March 2008

RCPLA Workshop

Where: Egypt, Cairo

Organized by: Center for Development Services (CDS)

Workshop Objectives

• Create a chance for RCPLA members to know each other and their organization
  
• Review the mission and vision of the network
  
• Develop the activity plan for RCPLA

Details are available through the workshop report

September 2006

10th International Thematic PRA Training event

Where: Yusufguda, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Organised by: PRAXIS

Objectives:

• Explore the principles, approaches and tools of participatory methodologies;
• Discovering the latest innovations developed by practitioners worldwide;
• Provide invaluable hands-on learning opportunities through field work in villages and urban slums;
• Focus on participatory methodologies in specific thematic work areas.

Further details and contact information

August 2005

Communication for Change (C4C) resource kit launch, 4 August 2005.

Where: Colombo, Sri Lanka

The RCPLA Network, with special assistance from the Institute for Participatory Interaction in Development (IPID) will launch the first step of its Communication for Change initiative.

The resource kit aims to articulate the role of democratizing the media in a contemporary context, by exploring such issues as advocacy, media laws, piracy etc.. The kit also provides a practical guide of how to utilize alternative, particpatory forms of communications as a means to achieve the democratization of media spaces. Including: community radio, participatory theatre, and producing particpatory video.

July 2004

1. Authors' Workshop on PLA Notes 51, 12-16 July 2004.

What: PLA Notes 51, Special Edition on Civil Society Participation in the Implementation and Monitoring of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs).

Where: Nairobi, Kenya.

Organised by: Jointly organised by IDS, IIED, PAMFORK.

Objectives of this workshop are:

• To share the rich experiences of practitioners’ engagement in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation process of PRSs. These will be shared through presentations and discussions of the articles prepared for the PLA Notes Special Edition on Civil Society Participation in the Implementation and Monitoring of Poverty Reduction Strategy
  
• To finalise these articles and to mutually help one another build our capacity to communicate our experiences to international audiences. Participants will come to the writeshop with their first drafts and feedback from the guest editors and the PLA Notes Editorial Board. During the writeshop they will have an opportunity to discuss their paper with other participants, and with the resource persons, and will also provide feedback to other participants on their papers.
  
• To mutually help one another build our capacity to more effectively and strategically engage (or not) in PRSs. At the end of the writeshop, there will be a plenary session at which common themes, experiences and lessons will be drawn out. These will feed into the overview piece for the issue.

2. RCPLA Steering Committee Meeting, 16-19 July, 2004.

Where: Nairobi, Kenya.

The RCPLA Steering Committee meeting will be held at the same location as the above workshop, so there will be one day’s overlap with writeshop participants :

The tentative agenda for the Steering Committee meeting is:

1. review of network activities since the last SG meeting
2. assessment of potential programmes for the coming year
3. funding issues
4. review of membership criteria/updates
5. visit to a PAMFORK member organisation’s operational area.

Contact: Tom Thomas - but only open to Steering Group members.

October 2004

8th International Thematic PRA Training Workshop

When: 25th October to 5th November 2004.

What:

PRAXIS is a not for profit development support organization committed to democratization of development processes and institutions to ensure that the voices of poor women, men and children are heard and acted upon.

PRAXIS is conducting the eighth edition of the annual International Thematic PRA Training Workshop for senior and mid level development workers from 25th October to 5th November 2004.

Objectives of the workshop

• Explore the principles, approaches and tools of participatory methodologies;
• Discover the latest innovations developed by practitioners world wide;
• Provide invaluable hands-on learning opportunities through field work in villages and urban slums; and
• Focus on participatory methodologies in specific thematic work areas.

Instruction

• The workshop will be held in a participatory manner, and in English (with translation available for fieldwork).
• Modules are chosen in accord with interests expressed by participants.Each participant is requested to choose two modules and indicate their first and second preference.
• Experience in using participatory tools is necessary for all modules excluding PRA-Basics & Principles. Participants who are likely to facilitate community leadership will be given preference for Training of Trainers Module.
• Based on the responses received from participants, five modules will be selected and run simultaneously. Approximately 25 applicants will be selected for each module. If the module that is stated as first preference by a participant is not run or full, then the participant will be shifted to the module of second preference. Therefore, each participant can attend only one module through the workshop.

Workshop Themes

Modules will run simultaneously. Each participant, based on their area of interest,may choose one module from the ones listed below.

1) PRA - BASICS & PRINCIPLES is designed especially for PRA beginners. Every year, many people learn the basic usage of PRA tools in this course. It is one of the most popular courses in the workshop.

2) PARTICIPATORY MONITORING & EVALUATION is one of the fields in which participatory approaches are becoming increasingly common. The module provides inputs on several methods of participatory Monitoring and Evaluation, such as Social Audit and Development Audit using PRA tools.

3) PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND POVERTY ASSESSMENT focuses on trying to understand how poor people themselves perceive poverty. The module includes the use of participatory methodologies to understand poverty, to identify appropriate policy measures, and ways to address the real needs of the poor in a disaggregated manner.

4) PARTICIPATORY MICRO LEVEL PLANNING - To implement a program, it is very important to involve people in analysing their own situations in order to make a comprehensive and sustainable development plan. This module will offer insights on how to apply participatory tools in the planning process.

5) PRA - TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOT) is meant for people who are already adept in the use of PRA in their respective fields and are now thinking of moving on to the next step, which is training others in PRA. This module focuses on what are the required skills, attitudes and behaviours that a trainer needs to possess along with providing information on diverse training methodologies.

6) PARTICIPATORY VIDEO provides the means to use video as a communication tool to empower and give voice to the stakeholders, particularly the poor. Participants will be given hands on experience in providing a participatory video film.

7) PARTICIPATION AND GOVERNANCE - The module will explore issues and challenges in inclusion of the poor and seek solutions to enhance their participation in governance. It will probe both conceptual and methodological aspects.

Resource Persons

In addition to PRAXIS facilitators, the workshop would be facilitated by some of the best known proponents of PRA in the world today, including
Dr. Robert Chambers from the University of Sussex, England. Past external facilitators have included Dr. John Gaventa, Dr. Amitava Mukherjee, Mr. Sam Joseph, Mr. Kamal Kar, Ms. Sheelu Francis, and Mr. Somesh Kumar among others.

Fee and Mode of Payment:

USD 1,500 for international participants
Rs 18,000 for Indian participants

• Fees include board, lodging on a twin sharing basis, reading material
  and local transport.
• All fees should be remitted through account payee demand draft in favour of PRAXIS Institute for Participatory Practices payable at New Delhi, India, along with the registration form.
• Partial financial support is available to a very few deserving participants from developing countries. Those interested may apply with their CVs and justification, well in advance.

Where:

The venue of the workshop will be announced shortly.

Contact:

Registration:

Please download the registration form (in pdf format), and send either by e-mail or post to the PRAXIS office in New Delhi so as to reach us by 25th August 2004.

Recommendations:

Over 700 participants from 35 countries and organizations, including ActionAid, CARE, CCF, CRS, Concern, IDS-Sussex, IIED, NIPRANET (Nigeria), OXFAM, PARENT (Tanzania), UNDP, UNOPS, World Bank, UNICEF, World Food Programme , have participated in our workshops and have proclaimed them as "outstanding!"