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Practical Exercise Understanding Your Local Landscape

The document outlines a practical exercise aimed at understanding local community landscapes by identifying pressing problems and engaging with stakeholders. It consists of two phases: first, identifying a local issue through observation and brainstorming, and second, engaging affected individuals to gather insights and perspectives. The exercise emphasizes inclusivity and active listening to develop innovative solutions to the identified problems.

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Engenheiro Delgado
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14 views2 pages

Practical Exercise Understanding Your Local Landscape

The document outlines a practical exercise aimed at understanding local community landscapes by identifying pressing problems and engaging with stakeholders. It consists of two phases: first, identifying a local issue through observation and brainstorming, and second, engaging affected individuals to gather insights and perspectives. The exercise emphasizes inclusivity and active listening to develop innovative solutions to the identified problems.

Uploaded by

Engenheiro Delgado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Practical Exercise: Understanding Your Local Landscape

Objective: To develop a foundational understanding of your local landscape in your community


setting by identifying a pressing community problem, engaging with stakeholders, researching existing
solutions, and brainstorming innovative approaches.

Instructions:

Follow these steps and document your process and findings for each stage.

Phase 1: Identify a Local Problem (Estimated Time: 1 hour)


1. Observe Your Community: Pay close attention to your surroundings. Consider the daily
challenges faced by residents, coworkers, businesses, or the environment. Think about issues that
frustrate you and try to observe if they frustrate others around you.
2. Brainstorm Potential Issues: List at least three different problems you observe. These could fall
under categories such as:
○ Cultural: Loss of cultural practices, negative cultural norms, intergenerational cultural gaps,
lack of cultural spaces or events.
○ Economic: Unemployment (particularly among youth), underemployment, lack of access to
capital or markets for small businesses, income inequality, challenges faced by informal
sector workers.
○ Social: Inequality (gender, economic, etc.), lack of access to quality education or healthcare,
gender-based violence, crime, substance abuse, housing shortages, challenges faced by people
with disabilities.
○ Political: Lack of citizen engagement in local governance, corruption, ineffective service
delivery by local authorities, lack of transparency in decision-making, challenges in local
elections.
○ Environmental: Pollution (air, water, noise), inadequate waste management, deforestation,
soil erosion, water scarcity, impact of climate change (droughts, floods), loss of biodiversity.
3. Select One Issue: Choose one problem from your brainstormed list that speaks towards your
values you identified in week 2, something you are most interested in exploring further and that
you believe has a significant impact on others in your community. Consider:
○ The severity of the problem.
○ The number of people affected.
○ The urgency of addressing the problem.
○ Your own capacity and resources to investigate the problem.
4. Define the Problem Clearly: Write a concise statement that clearly defines the problem you have
selected. Be specific about:
○ What the issue is.
○ Who it affects (specific demographics, groups, or areas).
○ Where it is most evident.
○ The key consequences or impacts of the problem.

Phase 2: Engage Stakeholders (Estimated Time: 5-7 hours over several days)
1. Identify Affected People: Think about the individuals and groups in your community or work
environment who are directly affected by the problem you identified, remember to be inclusive.
Aim to speak with a diverse range of people who experience the issue in different ways. Consider:
○ Different age groups (youth, adults, elderly).
○ Different genders.
○ People from different socio-economic backgrounds.
○ People living in different areas of your community or district or country (urban, peri-urban).
○ People with different levels of education.
2. Conduct Conversations (Minimum 5 People): Reach out to at least five individuals affected by
the problem. This could involve:
○ Informal conversations in community settings.
○ Brief, semi-structured interviews.
○ Focus group discussions (if feasible).
○ Using your local languages as needed
○ Being respectful of cultural norms and obtaining informed consent before asking questions.
○ Being flexible and adaptable in your approach, as some people may be hesitant to talk about
sensitive issues.
3. Prepare Questions: Before your conversations, think about what you want to learn. Some
guiding questions could include:
○ "What are your experiences with [the identified problem] in the community?"
○ "How does this issue affect your daily life, your family, or your community?"
○ "What are the biggest challenges or frustrations related to this problem?"
○ "Have you seen any attempts to address this issue before, and what were the results?"
○ "In your opinion, what are the most important things that need to change?"
○ "What are your ideas for potential solutions or improvements?"
4. Listen Actively and Empathetically: Focus on understanding their perspectives, experiences, and
feelings without judgment. Pay attention to both what they say and how they say it (tone, body
language)

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