Session Plan

Session 1

Success Stories in

the Community:

Characteristics of

Effective Projects

Rationale

Community projects are most successful when they result from locally

perceived desires or needs and where community members take part

in the planning, implementation, and evaluation. This development

process builds the community's capacity to better its own situation,

strengthen its resources, and work toward solving problems more

independently in the future. Development workers from outside the

community, including  Volunteers, play the role of

facilitator rather than leader. As a facilitator, the Volunteer assists and

offers structure and guidance, but refrains from doing projects  for

my community. 

As the essence of the PDM workshop, the participatory planning

process should be introduced in the first session and then modeled

and reinforced throughout the training. This opening session, along

with the following session, Assets and Deficits, establishes an

appropriate climate and tone. Participants begin forming their own

workshop community by sharing and appreciating their successful

collaborations with their respective communities at site and by

learning about the resources represented in the training group.

Objectives

By the end of the session participants will be able to:

1.

Learn about and celebrate the accomplishments of participants

and their respective communities.

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