PLACE. PEOPLE. PRODUCTION.
Principles: Inclusiveness, Credibility, Diversity, Past & Present Perspectives.
The process begins with community members defining their current situation, in terms of the resources available such as rainfall, agricultural potential of the land, current agricultural production, health problems in the area such as malnutrition, skills and age profile of the community and so on. The focus is on the positive unexploited potential that exists.
VALUES. MEANS. IMAGE OF DESIRED FUTURE.
Principles: Socially Just, Humane, Ecologically Sound, Economically Viable.
After defining the situation, community members are encouraged to envision the future i.e. the future that they would like to see in 3-5 years time. Their vision of the future needs to be realistic, since they are going to set about achieving it. Typically the vision includes factors like: reducing the incidence of malnutrition among children in the area; improving agricultural production so that there is sufficient food available for everyone, generating sufficient income to purchase goods such as paraffin, soap and electricity.
RESOURCES. STRATEGIES. OBJECTIVES.
Principles: Ownership, Commitment.
Once the vision has been discussed and set, community members are then assisted in planning the project by developing strategies in order to move from their present situation to the desired future. These strategies normally include the use of animals to produce food, and to generate income for the participating families. Pertinent information obtained from defining the situation (such as rainfall, agricultural potential of the land, supply of fodder etc.) is used to determine the type of animals that should be kept. Strategies and objectives are determined and used to develop a relevant, prioritised, training plan. The project is then established as planned. Typically a community group would receive the following training as part of the process: committee skills and leadership training (including drawing up a constitution, and conducting meetings); animal husbandry training including fodder propagation; basic bookkeeping and financial management; vegetable propagation; nutrition education in order to make the best use of foods produced and purchased; gender and environmental awareness.
EVALUATION. MONITORING. IMPLEMENTATION.
Principles: Partnership, Collaboration.
After the project is established, ongoing monitoring and evaluation takes place. Monitoring and evaluation is done by both the community members and Heifer. Community members are trained in a self evaluation process called “project self evaluation” to assist them in evaluating themselves. The outcome of the monitoring and evaluation process leads to the adjustment of the strategies, if needed, in order for the planned outcomes to be achieved. The value of this model is that it has been tested, applied and accepted in numerous grassroots community groups, in many cultures of the world, and has lead to genuine ownership by community members of the entire process. It leads to communities and families taking initiative and responsibility for their own development whilst breaking dependency. Further, the training process is people centred and focuses on a specific community and their unique needs, whilst involving them in determining their own solutions.
