Method and Analysis in Community Development Masterclass

The Masterclass will:

• Introduce practitioners to the ‘method framework’ of implicate, micro, mezzo, macro and meta-levels of development practices(see Kelly & Westoby, Participatory Development Practice, Practical Action Press, 2018);
• Consider the role of ‘community’ in ‘development’
• Learn the how to of micro-level practice - establishing a developmental relationship, and practising key principles such as: see what the people see; see how we see; connecting and dialogue, working with key joining words in dialogue
• Learn the how to of mezzo-level practices – establishing and supporting participatory action groups and practising key principles such as:
• testing and moving from private concern to shared public analysis and action
• the 0-1 agreement process, and 0-1-3 group formation process
• facilitation of small mezzo-groups
• Consider the challenges of holding participatory and dialogical work from within organisations (macro and meta-level work)

The masterclass will be potent and practical for:

• People who’ve got community development in their job descriptions, but feel they need a clear ‘to do’ or ‘method framework’
• Practitioners who’d like to reflect on the quality of their community development practice; and their own quality in the practice
• Active and engaged citizens who’d like to be more conscious of their intuitive community-oriented practices
• Activists, social and ecological practitioners wanting to add a community development approach to their work.