A ‘short’ list of methods we could discuss…

1. A ‘short’ list of methods we could discuss… • Agroecosystems Analysis (AEA), Beneficiary Assessment, Development Education Leadership Teams (DELTA), Diagnosis and Design (D&D), Diagnostico Rural Participativo (DRP), Farmer Participatory Research (FPR), Groupe de Recherche et d’Appui pour l’Auto-promotion Paysanne (GRAAP), Methode Active de Recherche et de Planification Participative (MARP), Participatory Analysis and Learning Methods (PALM), Participatory Action Research (PAR), Participatory Research Methodology (PRM), Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Participatory Rural Appraisal and Planning (PRAP), Participatory Technology Development (PTD), Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA), Planning for Real, Process Documentation, Rapid Appraisal (RA), Rapid Assessment for Agricultural Knowledge Systems (RAAKS), Rapid Assessment Procedure (RAP), Rapid Assessment Techniques (RAT), Rapid Catchment Analysis (RCA), Rapid Ethnographic Assessment (REA), Rapid Food Security Assessment (RFSA), Rapid Multi-perspective Appraisal (RMA), Rapid Organisational Assessment (ROA), Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), Samuhik Brahman (Joint Trek), Soft Systems Methodology (SSM), Story Methodology (SM), Theatre for Development, Training for Transformation, Visualisation in Participatory Programmes (VIPP), ZOPP… More is not necessarily better!

2. The Forages and Livestock SystemsProject (FLSP)LaosProcess of Working with Farmers

3. 1. The Conceptual Process

4. Formalexperimentation Evaluate technologies Identify technologies to test and plan the field trials Test technologies Expansion (Adaptation & Adoption) Participatory diagnosis Active Farmer Participation

5. 2. The Process in Practice

6. Searching for options to test Selecta focus-group Agreeing on issues Selecting villages Reaching other farmers in the village Sharing with other villages Testing and evaluating options Focus group Meeting Village Planning Integrating solutions on farms

7. Searching for options to test Selecta focus-group Agreeing on issues Selecting villages Reaching other farmers in the village Sharing with other villages Testing and evaluating options Focus group Meeting Village Planning Integrating solutions on farms Many projects have had problems because they chose villages for their convenience rather than considering which villages have the best chance for success Three questions will help you select villages and farmers for doing your research: What do I have to offer? What are my social goals? Where am I likely to have most impact?

8. Evaluate technologies Identify technologies to test and plan the field trials Test technologies Formalexperimentation Participatory diagnosis Active Farmer Participation Expansion (Adaptation & Adoption)

9. Searching for options to test Selecta focus-group Agreeing on issues Selecting villages Reaching other farmers in the village Sharing with other villages Testing and evaluating options Focus group Meeting Village Planning Integrating solutions on farms Once you have selected places to work you need to confirm that there is real potential for your research. You need to know if the farmers have problems that could benefit from your your research To find out, conduct Participatory Diagnosis

10. Participatorydiagnosis... • is usually the ‘entry point’ for participatory research • is one or two meetings with the village in which farmers and researchers discuss the problems (and opportunities) they are facing AND the farmers prioritise thoseproblems they would like to try to solve now

11. The outputs of participatorydiagnosis are... an agreement between the community and the development workers on which problems to solve (or opportunities to develop) and who in the communitywill be responsible for testing promising technology options(selecting a focus group)

12. Some tools to use: • Resource Mapping • Calendars (seasonal, historical) • Social Equity analysis • Prioritise Problems • Resource Mapping

13. Resource Mapping Resource Mapping will help you start to understand village resources and the broad problems the farmers are facing

14. Mapping Mapping helps us start to understand village resources and the problems the farmers are facing

15. In mapping… • encourage all the farmers to participate in the mapping exercise. • ask questions about some of the issues that the farmers raise.

16. In mapping, ask the farmers to draw… • the boundary of all their land • the village features • the production areas (agriculture, livestock, forestry…) • any other features important to them

17. Mapping… • Can be used to understand resource flows and social divisions in the community • Will take at least 1 hour

22. Some tools to use: • Resource Mapping • Calendars (seasonal, historical) • Social Equity analysis • Prioritise Problems • Calendars (seasonal, historical)

23. Calendars • Calendars help us understand: • when activities and problems (such as high labour demand, food shortages and disease) happen throughout the year (seasonal) and • how the farming systems and problems are changing with time (historical)

24. In preparing calendars, ask the farmers to… • list their main farming activities throughout the year • list the main problems they have that vary throughout the year (you can also add some)

25. In preparing calendars, ask the farmers to… • draw on the calendar when each activity occurs • describe who is responsible for each activity (men or women) • to rank or weight when each problem is important

30. Some tools to use: • Resource Mapping • Calendars (seasonal, historical) • Social Equity analysis • Prioritise Problems • Social Equity analysis

31. Wealth Analysis In every community there are differencesbetween people such as wealth andgender. Some people are poor and other people are relatively better off. Different groups have different problems and opportunities

32. Wealth Analysisis an approach that helps you… • define these ‘wealth’ groups in a village • understand the main characteristics of each group, • understand why some people are poor while others are relatively better off, and • identify who in the community belongs to each group.

33. Ask the farmers to… • describe the different ‘wealth’ groups • describe the main characteristics of each group, • discuss why some people are poor while others are relatively better off, and • identify who in the community belongs to each group.

34. Enough food (16 farmers) • surplus rice every year • have both lowland and upland fields • raise pigs, chickens, ducks and buffalo or cattle for sale • can purchase replacement if animals die • nice house • have money/capital • have education • know how to utilize resources well • settled earlier in the village

35. 2. Food shortages sometimes(35 farmers) • sufficient/surplus rice in some years • less land than the sufficient food group • less livestock than the sufficient food group (sold only in times of need) • can purchase replacement if animals die • less nice house than food sufficient group • have many different activities for income and livelihood • weave for sale • exchange labor

36. 3. Food shortages each year (18 farmers) • rice shortage every year • no lowland area • have only chickens and ducks (not for sale) • can not purchase replacement if animals die • house not nice • lack money to invest • no education • settled in the village after 1975

37. Gender Analysis • You may need to work with women and men separately • At all stages of your research, you need to keep asking yourself:– who is participating?, – who is making the decisions?, – who is doing the work?, – who has controlsthe resources?, – what are their opportunities, constraints,responsibilities, perceptions & interests? And– who is benefiting from your work?

38. Some tools to use: • Resource Mapping • Calendars (seasonal, historical) • Social Equity analysis • Prioritise Problems • Prioritise Problems

39. Prioritise Problems In this first village meeting you need toknow how important all their problemsare in agriculture…not just the ones youthink you can research. Asking farmers to list and prioritise all their agricultural problems will help you understand how important are the problems that you think you may be able to help solve with your research.

40. Searching for options to test Selecta focus-group Agreeing on issues Selecting villages Reaching other farmers in the village Sharing with other villages Testing and evaluating options Focus group Meeting Village Planning Integrating solutions on farms Now that you and the villagers have agreed on the problems (oropportunities) that you want to research, you can now work with the focus group to understand these problems in more detail Once you have done that you can then discuss the technologies that could be tested and the farmers select which ones to test

41. A good tool to use: • Problem Analysis

42. Problem Analysis… • helps the focus group to define their problems and opportunities in detail • helps them identify which are the high priority problems for research • builds on the understanding you already gained in the maps and calendars

43. In Problem Analysis, ask the farmers… • to identify the causes of their main problems

44. Few calves Thin calves Overworked animals Lack of information Drought Thin animals Parasites and disease Lack of feeds in the dry season Limited area for grazing Poor animal nutrition Perceived problems

45. In Problem Analysis, ask the farmers… • to identify the causes of their main problems • to prioritise these causes

46. Selected by farmers as the highest priority Lack of feeds in the dry season Few calves Thin calves Lack of information Drought Thin animals Overworked animals Parasites and disease Limited area for grazing Poor animal nutrition Perceived problems

47. In Problem Analysis, ask the farmers… • to identify the causes of their main problems • to prioritise these causes • to identify which causes contribute to other problems

48. Drought Limited area for grazing Overworked animals Poor animal nutrition Lack of information Parasites and disease Thin animals Few calves Thin calves Perceived problems Lack of feeds in the dry season

49. In Problem Analysis, ask the farmers… 4.what have they done to deal with these problems in the past?

50. Overworked animals Poor animal nutrition Lack of information Parasites and disease Thin animals Few calves Thin calves Drought Lack of feeds in the dry season Limited area for grazing Reduce the number of animals Provide feed supplements Hire labour Seek veterinary advice Past strategies