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Definition
"Participatory research" refers to approaches to
agricultural research that engage farmers in the research
process. These approaches may have have roots in farmers'
involvement in plant breeding, social movements for the empowerment
of the poor, or pragmatic efforts to overcome limitations
of conventional approaches to research.
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Relevant projects
Currently funded projects
Climbing bean (Southern Africa)
Grain legumes
(Mali)
Rice
biodiversity (Southeast Asia)
Sweetpotato
breeding (Uganda)
Tef/finger
millet (East Africa)
Previously funded projects
Andean tubers
(Peru)
Chickpea
(India)
Finger
millet (India)
Indigenous
vegetables (Uganda)
Milpa
(Mexico)
Sweetpotato
diversity (Kenya)
Relevant events
December 10-15
Workshop: Participatory methodologies for Africa-based grantees
of The McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program
Nairobi, Kenya
Description: This course, designed by Charity Kabutha, was
aimed at strengthening grantees skills in the use of participatory
approaches in their research and development programs.
English
Relevant literature
Available on the Internet
There is a wealth of excellent information on participatory
research and development available on the web. Here are several
of our picks to get you started.
Online
books from International Development Research Centre (Canada)
- Website: IDRC
(Canada)
- Reference: Gonsalves, J., T. Becker, A. Braun, D. Campilan,
H.de Chavez, E. Fajber, M.Kapiriri, J. Rivaca-Caminade,
and R. Vernooy (Eds). 2005. Participatory Research and Development
for Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management:
A Sourcebook. CIP-UPWARD/IDRC.
- Description: IDRC "publish(es), both online and in
print, the results of IDRC-supported research on global
and regional issues related to sustainable and equitable
development." There are many valuable books among the
titles available that deal directly with participatory research,
including the four books below. "This three-volume
sourcebook provides easy access to field-tested PR&D
concepts and practices for practitioners, researchers, and
academics... it captures and examines PR&D experiences
from over 30 countries, illustrating applications in sustainable
crop and animal production, forest and watershed management,
soil and water conservation, and post-harvest and utilization."
Participatory Evaluation
- Website: IDRC
- Reference: Jackson, E. and Y. Kassam (Eds.). 1998. Knowledge
Shared: Participatory Evaluation in Development Cooperation.
IDRC/Kumarian Press
- Description: "Drawing on experience from all parts
of the world, this book examines the practice of participatory
evaluation: its limits and its potential, what works and
what doesn't work, the issues that frame and shape it, and
the diversity of methods used to implement this approach
to evaluation."
A complete list of online
books available from IDRC.
Online
books from FAO
- Website: FAO
corporate document repository
- Reference: Anyaegbunam, C., P. Mefalopulos, and T. Moetsabi.
2004. Participatory Rural Communication Appraisal. Starting
with the people - A Handbook. FAO, Rome.
- Description: This book focuses on practical strategies
for establishing and sustaining effective communication
with rural people to ensure that research and/or development
programs are addressing their needs and preferences. It's
intended to be a useful guide for researchers and development
workers "who need to know what is involved in designing
and implementing effective communication for development
programmes and initiatives."
Analyzing local institutions and livelihoods
- Website: FAO
corporate document repository
- Reference: Messer, N. and P. Townsley. 2003. Local Institutions
and Livelihoods-Guidelines for Analysis. FAO, Rome.
- Description: "Participatory approaches to development…
have done much to improve the ways in which development
workers learn about local conditions and identify the poor,
as well as understand their strengths and the constraints
they have to overcome. But less attention has been paid
to ways of understanding the local institutions that shape
the environment in which poor people live. These guidelines
aim to fill this gap and help development workers improve
their understanding of the role of local institutions. What
is it they do? Who exactly do they serve and how? How do
they change over time? How can they be strengthened and
made more equitable? How can they be made more accessible
for the poor?"
Participatory appraisal of household food security and
nutrition
- Website: FAO
corporate document repository
- Reference: Callens, K.and B. Seiffert. 2003. Participatory
Appraisal of Nutrition and Household Food Security Situations
and Planning of Interventions from a Livelihoods Perspective
- Methodological Guide. FAO, Rome.
- Description: "The aim of this guide is to provide
a methodology for persons tasked with the responsibility
of appraising and analyzing nutrition and household food
security situations with a view to use this information
for project design, planning and evaluation." "The
present guide is based on the experiences gained from FAO
executed projects in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zambia. The
projects were community-based and aimed at improving nutrition,
household food security and poverty alleviation."
Papers from AgREN (Agricultural Research and Extension
Network)
- Website: ODI
- Description: "AgREN was established in the mid-1980s
to link policy-makers, practitioners and researchers in
the agriculture sector of developing countries. (It) aims
to provide its members with up-to-date information and the
opportunity to maintain a dialogue with others who have
similar professional interests."
These publications share valuable information about lessons
learned / insights garnered from the agricultural R&D
experiences of network members. AgrREN Network papers beginning
at #82 (1998) onwards (up to #148 as of May 2006) are available
online
as PDFs. The most recent publications start with
summaries of the main research findings and policy implications
of those findings. The network papers represent an excellent
resource on a wide variety of topics, including participatory
research, presented in an easily accessible format.
Participatory Learning and Action Notes
- Website: IIED
(International Institute for Environment and Development)
- Description: This is a "series on participatory
learning and action approaches and methods. It provides
a forum for all those engaged in participatory work - community
workers, activists and researchers - to share their experiences,
conceptual reflections and methodological innovations with
others. The series is informal and seeks to publish frank
accounts, address issues of practical and immediate value,
encourage innovation and act as a voice from the field."
Issues 1-50 are available free online
.
Magazine articles from LEISA (Low External Input Sustainable
Agriculture)
- Website: LEISA
- Description: This link takes you to a directory of LEISA
resources on participatory development, where you can access
and read relevant articles from past issues of LEISA magazine,
check citations for hundreds of relevant references in the
"Library" card catalogue, and find out about upcoming
events and other websites.
Relevant links
PRGA (Participatory research and gender analysis)
- Website: PRGA
- Description: "The CGIAR Systemwide Program on Participatory
Research and Gender Analysis develops and promotes methods
and organizational approaches for gender-sensitive participatory
research on plant breeding and on management of crops and
natural resources." The link we provide takes you to
a directory of recommended literature (all available online
),
as well as links to other websites with relevant information.
Information resource categories include: gender and stakeholder
analysis, impact assessment, participatory plant breeding,
organizational learning and change, tools for collaboration
and innovation, and special features (communities of practice,
ethics and codes of practice, Spanish language documents,
sub-Saharan Africa, etc.). The directory also includes the
documents and links (>1000 combined) associated with
the Participatory Natural Resource Management Center. The
site is a treasure trove of useful, highly relevant information
on participatory research; it also appears to be well-maintained
and regularly updated. Highly recommended!
ELDIS
- Website: ELDIS
- Description: ELDIS is an information portal for evidence-based
development knowledge. The site provides access to a wide
range of information resources (>18,000 online
full-text
documents, resource guides, newletters, etc.) on a variety
of development topics. The link above takes you to the Participation
page. Other development topics are listed on the right hand
side of that page.
Participation Resource Centre / IDS (Institute of Development
Studies)
- Website: IDS
- Description: "Over 6000 documents and videos are
held in the Participation Resource Centre at IDS which comprises
the collections of the Participation Group at IDS and the
International Institute for Environment and Development
(IIED). The collection consists mainly of unpublished practical
information and includes research reports, training manuals,
workshop reports, critical reflections and newsletters from
practitioners and networks. Abstracts of the documents can
be searched online
." Use the browse button on the
left to explore their document collection.
FAO Participation Site
- Website: FAO
participation site
- Description: A portal to FAO participation resources.
There are English, French, Spanish and Arabic versions but
the majority of the information resources are in English.
ISNAR (International Service for National Agricultural
Research)
- Description: ISNAR was one of the 16 CGIAR centres until
2004, when they closed down their operations at the Hague.
A new ISNAR program is being developed under the governance
of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
But, they have archived the information resources that they
had developed from 1979-2000. Relevant information about
participatory R&D can be found in the following publication
indexes.
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