Taking an ABCD approach to foster holistic community development
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The document discusses the Asset-Based Community-/Citizen-Driven Development (ABCD) approach and its application in fostering holistic community development through the use of trees. It outlines the principles of ABCD, its journey within the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), and emphasizes the importance of community agency and collaboration in achieving development objectives. Key takeaways include supporting community belief in their agency, emphasizing inclusive mapping of talents, and fostering purposeful external collaborations.
![Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees
Household
Community
Landscape
Household
Community
Landscape
Timeline
‘Development’
1] ‘Adaptation’
a] Diversified livelihoods
b] Improved material welfare
c] Resilience
2] ‘Mitigation’
a] Carbon sequestration
b] (Re)forestation
c] Emission reduction
Point A
Point B
We (often) assess the starting point…
We have an idea of where we want to go….
But how do we get there?
Background and context
3](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/lisafuchsabcdv1-220307084337/85/Taking-an-ABCD-approach-to-foster-holistic-community-development-3-320.jpg)
Taking an ABCD approach to foster holistic community development
- 1. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Taking an ABCD approach to foster holistic community development Presentation to the Farmer Research Networks working group Lisa Fuchs World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Systems’ Theme 28 July 2020
- 2. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Brief outline • Background and context • What is asset-based community-/citizen-driven development (ABCD) • ICRAF’s ABCD journey • Core take away points 2
- 3. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Household Community Landscape Household Community Landscape Timeline ‘Development’ 1] ‘Adaptation’ a] Diversified livelihoods b] Improved material welfare c] Resilience 2] ‘Mitigation’ a] Carbon sequestration b] (Re)forestation c] Emission reduction Point A Point B We (often) assess the starting point… We have an idea of where we want to go…. But how do we get there? Background and context 3
- 4. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Knowledge & skills Uptake at scale Participation Context Household Community Landscape Household Community Landscape Timeline Point A Point B We know… … but how? Which process? Which sequence? Which tools? What matters? 4
- 5. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees What is asset-based community-/citizen-driven development (ABCD) 5 John McKnight and Judy Kretzmann: Building Communities from the Inside Out (1993) Northwestern University, IL • Founded in 1995 • Moved to DePaul University, Chicago, in 2016 • Founded in 1959 • Inheritor of the Extension Department at StFX (1928), led by Rev. Moses Coady • Antigonish Movement since the 1920s
- 6. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees What is asset-based community-/citizen-driven development (ABCD) 6 Simple principles • “Everyone has gifts” • “Relationships build a community” • “Start with what you have”
- 7. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Victoria Apondi, Field officer Langat Kipkorir, Field officer Levi Orero, Data specialist Lisa Fuchs, Project manager The ABCD journey of World Agroforestry (ICRAF): The ABCD team
- 8. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Case 1: Using individual ABCD tools (2011 - 2014) 8
- 9. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Case 2: Building assets and agency (2015 – 2019) ABCD is about tools. … but it’s also about process, a way of doing things! 9
- 10. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Case 3: Infusing ABCD in Regreening Africa (since 2020) 10 ‘Reintegrating’ ICRAF • Planned comparison • Different biophysical and human/social context • Full model vs. essential/measurable tools ABCD Better understanding of own assets, as well as own and others’ IIP* Identification of holistic development objectives/agenda Differentiation of development objectives into : •(a) those that can be achieved autonomously by assessing and using existing assets better •(b) those that can be achieved in collaboration with ICRAF (…) •(c) those that can be achieved by collaborating with other external partners identified through social asset mapping * IIP = identities, interests, preferences Participatory M&E
- 11. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Core take away points • Support and facilitate community members’ belief in own agency • Emphasise inclusive talents and skills mapping and awareness • Highlight the importance of coming together • Encourage ‘specialised’ demand for external support, in line with IIP • Don’t monopolise a community’s ‘development’ journey • Apply a ‘diversifying’ and ‘specialising’ approach • Ensure to collaborate where mutual IIP match • More ‘aware’ specialised collaboration is likely to be more successful • Less community agony over perceived ‘hijacking’ of development journey • Interested community members likely to step forward • In-built participatory M&E helps to ‘refresh’ asset-/strength-based mindset and allows communities to remember and adjust dynamic development pathways 11
- 12. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees ICRAF ABCD work • Fuchs, LE, Orero, L, Apondi, VA, Kipkorir, L. Creating a match between local and external partners to stop wasting money in international development: Opportunities and risks of structured beneficiary selection (forthcoming). • Fuchs LE, Peters B, Neufeldt H. Identities, interests, and preferences matter: Fostering sustainable community development by building assets and agency in western Kenya. Sustainable Development. 2019; 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1934 • Fuchs, LE, Orero, L, Namoi, N, Neufeldt, H. How to Effectively Enhance Sustainable Livelihoods in Smallholder Systems: A Comparative Study from Western Kenya. Sustainability. 2019, 11 (Special Issue Sustainable Development of Tropical Agriculture), 1564, https://doi:10.3390/su11061564 • Fuchs, LE. Bridging the divide in community development: The importance of process in linking community demands and responsive external support. Coady Innovation Series, (8), 2018, 11 pp., https://coady.stfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IS8.pdf • Cunningham, G., Fuchs, LE, Orero, L, Apondi, VA, Kipkorir, L. The Integrated Household Leaky Bucket. Building financial and economic literacy by doing: A simple guide to help smallholder farmers separate their farm and household revenues and expenses. Coady Innovation Series, (14), 2018, https://coady.stfx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IS14.pdf Online resources about ABCD • The ABCD Institute, Steans Center for Community-Based Service Learning at DePaul University, Chicago, IL, Publications by topic, https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/publications/publications-by-topic/Pages/default.aspx • The Coady International Institute, https://coady.stfx.ca • The Jeder Institute, http://jeder.com.au/resources/abcd-resources/ • Sustaining Community blog, A reading list on ABCD (over 150 resources), https://sustainingcommunity.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/abcd- reading-list/ Further reading 12
- 13. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Lisa Fuchs (PhD, MA) World Agroforestry (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Phone: +254 20 722 4456 Email: L.Fuchs@cgiar.org Website: http://www.worldagroforestry.org/project/accelerating-adoption-agroforestry-western-kenya-triple-project Also see: http://www.abcd-agroforestry.com Thank you! 13
- 14. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees Discussion questions • What are the processes, sequences, and timelines that others have experience with to foster a truly community-driven process? • ABCD is sometimes accused of denying structural effects – due to its focus on assets and strengths. Do you necessarily see a conflict between asset-/strength-based and rights-based approaches? 14