Participate, ok. But how?

The pressure on the development set is to prove the effectiveness of programmes and projects that claim to enhance sustainable development. In recent years, great emphasis has been put on participatory methods of natural resources management. Do they work? How can we assess that? These two crucial questions, combined with strong calls for better accountability, have led to a growing interest in participatory monitoring. A new IIED publication Participatory monitoring and impact assessment of sustainable agriculture initiatives, sponsored by the British Department for International Development (DFID), introduces, in a practical way, the concepts and key steps in setting participatory monitoring. An illustrated annex describes twenty different methods, with maps, forms, diaries, network diagrams, calendars and theatre plots. Participatory monitoring and impact assessment of sustainable agriculture initiatives: an introduction to the key elements By I Guijt. Sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods (SARL) Discussion Paper No 1. 1998. 112 pp. ISSN 1560-2192 US$13 (address given below)Participatory monitoring and impact assessment of sustainable agriculture initiatives: an introduction to the key element