From Idea to Action

8/9/2019 From Idea to Action

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/from-idea-to-action 1/76

FROM IDEA

TO ACTION A study circle workbook on starting and running a project



Idasa’s work to promote people’s education through study circles issupported by Studieörbundet Vuxenskolan, a Swedish study circleassociation, and SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency)under the auspices o Forum Syd.

© Idasa 2010

ISBN 978-1-920409-21-0

First published 2010

Written by Britt Baatjes and Marie Ström

Copy editing by Frances Marks

Design and cover design by Mandy Darling, Magenta Media

Production by media@idasa

Tis publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted as long as the

source is ully acknowledged and Idasa’s Initiative or Leadership andDemocracy in Arica (iLEDA) is credited.

Bound and printed by Logoprint, Cape own



contents | iii

Contents

introducton v

Objectives v

What is a study circle? vii

How to set up a study circle x

How to run a study circle meeting xi

Make this study circle workbook work or you xii

Meetng 1: Startng and runnng a project 1

STEP 1: Welcome and introductions 1

STEP 2: Practical arrangements 1

STEP 3: Goals 2

STEP 4: What is a ‘project’? 3

STEP 5: Sharing project experiences 4

STEP 6: Evaluation 4

Meetng 2: Looking more closely at projects 7

STEP 1: Report-back 7

STEP 2: The project cycle 7

STEP 3: Setting up a project – where to start? 8

STEP 4: Setting up a project – Jabu’s story 9STEP 5: Evaluation 11

Meetng 3: What, why and who benets? 13


STEP 2: Whose need? 13

STEP 3: Focusing on the ‘bigger picture’ 17

STEP 4: The system in practice 20


Meetng 4: Establishing identity and purpose 23


STEP 2: Creating a group identity 23

STEP 3: Vision, mission and strategic objectives 25


Meetng 5: Mobilising resources 30


STEP 2: Ma Vilakazi’s story 30

STEP 3: Finding unding 31

STEP 4: Identiying other resources 33

STEP 5: Roles and responsibilities 34




| contents

Meetng 6: Writing a project proposal 37STEP 1: Report-back 37

STEP 2: Writing project objectives 37

STEP 3: Objectives, activities and outputs 39

STEP 4: Writing a project proposal 41


Meetng 7: Monitoring and evaluation 47

STEP 1: Dening monitoring and evaluation 47

STEP 2: Why is monitoring important? 48STEP 3: Setting up a monitoring system 49

STEP 4: Project evaluation 50

STEP 5: Report-writing 51


Meetng 8: Sustainability and success 53


STEP 2: Two project stories 53

STEP 3: Understanding sustainability 57

STEP 4: From projects to community legends 58


Meetng 9: Taking action 61

STEP 1: Preparing presentations 61

STEP 2: Making presentations 61

STEP 3: Final evaluation 61

Append: How to register a non-prot organisation 63



introduction | v

Introduction

Tere are many problems and challenges in the world today, including in South Arica, suchas poverty, unemployment and meeting basic human rights such as water, housing, healthcareand education. Many concerned South Aricans start projects in response to one o these,or to a similar issue. Sometimes a concerned group o citizens does very good work, but hasnot thought about what they do as a ‘project’ and about all the things that go into a project.Sometimes a project needs unding to survive, and people are then asked to explain theirproject in order to get unding rom a donor.

Even though not all projects are about earning an income, there is increasing pressure on many South Aricans who cannot nd employment in the ormal economy to start and run theirown projects as a way o earning an income.

So, we hope that this study circle material will assist those o you who are already running aproject or would like to start running a project, with ideas about how to do this, or how to do itbetter.

Te workbook begins with looking at what a ‘project’ is. Ten it ocuses on the ‘project cycle’that all projects go through. A project cycle is very important as it helps you to constantly reect on your project, and learn rom what is happening with it.

Ten the manual highlights ‘project planning’ and the importance o this part o the ‘cycle’. Ten it moves to ‘monitoring and evaluating’ projects, another important stage that helps youto know what is working well and what is not. You can also then make changes to the project,i need be.

Te manual ends with looking at what makes a project successul and sustainable. Troughoutthe manual, we look at what is going on in the ‘bigger picture’ as a way o understandingthe context or circumstances in which we live – this includes the local, national and globalcontexts, as all o these play a role in our lives (and projects), even i we are unaware o this.

Objectives

Ater attending all nine study circle sessions, participants should have developed a thoroughunderstanding o, and be able to critically reect on, the ollowing:

What a ‘project’ is;• Te ‘project cycle’;•

Project planning;•

Monitoring and evaluating projects;•

Why some projects succeed and others ail.•

This workbook contains:

Guidelines or nine study circle meetings;• asks to do between meetings;•

Suggestions or how study circle members can move orward with their own projects.•



vi | introduction

Tis manual was produced by Idasa, an independent Arican public-interest organisation thatpromotes sustainable democracy based on active citizenship, democratic institutions and social justice.

Idasa promotes study circles as a tool or citizens to empower themselves with knowledge andskills in order to become eective agents o change and development. Idasa believes that non-

ormal learning opportunities should be encouraged and valued in communities, alongside theormal education that takes place in schools and other educational institutions. For democracy to ourish, citizens need to develop the condence and capacity to pursue learning thatdeepens their understanding o the world they live in and the role they can play in changing it.

Tank you to the ollowing people who gave ideas and suggestions or the writing o this study circle manual:

Jane Hlako Hilton Johnson

Jacob Khangela Noxolo Mgudlwa

Precious Maolo Johanna Mahlangu

Eunice Matlala HW Mbobo

Zweli Mkhize Tembile Mohlonyane

Sipho Motsoeneng Aubrey Mpangane

Sicelo Ngubane Mandla Nhlapo

Douglas Racionzer Nthabiseng Radebe

Dee Ramongane Richard Ratlou

Temba Sibeko Birgit Skene

Paul Vilakazi

Tanks also to the ollowing people who took part in the piloting o the rst drat o thematerial in Pietermaritzburg, and who also gave ideas and suggestions:

Tamsanqa Mahlangu Lindokuhle Mbona

Nokuthula Mkhize Bonani Mnikathi

Busisiwe Ndlovu Phumlani Ngobese

Nathi Nkomo Lunga Shabalala

and thanks to Jessica Morphew or leading the study circle.

Finally, thanks to:

Sipho Gabela

Ncamisile Mbona

Nathi Nyoka

Winnie Nzimande



introduction | vii

What is a study circle? Important: Read this section i you have never participated in a study circle, or i you havenot been trained as a study circle leader.

A study circle is a small, inormal group ormed by people who are interested in learning more

about a particular subject together. A study circle is also or people who want to help solvepublic problems and build a better society.

Here are a ew key acts about study circles:

Groups meet once a week, or 8 to 12 weeks;•

Meetings last or 2½ to 3 hours;•

Members can shape the study to meet their interests;•

Members’ experiences are the oundation or learning;•

aking action deepens understanding and builds power.•

How many people can join a study circle?

Usually a study circle has eight to ten members. It can be a little smaller or a little bigger, butit should not be too small or too big. It must be big enough so that there are lots o dierentideas to share, and small enough so that everyone can participate easily.

Who can join a study circle?

Anyone can become a member o a study circle, i they are interested in the subject o thestudy. You do not have to be well-educated to participate in a study circle. You do not even

have to be able to read. Study circles are or everyone, rom any background.

Who can be a study circle leader?

Anyone can lead a study circle. Te study circle manual contains instructions to guide theleader and the group. Circle members decide together what they want to do, and can share the work o leading the circle. It is possible to receive training on how to be a study circle leader. I you are interested in this, contact Idasa at (012) 392 0500.

What is the role o the study circle leader?

When people work together in a group, it is always useul or someone to take the lead. Without a leader people eel unsure about what to do and time is wasted. Te study circleleader usually sets up the study circle and convenes the rst meeting. Te same person can leadall the study circle meetings, or other members can volunteer to lead meetings too. It is up tothe group to decide.

Here are some key principles or every study circle leader to remember:

Te leader is also a learner, like all the other members o the circle;•

Te leader is not a teacher or an expert;•

Te leader helps members to ocus on the task and keep time;• Te leader encourages everyone to take part in the discussions;•

Te leader encourages members to be accountable to one another.•



viii | introduction

What is the role o study circle members?

A study circle is dierent to a classroom where the teacher does all the work! Study circlemembers play an active role in the learning process. Te success o the study circle depends onthe contribution o every member.

A study circle works well when the members agree to do the ollowing things:

Attend every meeting;•

Participate actively;•

Share questions, experiences, ideas and resources;•

Listen careully;•

Respect the views o other members and appreciate their contributions;•

Disagree respectully with others, and be open i they disagree with you;•

Do tasks between meetings.•

Where should a study circle meet?

A study circle can meet anywhere in a place that is convenient or the members. Someone’shome, a corner in a church hall, or an open space under a tree are all suitable. Ideally, themeeting place should be exible and inormal. Desks are not necessary. Arrange chairs in acircle to create a comortable atmosphere where everyone is equal.

When do study circle meetings happen?

Study circle meetings can happen at any time that suits the members – morning, aternoon orevening. It works best to meet once a week, at the same time.

How long is a study circle meeting?

Study circle meetings usually last about 2½ to 3 hours, including a short break. Te group canalso decide to meet or a shorter time, but then it will cover less material.

For how long do study circles continue to meet?

It is helpul or a study circle to take a break ater 10 or 12 meetings. Tis is a manageable

commitment or most people. Ater this, members should be allowed to leave the group i they have other commitments. Te study circle can continue working on the same topic aterthe break, with a new set o objectives. New study circles can also be created to study dierentsubjects.

What resources are needed to run a study circle?

Study circles are a way or people to educate and empower themselves, using whateverresources they have. You do not need money to create a study circle. A lack o resources shouldnever be an excuse or not running a study circle!

o run a study circle you need:Members with a strong, shared interest in the subject o study;•

Energy and commitment to discover learning resources in unexpected places;•



introduction | ix

Study circle manuals or every member, i they are available;•

Other materials such as newspaper articles, booklets published by NGOs, library books,• videos or DVDs that are relevant to the subject o study;

A suitable meeting place;•

Simple rereshments, i possible.•

What is the origin o study circles?

People have used this approach to learning or over 150 years, especially when they have nothad access to ormal education. People’s movements in places as ar apart as Sweden, the USA,India, Brazil and South Arica have all used study circles and other similar methods to buildthe capacity o poor and marginalised people to play an active role in changing their society.

What makes study circles diferent?

Study circles promote an open, democratic approach to learning that is dierent to whathappens in schools, colleges and universities. Study circle members set their own learninggoals. Tey help to shape the study circle process to achieve these goals. Te leader is alsoa learner and does not dominate the group. Everyone in the circle is equal and his or herexperience orms the oundation o learning. Members join the study circle because they wantto, not because they have to.

Why join a study circle?

Join a study circle because you are hungry to learn and you want to be an agent o change in

your community. Study circles make it possible to learn about lie, rom lie, throughout lie.



x | introduction

How to set up a study circle

Recruit members

Te most important task when setting up a study circle is to nd people who are strongly motivated to learn about the chosen subject and take action with others. ake time to recruitthe right people. Tis will help to ensure that study circle members do not drop out later.

Here are some tips or recruiting study circle members:

Listen careully to identiy people’s interests;•

Don’t orce people to join or ask them to do you a avour by coming along;•

Give people a clear idea o what they can expect rom the study circle:•

Explain what a study circle is, how it works and how long it lasts;-

Explain the ocus o your study circle;-

Share the vision o lielong learning;•

Speak to all potential members yoursel – don’t just ask people to bring a riend;•

ry to create a diverse group, with people rom dierent backgrounds;•

Only involve people who can commit themselves to meeting or 10 or 12 weeks in a row.•

Identiy a meeting place and time

Find a suitable place or the study circle to meet. Above all, it should be accessible to members.Also decide on which day o the week the circle will meet, and at what time. You should

consult some members beorehand, although it might be impossible to satisy everyone. Tetime and the place will inuence whether people are able to join the study circle.

Obtain materials

I you plan to use a study circle manual, get copies or all members. Study circle manualscan be obtained rom Idasa by phoning (012) 392 0500. You can photocopy Idasa manualsi you do not have enough copies. Also look out or other materials such as books, videos ornewspaper articles that can guide and enrich your study.

Plan the rst meetingI you set up a study circle yoursel, then usually you will run the rst meeting. I not, identiy asuitable leader and plan the meeting together. At the rst meeting, members will discuss theirexpectations and agree on the goals they want to achieve together. Tese goals should help toshape everything else that happens in the study circle, right to the end. Make sure that the rstmeeting is interesting so that people are motivated to return!



introduction | xi

How to run a study circle meeting

Prepare

All study circle members should prepare or the meeting ahead o time. Te leader must readall the materials and plan the structure o the meeting. Other members must do any tasks that were allocated or suggested at the end o the previous meeting.

Adapt

Te study circle manual provides a guide or the meeting. You can ollow it closely, or you canadapt it. Everything depends on the goals o your group. You can decide to spend longer oncertain sections than on others, or drop some sections altogether. You can also use materialsrom dierent sources to enrich the study and to help you meet your goals. Discuss thesechanges together and decide what will work best or your study circle.

Relax

ake a short break ater about 1½ hours. Share some simple rereshments at this point, i they are available. Even a glass o water is good. Study circle members can take turns to providesimple rereshments, i they are able to do so.

Evaluate

Te study circle belongs to the members. Evaluate every meeting to make sure that you areachieving your goals. It takes time and eort to learn to work together eectively in a study

circle. Recognise positive contributions. Hold each other accountable to the commitments youmake. Strive to make each meeting better than the one beore. I you set high standards or yourselves, you will be impressed by what you can achieve together.



xii | introduction

IMPORTANT NOTE – READ THIS BEFORE YOU START

Make this study circle workbook work or you This is not a textbook The notes are there or you to discuss Feel ree to ask questions about what you read and to disagree The workbook is meant to get youthinking and talking as a group There are many questions or discussion You canuse these as a guide, but you don’t have to use them all Your own questions areeven more important!

There is quite a lot o space in this workbook or you to write down your ideas, butyou don’t have to be able to write in order to participate in the study circle It is alsone to talk through the exercises, while just a ew people write It is good to capturesome o the ideas in the group

In some o the meetings there is quite a lot to read Feel ree to choose somereadings and to leave out others You know best which inormation is mostimportant or you You can read the other notes at home You can also bring extrareadings rom books or newspapers to share with the rest o the group

Take a bit o time each week to prepare or the next meeting This is importantRemember that starting and running a project is not just about you Betweenmeetings, talk with your amily, riends and neighbours about how they seethings in your community Your homework is to chat and listen to others Thereare questions at the end o each meeting to guide you, but you can ask all kinds o

other questions too



Study circle workbook on running a project | 1

Meeting 1: Starting and running

a project|Suggested time or every meeting is 3 hours, including a 30-minute break halway through.

| Note: imes in brackets are just a guide.

STEP 1:

Welcome and introductions (10 minutes)

o get started, introduce yourselves to each other. Give your name and briey say a ew thingsabout yoursel, or example:

What organisation you are rom (i any);•

Where you live;•

How long you have lived in this community, and what you like about it;•

Action you have taken (i any) to improve the community.•

STEP 2:

Practical arrangements (30 minutes)

Look through the introduction to the manual, especially the ollowing points on pages vii and viii

• eroleofthestudycircleleader;

• eroleofthestudycirclemembers.

Ask any questions you have about these roles and clariy them or each other.

Make sure that everyone understands and agrees how the study circle will work. Conrm the practical arrangements or the study circle, and ensure that they suit all the members:

• Meetingtime;

• Venue;

• Lengthofmeetings;

• Numberofmeetings;

• Language.



2 | Study circle workbook on running a project

Questions or discussion:

Are you able and committed to attend all the meetings o the study circle?º

Do you understand why it is important to attend all meetings?º

What support can you give to each other to ensure that everyone attends the meetings?º

How will you hold each other accountable?º

STEP 3:

Goals (30 minutes)

Decide on your goals or the study circle. You can look at the objectives that have already been

developed (see page v). Feel ree to add to these or change them. Te ollowing questions will help you to identiy your goals as individuals and as a group.


Why have you joined this study circle on starting and running a project?º

What do you want to learn by taking part in this study circle?º

What would you like to achieve together as a group?º

Ater all the discussions, write the goals o your study circle in the space below. Check these goalseach time you meet. Use them to help evaluate your progress.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Are there correct answers or ‘solutions’ to the questions in this manual? Mosto the time, the questions invite you to give your own ideas about something.As study circle members, you do not all have to agree with each other. Te

discussion can sometimes be more interesting i you disagree!As you go through the material, remember that it may not always be easy tond answers. But asking questions and exploring them together is oten just as




useul as nding answers. Sometimes answers lead to more questions, so don’tstop asking them. You can use the questions in the manual, but you should alsoask questions o your own at any time.

Remember! You do not have to ollow this manual step by step. You can i

you want to, but eel ree to leave out parts that you do not want to use, or toinclude other useul material instead.

STEP 4:

What is a ‘project’? (35 minutes)

What do you understand by the word ‘project’? Working on your own, quickly write a ew wordsthat come into your mind when you think about the meaning o ‘project’. Use the space below.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Ater a ew minutes, let everyone in the circle share the words they have written. Have a short

discussion about the dierent understandings o ‘project’. Ten read the passage below and talkabout it together.

Te word ‘project’ originally came rom Latin. It meant ‘a plan that comesbeore anything else happens’. When the English language adopted this word,it kept this meaning o planning something, but not actually carrying it out.However, in the 1950s the meaning o ‘project’ changed and we now use it totalk about making a plan and carrying out the plan.

We will look at ‘planning’ and ‘carrying out the plan’ (that is, the project cycle)

in the next meeting.Sometimes people distinguish between a project and a programme . A project issmaller than a programme and usually has a dened starting and ending point with specic objectives. Once the project objectives have been achieved, it iscomplete and it ends.

A programme is bigger than a project and is usually made up o a group o related projects managed in a co-ordinated way to obtain results that are notusually possible i a project is managed on its own. Bigger organisations oten

run programmes that include several projects. ogether these projects achievebroader objectives, some o which may be ongoing (that is, they do not end ata particular point, like a specic objective).




Useul words you might not know

co-ordinated – combined / harmonised / working togetherdened – denite / cleardistinguish between – draw a line between / mark the

dierence betweenobtain – get / achieve specic – denite / particular / exact

STEP 5:

Sharing project experiences (35 minutes)

ake some time to tell each other about your own experience with projects. Use the ollowing questions to guide you.


Are you already involved in a project in your community? Or do you know about a projectthat is happening? I so, tell the group about it Some points to include are:

What does the project deal with?º

How long has it existed?º

What is working well in the project?º

What is not working?º

STEP 6:

Evaluation (10 minutes)

Briey reect together as a group on how well your rst study circle meeting worked.

Evaluation questions:

How do you eel about today’s study circle meeting?º

For you personally, what was the most helpul thing you learnt today?º

How well did people participate? Recognise useul contributionsº

How well did you manage time?º

What can you do better or dierently next time? How can each member help?º




Preparation or the next meeting

Beore the next meeting, ask two people in your area to share their eelings aboutthe community with you Use the questions below, and write the answers in the

space provided You can ask the questions and write the answers in any language There will be a brie report-back at the next meeting

NOTE: Explain that you are taking part in a study circle and you have been asked tond out this inormation Make it clear that this does NOT necessarily mean that theprojects will be set up!

What do you like about our community?•

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What problems in the community worry you the most?•

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What dreams do you have or our community?•

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




•Whatresourcesdowehavetohelpachievethesedreams?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What projects do you think could make a dierence in our community, and help•

us to begin to achieve these dreams?

______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 2: Looking more closely

at projectsSTEP 1:

Report-back (30 minutes)

Start the meeting by reporting on some o the thoughts that people shared with you about your community. Use your notes on pages 5 to 6. o end o, briey discuss the ollowing

questions.


Did people in the community nd it easy to come up with project ideas? I yes, why doºyou think this was so? I no, why not?

Which o the project ideas seem possible to you, and which do not?º

When people have ideas or projects, do you think they imagine getting involvedºthemselves, or do they see projects as work or other people? Try to explain this

STEP 2:

The project cycle (45 minutes)

Beore we look at the steps in setting up and running a project, it is important to consider the‘project cycle’. Here are some questions to get started.


Has anyone ever heard o theº project cycle?

I so, what is it?º

I not, what do youº think it is?

Now work with the person sitting next to you and look at the diagram o the ‘project cycle’ on the

next page. Look at the dierent words (‘plan’, ‘implement’, ‘monitor’, etc.).• Whatdoyouthinkeachwordmeans?

• Whydoyouthinkthewords‘reect’and‘learn’areinthemiddleofthediagram?




Adapted rom Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation by L. Clarke, CINDI Network, 2006.

Ater you have discussed the diagram in pairs, talk about it together as a group. Finally, read the short passage below.

It is very important to constantly monitor and evaluate what is going on atevery step o the project cycle. I you do this, you will know exactly what isgoing on in the project, what you might need to change and how you canmake it better.

A amous Brazilian educator called Paulo Freire said that it is important ‘toname, to reect critically and to act’. I you apply this to a project, you willconstantly be naming what is wrong or right with the project; reecting orthinking deeply and critically about it; and then acting or doing somethingabout it.

STEP 3:

Setting up a project – where to start? (20 minutes)

Working on your own, look at the three ollowing statements and put a mark in the box next toeither AGREE or DISAGREE, depending on what you think:

• Allprojectsstartwithsomesortofneed. AGREE DISAGREE

• e‘need’shouldbeidentiedbythepeople who will benet rom the project (that is, by community members themselves).

AGREE DISAGREE

PROJECT

reflect

learn

what?

plan

implement

monitor

evaluate

r e f l e

c t

r e f l e

c t

l e a r n

l e a r n

The Project Cycle




• eword‘need’soundslikesomethingismissing or wrong. A better word to use is‘asset’. Tis means that the community already has strengths and capacities to build on.

AGREE DISAGREE

Ater you have responded to these three points, share your answers with each other and discusswhy you agreed or disagreed with each o them. People are likely to have many dierent ideas.

STEP 4:

Setting up a project – Jabu’s story (45 minutes)

Read the ollowing story and then discuss the questions below as a group. You can read it silently

to yourselves or one person can read it aloud.

Jabu is one o seven women who belonged to a sewing group. Tey used Jabu’slounge as their sewing room, but there was very little space as Jabu’s twochildren also did their homework there. Te women were very busy and madeschool uniorms or the local school, but they could not always keep up withthe demand as they only had three unctioning sewing machines. Tey didnot make a lot o money as sometimes people could not pay or could only pay a small amount every month.

Ten a literacy proessor rom a university in Johannesburg came to visit themand said that they should start Adult Basic Education and raining (ABE)classes. She said that she could help and told them that there was some money available or ABE projects.

Jabu and her riends got very excited about this. Tey had worked so hardon their sewing project, but did not make much money. Te proessor saidthey would each get a stipend every month. Tey were very happy about thisbecause it meant that or the rst time they would know how much money they would have every month, and they could buy enough ood or their

children and pay their school ees.

Jabu and her riends were trained as acilitators, which they enjoyed very much. Jabu ound 20 learners easily, but some o the other acilitators didnot. Some people in the community did not want to attend classes as they did not want to admit that they could not read or write. Some women couldnot attend classes as their husbands reused to let them. Jabu and the otheracilitators wrote weekly reports to the proessor who sent the reports to theunder overseas. Tey also lled in many orms.

Jabu and her riends ran the ABE classes or three months but then many learners started to drop out. Some said they were too old to learn, others saidthey were happy with what they had learnt and had learnt enough. Some said




they did not like to attend at night as they did not always have someone tolook ater their children. Others said they were araid to walk at night. Anexternal evaluator came to see how the project was getting on, and shortly ater that the proessor said to Jabu and her riends that the project had ailed,

and that the under would no longer give them money. aken rom Learning in action! Monitoring and evaluating community-based projects, CINDI, 2008(unpublished).


demand – a lot o people wanting somethingexternal evaluator – someone who is not part o the

project who checks to see how the project is working

acilitator – similar to a teacher unctioning – workingreused – would not allow / said no stipend – a small salary / money to pay or basic costs

(lunch, taxi, etc.)


Why do you think this project ‘ailed’?º

What does this tell us about the link between projects and ‘need’?º

I you were Jabu, how would you have responded to the proessor’s suggestion to startºan ABET project? Why?

What does this story tell us about so-called ‘experts’? Do you think there is a place orºthem? I you do, in what ways could they be helpul?

Do you think there are ‘experts’ within a community or group like Jabu’s? Explainº

Many projects ail because an outside ‘expert’ tells a group or community thatthey need something, or a under has money and the group decides to use it. Tese projects usually ail because the real needs o the community are notproperly identied. Also, the people who are supposed to benet rom theproject are oten not consulted or involved. When this happens, people eelthat the project has been orced on them. A project cannot succeed i it is notbuilt on a deep understanding o people’s lives, interests, capacities and needs.




STEP 5:


Briey reect together as a group on how your study circle meeting went today.








When you go back home, try to nd out about one project in your community thatailed Speak to people who were involved in the project See i you can nd outsome o the reasons why it ailed Make some notes in the spaces below There willbe a brie report-back at the next meeting

What is the name o the ailed project that you identied?•

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Describe the goals o this project What did it try to achieve?•

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Did the project have some successes? What were they?•

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Why did the project ail in the end? What do other people say about this? What do•

you think?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 3: What, why and who

benets?STEP 1:


o begin the meeting, share the inormation you ound about ailed projects in your community.

Use your notes on pages 11 to 12. When you have nished reporting, respond to the ollowing questions to gather your ideas together.


Are there similar reasons why all these projects ailed? What are the main causes o ºailure?

What does this tell us about how to plan a project?º

Remember – you cannot run a successul project i there is no need or it.First, it is very important to identiy the need or problem that the project willaddress. Tink back to the discussion rom the last meeting about involvingcommunity members in identiying a clear need. It is also important or themto help shape the way the project responds to this need. At the beginning o the ‘project cycle’ it is always necessary to do some research to nd out whatpeople think the project should look like.

STEP 2:Whose need? (40 minutes)

Working in small groups o three or our, read the ollowing story. Ten answer the questionsthat ollow.

Note : Siyayadrit is not a real area, but it is based on a real one.

Mr Ngcobo rom the municipality has called a meeting to inorm community

members that an overseas mining company is interested in starting a mine inthe Siyayadrit area.

At the meeting, Mr Ngcobo makes the ollowing points:




Te company has a black economic empowerment (BEE) partner, Nene•Holdings, and they will involve the local community in whatever way they can;

About 400 jobs will be created over the 20-year period that the mine will be•

active, with other jobs being created while the mine is being built.

Development will happen in the area, as things like roads, electricity and• water will be needed by the mine.

Mr Ngcobo then says that i the mine is to open, the residents o Siyayadrit will have to move to the other side o the railway line, as the mine will be built where their homes are at the moment.

Tuli raises her hand and says: Many o us have lived in this area or a longtime. I live in my grandmother’s house and she is buried not too ar rom thehouse. Where will I be buried i we are moved?

Mr Ngcobo: Tere will be a new burial site across the railway. Just think o allthe opportunities this mine could bring to you!

Tuli: Eish! I don’t know anything about mining. Is this ancy overseas miningcompany going to train us on mining?

Vusi: Good question, Sis Tuli! Mr Ngcobo, aren’t you worried they may bringin ‘skilled’ miners rom other areas?

Mr Ngcobo: No, no! Tis is about you, not them.

Zandile: Heibo! You mean them making prots o our land!

Bongani: No! WE could get rich.

Sibongile: I have heard that mining can destroy the land and make the waterdirty and poisonous.

Nomsa: But we will all have jobs!

Vusi: How do you know? And you can only work as a miner or about 15 years.Many miners get very sick.

Nomsa: Heibo, Vusi! You don’t have a job now. At least you would have a job!

And the debate continued…

aken rom raining or Socio-Economic ransormation, ESSE/PACSA/Fairshare, 2009 (unpublished). Used with permission.





Who do you think will benet rom the mining ‘project’ in Siyayadrit? Why do you say so?º

Why do you think the residents o Siyayadrit have such dierent opinions about havingº

a mine in their area?What does the story o Siyayadrit tell you about understanding the interests o dierentºstakeholders in a community?

I you lived in Siyayadrit, would you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the mining project? Why?º

I time allows, read the ollowing passage together and discuss it briey. Let each study circlemember say which denition o development they like best and why.

Te term ‘development’ has many meanings. Here are three dierent ways thatpeople have come to understand it.

1. Economic development – Te dominant or main view o ‘development’ocuses on the economic growth o traditional societies, which are seen aseconomically and culturally backward. It is about changing societies romtraditional ones into modern ones, with things like shopping malls, casinosand stadiums. Te idea is that eventually the wealth in a country will ‘trickledown’ to everyone. In other words, i people make more money, they willspend more money, and gradually this will reach the poor. Tis idea o

‘development’ has not been very successul. Millions o people still live inpoverty, as the wealth has not reached them. Tis dominant developmenttrend only creates a lot o wealth or a ew people.

2. Liberation development – In this approach, development is seen as a processo liberating the oppressed by a process o conscientisation – that is,helping the oppressed (and the oppressor , i possible) to become awareo the larger orces that shape the society they live in, and to act upon thissituation in a way that will change it radically . It is a process o changingboth the undamental values and structures o the society.

An example o liberation development is the work o Paulo Freire (seeMeeting 2, page 8), who taught poor people literacy in the 1960s in theslums o Brazil. He believed that literacy was not just about ‘reading the word’, but also about ‘reading the world’. He taught people literacy as a way o helping them to become critically aware o the conditions they wereliving in, and why. He wanted people to act to change their situation, and hesaw literacy as a way o equipping them to do this.

3. Development-as-empowerment – Tis approach to development does not

ocus rst and oremost on meeting people’s ‘need’. Instead, it emphasises the capacities more than the poverty o the poor. It ocuses on people’sability to act, rather than their helplessness or their powerlessness.




Development highlights the positives in a community rather than dwellingonly on the negatives. It emphasises participation in something desirable rather than liberation rom something undesirable.

Many people involved in development think o poor people as having

‘nothing’ and outsiders then ‘giving’ them something or ‘meeting theirneeds’. Tis approach is oten very disempowering. It means that peoplebecome dependent on others to help them, rather than learning how to help themselves. It is more empowering to ocus on the ‘assets’ in acommunity and to build on these. A community’s assets can be very diverse and include things like history, traditions and institutions, as well as people’sskills, talents and local knowledge. Building on these assets is a way o building a community’s power to deal with people in positions o power.

‘Development-as-empowerment’ is similar to ‘participatory development’, where people in the community participate in thinking about, planning andimplementing their own development goals. Tey have the power, controltheir own development and are not reliant on others.

Adapted rom raining or Socio-Economic ransormation, ESSE/PACSA/Fairshare, 2009 (unpublished).


approach – a way o doing something

conscientisation – developing a critical understanding o asituation, then thinking deeply about that reality andnally acting to change it

dependent – to rely on / the opposite o ‘independent’desirable – something you would like, that is good / nicediverse – dierent / ull o variety emphasise – place importance on something / ocus

strongly undamental – basic highlight – ocus on / show

liberating – reeingnegatives – bad things / problems positives – good things / strengthsradically – completely / undamentally / extremely structures – political and economic systems and

institutionsthe oppressed – people who are in positions o weakness

and are kept in that position by people with morepower

the oppressor – someone in power who uses his or herpower in a negative way to keep people below them in aposition o weakness

trend – popular way o doing things




STEP 3:

Focusing on the ‘bigger picture’ (40 minutes)

When trying to understand the problems in a community, it is alwaysimportant to think about the ‘bigger picture’, and how it plays a part in allaspects o our lives, even i we are not aware o it. How do the problems in ourcommunity reect patterns in the broader society? What are the bigger orcesat play in the world that inuence the way our society works?

We do not operate by ourselves, in isolation or in a vacuum. We need tobe aware o what is going on around us and how this impacts on what wedo. When planning and implementing a project, it is helpul to bear the‘bigger picture’ in mind. It is impossible or one project to change powerul

international trends on its own. Sometimes this can eel rather discouraging.But starting a project is about being strategic. It is about tackling a smalleraspect o a big problem in a way that can begin to make a real dierence.

One o the main tasks o a project leader is to hold in tension ‘the world asit is’ and ‘the world as it should be’. Tis means being realistic and idealisticat the same time. It means having a big vision to make meaningul change inthe world. But it also means being able to work in very practical and strategic ways, building alliances with other projects in order to have a bigger impact.Understanding the ‘bigger picture’ helps us to begin to address the root causes

o problems, rather than just the symptoms.

Tere are strong economic orces and ideologies that shape our lives today. Welive in a neo-liberal world. Even i we are unaware o what this means, we areall aected by it.

Ater reading the passage above, take time to explain some o the modern world’s mainideologies and trends to each other. Use the questions and points in the box on the next page to

guide you.





Have you ever heard o the ollowing ideologies and trends:º

Capitalism?-

Consumerism?-

Globalisation?-

Neo-liberalism?-

I so, what do these terms mean?º

Can you think o some ways that these big orces make themselves elt in our everydayºlives?

To assist your discussion, think about some o these points:

Textile and clothing actories in South Arica What has happened to them? Why are thereº so many clothes made in China in our shops?

Large overseas companies and their relationships with South Arican companiesº

Managers earning huge amounts o money while employees, like cleaners, barely earn aºliving wage

Bad conditions inº public institutions like government schools and hospitals, while private schools and hospitals oer much better education and health care

Service delivery protests, where ordinary people say they do not have access to thingsºthe South Arican Constitution guarantees

The widening gap between the rich and poorº




I time allows, read the ollowing passage or some more clarity, or read it when you get home.

Capitalism is the dominant ideology in the world. It results in deep divisionsbetween rich and poor, and creates a class-based society. Tere are continuingconicts and struggles amongst the dierent classes o society – the upperclass, middle class and working class. Capitalism also causes the exploitationo the environment rom where it draws its wealth.

Neo-liberalism is a orm o capitalism that strongly promotes privatisation,ree trade and deregulation in the push or economic development.

Consumerism is a culture that bases happiness and the good lie on how much you have. Tis makes people ocus on what they lack, and makes them wantmore and more. Advertisers eed this hunger. Te consumer culture in today’ssociety turns citizens into individuals dened by needs and wants. Teir

basic question is ‘what can I get?’ rather than ‘what can I do?’ or ‘how can Icontribute?’

You have probably heard o the term globalisation. People oten say that wenow live in a ‘global village’, which means that we are all connected to eachother, no matter where we live. Globalisation has many orms – political,economic and cultural – some o which are more harmul than others.People, products and ideas travel more quickly and easily around the worldthan ever beore. Bad decisions made on one side o the globe can have anegative impact on the other side. English is becoming the language o globalcommunication. Local cultures are disappearing as an international ‘Coca-Cola’ culture starts to take over.

Neo-liberal globalisation is to do with economics and how money is distributed throughout the world. As we all know, some countries are rich and others,particularly in Arica, are poor. Since the world has become ‘globalised’, poorcountries have been orced to open their borders and allow goods and servicesto ow reely in and out, without taris and price controls. Tis is called a

ree market economy and is part o neo-liberalism. As a result, rich companies

rom rich countries can do what they like in other countries, with very ew restrictions. Governments have become less and less powerul and are toldto ‘let the markets rule’. In a system like this, more and more things areprivatised, including basic rights such as water. Rights then get called ‘services’and people have to pay or them. Tis system avours the rich and makes thepoor poorer, even though supporters o neo-liberalism would disagree.

I you want more inormation about the issues mentioned above, look in your local library or onthe internet.





deregulation – limiting rules that protect weaker producersand consumers o goods

distributed – spread around (who gets and who does not)exploitation o the environment – destroying / harming

the natural world to create something or prot (like amine, hotel or gol course)

avours – rewards / is on the side o ow – move easily globe – earth / world have access – have the opportunity to enjoy or benet rom

somethingideology – a world view / a way o structuring how society

works privatisation – limiting the government’s role, and

encouraging private ownership o public goods privatised – belongs to individuals, not the governmentrestrictions – limits / rules / controls supporters – ollowers / believerstaris – taxes on imported and exported goods

STEP 4:

The system in practice (30 minutes)

Read the ollowing story about a group o poor, rural South Aricans trying to make a living rom arming and how the neo-liberal ‘system’ and the consumer culture make this very difcult,

i not impossible.

Te rust or Community Outreach and Education (COE) and CalaUniversity Students Association (CALUSA) recently studied 40 LandRedistribution or Agricultural Development (LRAD) projects in severaldistricts o the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Te results o the study conrm what several other scholars and land rights activists have beenarguing or the past ten years. Tis is that the market-based approach andthe ramework or land redistribution are at the centre o the problem. Te research highlights the common issues on all the arms: instead o increasing their production they have lost most o their livestock; there isa lack o capital; lack o proper inrastructure, especially roads; a lack o arm management skills; a lack o proper governance structures; a lack o post-settlement support; and a lack o easy accessible inormation about

government land programmes.




As Mama Fan rom one o the arms says, ‘We thought our lives would be abit easier, but we struggle rom morning to night’.

Rural poverty and under-development is structural and thereore the existingland redistribution programme will continue to have more ailures than

successes, even i the Department o Land Aairs increases its capacity andresources to deliver on its land targets o 30% by 2014. Te programme willonly be able to transorm the countryside and give more poor people controland ownership o land i there are radical changes to the ramework, the entiresystem o landholding, and the model o agriculture in South Arica.

Adapted rom ‘Use it or lose it. Land Minister gets tough on the poor’, an article by Mercia Andrews in Amandla magazine, April/May 2009.


capital – money land redistribution – giving land back / ensuring airer

ownership o land, especially among the poormarket-based – the South Arican government has

adopted a ‘willing seller, willing buyer’ approach toobtaining arms or redistribution. structural – relatedto the political and economic structures or systems in acountry

Ater you have read the passage on pages 20 to 21, respond to the ollowing questions as a group.


How can you seeº neo-liberalism at work in this story about land redistribution in SouthArica?

What do you think about the writer’s suggestion that there needs to be ‘radical changesº

to the ramework, the entire system o landholding and the model o agriculture in SouthArica’? How do you think this system can be improved?

Can you seeº consumer attitudes in this story? Explain

How would the story be dierent i it ocused on people’s capacity to take actionºtogether to improve their situation?




STEP 5:










Beore the next meeting, read a newspaper or a magazine, listen to the radio, orwatch TV, and try to nd one current example o neo-liberalism, globalisation,capitalism or consumerism in action

For example, the doctors’ strike o June/July 2009 was about poor salaries and poorworking conditions in government hospitals Government hospitals have sueredbadly because o neo-liberal policies that push or basic services like health to beprivatised

Write your example on the lines below and briey explain why you chose it

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 4: Establishing identity

and purposeSTEP 1:


o begin the meeting, share your examples o how big orces like capitalism, consumerism,

globalisation and neo-liberalism aect everyone. Reer to your notes on page 22. Ten use the ollowing questions to wrap up your reports.


Has the discussion about the ‘bigger picture’ helped you to understand better how ourºsociety works?

How do you eel ater spending time thinking about capitalism, consumerism,ºglobalisation and neo-liberalism?

I you eel discouraged or powerless, how can this study circle help you to eel moreºhopeul?

I you eel empowered to act, what ideas do you have about what to do?º

STEP 2:

Creating a group identity (40 minutes)

Now that we have spoken about the ‘bigger picture’ we can look at starting andrunning a project in more detail. As we go through the steps it is important toalways keep the ‘bigger picture’ in mind.

In Meeting 2 we spoke about the project cycle and the importance o the needcoming rom the community members or group. Now we are going to look ateverything to do with the planning o a project.

First you must begin with WHO you are and what you stand or. Acommunity project is not something that you can plan or implement alone.

I you are organising people in your community to take action on something,start by giving yourselves a NAME. Ten you can identiy yourselves as agroup. It is hard to be a group without a name, even i it is a airly loose kindo group.




It is possible to organise people in a community without creating a ormalorganisation. In act, organising oten involves building relationships and working with people across dierent organisations. But as you organise people,they need to be able to align themselves with a group that has a clear identity

and sense o purpose. Tere are many dierent ways o naming or identiying an action group. Somenames ocus on a theme or issue. Other names also capture the kind o groupthat is at work. Here are some examples:

Food or All in Laladorp•

Parks or the People•

Development Action Now •

Hometown Clean-Up Initiative•Red Bay Sae Water Campaign•

Community Saety Coalition•

Stadigstad Public ransport Alliance•

Local History Action Group•

Ater reading the passage above, talk about it together in the group using these questions to guide you. Be creative and help each other think about names.


Are you thinking together with a group o people about starting a project? I so, doesºyour group have a name?

I the group does not yet have a name, what are some ideas?º

I you are not in a group, but you have an idea or a project, what do you think you couldºcall your group when it is ormed?

Use the space below to write some ideas o names or your group.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




STEP 3:

Vision, mission and strategic objectives (1 hour and 10 minutes)

It is very important to know what it is your group is trying to change.Everyone involved must know and understand what they are working towardsand i they are making a dierence.

Most organisations have a mission statement or a vision statement. Someorganisations have both. I you are working with a looser group o people tostart a project, rather than an established organisation, it is just as important tohave a clear vision.

A project is not just about doing meaningul things. It is about changing asituation or solving a problem. Tis might seem strange, but many people getcaught up in activities without really thinking about the purpose o their work.Organisations oten land up doing things just because they’ve done thembeore, or because other people are doing similar work. It is actually very easy to get carried away by activities, and to orget that projects are about strategicaction or change.

Beore you start planning a project, rst take time to clariy the vision, missionand strategic objectives that motivate your group. Tere are some guidelinesbelow. On page 63 you will nd some notes on how to register an organisation,

i that is something you decide to do. Here is an example o how an imaginary literacy organisation called Reading Power presentsits work to the world. Divide into pairs and read the section that ollows together. Ten try toexplain to each other what makes the vision statement, the mission statement and the strategic objectives dierent rom each other, using the questions as a guide.

READING POWER – Extract rom inormation brochure

Vision statement

Power or the powerless through readingMission statement

Reading Power promotes reading as a path to worker empowerment in SouthArica

Strategic objectives

Te strategic objectives o Reading Power are to ensure that:

Miners and arm workers discover the power and joy o reading;•

Employers recognise the value o literacy among workers and provide•literacy training;




Te government provides ongoing motivation and support or literacy work •on mines and arms.


Why do you think the vision statement is so big and bold?º

How does the organisation’s mission statement dier rom its vision statement?º

What do the strategic objectives tell you about Reading Power as an organisation?º

Can Reading Power achieve its vision on its own? What other kinds o groups andºorganisations could also contribute towards this?

Still in pairs, now read through the ollowing set o terms and their meanings. It can be quite

tricky to understand the dierences between them, so take your time and try to explain theseideas to each other in your own words. Keep reerring back to Reading Power as an example.

Vision What the world (or country or your local situation) will look like i your group’s hopes come true.

An eective vision statement is:

Very short;•

Ambitious;•

Idealistic;•

Inspiring.•

It describes the situation that would exist i everything your group ororganisation is working or happened. It says what would count as complete success or your group or organisation.

Te vision is not what a group thinks it will achieve this year or next year,

but what things will look like eventually, i it achieves all its aims. It is otensomething that needs the work o many other organisations and groups inorder to happen.




Mission Summary o why a group or organisation exists and the overall dierenceit wants to make.

An eective mission statement captures:

What you do;•

Why;•

Where;•

For whose benet.•

A mission statement must be short – no more than one or two sentences.It provides a clear, punchy statement o purpose. It is more specic than a vision statement, but still broad and long-term.

It is not necessary or a group to have a vision statement and a missionstatement. A strong mission statement is more important than a visionstatement.

Strategicobjectives

Particular changes the group or organisation plans to bring about inorder to achieve its mission and vision.

o achieve a big mission, it is usually necessary to approach the work roma number o dierent angles. One organisation cannot do everything. Itsstrategic objectives identiy the particular aspects o an issue that it plans to

address.Good strategic objectives must:

Be specic, but also visionary;•

Respond to the• context in which the work is happening;

Clariy the• choices an organisation has made to advance its mission;

State what will be• dierent when that particular aspect o its work hassucceeded.

Strategic objectives can take a long time to achieve. Tey may also changeover time, as the context in which a group or organisation is workingchanges.

Sometimes a project only addresses one o an organisation’s strategicobjectives. Additional projects are then designed to achieve other theobjectives.




As a group, discuss and write a vision statement and a mission statement or a group called Walk Sae. Imagine that they are working in the city o Port Veronica to stop pedestrians rombeing killed by cars. Use the space below to write your ideas. I you come up with more than one

statement, write them all down and discuss which ones are stronger and why.

Vision statement

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Mission statement

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

STEP 4:












Beore the next meeting, ask someone who is involved in an organisation i youcan share their organisation’s vision and mission statements with members o this

study circle I you are involved in an organisation, you can share that organisation’sstatements I you nd a group that does not have a vision or mission, you can oerto help with the writing o these statements

Use the space below to write the statements

vson statement

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Msson statement

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 5: Mobilising resources

STEP 1:


o begin, let a ew members share the vision and mission statements that they ound during theweek. Read them out aloud, and then work as a group to see i the statements ‘t’ the descriptionso the ‘terms’ (see pages 26 to 27). Use the ollowing questions as a guide when you discuss each o the statements.


Is the vision statement big and inspiring? I necessary, how could it be improved?º

Is the mission statement clear and punchy? I necessary, how could it be improved?º

STEP 2:

Ma Vilakazi’s story (20 minutes)

Read the ollowing story. You can read it silently to yourselves or one person can read it aloud.

Ma Vilakazi wanted to run a soup kitchen as there are many unemployed andhungry people, especially children, in her area. A nearby church in a richer areaagreed to donate ood or one year. Te pastor said that they were happy todonate ood as long as Ma Vilakazi ound a kitchen in her area. Te pastor o one o the churches in her area said that Ma Vilakazi could use their church’skitchen or three months. Ater three months, they would not be able to use itbecause the kitchen was going to be renovated, as it was a very old building.Ma Vilakazi started the project and thought that she would be able to ndanother kitchen easily, but she could not nd one. She now only has two more weeks let beore the three months is up. Te pastor rom the church thatdonated the ood said that i there was nowhere to cook and serve the ood,they would not be able to donate it anymore. Ma Vilakazi is very worried thatthe soup kitchen will not be able to go on.

aken rom CINDI’s Learning in action! Monitoring and evaluating community-based projects, 2008.





donate – give or reerenovated – make it like it is new again / xresources – money and assets (or example, a building,

urniture, gardening tools, a car)

Ater reading Ma Vilakazi’s story, discuss these questions as a whole study circle.


What did Ma Vilakazi do wrong in planning her project?º

What would you have done dierently?º

STEP 3:

Finding unding (30 minutes)

In the example o Ma Vilakazi, we saw how a project ailed because o bad planning to dowith resources. Tink o some reasons why it is difcult or people involved in community

projects to get resources or their work, especially unding. Write the reasons in the space below. Aterwards, compare your list with the points in the passage that ollows.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




It is oten very difcult or people involved in projects to access resources,especially unding. Tis is now made worse by the global economic crisis. Hereare some reasons why community groups struggle to get nancial support orthe projects they plan to do.

Lack o inormation;•

Difculties in identiying unders;•

Lack o capacity, especially or writing unding proposals;•

Te project’s requirements don’t match the unders’ requirements;•

Many unders have very strict rules or what project proposals should look •like;

Administrative procedures at unding agencies are long and difcult;• Te process o writing and submitting unding applications is difcult;•

It is difcult to get advice rom donors on how to improve a proposal;•

Funding comes with conditions (or example, what can be unded, or how •long the unding can last);

Funders have their own priorities and are not interested in all kinds o •projects;

Delays in receiving the unding ater it has been approved.•

Now think o ways that you can overcome these difculties. Discuss concrete ideas or what youcan do to deal with some o the problems that you listed on page 31. Write down your thoughts.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




STEP 4:

Identiying other resources (30 minutes)

Te case study that ollows is true. Read it together, and then respond to the questionsaterwards.

Mountain View is a section o Mabopane township outside Pretoria. Residentso Mountain View decided to take action when crime started getting outo control in their area. First, a group o neighbours got together to discussthe problem. Tey ormed an organising committee. One o them, MphoAdams, worked or an organisation that had a lot o experience in community organising and community saety issues. He agreed to become the chairperson. Ten they held a bigger meeting or people rom all homes in the area.

Everyone agreed that something had to be done. Tey decided to orm theMountain View Neighbourhood Watch. Many people volunteered on the spotto be part o daily oot patrols. Te organising committee built a relationship with the local police station and got their support. Police cars patrolling in thearea began to stay in close contact with the oot patrols. Local businesses alsobecame interested. Te Neighbourhood Watch oered to keep an eye on theirproperties. In return, the businesses paid or cellphones and contracts to beused by the patrollers. When the Neighbourhood Watch decided to organisea march to get more young people involved in their work, the drum majorettes

rom a local school were out in ront. People made their own banners. Teorganisers got permission rom the municipality to hold a music estival in thelocal park at the end o the march. Tey also asked South Arican Breweries toprovide a stage, and they agreed. Local musicians were happy to perorm. Aterthis day o partying, many young people signed up to be part o the MountainView Neighbourhood Watch. Up until now, their eorts have been very successul and crime has gone down a lot in the area.

Questions or discussion:According to the story, how much unding did the Mountain View Neighbourhood watchºmanage to raise or their work?

Are you surprised how much they were able to do? Why?º

What resources were they able to bring together to help make the project succeed?ºMake a list below and compare your ideas

What did you learn rom this story about how to identiy dierent resources or a project?º




Use this space to write all the dierent resources (people, skills, experience, equipment,relationships and so on) that you can nd in the Mountain View story.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

STEP 5:

Roles and responsibilities (40 minutes)

Go back to the list o project ideas that you wrote on page 6. Divide into two groups, and let each group choose ONE o the project ideas. Write your project on the line below.

_________________________________________________________________________

Pretend that you are part o a group that is involved in this project. Start identiying theresources in your team. Also think about other resource people in the community. Follow the

steps below.

1. What jobs must people do to make the project happen? Tink about the dierent roles your project needs (or example, chairperson, undraisers, trainers, etc.). Make a list.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




2 Decide who will be responsible or what and why. Tink about the dierent kinds o knowledge and skills that you REALLY have in your group and how each person’sknowledge and skills can contribute to the project. Find a useul role or every member o the group to play, building on his or her skills.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

3. Tink about leadership. How are you going to address this?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. Decide i anyone needs training and suggest ideas or how you could go about getting it.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Finally, get back together as a whole study circle and reect on this exercise, using thesequestions to guide you.


What did you learn when discussing roles and responsibilities?º

What was easy?ºWhat was difcult?º




STEP 6:









During the coming week, think about resources you need or the project you arealready involved in, or or a project that you would like to start Then make a list o real resources in your community that you can try to access in order to make yourproject a success

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




Meeting 6: Writing a project

proposalSTEP 1:


Begin by sharing some o the resources in the community that you identied that can help you

with your project. Use your notes on page 36. Respond to these questions to wrap up the reports.


How do you eel ater identiying resources in your community that can help you?º

I you did not identiy any resources, why was this difcult or you?º

Does it help to ocus on resources and assets in your community, rather than on what isºlacking? Why do you say so?

STEP 2:

Writing project objectives (40 minutes)

In order to get unding or a project, it is necessary to write a detailed proposal. Writing project proposals is very hard work. It takes a lot o eort to statethe purpose o the project clearly, and in a way that people will believe in theimportance o what you want to do. Sometimes you might eel that you justhave to write a proposal to satisy a under. But it is very useul to clariy thereal purpose o the project or yoursel and your project team. I you cannotstate clearly why you are doing something, then is easy to lose your direction orto do things that do not have much impact.

Te most important thing when preparing a proposal is to write clear projectobjectives. Once you can state what it is that you are aiming to change , then you can plan the right activities that will enable you to achieve these goals.Very oten, people start with ideas or activities and then write the objectives

aterwards. But this is the wrong way around! ALWAYS start with theobjectives, no matter how difcult it is to do this. Ten your project is morelikely to make a dierence.




Good project objectives must be SMAR.

S = Specic Clear and concrete.

M = Measurable Possible to prove what has been achieved, and measure

how well. A = Achievable Realistic, doable, not too ambitious, possible to put into

action.

R = Relevant Useul, strategic, sensitive to the context in which theproject will happen.

= ime-bound Provide time goals.

Here are some examples o SMAR project objectives:

o help ensure that a new policy on improving the teaching o reading in•South Arican schools is adopted by the Department o Education withinthree years.

o establish adult literacy programmes in all arm schools in the Free State•by the end o 2015.

Over a period o 18 months, to motivate and equip parents in ve townships•around Johannesburg to read to their children.

In pairs, look at the ollowing project objectives and check i they are SMAR. I they are not,identiy what is missing and rewrite them on the lines below.

o help our learners to read, we will:

1. Provide one-to-one literacy support.

2. Work with prisons to identiy people with reading difculties.

3. Provide more reading materials to adults who are learning to read.

Objective 1:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




Objective 2:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Objective 3:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

STEP 3:

Objectives, activities and outputs (40 minutes)

One o the trickiest things when writing a project proposal is trying tounderstand the terms that dierent unders use, and how they use them. Otenone under uses a word in one way, and another under uses it dierently. Tiscan be very rustrating, but it helps to understand that unders usually want you to provide dierent levels o objectives, starting broadly and becoming more specic, ollowed by activities and/or outputs. I you understand thisprinciple, then it is easier to gure out how they use the various terms, andhow to use them in your proposal.

Overall aim Te big change the project aims to achieve. It mustbe within the reach o the project – not too grand orambitious. Tis is the same as the overarching goal .

Project objectives SMAR statements saying what will be dierent whenthe project ends. Sometimes the words outcomes, results orspecifc aims are also used.

Activities Te things you will DO to achieve the objectives (liketraining, research, building or distributing seeds).Sometimes activities are called inputs.

Outputs Products, services or acilities that will result rom theactivities.Sometimes the word deliverables is also used.




Remember the group called Walk Sae (see page 28) that is working to prevent the deaths o pedestrians (walkers) in the city o Port Veronica. Here is an example o how they might present some o their work in a project proposal. Look careully at the aim, objectives, activities and outputs. Explain how each ‘level’ is dierent. Show how they t in with the notes on page 39.

Overall aim Cut pedestrian deaths by hal in Port Veronica in the next three years.

Objectives by the 1. Road saety is taught in all local schools.

end o the project 2. Zero-tolerance or jaywalking (not crossing roads at robots).

3. Speed limit cut to 30km an hour in busy pedestrian areas.

4. Drunk pedestrians do not walk alone.

Activities alling under 1a Write and publish teaching materials on road saety.

Objective 1 1b rain and support teachers to use road saety materials.

1c Run road saety poster competition in schools.

Outputs rom these • RoadsafetybookletsforGrades2,6and11.

activities • Lessonsplansonroadsafetyforteachers.

• Tenworkshopsforteachers,eachinvolvingthreeschools.

• Report-backconferenceforteacherstoshareexperiences.

• Exhibitionofprize-winningpostersatCityHall.

• 20billboardsfeaturingthreewinningposterdesigns.

• 600postersforlamppoles

Note : Te proposal would also need to list the activities alling under the other threeobjectives, and the outputs rom all these activities. Tis is just a brie example.

Now try to write your own objectives. Divide into two groups. Imagine that you are memberso a community action group in your town or city called Parks or the People. You are starting a

project to develop new parks. Using the model above, write the overall aim, project objectives, some examples o project activities and some examples o project outputs.

Overall aim

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




Project objectives

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Examples o activities under one o the objectives

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Examples o outputs rom these activities

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

STEP 4:

Writing a project proposal (30 minutes)

I time allows, read the notes below and explain them to each other as you go along.

Tere are a number o dierent agencies that make unding available to groupsand organisations involved in development and community building. It is agood idea to ask people you know who may have worked with unders i they can help you with names and contact details, although sometimes people canbe quite unwilling to share this inormation!

Here are some examples o unding agencies:

SA government agencies:• Especially through the National DevelopmentAgency. Some government departments (e.g. Health) also support community initiatives. Municipalities sometimes also have resources to share.






Executive summary

Tis should give a very brie overview o the project rationale, objectives andmain activities. It can be as short as one paragraph, and not more than onepage.

Introduction and rationale

Describe the situation in which the project will be rolled out, and theparticular problems or issues it is responding to. Provide strong arguments to justiy why this kind o action is needed. Include research statistics or ndings about the issues to support your arguments.

Organisational background

Include a description o your group or organisation and how your work experience enables you to address the issues successully.

Overall aim

See earlier explanation on page 39. Tis is the big goal.

Project objectives

See earlier explanation on page 39. Remember, they must be SMAR.

Activities

See earlier explanation on page 39. Describe the activities that all under eachproject objective.

Outputs

See earlier explanation on page 39. List the outputs that will result rom eachactivity.

arget groupsDescribe the ocus population, the people who will benet rom the projectand the groups that will be involved.

Workplan

Provide a broad plan o when the activities will take place. It is not alwaysnecessary to give exact dates, but you should indicate in which month(s) the work is planned to happen. It is useul to draw up a calendar.




Monitoring and evaluation

Say who will be responsible or monitoring and evaluating the implementationo the project and how this will be done. Also say how you will know i theproject is successul or not. Provide concrete ways o proving that the project

was properly and successully implemented. Tese are called indicators.

Key personnel

Say who will work on the project (managers, administrators, trainers, eld workers, researchers, evaluators, nancial ofcers, etc.). Explain i volunteers will play an important role.

Strengths and innovations

Highlight the project’s strengths and any aspects o your project that areinnovative or original (in other words, the things that make your projectdierent so that it stands out rom others).

Sustainability

Describe some o the strategies you will use to keep the project going once theunding ends. Include ways that you will try to generate local income or ndother partners or unders.

BudgetInclude a summary budget in the orm o a table. Also include separatebudget notes describing how you calculated the budget amounts that appearin the table. Say broadly how you will spend the amount or each item (travel,catering, etc.).

Organisational status

Funders usually require that groups or organisations applying or unding havean NPO registration number and a constitution (a document that states whothe organisation is; what its principles, systems and values are; who makesup the organisation; and what it does). See page 63 or more inormation onhow to register an organisation. You might also need to provide proo that you have a good enough accounting system to manage the money and reporton your spending. I your group is new and small, it is possible to ask a biggerorganisation to be the scal agency or you, and manage the unding on yourbehal.

Adapted rom CINDI notes (2009); CIVICUS: Writing a unding proposal – www.civicus.org; IPPF: Guide or designing results-oriented projects and writing successul proposals – www.ippwhr.org.





duration – the time something lasts / how long somethinggoes on or

ndings – what you or others have ound out / actsdiscovered by working in the eld

scal agency – organisation that manages your undingthrough its own nancial systems

ormat – way o presenting the proposal (types o headings, charts, number o pages, etc.)

indicators – signs o success / ways o measuring impact key – main / importantlogo – a small picture or symbol that represents an

organisation (used on posters, brochures, etc.)ownership – eeling part o something / eeling that

something belongs to you priorities – issues and areas they have chosen to ocus onrationale – justication / explanation statistics – numbers / percentages strategies – methods / approaches summary – very brie / short / not detailedtechnical – needing particular knowledge and skills in that

type o work

STEP 5:












As a project is rolled out, it is important to do what you say you are going to do inthe proposal Think about how you can keep track o what is happening once you

start putting project plans into actionWhat are ways to make sure that all the people involved in the project are doingwhat they are supposed to be doing?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

How can you make sure that activities happen according to plan, and within thebudget (in other words, no overspending)?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What can you do to keep good project records?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 7: Monitoring and

evaluationSTEP 1:

Dening monitoring and evaluation (15 minutes)

Tis meeting begins a bit dierently. Te report-backs will happen in Step 3. First take time to

understand the meaning o monitoring and evaluation.

Project monitoring is what you do throughout the lie o the project to makesure that things are happening properly. It includes keeping track o activitiesin quite a detailed way to ensure that they take place according to plan. It alsomeans keeping a close eye on how much is spent or each activity, and makingsure that spending does not go over the budget. Depending on the type o project you are running, monitoring involves keeping good records o dates,numbers, people and places. For example, how many workshops are held, and when, and how many people attend? Or how many ood gardens are started,

and where, and how many gardeners are involved? Tis inormation mustbe studied and discussed in an ongoing way so that the project plans can beadjusted i necessary.

Project evaluation happens occasionally during the lie o a project (dependingon how long it is), and always at its end . It is about analysing more deeply what is working well in a project and what isn’t, and learning rom it. Duringthe evaluation process, you will take a closer look at all the monitoringinormation, while also looking at the broader context in which the project isbeing implemented. Evaluation tries to measure whether the project is makinga dierence in the lives o the main target groups, as well as in the broadercommunity. Te evaluation asks to what extent the project objectives have beenachieved.

People oten reer to monitoring and evaluation as M&E.

Ater reading the notes above, explain them to each other in your own words.




STEP 2:

Why is monitoring important? (30 minutes)

Divide into our small groups, and let each group discuss one o the questions below this. Write your ideas in the space provided. ake about 10 minutes to discuss your question. I you nishbeore the other groups, then start discussing some o the other questions.

1. Why is project monitoring important or the leaders o a project?

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why is monitoring important or the people involved in implementing a project (sta and volunteers)?

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

3. Why is monitoring important or the unders supporting the project?

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. Why is monitoring important or the community where the project is beingimplemented?

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________




Ater 10 minutes, get together again as a whole study circle, and let each small group report ontheir answers. Ten have some open discussion beore moving on to Step 3.

STEP 3:

Setting up a monitoring system (45 minutes)

Now take time to report on the ideas you had during the week or making sure everyone is doing what they should be doing in a project. Use your notes on page 46.

Ater reporting, pretend that you are a group o people who are about to start implementing a new project. You are meeting to set up a system or monitoring the project. List some o thethings that you should think about together during this important discussion.

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Ater writing your thoughts, compare your list with the ollowing:

• Whatdoesthemonitoringsystemhopetodo?

Which project activities will we look at?•

What kind o inormation will show us i the activities are working well?•

How will we nd out i there are problems with the activities?•

How will we get the inormation?•

When will we collect the inormation?•

How will we record the inormation?•

How and when will we analyse the inormation we have collected?•

How will we present what we have learnt?•

How will we use the inormation to make our project work better?•




It is best i the people who are involved in the project decide together whatthey should be looking or while monitoring. Tis is called participatorymonitoring and it means that everyone who is involved in the project designsthe monitoring system, collects the inormation, analyses the inormation and

decides how it will be used to make the project better. Plans or monitoringshould orm part o the planning stage o the project.

STEP 4:

Project evaluation (30 minutes)

Still pretend that you are all part o a group that is implementing a project. Imagine that awhole year has passed, and that you are now going to be joined by two experts rom Germany.

Tey have been asked to evaluate the project on behal o the German under that has been supporting the project. Divide into pairs and discuss the ollowing questions.


As you wait or the German evaluators to arrive, how do you eel? Why do you eel likeºthis?

Do you think it is right or people to come all the way rom Germany to evaluate yourºproject? Why do you say so?

What would help to make the evaluation process comortable and useul or you?º

Evaluation can be a scary word. Most people are araid o ailure and don’tlike to be judged by others. Oten this means that when a project is evaluated,people try to paint the best picture possible. It can be difcult or us to behonest about mistakes and ailures, but we can learn very important lessonsrom them. And o course we learn rom successes too. Evaluation is aboutlearning to deepen the impact o our work, and being accountable to our

partners and communities. Tere are many dierent approaches to project evaluation. First it is important todecide what the evaluation is or. Ten it is easier to plan how it should happen.

Internal evaluation

It is useul or a project team to hold its own internal evaluation every ew months. Tis means that everyone can learn rom what is happening. I theproject is running into trouble, it is very important to try to understand why things are going wrong. Ten changes can be made beore it is too late. Tesechanges MUS be negotiated with the under. It is not possible to change ordelay project activities without keeping the under inormed and explainingthe reasons.




External evaluation

Most unders like to do an external evaluation at the end o a project, althoughsometimes this can also happen halway through a long project. Tis meansbringing in experts rom South Arica, or rom another country, or both.

Teir role is to give an ‘outsider’s’ opinion o how the project has worked. Teexternal evaluators are supposed to work with the project team to design theevaluation process.

Participatory evaluation

Just as there is participatory monitoring, so there is participatory evaluation.Here the aim is to involve people rom across the community in evaluatingthe project, not just experts. It can be very empowering or the people whoare supposed to benet rom a project to be actively involved in evaluating

it. Tis means they can be involved in gathering inormation, sharing theirthoughts about what works and what doesn’t, and reporting back to others inthe community.

I time allows, discuss some o the points about evaluation and share what approaches you thinkwould work best or you.

STEP 5:

Report-writing (10 minutes)

Beore wrapping up the meeting, take a quick look at the notes below.

I you get money rom a under, they will need you to send them reports onthe progress o your project. Tere are many dierent ways to write a reportand unders oten have specic requirements.

Here are some things that can go into a progress report:

What are the project’s objectives?•Are the objectives being met?•

I so, what are you doing to achieve the objectives (what are the main•activities)?

What evidence do you have that these activities are happening (registers,•reports, checklists, etc.)?

When were the activities done?•

Have any o the objectives• not been met? I so, why? What are you doingabout this?

Describe all the good things about your project – what is working well?•




Describe all the difcult things about your project – what is not working• well? What are you doing about this?

Who is benetting rom the project? In what ways?•

Te inormation you gather during project monitoring will be useul when youprepare your reports or the under. Funders oten ask about the impact o aproject, that is, the broader eect o a project on the community, or at higherlevels such as government policy. Te impact questions are usually tackled inevaluation reports.

STEP 6:









For next time, think about and write down what you think makes a projectSUCCESSFUL Also speak to some riends and neighbours to nd out what they think

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 8: Sustainability and

successSTEP 1:


As a group, report on your thoughts about what makes a project successul. Reer to your notes on

page 52. Ater sharing your ideas about successul projects, read the passage below and discuss the main points.

Tere are many things that can make a project successul. When evaluatingsuccess, here are some important questions to ask:

Has the project met its objectives?•

Has the project made a positive change?•

Is the project sustainable? In other words, can the work continue ater the•project ends? Are the results deep and long-lasting?

Has the project made an impact on the larger community?•

Has the project given people more hope, energy and power?•

STEP 2:

Two project stories (50 minutes)

Here are two stories o community projects – Latita in Port Elizabeth and Vukani in Hammanskraal. Divide the study circle into two groups. Let one group read the rst story, and the other group read the second one. Answer the questions that ollow in your small groups. Tencome together ater 50 minutes to share what you have learned, and to wrap up the discussionabout sustainability.

Story 1: Latita Community Soap Project

Te age-old tradition o making homemade soap has become a lieline or 16 amilies living in Kwadwesi and Joe Slovo townships. Te LatitaCommunity Soap Project helps unemployed people make money by producingglycerine-based, handmade soaps using ingredients such as tea tree oil and




rooibos. Te development project was established by the Calabash rust, anon-prot charity organisation based in Port Elizabeth, to help unemployedparents to pay school ees and or daily necessities. Tere are currently twogroups o eight people working rom Emani Primary School and Joe Slovo

Primary School, respectively. Tey are all parents who have been identiedby the school governing bodies o the two schools as people in need o socialuplitment.

‘Poverty is a big problem in the area and there is a great need to empowerpeople to become sel-sufcient,’ says Calabash rust’s Carla Collins.

Apart rom learning how to make soap, group members have received trainingin courses such as ethics, nance and budgeting , as well as proessionalism.According to Carla, this is important because most o the members wereunable to complete their education due to nancial and social constraints,making nding employment difcult.

One o the women involved with the project, Nobuhle Plaatjie, 41, grew up with her grandparents and was orced to leave school early when hergrandparents died, leaving her without the needed skills to join the workorce.Her husband does not have a permanent job and they have been struggling tomake ends meet. ‘Latita means a lot to me, I can nally put something on thetable or my amily,’ she said.

Another woman involved in the project is Julia Mayinje, 42, who ater being

abandoned was adopted by an aunt who reused to send her to school. She,like the other women and one man involved in Latita, says she has gainedinvaluable knowledge through the project and hopes it grows.

Te Summerstrand Hotel has started making this dream become a reality by becoming the project’s rst customer. Teir soap is used in all the guestbathrooms and also as corporate gits. According to the SummerstrandHotel’s Nicolette Saayman, they have also helped the groups with mentoring in marketing , sales, product development and other business aspects o theprogramme.

Nkosinathi Kani, another woman involved in the project, says the groupmembers hope to earn enough money to donate unds to the schools whichhave become their place o business.

aken rom Te Herald newspaper, 8 July 2009. Written by Eleanor Douglas-Meyers.





abandoned – rejected / let on own by parentsage-old tradition – old ways o doing something / passing

o knowledge or skill rom one generation to the nextbudgeting – working out the amount o money neededconstraints – restrictions / limits / barriers / obstaclescorporate – business / company established – started / set-upethics – morals / what is right and goodinvaluable – very valuable / very importantlieline – rescuer / saviourmarketing – advertising / telling people about your productmentoring – giving advice and guidance to someone / a

kind o teaching product development – ideas or new products and ways topresent them

proessionalism – keeping to high standards when you work

sales – selling sel-sufcient – needing no help rom others social uplitment – helping to improve their lives struggling to make ends meet – nding it difcult to pay or

everything you need

Ater reading the story about the Latita project, use these questions to guide your discussion.Tere are some answers in the reading, but also give your own ideas.


Do you think Latita is a successul project? Give reasons or your answerº

Is there something in this story that inspires you or gives you hope? Why do you say so?º

What things are mentioned in the reading that can help to make the Latita soap projectº sustainable?

Do you think the Latita project could ace any risks or dangers in the uture? Explainº

What ideas do you have to overcome these risks and make Latita more sustainable?º




Story 2: Vukani Community Development Organisation

Vukani Community Development Organisation was established in 2004 by Nomthandazo Skhosana and a group o young women in New Eersterus,a section o Hammanskraal north o Pretoria. Nomthandazo (known asNomthi) said, ‘I got a group o people together and explained what I wantedto do. I needed to know i I had support. And people did support me.Beore long, we drew up a constitution, elected ofce bearers and applied orregistration.’

She and her team decided to set up an ater-school programme that caters orover 70 children every day. Tey receive lunch, help with schoolwork, and alsoparticipate in sports and cultural activities. Vukani works closely with the socialservices and health departments in Moretele. Nomthi explained, ‘Because o

AIDS there are deaths every day in the area. Children are not being taken careo properly. Many o them stay alone or live with elderly relatives, who cannotalways cope.’

Nomthi spent a lot o time developing the leadership capacity o her younghelpers in Vukani. In the beginning, she always made sure that at least oneperson went with her to every meeting, so that they could learn how to talk about the work they were doing. Ater a while, the younger leaders started toattend meetings alone. Vukani went rom strength to strength because Nomthiused all the resources available to her. ‘Most o the time when community

organisations think about resources, they think about money,’ says Nomthi. ‘Inthe beginning we achieved a lot with no money whatsoever.’

For Nomthi, relationships were one o the most important resources o all. ‘Iused to listen to what people said and I always ollowed up. I they said “I’monly a phone call away”, they would hear rom me oten! My approach was tokeep on opening doors,’ explains Nomthi.

At rst, the Vukani team used to meet in Nomthi’s mother’s home. Tenthey started to work out o someone else’s garage. Nomthi and her colleagues

went rom door to door asking people in the area i they had suitable spaceor the ater-school programme. Tey never gave up. Eventually a man inthe community responded to their vision and Vukani set up its ater-schoolprogramme in a hall that he had built.

Ater three years o working without any money, Vukani began to receivesome unding rom the Department o Social Development in the shwaneMunicipality. Sadly, Nomthi passed away in January 2010. But the other youngleaders at Vukani were determined to continue the work that she had started,and were condent that they could do so.

Adapted rom aking the Lead – Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories, Idasa, 2005.




Ater reading the story about the Vukani project, use these questions to guide your discussion.Tere are some answers in the reading, but also give your own ideas.


Do you think Vukani is a successul project? Give reasons or your answerº

Is there something in this story that inspires you or gives you hope? Why do you say so?º

What things are mentioned in the reading that can help to make the Vukani projectºsustainable?

Do you think Vukani could ace any risks or dangers in the uture? Explainº

What ideas do you have to overcome these risks and make Vukani more sustainable?º

STEP 3:

Understanding sustainability (20 minutes)

When both groups have nished discussing their stories, come together again and try to develop your own denition o sustainability. What can help a project’s work to last and grow over the years, rather than just ending ater a short time? Write as many things as you can think o in the space below.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Sustainability is about whether a project is able to keep going once the outsidesource o unding has ended. So, you have to think about how a project willcontinue beore it starts! Here are some important reasons why:

o make sure the people who benet rom the project will continue to be•served;

o make sure the under’s resources are not wasted;•




o convince the under that you have planned wisely or the uture o the•project;

o make sure that what you have put into the project will not be lost.•

Here are some strategies that could help to make your project sustainable:Look or other unders who can support the project and may have a long-•term interest in the success o the project;

Enter into partnerships with other institutions such as the municipality or a•government department that could take over the project;

Involve members o the community or the project beneciaries themselves•in planning or sustainability;

Sell your knowledge and skills (like training) to other organisations, or• example, to a government department in need o home-based care training;

Cut the costs o the project, i possible.•

Adapted rom From Paper to Practice – Strategic Planning and Project Development or Small Organisations,

CINDI Network, 2009

STEP 4:

From projects to community legends (40 minutes)

o end this meeting, think about how projects can have a bigger impact on their communitiesand beyond. Go back to the examples o Latita and Vukani, but also think about your own

projects and others. Use these questions to guide you.


Are there ways or Latita and Vukani to connect with other projects to add up to a biggerºmovement or change? Share your ideas or how this could happen

What would need to happen or projects like Latita and Vukani to become inspiringº‘legends’ in their communities?

Do you think these stories could help to break down the jealousy that we oten see inºcommunities? Do you have ideas or how to deal with this?

I you want to start a project, or i you are already involved in one, are you thinking aboutºhow your project’s success can ‘spill over’ to make your whole community stronger andmore hopeul? Do you nd it easy or difcult to think about this? Explain why




Finally, to wrap up, read these notes together and share a ew thoughts about them.

Even i people have good project ideas and achieve good results, they otendon’t think much beyond the project itsel. But i a project is to be truly powerul and successul, it can never be only an end in itsel. Tis meansthinking about how one project can combine with other projects to have moreimpact. While working to achieve a project’s objectives, it is important to seehow these can also t into a bigger vision or change in the community andthe broader society.

Tis is the challenge to move rom small thinking to big thinking. Otenpeople say they are happy just to make a small dierence in the world.Sometimes they even say they are happy i they can just touch one person. Buti you think about it seriously, one person is not enough! Even 20 people or

100 people are not enough. It is a good start, but it is not enough! We need topush ourselves to work with others to achieve more.

Tis is also the challenge to move rom ‘project’ thinking to ‘movement’thinking. People involved in all kinds o dierent projects and organisationscan work together to create a bigger movement or change. A good exampleis the reatment Action Campaign (AC), which works to make treatmentavailable or people living with AIDS in South Arica. Over time, AC hasstarted to tackle other issues too. Other movements are even more ambitious.For example, there is an international movement to address the issues aced

by people who live in inormal settlements. Organisations and networks romseveral countries have come together under the umbrella o a movement calledSlum Dwellers International.

Most people do not seriously believe that much can be done to change the way society works. Even i they don’t like the way things are, they just keep goingin the same direction. Tey eel powerless in the ace o the huge economicand political orces that seem to control everything. o turn around thishopelessness, we need to change the way people think about action. We needa shit rom ‘head’ to ‘heart’. Tis was part o the winning magic in Barack

Obama’s presidential campaign. Most campaigns ocus on strategy, tactics,objectives, and plans. All these things are important, but they are based onthinking and analysis – they come rom the ‘head’. Te deeper and morepowerul part o action comes rom the ‘heart’ – people’s anger, but also theirsense o hope and possibility, and their willingness to take a risk. Stories arethe secret to reaching the heart.

How can people involved in successul projects start telling the stories o their work to others so that they might also be inspired to act? How can yourproject story become part o a ‘bigger story’? Always keep this in mind as youmove orward.




STEP 5:









In the coming week, think about the most important things that you have learnedrom this study circle Without going back through the whole workbook, whatare the things you remember most clearly? What lessons do you want to put intopractice straight away?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________




Meeting 9: aking action

STEP 1:

Preparing presentations (45 minutes)

For the nal activity, you can work in small groups or as a whole group.

Choose one o the ollowing two options:

1. I you are thinking about setting up an actual project in your community, prepare a short

presentation on how you will go about doing this, taking into account everything you havelearnt in this study circle. I a ew o you will be working together on the project, then each person can present dierent aspects o your plan (identiying needs, mobilising resources,objectives and activities, monitoring and evaluation, sustainability, etc.).

OR

2. You can prepare a presentation on some important things you have learnt that you thinkwould be useul to share with others in your community who are running projects or about to start a project. Use your own words or language and your own stories to explain themain points.

STEP 2:

Making presentations (1 hour and 15 minutes)

Get together and share your presentations. Each person should talk or less than 10 minutes.

STEP 3:

Final evaluation (30 minutes)

Reect together as a group on all the time you have spent together as a study circle. Use thequestions on the next page.





In what ways, i any, have you been able to use what you have learnt in the study circle inºother areas o your lie?

What did you like about the workbook and the approach to study circle meetings? Whatº would you like to change or improve?

How well did you work together as a group? What good times do you remember? Wereºthere difcult moments? How did you deal with these?

Did you meet your goals as a group? Go back to page 2 to remind yourselves o what youºsaid you wanted to achieve together

Did you achieve your personal goals?º

Finally, thank each other or participating in the study circle meetings and celebrate what you have achieved together.

Good luck! Be bold! Believe in yourselves! Promote democratic citizen action!

Idasa would like to hear about your action Phone us on (012) 392 0500 and ask to speak tosomeone rom the iLEDA study circle project We will call you back Or write to us at PO Box56950, Arcadia, 0007

I you would like extra copies o this workbook, or materials or other study circles, alsophone Idasa on (012) 392 0500 We can also give you inormation about training workshopsor study circle leaders




Appendix: How to register a

non-prot organisationHere is some inormation to assist you i you want to apply or your organisation tobe registered. Tis inormation is taken rom the website o the Department o SocialDevelopment, http://www.dsd.gov.za/.

Te Non-Prot Organisations Act 71 o 1997

Te Non-Prot Organisation (NPO) Directorate within the Department o SocialDevelopment registers organisations under the Non-Prot Organisations Act 71 o 1997. Te primary purpose o this Act is to encourage and support organisations in a wide range o work they do by:

Creating an enabling environment or NPOs to ourish.•

Setting and maintaining adequate standards o governance, accountability and•transparency.

Te Act provides a voluntary registration acility or NPOs.

What is an NPO?

An NPO is an association, company or trust that is:

(a) established or a public purpose, and

(b) whose income and property are not distributable to its members or ofce bearers exceptas reasonable compensation or services rendered.

Which organisations can apply or NPO status?

Any organisation that is not-or-prot and is not part o government can apply orregistration. Tese include:

• Non-governmentalorganisations(NGOs);

• Community-basedorganisations(CBOs);

• Faith-basedorganisations(FBOs);

• OrganisationsthathaveregisteredasSection21CompaniesundertheCompanyAct61o 1973;

• TruststhathaveregisteredwiththeMasteroftheSupremeCourtundertheTrustProperty Control Act 57 o 1988;




• AnyotherVoluntaryAssociationthatisnot-for-prot.

Te Directorate can only register an organisation that has a Constitution or oundingdocument.

How long does the registration process take?

It takes about two months to process the entire registration. Once the Department receivesthe application, an acknowledgement letter is sent to the organisation. Ater that, aregistration certicate ollows i the application meets the requirements o the NPO Act.

How much does it cost?

It is ree o charge.

How do organisations register?

Send the ollowing documents to the NPO Directorate:

• AcompletedApplicationForm(whichyoucangetfromtheDepartmentofSocialDevelopment);

• Twocopiesoftheorganisation’sfoundingdocument(i.e.,aConstitutionoraDeedof rust or Memorandum and Articles o Association).

You can contact the NPO Directorate via any o the ollowing routes:

Physical address:

HSRC Building

134 Pretorius Street

Pretoria

0002

Postal address:

NPO Directorate

Department o Social Development

Documents

From Idea to Action