speaking as a knowledge management people to experiment, and they did. Almost person, it can be very satisfying when things 140 63 Jo Lyon

happen that you didn’t anticipate. We have influencing the global political agenda, and now stopped referring to KARL as ‘interim’ this is just the beginning. But they are not – we will stay with it until we have an alter- inherently inclusive. As someone who is native which better meets our needs. More trying to support collaboration, learning ‘corporate’ functions have started to engage and knowledge-sharing in a large NGO, my with it, including our internal communica- experience is that most users are not actu- tions team, who have previously used a ally comfortable with the ‘whatever works’ much more controlled, actively moderated approach. They don’t have the time or the space for seeking staff input and feedback. skills to decide what will work best for An IT project manager asked a KARL them, so I believe a degree of curating is community for input on a project and later appropriate. wrote: ‘I have learnt more from this forum in However, when technology choices are a day than I could have hoped to achieve in made centrally we usually focus on IT a week of interviews’. concerns: support requirements, security, scalability and cost – with usability on the Conclusion and reflections list but rarely at the top. Promotion of partic- The ‘How wide are the ripples?’ process is ipatory principles and ‘information up, focusing on knowledge and learning gener- power down’ considerations do not gener- ated at the grassroots level, while Oxfam is a ally figure. KARL is beginning to reveal large NGO and KARL a platform predomi- some possibilities for us here, and I think nantly for internal use. You could argue that this has something to do with both the this story is not that relevant. But it is broad- circumstances of its creation by Open Soci- ening our own ripples – there are areas where ety Foundations, and its ‘under the radar’ I believe staff-initiated debates will have introduction at Oxfam.6 greater influence on organisational decision- There are no obviously right approaches making. It’s early days for this, but there is here at the moment, but I think what’s the sense of a new level of engagement which important is that those of us with influence we can explore and experiment with. over which tools are supported and/or toler- These are interesting and fast-moving ated in an organisation are aware that these times for ‘social’ software tools. I have no choices have a growing political dimension, doubt that they have transformatory poten- and work to ensure that this dimension is tial. We are already seeing them more fully acknowledged and considered.

CONTACT DETAILS Jo Lyon Knowledge Management Lead Oxfam GB Email: [email protected] Website: www.linkedin.com/in/lyonjo Tel: +44 1865 473239

NOTES ‘Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies’ is a phrase first attributed to David Weinberger in The Cluetrain Manifesto. See: www.cluetrain.com

REFERENCES Levine, R., C. Locke, D. Searls, D. Weinberger (2001) The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual. Basic Books.

6 I do not want to imply that there was no support at all for KARL from our IT department, as many individuals were keen to see it introduced. But the strategic direction which had been agreed ruled it out. 141

Bringing participation back into the heart of IIED 21

by ANGELA MILLIGAN and EMMA WILSON

The International Institute for Environment newer staff have limited experience or and Development (IIED) is a UK-based knowledge of participatory values and non-governmental organisation (NGO) methodologies. engaged in policy research and advocacy for IIED’s discourse has moved away from sustainable development. IIED has been participation towards the language of involved in developing participatory governance, voice and engagement. New approaches to research and development for concepts and approaches are being almost twenty years and its contribution is explored or promoted (see Box 1), without recognised internationally. necessarily making links with participation More recently, however, participation literature. Even approaches such as seems to have dropped off the agenda at community-based adaptation to climate IIED. The work of certain teams within the change (CBA), which draw heavily on organisation, notably the Agroecology and participatory tools, do not always reflect an Food Sovereignty Team, continues to be understanding of the values and attitudes rooted explicitly in participatory that underpin good participation.2 approaches – in both individual projects Those of us who champion participa- and in helping to shape the team’s research tion in the institute have been questioning and influencing strategy (see Pimbert, this what we (and others!) are losing if we are issue).1 But it is not clear how widespread not grounding this new work in our exten- this is. Similarly, some staff are attracted to sive knowledge and experience of IIED by its reputation for participation. participation, built up over many years. But others are sceptical of the value of Inspired by the Ripples process to look at participatory approaches, while some whether and how grassroots voices influ-

1 Formerly the Food and Agriculture Team. 2 See e.g. Participatory Learning and Action 60 Community-based adaptation to climate change (Reid et al., 2009), pp. 11–29 and pp. 173–178 for more discussion of this point. 142 63 Angela Milligan and Emma Wilson

Box 1: New concepts and approaches used at IIED

Agency: refers to an individual’s capacity to make his or her own choices and to act independently, according to his or her own will. Agency is set against structural factors such as class, religion and customs, which externally influence individuals’ choices and opportunities.

Local control: (in forestry) ‘The local right for forest owner families and communities to make decisions on commercial forest management and land use, with secure tenure rights, freedom of association and access to markets and technology’.3

Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC): a principle established in international human rights law, and some national law, which asserts that indigenous peoples have the right to give or withhold their consent to interventions, such as industrial projects, that may affect the lands and resources that they customarily own, occupy or otherwise use. The principle is increasingly being used by non-state entities, e.g. commercial companies, and has been applied in relation to non-indigenous local communities.4

Base of the pyramid business models: ‘base of the pyramid’ (BoP) refers to the largest socio-economic group – the 4 billion people who live on less than US$2/day. BoP business models deliberately target this group and their proponents argue for greater engagement with local communities in the development of products, through ‘co-creation’ and ‘deep listening’.5

ence decision-making and organisational The participation meeting attracted learning within IIED, we decided to take a mainly younger researchers, but also some step back and look at the current status of with a great deal of experience in partici- participation within the institute.6 pation. The institute’s director attended, Whilst it would need a small research but no other senior management or project to explore fully staff’s perceptions researchers. and use of participatory approaches (for an We began by asking participants to earlier review, see Kanji and Greenwood, think of one or two of their projects and, 2001), we recognised that IIED has exist- using a participation typology (from ing organisational spaces that could be ‘compliance’ to ‘collective action’ – see Box used to raise the profile of participation. We 2), show where on the spectrum their proj- planned to use these to try to generate ects were and where they would like them interest and momentum from below. to be. Most participants put their projects at What spaces did we use and how did we the less participatory end of the spectrum, use them? between compliance and cooperation, but all aspired to be at the co-learning end. Researchers Innovation Forum Only one out of the seven projects was The first organisational space we used was achieving the desired level of participation. the Researchers’ Innovation Forum (RIF). We discussed why this was and what The RIF is an informal space, primarily for could be done about it. Lack of time and researchers, to share learning, discuss new flexibility were identified as major chal- ideas and approaches and help resolve lenges, particularly with the perceived common problems. It has no decision- current donor focus on results rather than making powers, and is loosely coordinated process. Some felt they needed more by a small group of researchers. knowledge about appropriate methodolo-

3 From the Growing Forest Partnerships initiative: http://tinyurl.com/local-control-iied. Full URL: www.growingforestpartnerships.org/sites/growingforestpartnerships.org/files/docs/GFPlocallycontrolledforestry.pdf 4 See Article 10 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/drip.html 5 See for example: http://bop-protocol.org and www.boplearninglab.dk 6 Throughout this article we use the term ‘we’ to refer to a core group of people within IIED who have been keen to promote, discuss and share learning about participation internally. l Bringing participation back into the heart of IIED 143

Box 2: Participation typology Box 3: Participation workshop programme Compliance: tasks with incentives are assigned but the agenda and process is directed by The nature of participation outsiders. • Why participation? Exploring the many outcomes of participation (giant mind map), making Consultation: local opinions are sought, outsiders connections with governance, rights, citizenship. analyse and decide the course of action. • Do I participate? The various opportunities we have to participate, the extent of our own personal Cooperation: local people work with outsiders to participation and constraints to participation. determine priorities; the responsibility • Typology of participation: developing a to direct the process lies with outsiders. continuum and discussing the appropriateness of different levels of participation for different Co-learning: local people and outsiders share purposes. knowledge, create new understanding and • Conclusions: joint definition of participation, work together to form action plans. recognising key underlying principles and applicable to IIED’s position and work. Collective action: local people set their own agenda and mobilise to carry it out in the absence Problems with participation of outsiders. • ‘Utopia’ versus ‘tyranny’ debate: unpacking the current critique of participation. Source: based on Pretty, Guijt, Thompson, Scoones • Power and participation: drawing on and (IIED, 1995) and Cornwall (IDS), drawing on Arnstein’s extending the issues from the point above, critically Ladder of Participation (1969). debating, ‘Participation has been co-opted to serve the powerful.’ gies. Almost everyone talked about rela- Meaningful participation tionships with partners. We reflected on • Underlying principles: pre-requisites for how participatory these relationships are – meaningful engagement. and also how participatory are partners’ • New spaces: exploring the emerging relationships with communities. Partici- opportunities and forms of participation and how to pants suggested that we need to build more maintain spontaneity and vibrancy. long-term partnerships, giving the oppor- Bringing participation back into the heart of tunity to develop shared values and IIED's work relationships of trust. • Next steps: what to do next to take ‘participation’ From the discussions it was clear that a forward. range of views about the purpose and bene- fits of participation exists. Some focused on combined list from the RIF and the partic- better data and community buy-in to proj- ipation workshop that followed). It was ects. Others were concerned with ensuring clear that some researchers were both that the marginalised or excluded have an working in a participatory way and desired effective voice. Some believed that IIED’s to be more participatory. However, we felt values are rooted in participatory princi- there was a need to look more deeply at the ples – and linked this to our aims of relevance of participation for IIED’s work bringing about social transformation, and its links with the new discourses. changing power relationships and creating a fairer, more equal society. Participation workshop The RIF was very positive in that it The possibility of running a workshop on attracted a mix of researchers and other participation had been raised at the RIF, staff, including Human Resources (HR) and our HR department was very support- (which proved to be important for follow ive of the idea. We asked an external up). There was lively discussion and the practitioner and researcher Dee Jupp to meeting came up with some concrete next facilitate as we felt this would help attract steps to follow up on (see Box 4 for a a wider range of participants and allow 144 63 Angela Milligan and Emma Wilson

more open discussion than if one of us done participation. We also felt that the facilitated. participation frameworks and typologies, The purpose of the half-day workshop, values and methods remain valid and held in September 2010, was to ‘engage useful, but need to be complemented by IIED staff in a critical review of participa- other tools, for example, those which help tion and participatory practice and its to analyse power in different contexts. relevance to IIED’s current and future posi- The workshop was successful in strongly tion and work’ (see Box 3 for the workshop engaging participants and generating some programme). heated debate. However, once again, few The workshop attracted 19 participants, senior researchers attended, or any or any including researchers, communication and senior managers. The participants were also core staff (finance, fundraising, HR). As mostly those who were already committed with the RIF, we saw that ‘participation’ is to using participatory approaches in their a contested concept, meaning very differ- work, or those who were new to participa- ent things to different people. Whilst we tion. This meant that we were still unable felt that most people in IIED would claim to gain a wider range of views about the some sort of participatory practice, the status of participation in IIED. values underpinning it and the discourse around it seem to be quite diverse. Ideas Fair We noted the links between participa- In an attempt to draw more people into the tion and the ‘new’ discourses of debate, we decided to run a session during governance, voice, agency, citizenship and IIED’s No Fly Week in September 2010.7 rights. Many processes aimed at improving The space we used was the Ideas Fair, governance involve participation, for exam- during which anyone can suggest an idea ple: or issue for discussion. Everyone’s idea is • strengthening citizen voice and engage- given a slot and the whole institute has to ment in policy processes (e.g. participatory attend the fair, which offers the potential policy-making, citizen juries, scenario to reach many staff. On the other hand, workshops); three sessions run concurrently in each 50- • making government more accountable to minute slot, so it is important to ‘sell’ your citizens (e.g. participatory budgeting, session well. We decided to attract atten- participatory planning); and tion by being provocative and came up with • engaging with governments, often from the following title and question (see Box 4): outside, to advocate for change, demand Box 4: Participation is dead! Long live information or the upholding of rights (e.g. agency and community control! participatory advocacy). We noted that participation in these Outside the organisation, IIED is known as a contexts needs to be viewed just as critically centre of excellence in participation, but internally we avoid using the word as much as possible. as in other spheres, asking who partici- Why? pates, whose voices are heard, and analysing power relations that work to We then set up a debate, with three advo- exclude certain groups and views. cates: one for ‘participation’, one for ‘agency’, We felt that, rather than replace ‘partic- and one for ‘local control’ (see Box 1). This ipation’ with other terms, we need to debate was very well attended, including by deepen and widen the concept and prac- senior researchers, but unfortunately time tice, learning from co-opted and badly constraints meant that, by the time each

7 No Fly Week is a week for institute-wide reflection and learning during which staff are requested not to travel outside the UK. l Bringing participation back into the heart of IIED 145 advocate had presented, there was little time Lessons learnt and ways forward for discussion. Some long-serving IIED’s participation champions have taken researchers clearly felt that participation had a flexible, bottom-up approach to raising been replaced by other discourses, but others the profile of participation within IIED. We were keen to engage – perhaps time had have taken advantage of opportunities as been the constraint rather than lack of inter- they arose, trying to win hearts and minds, est. This was encouraging and the challenge encouraging individuals to take a more now is to think of ways to keep senior participatory approach in their work with researchers engaged in an ongoing debate. partners. All the activities we have under- taken have had to fit with our day-to-day What have we achieved so far? work, and there is still much to do, but we We have had some success in raising the feel we have made significant progress. We profile of participation and getting at least plan to use the launch of this issue of PLA some people talking about it. We have to provoke further internal discussions introduced some newer staff to the around participation, for example by host- concept, and some longer-serving ing a Critical Theme session for IIED staff researchers are now questioning how they and others in 2012.9 can become more participatory in their Apart from the director attending the ways of working. We have gone some way first RIF, and our head of HR engaging towards looking at how participation fits from a training/staff learning perspective, with newer concepts and concluded that it we haven’t managed to involve most senior is still valid and useful. We are also using opportunities that arise to identify connec- Box 5: Re-integrating participation tions and integrate participation more with skills and values the new discourse and approaches such as • Discuss the extent to which IIED projects with FPIC. A forthcoming issue of PLA, for diverse goals and approaches should be example, will capture learning from partic- participatory and for what purpose, and consider ipatory processes to enable indigenous trade-offs. peoples and local communities to negoti- • Undertake a stocktaking on the current view ate the terms of external interventions that and practice of participation within IIED (linking this to how we work with our partners), and use directly affect their well-being, to give or this to to challenge and question current withhold their free, prior, informed consent participatory practice (ours and partners). to them, and to develop community agree- • Identify connections and integrate ments around the sharing of benefits.8 participation more with the ‘new’ discourse. We have gathered many suggestions for • Revisit our existing code of conduct for collaborative research (2001) so that institute re-integrating participation skills and staff can refer to our shared common set of values into the institute’s work (see Box 5). principles and values underpinning participatory We have also identified a series of project practice to help ensure we practise what we constraints to participation – e.g. time, preach. inflexible budgets, logframes and results- • Organise another RIF to look at participatory research methods and challenges in a particular based management – as well as some project. possible solutions, for example, identifying • Include participation (values and methods) in funding sources which allow for the partic- inductions for new staff. ipatory development of proposals with • Set up a participation learning group. partners.

8 Participatory Learning and Action 65: Biodiversity, culture and rights (forthcoming June 2012). 9 Critical Themes sessions are a regular event at IIED. Each consists of a presentation on a specific ‘critical’ theme about an aspect of IIED’s work. Critical Themes are open to all IIED staff and anyone else who is interested in our work. 146 63 Angela Milligan and Emma Wilson

researchers, managers and key decision their work. We see this process as a neces- makers within the institute, particularly sary pre-requisite to looking at how the those who are more sceptical about partic- voices of the poor, vulnerable and margin- ipation. A question we need to consider is alised can influence organisational learning whether we should now try to engage with and decision-making at IIED more more formal spaces within IIED in order directly. Bringing participation back to the to bring about some of the changes we have heart of IIED involves something of a shift identified (see Box 5 above). in culture. But by raising interest in partic- So we are just at the start of this process ipation again we hope to create spaces for of getting people to engage again with the partners and communities to participate in values and principles of participation and organisational learning and decision- seeing how they can integrate them into making more fully.

CONTACT DETAILS Angela Milligan Co-Editor, Participatory Learning and Action International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road London WC1X 8NH UK Website: www.iied.org Email: [email protected]

Emma Wilson Senior Researcher, Sustainable Markets Group International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Arnstein, S.R. (1969) ‘A ladder of citizen participation.’ Journal of the American planning association 35:4. Kanji, N. and L. Greenwood (2001) Participatory approaches to research and development in IIED: learning from experience. IIED: London. Online: http://pubs.iied.org/9095IIED.html IIED (2001). Code of conduct for collaborative research. IIED: London. Online: http://pubs.iied.org/G00286.html Pretty, J.N., I. Guijt, J. Thompson and I. Scoones (1995) Participatory learning and action: a trainer’s guide. IIED: London. Reid, H., M. Alam, R. Berger, T. Cannon, S. Huq and A. Milligan (Eds) (2009) Participatory Learning and Action 60: Community-based adaptation to climate change. IIED: London. Online: http://pubs.iied.org/G02819.html 147

Developing organisational strategies: whose voices (should) count? 22

by KATE NEWMAN and HELEN BAÑOS SMITH

The ‘How wide are the ripples?’ workshop challenges of responding to community- ended on a high note. We each left recog- level information through a central nising our role and our potential as organisational process, namely, organisa- empowered individuals to challenge inter- tional strategy development. Strategies national NGOs (INGOs) about how they shape the potential for an organisation to listen and respond to information and engage with grassroots information and knowledge from the grassroots. However, knowledge. But does the strategy develop- the workshop also ended with a reality ment process itself provide a useful and check. It is important to feel empowered, empowering space for poor people’s voices, but if we are going to act as change agents perspectives and contributions? Or is it we have to understand what we are trying merely one of the many corporate manage- to change. As people working for or with ment tools adopted by the sector as part of INGOs, we need to understand the chal- the trend towards ‘professionalisation’ (see lenges these organisations face, to for example Shutt, 2009) – and by impli- appreciate the context (as described in the cation, contributing to a context where it is overview, Newman and Beardon, this issue) harder for poor people’s voices to be and to work with or alongside others to heard?1 slowly change perceptions and potential, to This article is based on interviews with create new ways for the ripples to be senior staff from eight INGOs, and draws widened. also from our own experiences of working We decided to look more deeply at the in and with INGOs.2 The article shares

1 ‘Professionalisation is the social process by which any trade or occupation transforms itself into a true “profession of the highest integrity and competence”. Professions […] soon come to comprise an elite class of people, cut off to some extent from the common people, and occupying an elevated station in society.’ Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professionalization 2 We interviewed senior staff, or those charged with strategy development in ActionAid International, ChildHope, Christian Aid, EveryChild, International Childcare Trust, Oxfam, Plan UK and Save the Children UK. 148 63 Kate Newman and Helen Baños Smith

some of the dynamics involved in strategy and enables staff members and partners to development. It offers our initial analysis select and prioritise their work with an of how strategies could be used as an understanding of the overall organisa- organising space to become more respon- tional goal and their role in it. Given this, sive to grassroots voices. It is followed by it is important to note the inherent contra- two case studies (from ActionAid and diction in considering strategies as a space IIED) which illustrate specific processes for ‘widening the ripples’. For a strategy to for directly engaging local partners and be effective it should guide how the organ- communities within a strategy develop- isation operates. And yet the implicit ment process.3 assumption in widening the ripples is that organisations should be able to flexibly What are organisational strategies? respond to the information and knowledge Strategies have become increasingly impor- generated through the participatory tant for INGOs. In part this responds to the processes they support. While a strategy pressures from funders and the public for itself could dictate the devolution of power these organisations to be clear about what to the local level, the process of develop- they do, why and how. But it is also due to ing an organisational wide strategy – and a recognition from the organisations them- supporting its implementation – requires selves that, if they are to target their work a centrally supported process. The impli- at the structural causes of poverty and cations of this are complex, but suggest recognise the complexities within a devel- that the power down/information up para- opment process, there is a need to be digm identified elsewhere in this issue is reflective, analytical and ‘strategic’. too simplistic. There is a need for deeper For some, a strategy is an articulation reflection on how power is being used and of their development vision. For others it is distributed. an operational guide: a management tool In reality, there is great variety in how and a tool for external communication and much influence strategies have on their fundraising. Typically a strategy includes organisations once finalised. For some, the an analysis of the challenges of poverty and strategy determines the vast majority of inequality, and the INGO’s response to it. resource allocation, which in turn deter- It identifies an overall organisational goal, mines what and how programmes of work together with the approaches (what the will be developed. Others said that once the organisation will do) and the financial and strategy was developed its visionary human resources needed to achieve the elements have an impact on how staff goal. A strategy will guide how an organi- members interpret their role in develop- sation interacts with diverse actors, ment, more than having a direct influence including the poor and excluded groups on their planning and prioritisation that they aim to benefit. Explicitly or processes. For most organisations it seems otherwise, it shows whether the organisa- to play its principal role at senior manage- tion considers poor people to be passive ment level: recipients of services or active players in development and, by implication, how Different people use the document to a much influence they should have over the different extent. The Senior Management organisation’s activities and decisions. Team engage most. It would be good if others could get their heads around it. What influence do strategies have? In its ideal state a strategy gives an organ- For many organisations the strategy has isation coherence of vision and mission, no operational side, and even when it does

3 See Newman with Archer; Pimbert (this issue). l Developing organisational strategies: whose voices (should) count? 149

the content is often fairly broad, leaving Box 1: Strategy development process: room for manoeuvre or ‘interpretation’ International Childcare Trust (ICT) within countries. Despite this, the strategy influences what work is recognised and The process follows clearly defined steps: • Programme staff discuss what they want to do, valued globally across the organisation, and based on their experiences of working with partner how communication and fundraising staff organisations. in northern offices talk about the organisa- • The programme development committee, a sub- tion’s work. This means that, whether group of the board of directors, all of whom have explicitly recognised or not, strategies are a programming experience, meet with staff to develop the ideas further. powerful influence on how money is raised • Partners are sent ideas and asked to consult with and spent, on organisational relationships their constituents in preparation for the annual (internal and external) and on the role the consultation meeting. organisation plays in development. • The ideas are presented at the annual consultation meeting (where all partners are represented) and partners provide feedback. Strategy development processes • The selected ideas are taken to the board of Given the differences in how strategies are trustees for approval. understood, it is unsurprising that the role • A draft strategy is developed by the chief of poor and excluded people in strategy executive and sent to the board, partners and ICT development varied greatly from organi- staff for feedback before a final draft is produced. • The board of trustees approves the final draft. sation to organisation. However, what we were surprised to find was that, for many The lack of clear or well-known organisations, there was no clear strategy processes means that it is hard to under- development process. Some, such as the stand exactly how community information International Childcare Trust, were clear and perspectives are, or could be, included. about the steps they followed in develop- In effect, if opportunities for voices from ing their strategy (see Box 1). But in other the grassroots (or from relevant staff) are organisations even quite senior staff were not explicitly built into the strategy devel- not able to describe their strategy devel- opment process, they may not get heard at opment processes in detail, in many cases all. The extent to which they are will describing it as something that emerges depend on the skills, expectations and more organically. For example, one Oxfam intentions of the person (or team) driving employee said: the strategy process. This ultimately concentrates decision-making in the In terms of overall big strategy develop- hands of a select few. ment this comes from various different initiatives, including the content of Managing the process country director discussions, who meet All organisations we spoke to trusted the every two to three years and discuss issues. task of coordinating or managing strategy Every two to three years we focus on a development to senior staff based in a specific theme. Oxfam ‘reflects’ on this northern office, i.e. the process was dele- theme, gathering information and learn- gated. These people are geographically ing, and this reflection feeds into setting distant from grassroots communities in the strategy for a way forward on this the South, and in general do not interact theme. Most recently we looked at liveli- regularly with people who operate at local hood work. Every 15 years or so there is a level. Given where they sit, these staff are new global strategy which really shakes more likely to hear the voices of prominent everything up. The last one was in 1997 so academics, INGO staff, donors or journal- Oxfam are probably due another soon. ists than those at the grassroots. This impacts the way that senior managers 150 63 Kate Newman and Helen Baños Smith

frame their sense-making and decision- Box 2: Involving local voices in strategy making, and how they understand or value development different forms of information and knowl- edge. This bias of perspective needs to be Some of the questions people asked us about involving local people in strategy development were: recognised and responded to when design- • What do people living in poverty want to feed into? ing any strategy development process. • Which people living in poverty would we include? One counterbalance is to take a partic- • How can local people feed in meaningfully if they ipatory approach, to broaden the strategy don’t understand the purpose of a strategy or its management and decision-making function within an organisation? • Do people have the skills and knowledge they need process to include different staff members to participate effectively? and partners, something that is clearly • Are they well informed enough to be able to argue more practical in smaller organisations the case for some areas being more important than where it is possible to ‘keep everyone in the other? room’. While this did work for some, many argued that since the process could be Relying on information produced in quite complex and time-consuming, it was other spaces raises two interlinked chal- better to have a small group of people ‘in lenges. Firstly, many of those we spoke to charge’. This trade-off between participa- mentioned their concerns with the quality tory strategy development and delegated of participatory processes these reports strategy development is influenced by the were based on. For example, where importance placed on the strategy devel- national strategies were developed using opment process itself. While for some participatory processes, were the spaces organisations the process is as important created for local people to feed into as the outcome (see ActionAid case study national strategies transformative or only by Newman with Archer, this issue), for consultative? Or, where partners were most, more emphasis is placed on the final involved in programme delivery, did this document. relationship function well? How skilled were the partners in supporting participa- Gathering inputs for strategy tory processes, and were they themselves development encouraged to seek out local knowledge The distinction between participatory or and pass it on to the INGO? The use of delegated strategy development influences pre-existing information also relies on the extent to which poor and excluded effective knowledge management behav- people are directly involved in the strategy iours and systems between field, national development process. As the case studies and head offices, which research shows is which follow this article show, there are often not the case (see Wakwabubi, this ways to engage poor people in strategy issue). discussions. But much more common was Secondly, there were also questions of for INGOs to depend on a variety of other the relationship between national and processes for ‘hearing’ grassroots voices, international work and whether those such as talking to partners, involving head coordinating strategy development actu- office staff who spend time working with ally valued local people’s voices. One programmes, or using existing materials, respondent commented that: ‘at the such as country strategies and evaluations. organisational level, there is no expecta- Strategy development then becomes a tion or mechanism to enable poor people’s largely internal process of gathering and voices to be heard’. A different organisa- interpreting information collected at tion noted how there were implicit different times, from different places and assumptions that staff were familiar for different purposes. enough with national-level information for l Developing organisational strategies: whose voices (should) count? 151 it to be ‘filtering through’ without the need tions, academia, urban-based researchers for specific processes to support this. We and the like. Very few local partners were also met with many questions concerning consulted. the practical issues in involving local voices (IIED case study, Pimbert, this issue). in strategy development (Box 2). If grassroots analysis and perspectives Just getting information from partici- are not routinely considered across the patory processes onto the table does not organisation it is unlikely that these voices guarantee that grassroots stakeholders will play a significant role in strategy devel- influence the strategy agenda. The influ- opment. ence depends on how it is understood and used: put bluntly, whether it is used to Direct participation in strategy support the organisational agenda, or to development challenge and shape it. There is a big Although in a minority, for some organi- difference between a pile of raw material sations direct participation was key. For with different opinions and inputs and a example the case study from IIED shows final strategy document. As Beardon et al. how participatory video and video confer- and Shutt (this issue) show, the question encing enabled local farmers and partners of who translates, interprets and gives to speak directly to IIED staff sitting in the meaning to all of that information, and London office. The ActionAid case study who synthesises it and picks out emerging illustrates a year-long participatory themes, is fundamental to the vision which process which involved the creation of is ultimately constructed or agreed. national and local spaces for rights-hold- This suggests that if an organisation is ers’ inputs and virtual spaces for staff to maintain accountability to people who inputs, as well as building on a routine have participated in their strategy devel- reflection and learning system with partic- opment process it is not enough to create ipatory spaces at its heart. Direct a good participatory space and involve participation should mean that poor people in strategy development. These people’s voices are heard strongly, but both opportunities for direct participation will case studies highlight challenges in prac- only be meaningful and empowering if tice as these extracts show: they are linked to a broader organisational system of participation. Organisational For example, the organisation could not culture and ethos is fundamental not only realistically respond directly to every to whose opinions are sought, but how input. And it is unlikely that all points of they are used. view will agree anyway. So how could ActionAid ensure that people did not feel The importance of the wider context they were wasting their resources and time Participatory practitioners recognise that, inputting into the process? while it is important to listen to and learn ActionAid case study, Newman with from people at the grassroots, it is equally Archer, this issue). important to bring in alternative knowl- edge and information streams to which Two years into the five-year strategy, IIED’s people at the grassroots may not have directorate decided to carry out a review of access. The same is true of the strategy the institute’s work on food and agricul- development process. For example, the ture… two external consultants from a respondent from Christian Aid shared renowned UK-based policy think tank were how inclusion of tax justice as one of their contracted to do the review. They mostly major themes was based on the organisa- interviewed people from donor organisa- tion’s global analysis. 152 63 Kate Newman and Helen Baños Smith

Box 3: Plan UK’s strategy development This engagement with the broader context is clearly important for organisa- Five key considerations influenced the strategy tions operating at the international level. development: • Priorities identified in each Plan country office, The challenge is how to value these alter- which were based on participatory processes with native perspectives and integrate the communities and articulated in Country Strategic knowledge streams appropriately, espe- Plans. cially given the issues of bias and • External global-level contextual factors or interpretation mentioned earlier. ‘drivers of change’ determined by a literature review and internal workshop. • An analysis of Plan UK’s internal capacity, track Final thoughts record and current expertise. When we started researching this article • Funding opportunities accessible to Plan UK. we assumed that organisations would have • The priority countries and areas of work of other clear processes for developing strategies, Plan national offices, to increase coordination of work and specialisation across the Plan ‘family’. and specific methods for engaging poor and excluded people in them. Instead, we found a lack of clear processes which Analysis of the wider context also gives means that key decisions are often being organisations an understanding of the made about who to listen to, and whose potential influence on their strategies of needs or views to consider, without donor trends, funding opportunities and thought or even recognition. Unless there the work of other INGOs. Many people we is an explicit recognition or intentional spoke to spent time thinking about how rebalancing, northern perspectives are their organisations were unique or what likely to dominate. This particularly their niche is or could be. This is partly a concerns us as we believe that strategies reflection of competition between INGOs are becoming increasingly important and the need to stand out from others in across the sector. order to attract funding. Many respon- The majority of people we spoke to in dents mentioned the pressure to ‘grow or researching this article shared a percep- die’ and to please donors, to ‘play to the tion that their operating context is one piper’s tune’. Others argued that attention where the space for good quality empow- to the wider context also reflects attempts ering participatory processes is being to ensure efficiency, to minimise duplica- closed. Strategy development can create tion of focus so that resources can have spaces for the open exchange of ideas, and the most impact and to identify how their by implication bring new and different organisation can make the best contribu- voices into the development sector to tion. For example, Plan UK’s 2009 communicate alternative perspectives on strategy development process was in part development. Whether and how poor about identifying the specific role and people’s voices and perspectives are influ- value the organisation could add to the ential in organisational strategy Plan family, and the development sector development seems to reflect whether the more widely. Plan UK is one of 21 organisation – or parts of the organisation ‘national offices’, mostly based in the – value those voices more generally. Creat- North, which provide technical and ing discrete processes for grassroots fundraising support to the 48 Plan ‘coun- participation in strategy development can try offices’ based in the South. As such its only be truly empowering if those people organisational strategy builds from the who have participated are also able to country office strategies, and reflects influence how their information is used which priorities the UK office is best and reviewed in other fora, if there is built- placed to support (see Box 3). in and ongoing accountability to their l Developing organisational strategies: whose voices (should) count? 153 voices and perspectives. Making these which further closes the space for poor and links is important if strategies are to be excluded people to determine their own more than another management tool, paths out of poverty.

CONTACT DETAILS Kate Newman Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

Helen Baños Smith Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Shutt, C. (2009) ‘Changing the world by changing ourselves: reflections from a bunch of BINGOs.’ IDS Practice Papers 2. Institute of Development Studies: UK. 154 63

Two steps forward, one step back: broadening participation in the 23 strategy process in IIED

by MICHEL PIMBERT

In 2007 the International Institute for small farmers, pastoralists and indigenous Environment and Development (IIED), a people.1 With a long history of working UK-based international policy research with participatory and inclusive organisation, initiated a consultative approaches, we felt that we could use our process to redefine its next five-year insti- strong relationships to engage properly tutional strategy. In a year-long with people at the grassroots and hear consultation process initiated by IIED from them what IIED should do to staff, a number of people and organisa- improve food, agriculture and human tions throughout the world (such as well-being. donors, academics, researchers and media professionals) were invited to help shape The consultation process this new five-year strategy. They were The IIED strategy team and our director asked to reflect on IIED’s main strengths agreed that we could involve partners and characteristics, the outcomes IIED whom we had worked with for more than should aim for in the next five years and five years. Following extensive discussions how it should work, where it adds value with these partners, we decided to use and whether it was influencing the ‘right participatory video methods to elicit views, people’. analysis and recommendations from a In addition to the views of these power- range of non-literate and literate people in ful actors, the then Food and Agriculture India, Iran and Peru.2 All local partners had Team, which I lead, was particularly inter- received previous training from IIED in the ested in hearing the views and priorities of use of digital video cameras. So we devel-

1 Now renamed the Agroecology and Food Sovereignty Team. 2 Partners were the Deccan Development Society in India (www.ddsindia.com), Cenesta in Iran (www.cenesta.net) and ANDES in Peru (www.andes.org.pe). All these organisations work with communities of small farmers, nomadic pastoralists and indigenous peoples. l Two steps forward, one step back: broadening participation in the strategy process in IIED 155 Photos: ANDES Peru Photos:

Local partners ANDES Peru and indigenous farmers from different Quechua communities in the province of Cusco participating in the video conference with IIED. 156 63 Michel Pimbert

Box 1: Facilitated discussions in farming • a three-way video conference involving communities in India, Iran and Peru board members of the Deccan Develop- Objectives ment Society in Hyderabad, 60 women The objective of these was to: small farmers in Andhra Pradesh and 25 • Explain the purpose of the consultative process. IIED staff in London. • Secure free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of The entire consultation process with local partners to engage in IIED’s strategy local partners worked very well. Both IIED formulation.3 • Discuss and plan the methodology to be used to staff and local partners felt good about the reflect on IIED’s role and work and make novelty and relevance of this intercultural recommendations for future work on food and dialogue on ‘what next for IIED’. Local agriculture. partners were very proud and happy that their analysis and recommendations were Producing video messages for IIED by these farming communities taken seriously by IIED, and that they The video messages were prepared on specific were involved in the early framing of topics such as farmers’ rights and patents on IIED’s new institutional strategy. seeds; dumping of subsidised food on local This bottom-up, video-mediated markets; alternative public distribution systems for process was unprecedented in the history food grains; and agriculture and climate change. The videos were then subtitled in English and of IIED’s strategy formulation. Although either posted on a website set up by partners it focused mainly on one part of the strat- (Peru) or sent directly to IIED on DVDs. The videos egy, the exercise demonstrated that more were then posted online on a dedicated website inclusive ways of framing institutional 4 for IIED staff to view. strategies are technically possible, and not IIED staff reflection overly expensive. Moreover, the experience Staff had a month to view and reflect on the short showed that strategic priorities can be video messages received and posted on the directly based on local realities and knowl- website, and to prepare for a video conference edge, resulting in more shared ownership with local partners in the three countries. and commitment by partners to do joint work with IIED. oped a 10-month participatory process No other IIED team used video confer- which included the steps outlined in Box 1. encing or similar participatory processes to involve members of marginalised Video conferences between IIED senior communities directly in framing the insti- staff and local partners tute’s strategy. But there were extensive Two three-hour long, bilingual video consultations. For example, IIED’s Natural conferences were held:5 Resource Group ran three regional work- • one between 45 indigenous farmers shops to elicit partners’ views on ‘what (men and women, young and elders) from next for IIED’. On balance however, IIED’s different Quechua communities in the new strategy relied much more on consul- province of Cusco, Peru and IIED’s direc- tations with scholars, NGOs, donors and tor and staff members in London; and sympathetic government staff to ‘bring in’

3 Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) is the establishment of conditions under which people exercise their fundamental right to negotiate the terms of external interventions that directly affect their well-being, and to give or withhold their consent to them. FPIC is a right that is affirmed through an ongoing process of communication, with consent sought at key stages in the process. In this case, FPIC is part a larger process of power-equalising research with our local partners (see Pimbert, 2010a). 4 Although the website is no longer live, the videos were uploaded to: www.iiedwhatnext.org 5 No live video conference with Iranian partners was possible in the end due to lack of equipment in the field. But nomadic pastoralists and other local partners sent a longer video message to IIED, outlining their vision and priorities for the institute’s work on food, agriculture and land use. This longer video was presented and discussed during a seminar involving IIED’s director and 14 staff members, together with two representatives of the partners from Iran. l Two steps forward, one step back: broadening participation in the strategy process in IIED 157 Photos: Deccan Development Society Photos:

A three-way video conference involving board members of the Deccan Development Society in Hyderabad, 60 women small farmers in Andhra Pradesh and 25 IIED staff in London. 158 63 Michel Pimbert

views from the regions, rather than on the nal consultants from a renowned UK-based first-hand knowledge and priorities of policy think tank were contracted to do the marginalised actors and co-researchers review. They mostly interviewed people (e.g. farmers, forest dwellers, pastoralists from donor organisations, academia, and slum dwellers). urban-based researchers and the like. Very few local partners were consulted. In a letter What happened next? to IIED’s director and senior management, The small farmers, nomadic pastoralists one local partner highlighted how impor- and indigenous peoples involved stressed tant IIED’s three tiers of partnership – the need for a strong, radical agenda on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) food sovereignty and the right to food. and civil society organisations (CSOs) work- Several of their priorities were ultimately ing from grassroots to global level; social incorporated into the food and agriculture movements; and, the ‘ultimate partners’, the component of IIED’s new institutional marginalised, indigenous people – were, strategy. The acceptance criteria used by noting that: IIED’s strategy explicitly valued the priori- ties identified by local partners in their … the process seemingly taken by IIED in video messages and in the video confer- the review of food and agriculture work has ences (see list earlier in this article). The struck some of us partners as very odd and contents of the strategy were first validated very un-IIED-like… Such reviews or elab- at the IIED team and group level, and then orating new strategies must not be top- by the whole institute in a series of discus- down, and should follow well worked out sions and retreats where consensus was approaches that are deeply inclusive and reached. Not all partner views were taken participatory – given the three-tier part- on board – they had to be balanced with nership of IIED – without which the latter other perspectives (e.g. IIED staff, more would be nowhere and would command no mainstream partners and donors). But more respect than a regular run-of-the-mill views ‘from below’ did help to shape a establishment-orientated NGO. strong programme of work on food sover- Mohammed Taghi Farvar, 17th November eignty which challenges the mainstream, 2010.6 neo-liberal approach to food and farming (Pimbert, 2010b). It is notable that My team have always encouraged two- although not as radical as some partners way accountability, mutual respect, local might have wished in some areas (e.g. on decision-making, independence, and the trade and markets), the final strategy was right to disagree with IIED’s and other’s strongly endorsed by all local partners when views in our work with partners through presented back to them. And they have non-centralised structures and networks. since used this as a basis for our joint work We’ve also emphasised participant-owned on agroecology and food sovereignty. Then, and governed processes which foster a two years into the five-year strategy, IIED’s culture of freedom and self-organisation directorate decided to carry out a review of within the boundaries of our action the institute’s work on food and agriculture. research. Through ensuring that our An important aim of the 2010 food and action research is power-equalising, local agriculture review was to identify newly partners know they can exercise their right emerging challenges and issues which to be heard. This makes it very difficult for IIED’s research should focus on. Two exter- IIED to decide the strategy for food and

6 Email to IIED’s director and strategy team, copied to key local partners in India and Peru, and forwarded to several IIED staff. l Two steps forward, one step back: broadening participation in the strategy process in IIED 159 agriculture without involving local part- … the voices, ideas, perspectives and theo- ners – and gives partners the confidence ries produced by those engaged in social to challenge IIED if our actions under- struggles are often ignored, rendered invis- mine this mutual accountability and ible, or overwritten with accounts by respect. IIED management responded professionalised and academic experts. positively to the letter, indicating that local Choudry and Kapoor (2010). partners will be included in subsequent discussions on how to re-prioritise and/or From reflecting on moments such as this update the institute’s strategy on food and one we learn the importance of being agriculture. constantly vigilant and having the courage Most IIED staff appreciate how impor- to ‘speak out’ when necessary to ensure that tant it is to ‘walk the talk’, and know that ways of working are consistent with our donors value the institute’s ability to link organisation’s mission statement and values. local voices into global decision-making Involving marginalised and excluded voices processes. Few would want to jeopardise in strategy development cannot be a one-off IIED’s reputation in this regard. But this moment, but must be part of a continuous latest episode in IIED’s strategy process is relationship of mutual respect and trust for a reminder of the constant risk that: the co-construction of reality.

CONTACT DETAILS Michel Pimbert International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road London WC1X 8NH UK Email: [email protected] Website: www.iied.org

REFERENCES Choudry, A. and D. Kapoor (2010) Learning from the ground up: global perspectives on social movements and knowledge production. Palgrave Macmillan. Pimbert, M.P. (2010a) Reflections on experiences of research on food sovereignty with, for and by people. International Workshop on Research and Food Sovereignty, Barcelona, December 2010. Online: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/G03086.pdf Pimbert, M.P. (2010b) Towards food sovereignty: reclaiming autonomous food systems. IIED: London. Online: http://tinyurl.com/tfs-iied. Full URL: www.iied.org/natural- resources/key-issues/food-and-agriculture/multimedia-publication- towards-food-sovereignty-re 160 63

Participatory strategy development at ActionAid 24 International

by KATE NEWMAN with DAVID ARCHER

ActionAid is a large international NGO, consultants were asked to develop an originally UK-based, which in 2003 trans- organisational strategy based on this posi- formed its organisational structure to a tion paper. As the strategy was seen as a federal system. It has an international management tool, it followed that secretariat in South Africa and around 40 management experts were best placed to country programmes, which are at differ- develop it. Since then, strategy develop- ent stages of becoming ActionAid ment has become increasingly important affiliates. This requires the development of for the organisation. It is now seen as a key national boards, so that national organisational tool for achieving coher- programmes are nationally accountable ence across the different affiliates: the way while also being part of the ActionAid to engage staff, partners and community International family. Over 50% of Action- members in wide-ranging discussions on Aid’s funds come from individuals based the nature of poverty, their development in the North, who contribute a monthly vision and the contribution ActionAid can amount to the organisation. While there make. are strict rules about how this money can be spent, it does give the organisation ActionAid’s recent strategy significant latitude to decide its own development process course of development, minimising its In 2010 ActionAid began developing a dependency on specific donors. new strategy. This was to be a year-long ActionAid’s first organisational posi- process involving a wide range of activities tion paper was developed overnight in and stakeholders from around the world. 1993 by the then chief executive. A couple David Archer, Head of International of years later a group of management Education, was seconded full-time to lead

1 Insights drawn from interview data collected for Kate Newman’s PhD research on how ActionAid has been able to translate its 2005-2010 strategy into practice. l Participatory strategy development at ActionAid International 161 the process. A core team (the strategy passionately felt should be in the new reference team) of nine senior staff from strategy. The strategy drafting team across the organisation, including country received 50 propositions and grouped directors from Tanzania, India and them in clusters to inform discussions of Denmark, were to spend a third of their key issues to be taken forward. time on it. The process kicked off with a ‘taking stock’ review, involving a team of Input from countries where ActionAid works eight external consultants to review In addition to these internal processes, progress and critically analyse perform- ‘future strategy days’ were organised in ance in relation to the previous about half the countries where ActionAid organisational strategy (ActionAid, 2005). works. The aim was to allow groups of rights-holders (i.e. the poor and excluded Encouraging broader inputs people ActionAid works with) to feed in Beyond the external review, the process their views. They discussed ActionAid’s created various ways for different groups current priorities and its ways of working to contribute ideas to the strategy devel- and raising funds. They took part in a visu- opment. alisation of how ActionAid’s work – at household, local, national, regional and Input from ActionAid staff members global levels – should look in 2020. There was a dedicated space on the Following the strategy days, national ActionAid intranet for strategy discus- programmes called together key partners sions. Staff members could respond to and social movements to share insights questions such as: from the external review, build from the • What should be the next big ideas at the input of the rights-holders’ groups and heart of ActionAid’s future strategy? identify their own priorities. • Who would care if ActionAid ceased to The outputs of each national consulta- exist – what gaps would be left? tion were compiled into a two-page report • What changes need to be made in by country programme staff and sent to ActionAid’s size/shape/structure/staffing/ the future strategy coordinator. A key systems and processes/ways of working? concern of the strategy coordinator was Staff were also encouraged to develop whether the inevitable bias at national self-organised groups, working with level would influence how country colleagues from across the organisation to programmes reported on these events – put together a one-page proposal for and how to deal with this in the aggrega- something to be included in the new strat- tion process. While no guarantee was egy. A total of 80 group propositions were given to respond to each group’s priorities received, covering: (this would be impossible given the extent • issues such as urban poverty and climate of participation across the globe) there was justice; a plan to share the final strategy (see • processes, such as participatory methods below). or making poverty personal; and • ideas around organisational develop- Other inputs ment, such as what should be ActionAid’s ‘Future visioning’ work was carried out by theory of change, trade unionism in an external consultant, who identified crit- ActionAid, or reimagining accountability. ical uncertainties of the coming decade, There was also a system in place to including global power relations, the collect individual one-paragraph proposi- impact of technology, the potential of tions in any language, anonymously if monetary reform and the likely nature of required. These focused on anything staff future global shocks. 162 63 Kate Newman with David Archer

Making sense of the inputs Box 1: Scenario planning methodology The information gathered through these various channels was discussed at a global The key strategy reference group explored all the background material and identified a series of staff conference, held midway through the ‘knotty issues’ such as: strategy development process. This was • What does it mean to be a feminist where all the broad decisions regarding organisation? ActionAid’s future were to be made. It was • Do we have too many specialisms? attended by 120 staff, including senior • Should we be more focused? • How much should we invest in grassroots management and board representatives programmes? from across the globe. There was also A sub-group then developed three future some participation from staff below direc- scenarios which included some of the ‘knotty tor level, with ‘wild-card invitations’ for issues’. But the group reframed them and looked five young, innovative staff members who at them through different lenses, detaching people from their immediate struggles and ActionAid hoped will become leaders in personalities to focus on the ‘big picture’ and the the future. However, no effort was made consequences of making particular choices now. It to bring in staff members or partners who was hoped that the scenarios would enable might give a more community-based people to look beyond immediate results, actions perspective. The discussions were there- or programmes and explore their assumptions and beliefs. The scenarios were not intended to be fore between a group of people whose real options to choose from: they were stories, primary focus was policy leadership and caricatures and exaggerations, designed to start a management, rather than those who had dialogue and facilitate a deeper-level strategic day-to-day interaction at partner or conversation. community level. This has implications Based on the discussion and feedback the conference team produced a ‘composite scenario’ for the final decision-making given the which was shared with participants on the final types of priorities and perspectives day of the conference. Participants discussed the involved and those excluded. scenario and then everyone was asked to line up The conference was planned to shake across the room, with one end 100% in support of people out of their present comfort zones, the direction captured in the composite scenario and the other 0% support. Most people clustered assumptions and ways of working, creat- around 70% or 75%, some very close to 100% ing a new dynamic and helping to and no-one under 50%. transform the organisational culture of ActionAid. A scenario planning method- tional directors, then to its international ology was used for this purpose (see Box board and finally for approval to its inter- 1). national assembly in July 2011. Following the conference the strategy reference group went on a week-long Analysing the process retreat, and worked to develop a first draft ActionAid has a much more intensive and of the strategy. This was circulated to all extensive strategy development process staff and partners and shared with some than many other INGOs (see Newman other key stakeholders, including social and Baños Smith, this issue). It is the only movements, communities where Action- example we found of an organisation with Aid works and the team of external a clear process for collecting information reviewers. Responses to the draft strategy from poor and excluded groups to feed were collected over the following six into all parts of its strategy. This reflects weeks and a second draft was produced a ActionAid’s wider analysis of poverty and week later. This is in the process of being its role in eradicating it, which recognises critiqued as we write. A further draft will the fundamental importance of accounta- be produced before the final strategy is bility to the poor and excluded submitted first to ActionAid’s interna- rights-holders with whom it works. By l Participatory strategy development at ActionAid International 163 investing such a level of resources, Action- country-level strategy development. Aid hopes that the strategy development ActionAid has shown that poor process will energise staff, partners and people’s voices can be heard within a strat- communities in the struggle for human egy development process, but the extent to rights, and that this will increase the which the strategy process is empowering ownership and relevance of the final and coherent with basic participatory document. values depends on whether it contributes However, there are also questions to transforming power relationships at raised, not least of representation and bias. every level. This includes relationships For example, the future strategy days were between staff within the formal hierarchy, the main forum for local voices to feed into different countries where the organisation the national analysis – and thereby inter- is operational, its staff and partners, and national strategy decisions. But how were partners and communities. There are the participating rights-holders and part- tensions between an empowering process ner organisations identified? Were they and a useful product (see McCausland; chosen by national country programmes? Lewin, this issue) and also in linking a How were they organised? The strategy one-off process of strategy development to process included some suggestions for the ongoing spaces for discussion, analysis and agenda, but did not define principles for action. As David Archer comments: how they were facilitated, or how the outputs were selected and reported. The strategy for 2012–2016 is not an end Equally, it is not clear how the organi- point. Rather, it needs to be a new starting sation recognised or responded to internal point for engaging with people struggling power relations that impact on staff’s abil- with poverty and injustice around the ity to engage with the channels specifically world. provided, such as self-organised groups. Or how those responsible for collecting the Final steps different inputs would ensure that it was Once finalised and approved, various not only staff with good advocacy skills popular versions of the strategy will be who got their issues taken seriously. produced, probably including a video, a There are also the questions of subjec- website and a Powerpoint presentation – tivity and bias debated elsewhere in this and there will be an active programme of issue (see Beardon et al.; Shutt) and of how sharing the strategy with different accountability is interpreted during the constituencies. This will include sessions strategy development process. For exam- with community members and partners to ple, the organisation could not realistically enable them to evaluate how the final respond directly to every input. And it is strategy responds to their initial inputs. unlikely that all points of view will agree At the end of 2011 there will be a short anyway. So how could ActionAid ensure evaluation of the strategy process where that people did not feel they were wasting each country, theme and function, as well their resources and time inputting into the as those involved closely in the process (the process? strategy reference team etc.) will be asked And what were the criteria for judging to reflect on what worked and what should whether such an extensive strategy process be changed in the future. ActionAid will has been successful? It is important that be looking not just at the outcome (i.e. the strategy development also builds on more strategy itself) but at all the stages routine processes of engagement with involved. This will be used to guide learn- stakeholders, such as local analysis and ing about future strategy processes within action planning, reflection processes and ActionAid and to inform articles about the 164 63 Kate Newman with David Archer

process which can be shared with other harmonised with the new strategy, includ- agencies who are going through a similar ing long-term financing and funding, the process. A final challenge will be to ensure restructuring of the international secre- that other plans and processes are fully tariat and country-level plans.

CONTACT DETAILS Kate Newman Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

David Archer Head of Education for ActionAid ActionAid International 33-39 Bowling Green Lane London EC1R 0BJ UK Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES ActionAid (2005) Rights to end poverty: ActionAid International strategy 2005-2010. ActionAid International. Online: http://tinyurl.com/aai-strategy05-10. Full URL: www.actionaid.org.uk/_content/documents/AAIStrategy2005_12 82005_143016.pdf 165 PART V Tips for trainers 166 63 167

Working with your community’s stories 25

by CYNTHIA KURTZ

Introduction Why do communities need story care- Once upon a time, in every village there takers? Because well-tended stories help lived people who played a special role in communities negotiate the identities, community storytelling. Griots, shanachies, boundaries and rules they need to live bards and other story caretakers took together in peace. Stories help people probe responsibility for the stories of the commu- sensitive topics safely and experience nity. They were the ones who asked ‘What events through the eyes of others so they happened?’ and listened carefully to the can move beyond their initial – often responses. They watched new trends while unfavourable – reactions to contentious they recalled times past. They could issues. respond to a situation with an appropriate Who can become a story caretaker? story based on patterns across time and Anyone can gain the skills and do the work space of which they alone were aware. They required. But as in times past, the caretaker helped groups use their old and new stories role is not taken on: it is earned. A story to settle disputes, solve problems and make caretaker earns the right to gather and decisions together. work with a community’s stories by negoti- In many of today’s communities, people ating trust and demonstrating responsibil- move more often, encounter more ity and commitment. It takes time and commercial stories and spend less time patience, but the benefits are great. talking with people of varying ages than in As a researcher and consultant, I have times past. Many who could fill the roles of helped many organisations and communi- story caretakers either do not hear the ties gather and work with their stories to stories they should or cannot tell the stories gain insights, resolve disputes and plan for they know. In many communities no new the future. My work has convinced me that caretakers have appeared and stories are the role of story caretaker is in need of revi- being left untended. talisation in many communities. In some 168 63 Cynthia Kurtz

communities, stories and other qualitative asking for stories. When this happens I information are gathered when there is a explain why I am collecting stories and particular need to be addressed. But respectfully ask for the help they alone can communities that tend to their stories on provide. an ongoing basis can generate their own • When people are unused to being heard, sense-making and better respond to they sometimes believe their stories will dangers and opportunities as they arise. not be useful. I assure them their contribu- This Tips for trainers shares some practi- tions will be valuable and help them find cal insights I have gained in over eighty their voices. story projects.1 • Sometimes people are eager to please and try too hard to perform amazing stories Listening to stories instead of just telling me what happened to Taking care of stories means listening to them. When this happens I explain that them, remembering them, helping people their authentic experiences will help the make sense of them and guiding them most. through the community. The first step, and • Sometimes people promote themselves or the foundation on which all else depends, complain or lecture instead of telling is listening. stories. When this happens I explain that I The best way to improve your skills at hope to help the entire community and story listening is simply to listen to as many need their help. stories as you can. In my work I have • When people believe what I am doing is listened to many real stories told by real trivial or useless, they sometimes respond people, and this has given me a good sense with disdain or ignore my questions. When for how stories flow and form. You can do this happens I explain why the effort will the same in your community. Folk tales are help the community and ask them to do also great teachers. The more stories you their part. hear, the better you will become at listen- ing to them. Stories and social cues If you sit quietly and watch a group of Eliciting storytelling people as they tell stories, you will see that Long ago I used to think everyone told they negotiate for the right to speak. In the stories all the time, as I do. But since then turn-taking dance that is a conversation, I have met many people who do not. Some telling a story relies on mutual consent people think they tell stories, but when you because it requires holding the floor for an ask them for a story they give you some- extended period of time. In conversation thing else: facts, opinions, statements, you can hear people ask permission to tell complaints. I help people tell stories by stories, and you can hear other people give continually leading them back to the it – or not. When I ask people to tell me concrete and specific. I say, ‘Can you give stories, I make sure to provide the permis- me an example of a time when that state- sion they need. ment was particularly true? What I have come to recognise three happened then?’ moments in which storytellers seem to feel I have also noticed some specific barri- especially vulnerable and in need of ers to telling stories that pertain only to permission to speak. some people and some situations. • Sometimes people put forth a prelude to • When people are used to authority, they a story and then pause to see if those sometimes believe I am wasting their time around them will give them the floor. Story

1. This article is based on my free book, Working with stories in your community or organization (Kurtz, 2008). l Working with your community’s stories 169 preludes are often references to times (‘one • How do you feel about this story? day’), memories (‘I remember when’), or • Why did you tell it? events (‘I left home’). When I hear a story • Where did it come from? prelude, I turn to the storyteller and look • How long will you remember it? at them to communicate my attention and • Who can tell this story? Who cannot? permission to speak. • Who should hear this story? Who should • In every story there is a peak where the not? storyteller reaches an emotional high point. If you count and compare the answers Their voice rises and their body language to these questions, you may discover new becomes more expansive. At this point they insights about your community. often look around to see if people are paying attention. When I see the story Thinking about stories together peak, I make sure I am leaning in and Stories are like seeds. Just as deep in the looking at the storyteller. soil seeds are living organisms waiting to • After the end of a story, the storyteller spring to life in the sun and rain, deep in often feels vulnerable and tries to save face memory stories lie waiting to be heard and by summarising the story, referring to its germinate in new minds. When you work authority or suitability, or asking for with stories, your goal is not to capture and approval. When I hear this, I communicate preserve stories in eternal storage, but to my appreciation so they will feel empow- facilitate the living flow of narrative ered to tell another story. discourse. What happens when you do not give In my experience, the best way to facil- people adequate permission to tell stories? itate this flow is to bring people together I remember one project where people were and consider the stories you have gathered asked to interview each other about a as a group. And the best way for a group of factory that was closing down. As I listened people to think about stories together is to to the interview tapes I heard the same build larger stories out of them. In the conversation over and over: same way that telling a story signals safety to reveal our feelings and beliefs, building Interviewer: ‘Do you remember your first a story together carries safety into the day at the factory?’ group process. Say our group is assembling Interviewee: ‘Yes.’ (Long silence.) gathered stories into two larger stories told from opposite perspectives. Questions of I could tell that many of the intervie- what really happened, what matters, and wees wanted to tell those stories of their what should be done about it do not belong first day at the factory, but they did not feel to the realm of story construction, so we they had permission to do so. After you put them aside. After the larger stories have watched people tell stories long have been created, we can turn to those enough, you will know what it looks like questions, but we have already explored when people want permission to tell a multiple perspectives without evaluation or story, and you will be able to respond natu- attack. rally. How do you build stories out of stories? Many participatory methods can work, and Asking about stories I describe some in my book. One example As people tell stories they often surround is to place the titles of stories you have them with contextual annotations, like collected on a landscape where the direc- ‘And that is why I hate dogs’. I like to tions (North-South, East-West) are things encourage people to annotate their stories you want to think about, like strength and by asking them questions like these: kindness, or cooperation and competition. 170 63 Cynthia Kurtz

Building a landscape story can help you Returning stories to the community think about the past and future of your Rarely will everyone in your community be community. willing or able to engage in every part of Another example is an exercise I call the your community story project. Typically the ‘twice-told stories’ method. Ask people to largest group of people will tell you stories, form small groups and tell each other and a smaller group will work with the stories about something. Ask each group to stories together. Only yourself and other agree on a criterion by which they will story caretakers will gather stories, help choose one story to retell to the whole people think about them and help them group. Different groups can have different return to the community. This means you criteria, but they should all be related to may need to help some stories get to people utility (for example, the story the mayor who have not participated in listening to needs to hear most) rather than quality (for them or working with them. There are example, the most exciting story). After the many ways to do this. You might distribute small groups have told several stories, ask them in an album or newsletter. You might each small group to retell its chosen story start a community story library. You might to the larger group. Then discuss all the put on a community play based on a group- retold stories and what they say about the created story. You might cross-distribute community together. stories gathered from two contending The method you use is less important groups. than the participatory nature of the Above all, respect privacy and build process. If you facilitate the group process experience and trust as you help stories well, the group will reach new insights and flow through your community. You may be deepen their shared understanding. surprised by how much you can achieve.

CONTACT DETAILS Cynthia Kurtz Independent researcher and consultant Website: http://cfkurtz.com www.storycoloredglasses.com

REFERENCES Kurtz, C. (2008) Working with stories in your community or organization. Free online book available at: workingwithstories.org. 171

The Ripples process: a framework for facilitating reflection and analysis 26

by HANNAH BEARDON and KATE NEWMAN

This Tips for trainers includes some work- a. Personal reflection shop exercises used in the original research Spend 10 minutes thinking through how phase of the Ripples process. The research you make decisions in your work. involved interested organisations and indi- Guiding questions: viduals (reached through our own • What kinds of decisions are you able or networks) in developing case studies to expected to make? look at how information flowed from • What kind of information do you rely on participatory processes in their organisa- in your decision-making process? tions or teams. Within each organisation, • What decisions do you need to refer else- we facilitated reflection and analysis using where and what types of information might a framework of tools and guiding questions you share to support those decisions? based on ideas brought out by the literature • Where do you access information? What review. This research was the basis for criteria do you use to assess whether infor- developing the methodology and broad mation is reliable, useful etc? questions for the March 2010 workshop discussed in ‘Making sense together: the b. Group analysis Ripples editshop’ (Beardon and Newman, Imagine your organisation as a system. this issue). Using coloured cards identify key points in the system where information is accessed Session 1: Understanding information or created. These could be people, places flows or events e.g. individuals, teams, offices, Aim: To explore how knowledge is databases, intranet, libraries, weekly team conceived and valued within your organi- meetings or informal meetings in the sation – and unpack the systems and struc- kitchen. tures that exist to support information You may want to code these to make the flows. visualisation clearer, using a specific shape 172 63 Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman

or colour for different types of: Questions for reflection/documentation • information points (e.g. formal, struc- • What are the points or elements of your tural, personal etc.); or systems diagram which support the flow, • information packages (e.g. documents, management and use of information meetings, databases). generated through participatory processes? Think about how this information • What are the organisational values and flows. What information is actively ‘pushed cultures (written or unwritten) which out’, ‘pulled in’ or just passively ‘put out support or hinder the acceptance and use there’? Use arrows of different thicknesses of information generated through partici- to show the direction and strength and how patory processes in decision-making? far and how widely different types of infor- mation flows. Session 2: Participatory processes Aim: To look at how participation is Guiding questions understood and used within your organi- • Where is information generated? e.g. sation. within programmes and internal processes. a. Brainstorm • What is information used for? How is it • How is ‘participation’ conceived and used defined, recognised and valued? What within your organisation? (You could makes it relevant for decision-making in include some individual reflection on how the system? you understand participation and how you • Where are decisions made? e.g. in have experienced it in relation to your programme planning, strategy develop- work). ment, policy, partnerships, definition of • What types of participatory processes are policy advocacy messages etc. there at different levels? • Who are the key actors in this process? • What is considered as good quality What information do they use to make participatory practice? (e.g. key elements decisions? of ‘quality’ participatory practice, who • What are the information management ‘judges’ and on what criteria?) points or systems? Who controls these, • Where does the information generated inputs into them, accesses them? How by participatory processes that you have effective are they at making different types been involved in sit in the system diagram of information available? What power rela- created in Session 1? tions influence them? • Does your organisation’s theory/official b. Analysis of a participatory experience that picture of information flow differ from influenced the wider organisation reality? In your group identify a specific participa- tory experience which became well known Concluding comments in your organisation. Use the image of a Reflect on your own individual experience tree, to look at the roots (inputs) and fruits of decision-making, and the general organ- (outcomes) of this experience. isational systems, culture and practice in You can use the trunk of the tree to your systems diagram. What are the key label the experience, and then address the elements which determine information following questions to develop its roots: flows in your organisation? • Where, who, how, why was the process It might help you to use a metaphor to developed? describe your organisation and the way • What were the aims of the process? Was information flows, for example using the there a planned process of sharing the characteristics of a specific animal. participatory process more broadly? Why? l The Ripples process: a framework for facilitating reflection and analysis 173

• How was the process situated within the Building on the reflection: key issues in wider organisational goals/plans etc.? participatory methods and information flows And branches (and/or specific fruits) Following the reflection sessions with indi- • What was the direct impact(s) of the vidual NGOs, we developed a set of ques- participatory experience? tions for further reflection, which we • What was the broader impact/influence? included in the ‘How wide are the ripples?’ • How did the experience impact on those working paper, including: involved (either facilitators or partici- • What kinds of knowledge and informa- pants). What learning was there? tion are generated through participatory • How was the learning or information methods that can be useful at other levels – generated by the participatory experience i.e. that people want to share more widely? communicated and documented? • What is different about knowledge • How closely were the outcomes of the management for participatory methods? process managed? • What is the responsibility of INGOs to bridge local knowledge and international Look at the tree you have produced in policy? the wider context of your organisation. Does the same wider impact happen routinely? These questions were the basis for the Feel free to take the metaphor of a tree as Ripples workshop held in London in March far as you like, considering the weather, 2010: the basis for this issue of PLA. The pests, fertiliser etc. For example consider: workshop allowed participants to discuss • How does the tree interact with its envi- these questions from an institutional and ronment? individual perspective, and share insights. • What influences it positively/negatively? Some of the emerging questions included: • What conditions does this type of tree • Who has relevant information on devel- need to germinate and grow healthily? opment issues? • What happens to the tree when you • How is it captured and used? consider it in the larger context that your • How are power imbalances revealed in of organisation works in? the ways information is used in decision- • What might influence (or interfere with) making for development/in INGOs? growing more trees? • What kinds of strategies, tools and rela- tionships have been applied to overcome or Concluding comments shift this imbalance of power? • How do the two sessions link? • What is the role of the INGO/its head- • How can people doing participatory quarters in this? Which issues concern us work engage with the information system most – do we feel confident enough to your organisation operates? address them? • Are there specific lessons relating to how • What is the operating context in which information is valued and packaged? the INGO headquarters are working? • Who should INGOs to be accountable to Questions for reflection/documentation in their decision-making processes? • If the information and knowledge gener- • How far can accountability be taken or ated through participatory practice were supported by the organisational structures, to be used effectively what would this look cultures and bureaucracies? like? • What should be the role of donors in • How would this transform your ‘systems supporting or impeding this? diagram’? How would this make the tree • What are the technological and practical look different? considerations? 174 63 Hannah Beardon and Kate Newman

CONTACT DETAILS Hannah Beardon Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

Kate Newman Independent consultant Email: [email protected]

REFERENCES Clark, L., K. Newman and H. Beardon (2010) ‘How wide are the ripples? Report of the March 2010 workshop.’ IKM Emergent Programme. Online: http://tinyurl.com/ripples-workshop 175 IN TOUCH 176 63 177

How wide are the ripples? Related resources

Failure report: learning from our 312 Adelaide Street West, Suite 302, Toronto, mistakes Ontario, M5V 1R2, Canada. Email: l Engineers Without Borders Canada, [email protected]. Tel: +1 866 481 3696. 2010 Fax: +1 416 352 5360. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) believes that success in development is Promoting voice and choice: exploring not possible without taking risks and innovations in Australian NGO innovating – which inevitably means accountability for development failing sometimes – and lessons learnt effectiveness from failure are of crucial importance. So l Chris Roche, 2010, ACFID, Australia the organisation has developed a Failure This publication is based on examples of report: an annual publication where staff practice submitted by Australian members reflect on the failures and international NGOs. It shares a range of learning from their project work. In the innovative ways that NGOs are working spirit of sharing lessons more broadly and to improve their downward aiming to create a culture that encourages accountability and social learning. It creativity, and calculated risk-taking, the defines three different loops of publication is shared on their website accountability: below. EWB also have a website where • single loop (which refers to feedback they invite anyone to share and reflect from partners and communities to NGOs from their failures: on their activities); www.admittingfailure.com • double loop (which describes ongoing n Download online: www.ewb.ca/en/ engagement with partners and whoweare/accountable/failure.html communities on broader policies, Or contact: Engineers Without Borders practices or strategies); and Canada – Ingénieurs Sans Frontières Canada, • triple-loop (seen as the most 178 63

fundamental level, which explores how intensely personal process that goes on in NGOs adhere to their core values and the minds of individuals. mission). Focusing on triple-loop The paper draws on examples from accountability involves reflection on northern NGOs. It looks at how NGOs NGO beliefs about the world and their can provide the motive, means and place within it, as well as assumptions opportunity for organisational learning, about how positive change occurs. This looking at how planned and emergent is the most challenging area of strategies can be combined, and accountability as it is linked to the recognising that while much has been identity of an organisation. Based on written on conceptual frameworks for NGO examples, Roche concludes that learning these are mostly ‘western’ most accountability practice is focused oriented, and work needs to be done to on single-loop accountability, with translate these theories into practice. NGOs learning how to improve their n Download online: practice, but not exploring radical new http://tinyurl.com/britton-praxis3 ways of doing things. She argues that Full URL: www.intrac.org/resources.php? NGOs need to recognise the strategic action=resource&id=398 nature of the ‘new accountability’ Or contact: INTRAC, Oxbridge Court, Osney agenda: moving beyond participation Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES, UK. Email: and improving learning to consider [email protected]; Tel: +44 1865 201851; transparency, complaints procedures Fax: +44 1865 201852. and response mechanisms. n Online: http://tinyurl.com/voice-acfid Introducing knowledge sharing Full URL: www.acfid.asn.au/resources/docs_ methods and tools – a facilitator’s resources/Promoting%20Voice%20and%20 guide Choice%20ACFID%202010.pdf/view l Allison Hewlitt and Lucie Lamoureux, 2010, IDRC and IFAD Organisational learning in NGOs: This publication was funded by Canada’s creating the motive, means, and International Development Research opportunity Centre and the International Fund for l Bruce Britton, 2005, Praxis Paper 3, Agricultural Development as a component INTRAC of the ENRAP initiative. It aims to support Britton explores why learning is useful in those who want to develop stronger NGOs and how to nurture organisational knowledge and sharing capacities, methods learning in NGOs. He notes that NGOs and tools. The guide was developed are usually very action-oriented, partly primarily to support a knowledge and because they are under constant pressure sharing workshop. It is also designed to be to demonstrate impact. But that they also used directly by individuals to strengthen recognise that they need to learn, from learning and sharing directly in their work. their own experiences and others. As It is focused on five key elements: Britton notes: • Strengthening relationships and networks • Capturing and disseminating lessons To be a learning NGO requires organisa- learnt, case studies and good practices: a tions to simultaneously balance the need to look at some tools take a strategic approach to organisational • Generating and sharing lessons learnt, learning (at the highest level of organisa- case studies and good practices tional planning and management) with • Designing and facilitating better the recognition that learning is also an meetings and workshops In Touch l Books & other resources 179

• Strengthening and sustaining change that BINGOs are trying to knowledge-sharing achieve, and the (perceived) constraints n Download online: that prevent them from taking on a more http://tinyurl.com/enrap-pdf radical agenda. It outlines the types of Full URL: www.enrap.org/resources/ questions organisations (or individuals) development-themes/knowledge- should be asking themselves if they want management/introducing-knowledge-sharin to support ‘progressive social change’ g-methods-and-tools-a-facilitators-guide focusing both on their internal operations Also available from: IDRC, South Asia and their interaction with the external Regional Office, 208, Jor Bagh, New Delhi 03, environment. It is a really useful starting India. Tel: +91 11 2461 9411. Or contact: point for understanding the context in Ms Chase Palmeri, IFAD, Via Paolo di Dono, which BINGOS are currently working in. 44, 00142 Rome, Italy. Email: n Download online: http://tinyurl.com/ids- [email protected]; Tel: + 39 0654591. bingo Full URL: www.ids.ac.uk/go/idspublication/ Learning from change: issues and changing-the-world-by-changing-ourselves- experiences in participatory monitoring reflections-from-a-bunch-of-bingos-research- and evaluation summary l Marisol Estrella with Jutta Blauert, Or contact: IDS Publications, Institute of Dindo Campilan, John Gaventa, Julian Development Studies, University of Sussex, Gonsalves, Irene Guijt, Deb Johnson and Brighton, BN1 9RE, UK. Email: Roger Ricafort (Eds.), 2000, Practical [email protected]; Tel: + 44 1273 915637; Action Fax: + 44 1273 621202. Based on case studies and discussions between development practitioners and Relationships matter: the best kept academics, this publication explores secret of international aid? experiences in participatory approaches to l Rosalind Eyben, 2011, Community monitoring and evaluation (PM&E) across Development Resource Association different institutions and sectors. It (CDRA) explores conceptual, methodological, This is an article published in Investing institutional and policy issues in relation to in the immaterial, CDRA’s annual digest the understanding and practice of PM&E. for practitioners of development. Eyben n Download online: www.adpc.net/pdr- argues that rather than understanding sea/eval/file10.pdf development as if it is made up of real Or contact: Practical Action, The Schumacher objects – and therefore predictable and Centre, Bourton on Dunsmore, Rugby, measurable – it would be more CV23 9QZ, UK. appropriate to focus on the ‘relational’ Email: [email protected]; aspect of development. She argues that Tel: +44 1926 634400. current practice means: • Power relations, the partiality of Changing the world by changing knowledge and complexity are ignored – ourselves: reflections from a bunch of as are surprises and positive and negative BINGOs unplanned consequences. l Cathy Shutt, 2009, IDS Practice Paper • Theoretical and contested concepts such Based on a series of workshops which as civil society, capacity or policy are brought together academics and staff made to seem more concrete or real – and from a range of big international NGOs therefore quantifiable e.g. ‘state the (BINGOs) this paper explores the number of policies influenced’. challenges facing BINGOs. It looks at the • Top level aid bureaucrats […] are obliged 180 63

to represent international aid to their n Download online: http://insightshare. peers, their Treasuries and politicians as a org/resources/pv-handbook feasible project that they are capable of Or contact: InsightShare, The Old Music Hall, controlling. Over time, they learn to ignore 106-108 Cowley Road, OX4 1JE, Oxford, UK. what they cannot deal with. Email: info@insightshare. But what if development were org; Tel: +44 1865 403127. understood instead as an emergent process – uncertain, relative and complex? We A rights-based approach to would recognise that development involves participatory video toolkit dealing with ‘messes’: with history, culture l InsightShare, 2010 and context and relationships all playing a This toolkit aims to provide the first few role. Unfortunately, even when people stepping stones for practitioners of within aid agencies do understand the participatory video to begin introducing a importance of relational practice their rights-based approach into their practice. work is often misrepresented up the The toolkit (published June 2010) is free to management chain to conform to the download as a dynamic PDF. official representation of how aid works. In The toolkit is intended to be particularly this way, hidden relational practices may useful for those already undertaking be sustaining the very norms that such participatory video work, although the practices are subverting. methods, ideas, tools, checklists and n Download online: http://tinyurl.com/cdra- additional resources cited will mean its digest contents are useful and relevant to a broad Full URL: www.cdra.org.za/images/ community of practitioners of participatory publications/fa_cdra_digest.pdf communications and media. Or contact: Community Development nDownload online: http://tinyurl.com/rba-is-pv Resource Association, 52-54 Francis Street, Full URL: http://insightshare.org/resources/ Woodstock, Cape Town, 7915, South Africa. right-based-approach-to-pv-toolkit Email: [email protected]; Tel: +27 21 462 Or contact: InsightShare, The Old Music Hall, 3902; Fax: +27 21 462 3918; Website: 106-108 Cowley Road, OX4 1JE, Oxford, UK. www.cdra.org.za Email: [email protected]; Tel: +44 1865 403127. Insights into participatory video: a handbook for the field Participation for what: social change or l Nick and Chris Lunch, 2006, social control? InsightShare l Georgina M. Gómez, Ariane A. Corradi, Written by InsightShare’s directors Nick Pedro Goulart, Rose Namara (Eds.), 2010, and Chris Lunch, this 125-page booklet is The Hague: ISS and Hivos a practical guide to setting up and running PV projects. It draws on I participate experience in PV in several countries. You participate Helpful tips for the facilitator clarify how He/She participates to use video to encourage a lively, We participate. But…. democratic process. Free to download They decide.1 PDF in English, French, Spanish and Russian. You can also request a Bahasa This publication is the result of a Indonesia language version. 2008 conference which explored the

1 ‘The adverse effect of the Law of Popular Participation’ as explained by a Bolivian ‘participant’ – arguing that participation as a concept is meaningful, but in practice it can become hollow because decision-making processes are often dominated by elites. In Touch l Books & other resources 181 concept of participation in development combining first person testimony, processes. Participants queried the relationship-building, inclusive dialogue notions of ownership and participation and working with the mainstream media espoused by most development agencies, so that the voices of people most affected and examined the real processes by development issues contribute to underneath. They asked whether national-level understanding and participation is a gentle way of imposing decision-making. donor views, or if in fact does it generate nDownload online: http://tinyurl.com/panos-ot authentic social change in the best Full URL: http://panos.org.uk/resources/all- interest of the various actors? together-now-oral-testimony-theatre-media- n Download online: debate/ http://tinyurl.com/hivos-oap Or contact: Panos London, 9 White Lion Full URL: www.hivos.net//Hivos-Knowledge- Street, London N1 9PD, UK. Tel: +44 20 7278 Programme/Themes/Civil-Society-Building/ 1111; Fax +44 20 7278 0345; Email: Publications/Open-Access-Publication- [email protected]; Website: Participation-for-What www.panos.org.uk Or contact: Remko Berkhout, Coordinator Civil Society Building Knowledge Programme, Giving voice: practical guidelines for Hivos. Email: [email protected]; Tel: + 31 70 implementing oral testimony projects 376 55 00. Marlieke Kieboom, Research l Panos, 2003 Officer Civil Society Building, ISS. Email: This training manual was produced in [email protected]; Tel: + 31 70 4260 606 response to the many requests Panos receives for practical guidelines from Narratives of accessibility and social individuals and organisations interested change in Shimshal, Northern Pakistan in implementing oral testimony projects. l Nancy Cook and David Butz, 2011, The manual is a practical companion Mountain Research and Development to the Panos book Listening for a Change, 31:1, International Mountain Society which explored the ideas behind the This paper analyses 35 oral testimonies methodology and looked at different that were collected in Shimshal through a examples of oral testimony and Panos oral testimony project. The development. project’s goal was to record villagers’ n To receive a PDF copy by email contact: perspectives on social change in the [email protected]. community. n Download online: Who counts? The quiet revolution of www.brocku.ca/webfm_send/16468 participation and numbers l Robert Chambers (2007) IDS Working All together now: oral testimony, Paper 296, Institute of Development theatre, media, debate – how one Studies community’s concerns reached a Chambers writes about the way national audience participatory methods can be used to l Panos, 2011 generate ‘numbers’ or statistics. He This case study explores how argues that it is possible to use communication activities helped a participatory methods to gain more than marginalised community in Pakistan to qualitative insights. There are many speak out against the pollution ruining participatory methods that can be used their lives. This case study demonstrates for counting, calculating, measuring, Panos’s integrated approach to estimating, valuing and scoring and communication for development: comparing. Local people can generate 182 63

numbers for all these actions, although methodological challenges and often an external facilitator plays a role questions of scale, quality, time, in supporting the analysis, especially if a resources and ethics. But he urges that large scale process is involved where the participatory numbers revolution local numbers are aggregated and must take hold. statistically compared. Reflecting on n Download online: learning from participatory monitoring http://tinyurl.com/wp296-ids and evaluation (PM&E) Chambers notes Full URL: www.ntd.co.uk/idsbookshop/ that while the use of participatory details.asp?id=1006 numbers might be driven by an external Or contact: IDS Publications, Institute of agency those involved in generating the Development Studies, University of Sussex, numbers may be empowered in the Brighton, BN1 9RE, UK. Email: process. But Chambers also discusses [email protected]; Tel: + 44 1273 915637; some of the tensions. He outlines key Fax: + 44 1273 621202. 183

E-participation

Dare to share: SDC learning and Project is a comprehensive and networking systematic exploration of the ideas and www.daretoshare.ch insights of people who live in societies This website is about learning and that have been on the recipient side of sharing knowledge. It is owned by the international assistance (e.g. Knowledge and Learning Processes humanitarian aid, development division of the Swiss Agency for cooperation, peace-building activities, Development and Cooperation (SDC). human rights work and environmental The website currently makes available conservation). For recipients of two types of knowledge: international interventions, over the years • tools and methods for learning and of their experience, what has been useful sharing knowledge; and (and not useful) and why? CDA’s belief is • technical knowledge in relation to SDC’s that if we ask for and listen carefully to main fields of intervention. their judgments, assistance providers and n You can also follow posts on the SDC donors would learn a great deal about learning and networking blog: how to improve the effectiveness of their www.sdc-learningandnetworking- efforts. The project has a web page with a blog.admin.ch list of project-related PDFs which are free to download. CDA collaborative learning projects: Listening Project InsightShare http://tinyurl.com/cda-listening www.insightshare.org Full URL: www.cdainc.com/cdawww/project_profile.php? InsightShare are leaders in the use of pid=LISTEN&pname=Listening%20Project participatory video (PV) as a tool for Begun in late 2005, the Collaborative for individuals and groups to grow in self- Development Action’s (CDA) Listening confidence and trust, and to build skills to 184 63

act for change. InsightShare’s Madagascar, Pakistan, Peru and Senegal. participatory video methods aim to value Their testimonies were influential in the local knowledge, build bridges between preparation of the report and can be read communities and decision makers and online here. enable people to develop greater control over the decisions affecting their lives. Andrew Lees Trust: Project HEPA – oral The website includes videos, articles, case testimony 2007-2009 studies and photostories. www.andrewleestrust.org/hepa.htm HEPA is an abbreviation of Hetahetam- Panos: IDP Voices Po Ambara meaning ‘Proclaim what is in www.idpvoices.org your heart’. The project recorded oral IDP Voices is a project by the Internal testimonies from local communities in Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) Androy and Anosy. It produced five films, with training and technical support from a book in three languages and a range of Panos London (2006-08). This site lets web publications. The testimonies have internally displaced people tell their life been disseminated locally, nationally and stories – in their own words. The internationally to increase the voice of narratives in these pages are valuable local populations, and improve awareness complements to the official information about the knowledge and experience of on conflicts which governments and indigenous people in southern international organisations offer. Read Madagascar. and listen to IDP Voices from Colombia and Georgia. Stories to tell, stories to hear www.youtube.com/watch?v=13JHrTFT9ls Mountain voices A short (3:51 minute) film by Panos www.mountainvoices.org London about its oral testimony work. An online archive of 300 oral testimonies documenting economic, Working with stories social, cultural and environmental www.workingwithstories.org change in 10 mountain communities This website is the online version of around the world (1997-2005). Cynthia Kurtz’s book Working with stories in your community or Oral testimonies organization. This online book is about www.panos.org.uk/lifestories how to get started working with stories, Oral testimonies, digital stories and using an approach Cynthia helped participatory video from men and women develop and recommend on a small scale in Ethiopia, Sudan, Pakistan, Zambia, in communities and organisations. It Kenya, Mozambique, UK and includes an introduction to working with Madagascar. These testimonies come stories, as well as information on project from different Panos projects (2005- planning, collecting stories and working 2010). with collected stories. There are also tips and guidance on facilitating story Oral testimonies: IFAD’s Rural Poverty gathering and sense-making. Report 2011 www.ifad.org/rpr2011 www.ifad.org/rpr2011/testimonials/index.htm IFAD’S Rural Poverty Report 2011 contains thoughts and perspectives from the rural poor in China, Egypt, 185

Blogs the technology an equaliser and an opportunity? This blog explains why we Motive, means and opportunity should be reading blogs – and also gives http://thelearningngo.wordpress.com links to a range of blogs which Linda Bruce Britton’s blog on learning and Raftree recommends. development in NGOs and other civil • Blogs cover many of the same issues as society organisations. Bruce Britton is a both newspapers and journals and project consultant and trainer who has worked reports. But blog writers also discuss for the past 25 years works with what these issues mean for practitioners international and national NGOs and and policy makers. networks on organisational learning, • Blogs contain stories from the field, supporting NGOs to recognise their heated debates and discussion on latest collective expertise, develop their development trends. intelligence, increase their adaptability • Blogs are the one place where and become healthier and more enjoyable geography is no barrier to the places in which to work. conversation. Academics, journalists, donors, Washington think tank-ers, Wait… What? Traveling the grey areas United Nations or NGO staff all share between sectors and silos ideas using blogs. http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com n Read online: http://tinyurl.com/linda- Linda Raftree’s personal blog focuses on raftree-30-11-10 integrating new information and Full URL: http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com/ communication technologies (ICTs) and 2010/11/30/why-aid-and-development- social media into community workers-should-be-reading-blogs/ development programmes and communications initiatives to improve Where are the local aid and impact, reach and quality, and to offer development worker blogs? tools that can help increase youth l Linda Raftree, 9th December 2010 participation and voice at local, national Following on from the previous blog post, and global levels. here Linda discusses where ‘local’ voices can be heard online. These include: Why aid and development workers • http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org should be reading blogs • http://globalvoicesonline.org l Linda Raftree, 30th November 2010 • www.maneno.org/eng/home Any discussion of technology inevitably n Read online: http://tinyurl.com/linda- brings up questions. Do new innovations raftree-09-12-10 reinforce existing power relations and Full URL: http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com/ contribute to the exclusion of poor 2010/12/09/where-are-the-local-aid-and- people’s voices? Or is the very nature of development-worker-blogs/ 186 63 All back issues can be downloaded free of charge from our website: Order form www.planotes.org Quantity Order no: required Issue 63: Sep 2011 US$32.00 14606 IIED How wide are the ripples? From local participation to international organisational learning n Issue 62: Aug 2011 US$32.00 14605 IIED Wagging the dragon’s tail: emerging practices in participatory poverty reduction in China n Issue 61: Jun 2010 US$32.00 14579 IIED Tales of shit: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Africa n Issue 60: Dec2009 US$32.00 14573 IIED Community-based adaptation to climate change n Issue 59: Jun 2009 US$32.00 14563 IIED Change at hand: Web 2.0 for development n Issue 58: Jun 2008 US$32.00 14562 IIED Towards empowered participation: stories and reflections n Issue 57: Dec2007 US$32.00 14558 IIED Immersions: learning about poverty face-to-face n Issue 55: Dec2006 US$32.00 14523 IIED Practical tools for community conservation in southern Africa n Issue 54: Apr 2006 US$32.00 14507 IIED Mapping for change: practice, technologies and communications n Issue 53: Dec2005 US$32.00 14505 IIED Tools for influencing power and policy n Issue 51: Apr 2005 US$32.00 9526 IIED Civil society and poverty reduction n Issue 50: Oct 2004 US$32.00 9440 IIED Critical reflections, future directions n Issue 49: Apr 2004 US$32.00 9312 IIED Decentralisation and community-based planning n Issue 48: Dec2003 US$32.00 9284 IIED Learning and teaching participation n Issue 47: Aug2003 US$32.00 9260 IIED General issue (Mini-theme: parti-numbers) n Issue 46: Feb 2003 US$32.00 9224 IIED Participatory processes for policy change n Issue 45: Oct 2002 US$32.00 9218 IIED Community-based animal health care n Issue 44: Jun 2002 US$32.00 9216 IIED Local government and participation n Issue 43: Feb 2002 US$32.00 9133 IIED Advocacy and citizen participation n Issue 42: Oct 2001 US$32.00 9113 IIED Children’s participation – evaluating effectiveness n Issue 40: Feb 2001 US$32.00 6345 IIED Deliberative democracy and citizen empowerment n Issue 39: Oct 2000 US$25.00 6344 IIED Popular communications n Issue 38: Jun 2000 US$25.00 6341 IIED Participatory processes in the North n Issue 37: Feb 2000 US$25.00 6335 IIED Sexual and reproductive health n Issue 35: Jun 1999 US$25.00 6154 IIED Community water management n Issue 34: Feb 1999 US$25.00 6150 IIED Learning from analysis n Return to: Earthprint Ltd. 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PAYMENT INFORMATION n I would like a free subscription n I enclose an international money order or US$ cheque drawn on a US bank account to the value of: US$______n I enclose a UK cheque to the value of: Cheques should be made payable to IIED n Please debit my credit card to the value of: n VISA n Mastercard Credit Card Number: Expiry Date: Holder’s Name: Signature: Card Address (if different from above): n Please send my organisation an invoice Please indicate what type of organisation you work for: Please indicate what your area of work/interests are: Guidelines for contributors Abstracts For a full set of guidelines, visit our website www.planotes.org Please include a brief abstract with your article A free guide to writing for the PLA series is also available (circa. 150-200 words). online here: http://pubs.iied.org/G03143.html References Types of material accepted If references are mentioned, please include details. • Articles: max. 2500 words plus illustrations – see below for Participatory Learning and Action is intended to guidelines. be informal, rather than academic, so references • Feedback: letters to the editor, or longer pieces (max. 1500 should be kept to a minimum. words) which respond in more detail to articles. • Tips for trainers: training exercises, tips on running Photographs and drawings workshops, reflections on behaviour and attitudes in Please ensure that photos/drawings are scanned at training, etc., max. 1000 words. a high enough resolution for print (300 dpi) and • In Touch: short pieces on forthcoming workshops and include a short caption and credit(s). events, publications, and online resources. We welcome accounts of recent experiences in the field Submitting your contribution (or in workshops) and current thinking around Contributions can be sent to: The Editors, participation, and particularly encourage contributions Participatory Learning and Action, IIED, from practitioners in the South. Articles should be co- 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8NH, UK. authored by all those engaged in the research, project, or Fax: +44 20 7388 2826; programme. Email: [email protected] In an era in which participatory approaches have often Website: www.planotes.org been viewed as a panacea to development problems or Resource Centres for Participatory Learning and where acquiring funds for projects has depended on the use Action (RCPLA) Network of such methodologies, it is vital to pay attention to the Since June 2002, the IIED Resource Centre for quality of the methods and process of participation. Whilst Participatory Learning and Action has been we will continue to publish experiences of innovation in the housed by the Institute of Development Studies, field, we would like to emphasise the need to analyse the UK. Practical information and support on limitations as well as the successes of participation. participation in development is also available from Participatory Learning and Action is still a series whose the various members of the RCPLA Network. focus is methodological, but it is important to give more This initiative is a global network of importance to issues of power in the process and to the organisations, committed to information sharing impact of participation, asking ourselves who sets the and networking on participatory approaches. agenda for participatory practice. It is only with critical More information, including regular updates analysis that we can further develop our thinking around on RCPLA activities, can be found in the In Touch participatory learning and action. section of Participatory Learning and Action, or by We particularly favour articles which contain one or visiting www.rcpla.org, or contacting the network more of the following elements: coordinator: Ali Mokhtar, CDS, Near East • an innovative angle to the concepts of participatory Foundation, 4 Ahmed Pasha Street, 10th Floor, approaches or their application; Garden City, Cairo, Egypt. • critical reflections on the lessons learnt from the author’s Tel: +20 2 795 7558; Fax: +2 2 794 7278; experiences; Email: [email protected] • an attempt to develop new methods, or innovative adaptations of existing ones; Participation at IDS • consideration of the processes involved in participatory Participatory approaches and methodologies are approaches; also a focus for the Participation, Power and Social • an assessment of the impacts of a participatory process; Change Team at the Institute of Development • potentials and limitations of scaling up and institutionalising Studies, University of Sussex, UK. This group of participatory approaches; and, researchers and practitioners is involved in sharing • potentials and limitations of participatory policy-making knowledge, in strengthening capacity to support processes. quality participatory approaches, and in deepening understanding of participatory methods, Language and style principles, and ethics. For further information Please try to keep contributions clear and accessible. please contact: Jane Stevens, IDS, University of Sentences should be short and simple. Avoid jargon, Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RE, UK. theoretical terminology, and overly academic language. Tel: +44 1273 678690; Fax: +44 1273 621202 Explain any specialist terms that you do use and spell out Email: [email protected] acronyms in full. Website: www.ids.ac.uk participatory learning and action 63 Do you work with or in an international or northern office of an international non- governmental organisation (INGO)? Do you facilitate participatory processes at the grassroots? Have you ever wondered how wide an impact the process might have? When a pebble is thrown in the water it creates ripples. But just as the ripples fade as they lose momentum, the strong local impact of good quality participatory grassroots processes also weakens as it gets further away from the original context. Yet the insight and analysis, evidence and stories generated and documented during participatory processes are just the kinds of information which are needed to inform good development policy and planning. This issue shares reflections and experiences of bringing grassroots knowledge and information from participatory processes to bear at international level. It examines the possibilities and challenges involved – as well as strategies for strengthening practice. It aims to inspire other empowered activists working with INGOs to be a conscious and active part of change: to bring about more accountable, equitable and participatory development.

Participatory Learning and Action is the world’s leading informal journal on participatory approaches and methods. It draws on the expertise of guest editors to provide up-to-the minute accounts of the development and use of participatory methods in specific fields. Since its first issue in 1987, Participatory Learning and Action has provided a forum for those engaged in participatory work – community workers, activists and researchers – to share their experiences, conceptual reflections and methodological innovations with others, providing a genuine ‘voice from the field’. It is a vital resource for those working to enhance the participation of ordinary people in local, regional, national and international decision-making, in both South and North.

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The International Institute for Environment and Development is a global leader in sustainable development. As an independent international research organisation, we are specialists in linking local to global. In Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, the Middle East and the Pacific, we work with some of the world’s most vulnerable 80-86 Gray’s Inn Road people to ensure they have a say in the policy London WC1X 8NH, UK arenas that most closely affect them – from Tel: +44 (0)20 7388 2117 village councils to international conventions. Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 2826 Through close collaboration with partners Email: [email protected] at the grassroots, we make our research Website: www.planotes.org and advocacy relevant to their needs and alive IIED website: www.iied.org to their realities.