How to Conduct a Community Assessment for Water Projects

2014 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

How to Conduct a Community Assessment for Economic and Community Development Projects

Moderator: Gulam Vahanvaty

ResourcesRotary supports investments in people to create measurable and enduring economic improvement in their lives and communities.

Economic and Community Development Goals:Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations,

and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities;

Developing opportunities for productive work;

Reducing poverty in underserved communities;

Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.

Rotary’s Support of Economic and Community Development

Narrow Focus

Broad FocusGlobal Grants

District Grants

Service Projects

Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development

Rotary Community Corps

Agenda:

• Introduction• Presentations by Panelists• Q/A• Workshop Activity in Groups• Q/A• Closing Remarks 

Panelists: Tusu Tusubira, Member of TRF Cadre of Technical Advisors, Past Future Vision Trainer, Past DRFC Chair, RC Kampala North, Uganda District 9211  Rabeya Yasmin, Director of Ultra Poor Program, BRAC, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2014 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

Effective Community Needs Assessment:Four Experiential Pointers

• Takes time, but establishes effective communication

• Know them as individuals, NOT under the anonymous umbrella of beneficiaries

Invest Time in Creating Trust

• Seeding Points for Economic and Community Development are Assets the community has – skills, resources, leadership, organised groups, etc.

Identify seeding points – community assets

• Many t0 many conversations

• Separately: women, men, community leaders, groups

• Observation• Statistics

Triangulate Information on Assets and Needs

• Awareness of what could be when the minds open up helps communities dare to think beyond traditional limitations.

Address Mindset as part of Assessment

www.brac.net

Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction

Targeting the ultra poor

Rabeya Yasmin

Director , BRAC

www.brac.net

• Founded in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC is considered “by most measures the largest, fastest-growing non-governmental organization in the world.” (Source: Economist, 2010).

• BRAC has since inception been at the forefront of poverty alleviation, and microfinance in Bangladesh and 10 other countries

• BRAC creates opportunities for the poor, through comprehensive programming in financial inclusion, education, agriculture and food security, water and sanitation, healthcare, community empowerment and legal rights

• We are reaching about 120 million population

About BRAC

www.brac.net

Targeting the ultra Poor

• The poorest are caught up in a complex trap and lack the complementary asset base needed to benefit from regular microfinance.

• Food aid, the traditional instrument for the poorest is designed as a “crisis management instrument” that fails to create the foundations for sustainable livelihood change

• Conventional development programs lack graduation concept

• The challenge is to design an approach that uses grants as a strategic entry point to equip the ultra poor graduate in to mainstream program

www.brac.net

Since 2002 BRAC’s Special Investment Program for the ultra poor

Program Activities Purpose

Asset transfer; weekly stipendBuild economic asset base, ensure regular cash flow, improve livelihoods. Weekly stipend for reducing opportunity cost of asset operation

Enterprise development and life skill training

Ensure good return from assets transferred, knowledge and awareness of rights and justice

Tailor made health interventionImprove health seeking behavior, reduce income erosion in health

Engaging with the communityTo create an supportive/ enabling environment at village level to ensure long term sustainability of improved livelihood of the ultra poor members.

www.brac.net

Asset transferWe offer 12 enterprise options

to our program participants

www.brac.net

To allow the client breathing room,

and time to start earning income

from her assets, the client receives a

cash transfer or stipend, and in some

cases a food to supplement their

diet.

Stipend

www.brac.net

Client receives weekly home visits

and training on how to use their

asset, on health and hygiene matters,

basic skills and literacy, and general

support and counseling

Training

www.brac.net

Panel doctor give prescription

to ultra poor members

BRAC Health staff

visiting ultra poor

member

Client receives healthcare support with

access to community medical workers,

physicians and medications

Tailor made

health support

www.brac.net

Clients increase their social standing and

receive guidance on integrating better with

their community. Here, a village poverty

reduction committee, organized by BRAC,

conducts a regular monthly meeting to help

clients address various issues they face.

Social Integration

www.brac.net

Community participation in Social Integration

• Targeting program participants

• Mobilizing community support through formation of Village Poverty Reduction Committees

www.brac.net

Community targeting of program participants :

Ultra Poor households are selected through a participatory wealth ranking exercise by the community and BRAC. The methodology applies two techniques:

•Social Mapping •Wealth Ranking

www.brac.net

Community participates in a

spatial mapping and wealth

ranking exercise to identify

community members in the most

need

www.brac.net

Village Poverty Reduction Committee

•9-11 member committee

•Formed with village elites

•Representative from ultra poor members

www.brac.net

Why Village Poverty Reduction committee ?

In order to make best use of all the assistances provided from the program

the committee ensures :

-social security to the ultra poor Households

-security of the assets transferred by the program

- Integration of the ultra poor in to the mainstream community

www.brac.net

Sl no Activities

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

1

Make a list of non-enrolled children, ensure their admission in school and stipend

2Provide free coaching for school-going poorest children

3

Provide school bag and shoes for school-going poorest children

4

Ensure security of the targeted ultra poor households

5 Stop open defecation in village

6

Ensure every child is immunized under national immunization campaign

7

Provide support for medical treatment

8

Repair/ construct house for the poorest community members

9

Assist in installing tube-well and latrine at the poorest households

10 Keeping their village clean

Activity Calendar for Village Committee

www.brac.net

Village committee meeting

Free coaching by committee

Winter cloth distribution by

committee

www.brac.net

Free coaching by committee

School bag tingSchool bag distribution by

committee

www.brac.net

Annual sports organized by committee

Prize distribution in annual sports

www.brac.net

Tube well installation by the committee

Village cleaning campaign by the committee

www.brac.net

Contribution village committee to the ultra poor members

Sl. No.

Nature of Support Number

1. No. of Total Village committee formed 9244

2. No. of children get free tutorial support 3423

3. No. of school bags distributed among ultra poor children

5,589

4. Pair of shoes distributed among ultra poor children

3,777

5. Sanitary Latrine installed 23,692

6. No. of houses repaired 105,000

7. Birth registration done 45,479

www.brac.net

Village Poverty Reduction Committee

unique case of community participation and contribution in combating ultra poverty in rural

Bangladesh

www.brac.net

RESULTS AND IMPACT

•In Bangladesh, more than 95% of participants achieve graduation with 92% crossing an ultra- poverty threshold of 50 cents per day and maintaining their improved conditions for the next 4 years

•Internationally, reports from the various CGAP and Ford Foundation funded pilots show that in 18-36 months, 75% to 98% of participants meet the country specific graduation criteria

www.brac.net

RESULTS AND IMPACT

www.brac.net

[email protected]

Join us in the movement to end ultra-poverty.

Contact us to learn more.

Questions for the

Moderator and

Panelists?

Workshop Activity Instructions: 

1. Read the community description of page 1 of the activity handout.

2. In groups, discuss the questions on page 2 of the activity handout.

3. Note any important points or questions that arise as you discuss.

4. Ask for assistance from the moderator, panelists, or Rotary staff members as needed.

Community Assessment and Economic and Community Development Resources:

• Communities in Action: A Guide to Effective Projects Publication;

• Community Assessment Tools Publication;

• Area of Focus Publication;

• Economic and Community Development Policy Statement (global grants);

• Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development;

;

Thank you for your time and service to Rotary.

Questions?