On 8 December 2015, within the framework of the Clearing House programme, ODB Brussels organized a training course on the Participatory Community Appraisal (PCA) approach in the town of Rahachou (Belarus). The event gathered representatives of local civil society organizations, businesses, mass media, the Rahachou Regional Executive Committee, State Forest Protection Services and the Ministry of Emergency Situations service, Juvenile Commission and others.
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Halina Matsushenka (center) – instructor during the training on Participatory Community Appraisal in Rahachou (Homel Region, Belarus). |
In the course of the training, representatives of local civil society organizations were introduced to various stages of Participatory Community Appraisal, which deal with identification of critical problems, evaluation of their scale and significance, and assessment of resources and time needed to address them.
Participants of the event discussed ways to use Participatory Community Appraisal to get an insight into the city residents’ views on transport infrastructure, health system, education, etc.
The event provided representatives of civil society organizations and governmental agencies alike with an opportunity to discuss how local problems can be solved through a comprehensive approach, in which resources are mobilized from multiple sources and participation of local communities is ensured.
