Participatory Rural Analysis (PRA) is a method for empowering rural or other low tech communities by giving them the tools to analyze their own communities. Such analysis is often much more accurate and insightful than that done by outside professionals from the academic world. The process of analysis also provides local villages and other communities with the basis they need to interact effectively with government and other outside business and institutional organisations.
Pressing health, social, educational and/or environmental issues exist in your community, and you want to help address them. On the following pages you will find tools and resources to help you get started or to strengthen an existing activity. The steps in good project management practices are:
- Needs Assessment: Carrying out a needs assessment forms the basis of project idea. By consulting people you intend to assist and others in the community, you will know if others share the need that you perceive. Learn how.
- Project Design and Logical Framework Analysis: If you need help in designing and writing up a project, please see SDIA's Guidelines on Project Design. We recommend that you complete your project design with a logical framework analysis (LFA) before you start writing the proposal. The logical framework is a method for organizing your thoughts and planning all aspects of your project. Learn how.
- Proposal Writing: If you have thought through your project design and created a logical framework, writing a good proposal will be easy. Here are some tools and guidelines to assist you write a proposal that will convince others to fund your project. Learn more.
- Budgeting and Financial Reporting: Knowing how to develop a budget and report with transparency on your project's finances is an important aspect of building your credibility with participants and donors. Learn more.
- Promotion and Fundraising: Whether you are fundraising for and promoting your own project or someone else's, you may need help to choose photos, write articles and organise fundraisers. Learn more.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: SDIA promotes a results-based approach to managing social, educational and health projects in our network. Learn more about how to measure the effectiveness and impact of your project or initiative. Learn more.
- Training and Capacity Building: SDIA encourages all our members and partners to keep learning and developing their organisational and technical skills on behalf of their communities and those they are trying to assist. Learn more.
2003 - Participatory Rural Analysis (PRA): How to Become a True Believer
2008 - A Community Guide to Environmental Health
Posted in:
Health,
Training and Capacity Building
A comprehensive, illustrated guide for activists, community leaders, development workers, and health promoters with examples, "how-to" plans, and background information on a wide range of environmental issues affecting people in both village and urban settings.
2008 - Governance and Development Project Report
To make progress towards poverty reduction and sustainable
development we must understand how local, regional and
international decision-making serve the people. The Governance and Development project explored grassroots
development initiatives and how they can generate more inclusive and
participatory decision-making processes as well as governance structures and
mechanisms.
2008 - How to Take Effective Photographs
Posted in:
Promotion and Fundraising
Raphael Bate of SD France prepared an article about the elements will help you take photos
that will tell the story of your project and promote your work through
print, e-mail and the internet.
2008 - Painting Portraits of the Homeless
Posted in:
Promotion and Fundraising
Elfrida Schragen of Victoria, British Colombia in Canada, was inspired to create a project 2006-2008 to paint portraits of homeless people . She tries to capture “the dignity and humanity” of her subjects. All the proceeds from the sale of these paintings was used for the construction of a 45- bed Center for homeless people called "Our Place." The project was completed in November 2008 and raised $24,000 Canadian for the Center which is now fully operational.
Download attachment(s): [ homelessPortraits_eShragen-2007.pdf ]
2008 - Photographs and Images for Email and the Web
Posted in:
Promotion and Fundraising
There are several important facts that you should know about digital images
so that once you have taken a nice picture it remains usable for
print, the web, and emailing.
2009 - SD Britain: A Question of Sustainability
2009 - UNDP: Capacity Development
Capacity development is the process through which individuals, organizations and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the capability to achieve their own development objectives. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) helps people to access the knowledge, experience and resources they need to build better lives.
2009.10 Filming Tips
Posted in:
Promotion and Fundraising
How to make a short documentary of a Subud meeting/congress or project.
These instructions might help you create an interesting and
entertaining film for people to watch and enjoy
2010.05 Monitoring and Evaluation 1: Development Projects
Posted in:
Monitoring and Evaluation
2010.05 Monitoring and Evaluation 2: More Information
Posted in:
Monitoring and Evaluation
2010.05 Monitoring and Evaluation 3: Different types of evaluation
Posted in:
Monitoring and Evaluation
An explanation of Formative and Summative Evaluation.
2010.05 Monitoring and Evaluation 4: Bibliography
Posted in:
Monitoring and Evaluation
2010.06 Convio Guides for Nonprofits
Posted in:
Promotion and Fundraising
Two downloadable PDF files that provide help with Fundraising and Donor Management
2011.07 Working across cultures in Susila Dharma
Posted in:
Training and Capacity Building,
Peace Building
SPOTLIGHT on SD NATIONALS: Building a Board
Posted in:
Training and Capacity Building
The advantage of having a Susila Dharma board is to have a face and a
body to speak with, several people to allocate the work to,
several shoulders to bear the burdens, and an address. You will appreciate having partners with different
expertise like finance, fundraising or marketing, especially when
dealing with donations.
SPOTLIGHT on SD NATIONALS: Communication
Posted in:
Training and Capacity Building
Communication is central to effective relationships in any organisation.
The purpose of communication within Susila Dharma is to inform and
promote. Informing donors about how you are being diligent in the use
of their money; and that projects are doing what they said they would
do; promotion of the work of Susila Dharma to members and outside Subud.
SPOTLIGHT on SD NATIONALS: Fundraising
Posted in:
Training and Capacity Building
Fundraising ideas for SD National organizations.