2.1 - Participatory Learning and Action Methods
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Interactive Audio Lesson
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Trust Building in Community Engagement
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Today, we are exploring how building trust is essential in working with communities, especially when outsiders want to engage with insiders. Why do you think trust is necessary?
Maybe because people won't want to share their concerns if they don't trust us?
Exactly! Trust fosters open communication. Now, can someone share an approach to create this trust?
Working with local leaders or institutions can help, right?
Great point! Collaboration with local authorities can bridge the gap between outsiders and the community. Let's remember the acronym T-R-U-S-T: Trustworthiness, Respect, Understanding, Support, and Transparency. These elements are crucial.
Participatory Learning and Action Methods
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Now, let's delve into different participatory learning and action methods. Who can name one method and explain how it might be used?
Spatial methods! They can help us map out risks like flooding areas in the community.
Correct! Spatial methods allow communities to visualize vulnerabilities. What would be another example?
Nominal methods gather specific information about the community, like what crops they’ve lost.
Exactly! It’s about collecting detailed data to understand impacts better. Remember the mnemonic M-A-R-V: Mapping, Assets, Risks and Vulnerabilities—key areas we should focus on.
Methods for Vulnerability Assessment
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Let’s discuss methods for assessing vulnerabilities. Who can tell me what temporal methods involve?
They involve arranging events in chronological order to see how things change over time.
Exactly! This helps in understanding the historical context of vulnerabilities. Can someone think of a practical application of this?
I think disaster timelines could be a good example.
Right! And remember, using visual aids like calendars can enhance understanding. Use the acronym H.I.S-T: History, Impact, Sequence, Time for remembering these elements.
Evaluating and Integrating CBDRM
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Lastly, let’s explore the integration of CBDRM with development planning. Why do you think this is important?
It's essential to ensure that community needs are considered in larger development plans!
Exactly! How can we measure the success of these CBDRM initiatives?
By looking at community participation and the effectiveness of partnerships.
Great answers! Recollect the key steps: P-A-C: Participation, Assessment, Coordination. Remember these steps as we discuss how monitoring keeps the process ongoing.
Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
Standard
Focusing on community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM), the section emphasizes the role of local authorities in fostering relationships between community members and external actors. It outlines several participatory learning and action methods — spatial, nominal, temporal, ordinal, numerical, and relational — for assessing vulnerabilities and planning effective responses.
Detailed
Summary of Participatory Learning and Action Methods
This section delves into the dynamic interplay between insiders (local community members) and outsiders (external agencies or NGOs) in the context of community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM). Establishing trust is pivotal, and local authorities play a crucial role in enabling communication and cooperation. The method of entry into communities often necessitates collaboration with local organizations, exemplified through a case study from Tamil Nadu where church leadership facilitated outreach to a hesitant community.
The section enumerates various participatory learning and action (PLA) methods:
- Spatial Methods: Involvement of community knowledge in mapping and modeling vulnerabilities, aiding in identifying risks such as flooding or erosion.
- Nominal Methods: Gathering specific community-related information, including beneficiaries and assessing loss of resources.
- Temporal Methods: Arranging events chronologically to highlight changes in vulnerability. Techniques include disaster timelines and seasonal calendars.
- Ordinal Methods: Ranking and prioritizing to identify the most vulnerable individuals.
- Numerical Methods: Economically focused assessments of quantitative data concerning disaster impacts.
- Relational Methods: Understanding community dynamics and interrelationships, including how power structures affect local responses to vulnerabilities.
Lastly, the section discusses the significance of successful CBDRM in relation to community participation, integration with development planning, and the effective assessment of vulnerabilities at both local and district levels.
Audio Book
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Building Trust Between Insiders and Outsiders
Chapter 1 of 10
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Chapter Content
bring them into the consensus but insiders and outsiders; so how an outsider can actually come
and interact with the insider because one has to build a trust and that is where local authorities,
local agencies, whether it is a church, whether it is a municipal authority, how they play an a
vital role in bringing an interaction between an insider and outsider.
(Refer Slide Time: 28:50)
Detailed Explanation
This chunk emphasizes the importance of building trust between community members (insiders) and external agents (outsiders). Trust is essential for effective collaboration. Local authorities and agencies, including religious institutions or municipal bodies, can facilitate this connection. Their familiar presence can help outsiders gain acceptance within the community. Trust-building is a crucial first step in participatory learning and action methods.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a new student in a class who feels nervous about making friends. The teacher, serving as a trusted figure, introduces the student to others, helping to break the ice. Similarly, local authorities act as 'teachers' for outsiders, guiding them on how to interact with the community.
Facilitating Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)
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So, how to facilitate the CBDRM; the entry points, an international NGO when they try to
approach the community, it was very difficult to work with the community because both are
from different cultures and different power setups and different targets and different
expectations.
(Refer Slide Time: 29:13)
Detailed Explanation
Facilitating CBDRM involves understanding the community's unique cultural and power dynamics. When NGOs engage with communities, they often encounter differing expectations and cultural practices, which can create barriers. Recognizing these differences and establishing mutual goals is crucial for effective collaboration and action planning.
Examples & Analogies
Think of two groups trying to organize a community event. One group may want a festival, while the other prefers a sports competition. Without understanding each other’s expectations and cultures, they may struggle to work together. It's essential for them to find common ground to move forward.
Role of Local Authorities in Community Engagement
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So, creating an entry point, this is whereas I said to you, the entry; the local authorities have to
play an important role, how one can able to build bridge partnerships between these and the
agencies which are coming to help them and which the beneficiaries who are going to work
with them...
(Refer Slide Time: 29:13)
Detailed Explanation
Local authorities serve as critical intermediaries who can help in establishing relationships between external agencies and community members. Their knowledge of local dynamics allows them to facilitate partnerships effectively. This step is crucial to ensure that the aid provided is relevant and tailored to the community's needs.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a bridge connecting two islands, where one island represents the aid agencies and the other represents the community. The local authorities act as engineers, building that bridge to ensure safe and effective passage.
Using Participatory Tools for Vulnerability Assessment
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One is the spatial, which is talking about the mapping and modelling, this is very useful in risk
and vulnerability assessment, it can be used to identify hazards and dangerous locations, what
community already know about this. You know, the identified areas affected by erosion, loss of
vegetation or pest infestation and identify vulnerable groups and capacities and assets within
the community.
(Refer Slide Time: 30:11)
Detailed Explanation
Spatial analysis involves mapping and modeling to assess risks and vulnerabilities within a community. This method allows participants to visualize hazards and identify areas that are particularly vulnerable to environmental threats. By leveraging local knowledge, communities can better understand their risks and the capacities they possess.
Examples & Analogies
Consider creating a treasure map where landmarks represent resources and threats in a community. This 'map' helps community members to visualize where to focus their efforts in reducing risks.
Collecting Community Information Through Nominal Methods
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The second aspect is a nominal which is the collecting, naming or listing, it can collect
information about communities and their environment like for instance, we are talking about
who are the beneficiaries, who are the what kind of crops they have lost, how much...
(Refer Slide Time: 31:25)
Detailed Explanation
Nominal methods refer to gathering and categorizing information from community members. This can include listing beneficiaries, documenting lost crops, and establishing coping strategies used during crises. Such structured data collection helps in understanding community needs and assessing the impact of past events.
Examples & Analogies
Think about making a class list of favorite fruits to identify popular options. By knowing who likes what, it becomes easier to plan a fruit party that everyone enjoys, similar to how communities identify their needs and preferences for disaster planning.
Temporal Methods: Sequencing Events and Changes
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The temporal; so putting all these events in a sequence, whether it is through personal and
ecological histories, disaster timelines, disaster visualization...
(Refer Slide Time: 31:25)
Detailed Explanation
Temporal methods involve organizing events chronologically to examine how vulnerabilities change over time. This can be achieved through disaster timelines and seasonal calendars, which reveal patterns and highlight past mistakes. Understanding the history of vulnerabilities allows communities to prepare more effectively for future challenges.
Examples & Analogies
Consider tracing the timeline of a sports tournament. Each season’s performance builds on past experiences, and similar to a community, recognizing previous challenges and successes can enhance preparation for future events.
Ordinal Methods: Identifying Vulnerability Through Ranking
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Ordinal; when we say ordinal, sorting and comparing and ranking because this is where we can
identify the most vulnerable individuals and households.
(Refer Slide Time: 32:19)
Detailed Explanation
Ordinal methods focus on ranking people or situations based on their vulnerability. This can help prioritize where resources and support should be allocated. By identifying the most vulnerable groups, communities can ensure that assistance is directed where it is needed most.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a lifeguard at a beach deciding who to rescue first based on how urgent the situation is. By ranking needs, resources can be used effectively to save the greatest number of lives.
Numerical Methods: Assessing Disaster Losses
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Numerical, which is talking on most of the economic aspect of it; counting, estimating,
comparing and scoring and methods of this kind could be used in assessing disaster losses...
(Refer Slide Time: 32:42)
Detailed Explanation
Numerical methods involve quantifying losses due to disasters. This includes counting damages to infrastructure and livelihoods. By converting losses into numbers, communities and agencies can more easily understand the impact and plan appropriate responses.
Examples & Analogies
It’s like a family calculating their monthly budget. By counting income and expenses, they can understand how much they can save. Similarly, communities need to tally losses to determine the resources required for recovery.
Relational Methods: Understanding Community Interactions
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Relational; this is often related to how we link and how we relate, how different facilitators
understand that how different parts of the community relate to one another and how they identify
the power structures...
(Refer Slide Time: 33:25)
Detailed Explanation
Relational methods focus on understanding how different elements of a community interact and how power dynamics influence these relationships. Identifying these connections can help in recognizing the underlying causes of vulnerabilities and disparities within the community.
Examples & Analogies
Think of a family tree that shows how relatives are interconnected. Understanding these ties helps to appreciate each member's role in the family, just as understanding community relations helps to address issues effectively.
Integrating CBDRM with Official Planning
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In fact, the one of the important challenges how to integrate the CBRDRM with official
development planning; this is a good case which they have given about Bhandari and Malakar...
(Refer Slide Time: 35:21)
Detailed Explanation
Integrating CBDRM (Community-Based Disaster Risk Management) with formal planning involves collaboration between disaster management and local government entities. This ensures that community-level insights influence larger development plans, thus enhancing resilience.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a community garden that requires both volunteer labor and support from the city for water supply. To thrive, both community efforts and municipal resources need to harmonize, just as CBDRM requires collaboration with official planning.
Key Concepts
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Community Engagement: Essential for building trust between insiders and outsiders.
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Participatory Learning: Involves community-driven assessment and planning.
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Risk Assessment: Identifies hazards and vulnerable groups within communities.
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Integration with Development: Ensures that disaster risk management aligns with broader development goals.
Examples & Applications
Using church leadership to facilitate outreach in Tamil Nadu.
Mapping vulnerable areas affected by disasters using local knowledge.
Memory Aids
Interactive tools to help you remember key concepts
Rhymes
In the community, together we strive, mapping and learning helps us thrive.
Stories
Once, in a village a mapper came to talk. With the village priest's help, trust began to walk. Together they drew a map, of risks and dreams, now everyone knows how to fix their streams.
Memory Tools
V-A-R-N: Visualize, Assess, Relate, Nominate - key processes in participatory planning.
Acronyms
T-R-U-S-T
Trustworthiness
Respect
Understanding
Support
Transparency.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)
Approaches that actively involve community members in the assessment and planning of their local needs.
- CommunityBased Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM)
A process that allows communities to work together to identify, assess, and reduce their vulnerability to disaster risks.
- Spatial Methods
Techniques used for mapping and modeling risks and vulnerabilities in a community.
- Nominal Methods
Methods that involve listing and categorizing information about the community and its challenges.
- Temporal Methods
Methods focused on sequencing events to understand historical changes in vulnerability.
- Ordinal Methods
Approaches that involve ranking and prioritizing individuals or issues based on specific criteria.
- Numerical Methods
Techniques that quantify data to assess disaster impacts economically.
- Relational Methods
Methods that explore the relationships and dynamics within a community, such as power structures.
Reference links
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