Tracking Local Development in West Africa

Summary

In this video, Professor Tom Be from the University of Amsterdam shares his innovative approach to development project evaluation in Africa. Frustrated with traditional methods that focused on organizational outcomes, he pioneered a holistic, participatory evaluation process. This method, implemented in Northern Ghana and Southern Burkina Faso, involves local communities in a three-day workshop to discuss environmental, economic, and social changes, categorize poverty, and assess the impact of past projects. The process is inclusive, engaging people of all literacy levels, and results in a rich, nuanced understanding of development from the community's perspective.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Tom is a professor of human geography at the University of Amsterdam with a focus on Africa.
• 📈 He is critical of traditional development project evaluations that emphasize organizational approaches over the impact on people.
• 🔄 Tom initiated a project with colleagues in Kenya to adopt a holistic and participatory approach to evaluation.
• 🗓️ The project involves a 3-day workshop with approximately 60 participants from a local area of about 30,000 people.
• 🌱 Day one focuses on discussing environmental changes over the past 20-30 years across six domains: natural, physical, economic, human development, social-political, and cultural.
• 💭 The second day is dedicated to discussing all external interventions and projects that have occurred in the area over the same period.
• 📊 On the third day, participants evaluate the usefulness of these projects and select the five best and five worst.
• 🏆 The best projects are analyzed for their impact across different life domains and wealth categories.
• 📝 The process is inclusive, involving both literate and illiterate participants, leveraging the oral culture.
• 🤝 Facilitators play a crucial role in documenting the discussions and typing up lists of projects at night.
• 🌐 The information gathered is rich and complex, reflecting the community's own assessment of changes in their environment.

Q & A

What is Tom's professional background?

Tom is a professor of human geography at the University of Amsterdam and has been involved in research in Africa since 1975.

Why did Tom become dissatisfied with traditional project evaluation approaches?

Tom was dissatisfied because traditional approaches focused heavily on organizations and their project methodologies, with little emphasis on the people affected by the projects.

What is the 'holistic approach' Tom mentions?

The holistic approach is a method of evaluation that starts with observing changes among people and then explores their perceptions of the impact of projects on their lives across various domains.

How does the participatory evaluation method involve the community?

The participatory evaluation method involves the community by having them actively participate in the evaluation process, discussing and analyzing the impact of projects on their lives.

Which organizations approached Tom to collaborate on the participatory evaluation approach?

Eeko and Bort and Prisma approached Tom during 2007 to collaborate on the participatory evaluation approach.

Where did Tom decide to implement the participatory evaluation method?

Tom decided to implement the participatory evaluation method in Northern Ghana and Southern Burkina Faso.

What is the structure of the workshop described in the script?

The workshop is a 3-day activity for about 60 people, facilitated by a team, and brings together people from an area of about 30,000 individuals.

How does the workshop approach the discussion of changes in the environment?

The workshop discusses changes in the environment by starting with a timeline and then systematically analyzing changes in six domains: natural environment, physical environment, economic change, human development, social and political environment, and cultural change.

What is the purpose of discussing poverty in the workshop?

The purpose of discussing poverty is to categorize people into five wealth categories and understand what is considered wealth and poverty in the local setting.

What types of interventions does the workshop consider when discussing external activities?

The workshop considers interventions from government, pseudo-government, churches, mosques, Islamic organizations, NGOs, Community-Based Organizations, individual initiatives, and business people.

How does the workshop conclude its evaluation process?

The workshop concludes by asking participants to evaluate the usefulness of projects, select the five best and five worst projects, and discuss the impact of the best projects on various life domains and wealth categories.