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WHAT DO WE DOCUMENT ?
The first thing to think of when starting a documentation process is the subject to write about. What are we interested in documenting? Is this a project? A long term programme? A farmer's experience? A multi-stakeholder process? Although we are generally looking at projects, or at a particular "experience", we can equally consider
- the development or implementation of a specific technique (such as a trap against fruit flies)
- a policy: the design and implementation of a country's water laws
- an approach, such as the "sector-wide approach" to development
- a particular method, such as PRA (participatory rural appraisal)
My work with farming has plenty of interesting aspects. What can I write about?
Remember what small-scale farming really is
Steve Sherwood, quoted in "Farming matters", December 2009
Keep in mind that the practice of small-scale farming is continuously in motion. Any attempt at increasing the impact of sustainable agriculture needs to take this continuous motion as its point of departure. "When it comes to growth and diversification of an activity, essential social processes are involved. Growth hinges on social interaction, emerging relationships, networks, co-option, collusion and co-operation". All this leads to a continuous learning and innovation process. More than saking ourselves "how to scale up", we should ask ourselves how to continually support and manage the endless process of knowledge generation, facilitation and networking involved in what essentially is a spontaneous activity of socio-technical change."
Not only "good practices"
Amba Jamir, at the ENRAP debate (online)
I am not so convinced about the idea of talking about "good practices". First because systematization is not only about analytically describing and documenting what is on the ground, but also about learning from the new knowledge and sharing our lessons with others. The issue of good or best practice should not even arise. How can anything in development be described as "best"? The term "best" or "good" is very contextual. And then, are we really systematizing to document "good practices"?
A process of unexpected results
Misereor, June 2009
Several organisations in India and Banlgadesh have been adapting their working procedures in accordance with a "people-led approach". Since June 2009 they are documenting their work with the support of the Agriculture Man Ecology Foundation (AME) in Bangalore.
The documentation work of these organisations, which include Caritas, ORRISSA, DULAL and Barcik, has proved interesting - especially as it showed how a similar process developed in many different ways.
The establishment of partnerships
DURAS, June 2008
During 2008, DURAS encouraged the documentation of the 12 projects it supported. Its interest was to document the way in which those involved in the 12 different projects worked together. The objective was not to look at the research results, or the actual research carried out, but rather describe and analyse the different partnerships established. Some participants thought that because of this objective, they could not use the method ILEIA proposed. Others had doubts: "I can't see why not: the way of structuring the information available and of analysing can be the same, regardless of the type of project". As someone said, "the problem is not in the activities or processes being documented, but in those who are involved in the process".
"Best practices" and recommendations
Intercooperation Pakistan, May 2008
As part of its new Livelihoods Programme, IC-Pakistan tried to document part of its work, with the specific objective of "unfolding best practices" and developing recommendations. Their documentation efforts focused on capturing and processing "experiences"; in particular those related to "strengthening and establishing linkages with Business Development Service providers (BDSPs)"... In order to capitalize IC-Pakistan's experience, the team followed the generic five step methodology presented in "Learning from experience". It invested time in field visits, meetings, workshops, and also on an exposure visit to Bangladesh. But its focus on the BDSPs meant that "we have not been dealing with a whole project...", but looking rather at a series of activities.
Only what farmers are confortable with
PROLINNOVA-FLD, January 2007
When thinking of what to document, the range goes from best practices to meetings and economic data. But then cultural information is a sensitive thing, and community members may not be willing to share it widely. Farmers may be willing to share their problems and also the solutions they propose, but farmers' willingness to share information on their practices and skills requires an element of trust. There is therefore the need to clarify that the knowledge belogs to someone, and that this will be attributed to the source. The protection of farmer knowledge (as intellectual property rights) is of great importance.
Stories from the field
VECO Tanzania, August 2006
In August 2006, VECO Tanzania organised a workshop in Same, inviting people from PELUM, MVIWATA and the Same SACCO. They all agreed to document "stories" from the field, considering the local ndivas (overnight water reservoirs) or "how a specific technology emerged, how it progressed and how did it contribute to the welfare of the people". At the same time, they all decided to document the establishment of the saving and credit co-operative (SACCO), considering how it started, how it developed its products, and how did it relate its work with that of the water reservoirs.
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