Process Documentation Plan Securing Rights & Restoring Lands for Improved Livelihoods 2011 IUCN ROWA
Introduction This document is part of the Communication Strategy set for the Securing Rights & Restoring Lands for Improved Livelihoods project, and will address the importance and significance of documenting processes through project implementation. It will also touch upon and define the means of documenting the changes that occur during the projects life time. This will therefore serve as a process documentation plan outlining what is documented, how it s documented and when. The projects works to improve the development and management of dry land resources around the project site in Jordan, by building the capacity of the different stakeholders to increase their participation and representation in planning and decision-making processes. Existing local Dry Land management committees were entrusted with the management and coordination of all activities, while government institutions support the intermediate level in the Zarqa Governorate and at the Districts, in addition to the support from parliament representatives, responsible for supporting the project from all aspects. The theory of change that includes better integration between the local and decision makers has proven to bring about better tangible results on the ground. Shifting towards systems that engage local communities in the decision making process, was found to be better than solving acute problems on the ground immediately without any local intervention (Schouten et al, 2007). For that reason, this project aims to fill that gap between stakeholders and document the change to allow better project up scaling in the future. 2 P age
Process documentation This project will address issues like governance, gender equity and dry land degradation. These issues will clash with many social traditions found in the (Schouten et al, 2007). Change, whether social or environmental can never come easy. Stakeholder participation, gender equity and joint decision making are deep rooted issues that take more than the projects life time to change. However, these facts are not interpreted as factors that bring about project failure. Documenting the changing process is by itself a project accomplishment. Perceiving how these issues change and clash with traditional and social norms, help future up scaling projects find less resistance to change, since will be prepared for such difficulties. Therefore, process documentation in this project will aim at increasing the understanding of stakeholders and project staff, learn from existing social and traditional norms that are highly resistant to change. Each area of possible change in this project was broken down into components that focus on changes within the local, government and stakeholders, social and traditional norms and most importantly the change occurring with dry land management and degradation. The project outcomes are therefore defined under four major components (figure 1) which act as a process which will be the basis of documenting changes through the projects life time. 3 P age
Figure 1: Project Components & expected outcomes Through these components, changes in the following will be highlighted and documented: 1) Securing the access of rights to women and vulnerable groups: Changes in the targeted groups capacity that includes: i. Right of access to a resource (rights to non-subtractive benefits) ii. Right to withdrawal (rights to obtain products of a resource) iii. Right of management (authorizes the holder to regulate use) iv. Right to exclusion (to determine who will or will not have resource right) v. The right of alienation (the right to sell or lease the rights) 2) Policy influence (local and national) Changed in the local communities performance on the ground that include: i. Behaviour towards policy change ii. Participation in the decision making process iii. Policy changes both local and national 3) Dry land sustainability & management Changed in the local communities performance on the ground that include: i. Practicing environmental dry land management ii. Social action towards better sustainable management iii. Ecosystem changed during the project life time 4 P age
4) Livelihood security and environmental health Changed in the local communities ecosystem and health that include; ecosystem changes, environmental socio-economic changes and income generation options. During these processes, behavioural and attitude change should be considered, along with the process of empowerment, and most importantly the decision making process. Areas to consider for each aspect above: Aspect Behavioural & attitude change Areas to consider People s beliefs, norms and values towards the environment People s beliefs, norms and values to working with each other How they describe each other s attitude/behaviour How they are known stigma Roots of their behaviour/attitude Ease of contact/distance of contact Empowerment Capacity to plan Capacity to communicate Accountability Awareness of the right to participate Ownership of the process Are people being heard and have a voice Has the power structure changed Decision making Resistance to change Conflicts of interest Political interference Traditional power relations Lack of access to information/resources 5 P age
Stakeholder participation Involvement of vulnerable groups Prestige/status Transparency Concerted action The ways stakeholders organise internally (formal and informal) The ways stakeholders traditionally communicate to other stakeholders (formal and informal networks) Dependency relationships Existence of pressure groups and their influence civil society Initiatives taken by stakeholders for improved water management Where stakeholders meet/negotiate Role government in promoting, hampering concerted action How information is exchanged or not The following matrix will explain and portray how this project will document the process of change within the projects lifetime. 6 P age
Process Documentation through the projects lifetime WHAT - Process WHAT - Key Issues WHEN/WHERE HOW TOOLS Securing the i. Awareness about their Start: access of rights to accessible rights from an established baseline at Interviews with the local women and the beginning of the project in the area vulnerable groups ii. Knowledge of their rights some can be sought from history iii. Opinions towards their situation iv. Motivation during the process from local in the area & project partners During implementation: interviews with the implementation team interviews with the local End: gathered information from local & implementation Interviews with governmental institutions responsible for agricultural activities in the area Studies & literature Questionnaire for establishing baseline information Taking pictures Interviews and transcription of interviews Reading and summaries of articles/books Questionnaires Observation Most significant change from each Diaries of implementation Video & pictures Workshops
WHAT - Process WHAT - Key Issues WHEN/WHERE HOW TOOLS Policy influence i. Behaviour towards policy Start: (local and change Some can be sought from history Interviews with the local national) in the area ii. iii. Participation in the decision making process Policy changes both local and national During Implementation: interviews with the implementation team interviews with the local End: gathered information from local & implementation Interviews with project partners responsible for helping the local Studies & literature Taking pictures Participatory video Interviews and transcription of interviews Reading and summaries of articles/books Observation Most significant change from each Diaries of implementation Video & pictures Local Workshops 8 P age
WHAT - Process WHAT - Key Issues WHEN/WHERE HOW TOOLS Dry land i. Practicing environmental dry Start: sustainability & land management Some can be sought from history Interviews with the local management Information from baseline study in the area ii. iii. Social action towards better sustainable management Ecosystem changed during the project life time Interviews with locals During Implementation: interviews with the implementation team interviews with the local End of Project: gathered information from local & implementation information from indicators Interviews with project partners responsible for helping the local Studies & literature Taking pictures Participatory video Environmental assessments & studies Interviews and transcription of interviews Reading and summaries of articles/books Observation Most significant change from each Diaries of implementation Video & pictures Local Workshops Environmental studies 9 P age
WHAT - Process WHAT - Key Issues WHEN/WHERE HOW TOOLS Livelihood Changes in the local communities Start: security & ecosystem and health that include; Some can be sought from history Interviews with the local environmental ecosystem changes, environmental Interviews with the local in the area socio-economic changes and income and governmental Studies & literature health generation options. institutions Taking pictures During Implementation: Interviews with the implementation team Interviews with the local End of Project: Gathered information from local & implementation Gathered information for established project indicators Income generating studies Interviews and transcription of interviews Reading and summaries of articles/books Observation Most significant change from each Diaries of implementation Video & pictures Local Workshops 10 P age