Systematization of experiences is a methodology that helps people involved in different kinds of practice to organize and communicate what they have learned. Over the past 40 years systematization has evolved and obtained recognition as a methodology for social reflection, in Latin America. This resource pack provides materials for the English speaking world
This resource summarises a systematization of advocacy experiences related to the status of youth (in Guatemala), the right to education (in Brazil) and farming (in the United States). The systematizations allowed the actors involved to consider the evolution of the experiences and to identify lessons and insights for future interventions. The Guatemala systematization product was documented in writing and film, the US experience in writing, and the Brazil experience in film
This publication aims to review monitoring and evaluation activities, methodologies and findings around the Stepping Stones (SS) approach. Over the last ten years, Stepping Stones has been used by many NGOs as an effective tool for HIV prevention, gender empowerment, community mobilisation and promotion of PLWHA rights. However, monitoring and evaluation documentation on SS is sparse and does not reflect the wealth of learning about the methodology. Key findings show that SS helps improve communication about health issues and supports behaviour changes, although evidence that it has led to a decline in HIV or AIDS incidence is less clear. The report calls for well-designed and systematic monitoring and evaluation activities, and for a strategic dissemination of findings and monitoring and evaluation data
Challenges conventional wisdom that teaching life skills to young people would reduce HIV infection. The paper suggests that: there is disagreement about the definition of life skills; the introduction of life skills in the curriculum often creates problems, particularly in the schools of poorer countries; and that life skills are action-oriented, and may be alien to cultural contexts where people, especially the youth, are not encouraged to choose. While the paper does not intend to undermine the importance of life skills-based education in HIV contexts, its cautious and critical analysis may provide a useful tool for the improvement of related initiatives
A mid-term review of the Reflect ICT project, which uses a participatory approach to ICT and communication for development and empowerment. The review reinforces Reflect's position that it is the process whereby ICTs are chosen and introduced which determines their impact, as much or more than the investment itself, and describes pilot projects in Uganda, Burundi and India which illustrate the Reflect approach and inform the 'lessons learned' in the final section
This report collates available evidence to determine how much the UK government is currently spending on HIV/AIDS in developing countries and countries in transition. It points out that a desire to see HIV/AIDS mainstreamed within development work is inconsistent with a desire for clear vertical budget lines. It makes recommendations for future campaign demands and for DFID's statements on its spending
This scoping study has attempted to identify and document how various agencies and institutions have approached the assessment of advocacy. It sets out a number of frameworks that look at similar issues from different perspectives and, instead of promoting one framework as the 'correct' one, allows the reader to pick and choose what elements are most useful to them. The work was limited in scale, and focused in particular upon the approaches of NGOs. The insights and ideas from this study will contribute to a three-year action research project to be undertaken by ActionAid and partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
This is the report of a forum that was initially conceived as a space to share experiences around participatory methodologies, adapting them to the new strategic direction of ActionAid. However, it rapidly evolved into a space for the analysis of power relationships, with the recognition that all participatory methods, tools and techniques can easily become manipulative, extractive, distorted or impotent
Describes the recently developed Accountability, Learning and Planning System (ALPS), an innovative reporting mechanism which promotes learning and adapatation at all levels of organisational practice
Contains short case accounts of lessons learned from participatory reviews (part of the annual reflection process of the Accountability Learning and Planning System (ALPS) in Bangladesh, Burundi, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Ethiopia and Haiti
