Which community will not be happy to know that they will be the co-creator and owner of their own development? That is what was shared in the extensive training organised by Caritas India on the Asset-Based and Community-Driven Development (ABCD) Approach held from June 19th to June 26th, 2023, at Ranchi, Jharkhand. The asset-based community development approach has given a positive paradigm shift from a need-based or issue-based approach to ABCD, which is community-driven.

The approach helps the communities drive the development process themselves by identifying and mobilising existing assets. Ms. Ninnette Eliasov, a community Development and organisational Development facilitator, undertook the ABCD session for the 23 participants from Caritas Australia-supported projects (Khushaal Bachpan, Gram Nirman, and Jeevan Nirman) operational in seven Indian States. She shared the importance of inclusion—equally valuing all the members of the community—as a source of motivating the community to participate using appreciative inquiry.

The training was inaugurated by His Grace Most Rev. Felix Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi; Fr. (Dr.) Paul Moonjley, Executive Director, Caritas India; and Fr. Bipin Pani, Forum Director, Jharkhand.

“Human assets are essential for community development in terms of skill set, knowledge, emotional connections, and strengths,” said Fr. Paul during his sharing about different types of assets like Human, Social, Cultural, Financial, and Natural/Physical. He also emphasised the interconnectedness of the assets for the holistic growth of the community.

The asset-based and community-driven development approach was introduced by emphasising appreciative inquiry and other positive intervention tools that focused on growing together, fertilising minds, creating positive situations, and developing agency among the community members.

The training helped deepen the knowledge and understanding of the development context where ABCD can be applied. The approach shared a paradigm (way of thinking) compared to the ‘needs or ‘problem’ based approach. The facilitator took the participants through consciousness-building methods that encourage critical thinking and activation in communities and organisations.

Participants gain skills in ABCD process facilitation by testing a methodology and practical tools for asset mapping, visioning, and planning with beneficiaries. ABCD Training helped in exploring a methodology of baseline analysis and programme design, approaching design logic from a strengths-based perspective.

Resource person Ninnette built the perspective of the participants through detailed discussions on types of poverty, i.e., mind, spirit, and stomach. She facilitated the discussion on the importance of a paradigm shift from a needs-based to an ABCD approach, which was emphasised.

The discussions were followed by group discussions, reflecting on different types of mapping based on physical or natural assets, Cultural assets, Social assets, Human assets, and Financial assets. The participants reflected on the children’s, villagers, and community perspectives in their respective groups and presented their observations. Discussion on assets was followed by a detailed development and sharing of vision and planning exercises.

The theories were tested at Lepsar and Kamta villages with different interactive methodologies for making the villagers reflect on the five assets in heterogeneous groups; vision and planning exercises were done in homogeneous groups. The group activities were inclusive of all men, women, leaders, youth, and children.

The community in both villages participated and shared that they were able to reflect on the positive aspects of what they have and what can be co-created for the development of the village.

One of the highlights of the field test was that the youth and children were aware of their cultural and traditional practises and connected to nature. They shared that they would take their cultural practises forward along with worshipping natural assets on various festivals and occasions.

The groups in the debriefing sessions actively discussed their transition in facilitation skills as per the ABCD approach and the strengths of the community. The foreseen field challenges were also reflected by different programme teams in the context of their programmes and fields, and the facilitator addressed all the queries and concerns.

The training was followed by detailed discussions on aspects of designing the programme proposals. Based on their field experiences with asset-based exercises, the participants reflected on the strengths of their communities and did a coding exercise based on their responses on visioning and planning for village development. These exercises will be crucial in creating a village profile as part of the programme proposal. Concepts like a ladder of inference for reflecting and accepting the facilitator biases, the process of prioritising community development goals, and ABCD chapati to address the issues were discussed, which was emphasised by beginning the discussion with strengths, followed by concerns and issues, and closing with the opportunities for growth.

The closure on the graduation day was done in an appreciative manner by distributing the certificates, picking random certificates, and giving them to the respective co-participants by addressing something appreciative and positive about the person.