 Collecting the same information using diff erent methods in order to increase the

accuracy of the data is called a triangulation of methods. The more information gathered
using different methods that supports a fi nding, the stronger
the evidence is (Imas, 2009)

 One of the most common methods of participatory data collection is through community
meetings. These meetings allow members of the community to ask questions, make
comments, and discuss issues of importance to the community (Imas, 2009).
 The drawing of or use of existing maps—a process called mapping when applied to data
collection—can be used to generate discussions about local development priorities and
the extent to which they have been met (Imas, 2009).
 Observation can be a powerful data collection tool. By just using one’s eyes, one can
observe, for example, traffi c patterns, land use patterns, the layout of city and rural
environments, the quality of housing, the condition of roads, or who comes to a rural
health clinic for medical services (Imas, 2009).
 A focus group generally includes 6–12 people. The composition of the group depends
upon its purpose. Most focus groups are homogeneous, including people of similar status
(teachers in one group, students in another; supervisors in one group, employees in
another group) (Imas, 2009)

 Addressing poverty and meeting basic needs is often the first step in development and
sustainability projects in developing countries because it can hopefully change a situation
of short-term thinking to one where the future is considered and actions reflect more
long-term approaches (Wood,L. , 2009).
 works to help the rural poor develop livelihoods by restoring the ecological functions and
services that support rural life (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 worked with the community to improve the capacity to produce fodder for livestock by
implementing physical methods of revegetation, soil and water conservation and
institutional mechanisms to deter encroachment and improve productivityv(Wood,L. ,
2009)...
 By focusing on one element of the village’s livelihood, it was able to open the door to
progression towards other goals (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 It is important here to mention the concept of resilience, which is explained as a
community’s ability to buffer external forces that limit the foundations of sustainability
(Wood,L. , 2009).
 Resilience also implies that a community can maintain sustainability in the longterm
(Wood,L. , 2009)..
 These elements are perhaps the most crucial because although the environment and our
human economies support human development, it is the relationships humans create, or
 social capital, that dictate whether steps towards sustainability will be taken (Wood,L. ,
2009)..
 Developing local pride, ‘can-do’ attitudes, and ownership of planning and action are
behavioral changes that are helping SKB citizens move a little further along the
sustainability continuum (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Keep lines of communication open. There was significant evidence to show that
communication, or lack thereof, is a limiting factor .This apparent gap exists between all
interested parties (, villagers, outside villagers, outside political leaders) (Wood,L. ,
2009)..
 Water is essential for farming, silviculture and other village activities. Capacity to
conserve and transport water is needed (and is also contingent on developing renewable
energy sources to pump it from groundwater sources) as well as reducing loss of
vegetation cover (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 community members depend directly on natural resources for subsistence and livelihood
activities, comprised almost solely of agriculture and animal husbandry, so they were
impacted greatly by the reduced capacity of the land to provide ecosystem services
(Wood,L. , 2009).
 more technical forms of environmental degradation that impacted the community’s
ability to meet their needs, such as top-soil erosion (Wood,L. , 2009).,
 The fact that no other employment opportunities existed in the community made it
difficult for community members to secure money to buy food or fodder, so they had to
go outside of the immediate area in search of work, which was not always available and
not necessarily lucrative enough to provide them with financial security (Wood,L. ,
2009)..
 Migration for work or for fodder caused social and economic problems at home as well
as in the areas where they were forced to migrate and most likely negatively impacted the
environments in those regions as well(Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Community members were not involved in making decisions that affected their ability to
earn sustainable livelihoods and there was a lack of accountability for those who did
participate (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Community members did not articulate many challenges, though there was a mention of
difficulties in building trust, which was also cited by all of the community leader s
(Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Some of the challenges mentioned in the interviews were: overcoming the fear that
private land owners would take over; an accusation of corruption; encroachment on the
restored plot from other villages; and merging different ways of thinking (Wood,L. ,
2009)..
 Challenges that were not addressed were not mentioned. In fact, community members
were hesitant to mention challenges in general; this may have been in reluctance to
 complain about the project to an interviewer and a translator that was a new FES
employee (Researcher observation) (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Most of the evaluation techniques for the project were informal. The primary way the
project was evaluated was through regular community meetings (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Restoration on private lands is needed to help improve environmental quality, restore
vegetation and provide sustainable livelihoods (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Many of the community’s overall current needs are related to a lack in social services,
particularly in terms of education; infrastructure for water, transportation, and electricity;
leadership; natural resource management; and more connection to the outside for
information and development assistance (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 The lack of employment opportunities in the community would make it difficult for
community members to contribute too much money (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Direct observations of the area provide a deeper sense of what the community was facing.
The area is isolated from major roads and markets, which limits people’s ability to sell
goods they could produce (e.g. crops). Most people are involved in agriculture for
subsistence and some extra money (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 The means to meeting these three needs are generating of income to support the village
using sustainable practices (Wood,L. , 2009).
 Economic benefits are the improvement of roads, which allows for access to markets and
transportation in an area that was formerly quite isolated (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 The use of locally generated materials is also a success, because they were able to
construct most of the buildings with minimal materials made in another area and
requiring transport (Wood,L. , 2009).
 Infrastructure within the village and what is available in the region poses a significant
challenge to the village (Wood,L. , 2009).
 A lack of planning and clear objectives that tie the whole project together are serious
limitations (Wood,L. , 2009).
 Poor, corrupt leadership and a lack of accountability in local government are impacting
villagers’ access to decision-making processes and development of social services that
benefit the whole community (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 Infrastructure development and increased social services are also important factors for the
outside community (Wood,L. , 2009)..
 All of the income generating activities (apiculture, sand, farming, milk production,
chickens, brick-making, rocks, basket-weaving and wood carving) are dependent upon
ecosystem services provided by the environment (Wood,L. , 2009).

 The degree to which developments successfully implemented sustainable principles the

designation of a leadership body to guide the development and maintain and sustain the
identity and vision over the long-term (Greco, 2010).
 And last, but not least, the presence of a strong homeowners association that can assume
responsibility for internalizing and carrying the vision and its sustainable practices forward
(Greco, 2010)

 In our case studies, we found that the first step to a successful development was to interact with
local stakeholders to leverage local strengths. (Greco, 2010)