Everybody can be empowered to be an agent of change and leave a legacy by applying the SEED-SCALE principles such as: build on success, three way partnership, evidence based decision making, and behaviour change. These principles do not guarantee positive results but the four of them can result in a sustainable social change.
Historically different approaches to development were
created. Most of them were oriented to invest in different issues like health,
poverty, education, food security, and environmental initiatives around the
world. However, challenges still exist, because they solved those issues at
that moment with a result of dependency; for instance, the UN through its
millennium goals is trying to reduce poverty, but there are still families
subsisting on very little income per day. The SEED-SCALE system goes further that
the traditional development approach because it not only focuse on social,
economic change (money) but also on human energy and all the potential to
empower communities with the position of “what can we do with what we have here
and today”, where the community develops based on its own strengths, efficacy,
resources, services and without being affected by the modernization and globalisation.
Growing the seed of SEED-SCALE. The Taylors present the
SEED-SCALE to all people with moral imagination who are seekers of social
change. This mentoring approach builds on what exists, leaving aside the
controlling part. This process is defined as: “Offers a process for each
community to develop its own services and enhance its efficacy and control. The
approach uses resources all communities have, and builds from actions that they
have already started”(p. 4). This concept is applied using four principles:
equity, holistic sustainability, interdependence and iteratively maturing
actions.
There are deep differences between the traditional
development approach and SEED-SCALE. Starting with management, one differs from
the other on the philosophy, procedures and even on the sources. One only
focuses on the financial part, in other words, on resources but not on human
energy. Planning is oriented toward competition but not cooperation. The
traditional approach accountability applies to the government and the donor but
with SEED-SCALE acts transparently with all community members. Finally, decision
making traditionally has been based on power, fixing problems and needs; in
contrast, SEED-SCALE directs the decisions based on the community strengths
from where the results are not only counted by numbers, but by a quality of
change in people´s behavior.
Build on success. Many communities have very
skilled members. Some of them have become leaders. They have put all their
energy, time, life, among other resources to make their idea succeed for the
wellbeing of the community. Sometimes for natural circumstances or bad
management this success turns into a challenge that makes community people be
afraid. The civic and public approach is very traditional because they want to
solve problems based on the identification of needs. NGO mostly act as philanthropies.
Leaders with an orientation to SEED-SCALE approach their work based on the
strengths and all the assets that the community has.
Three-way partnerships. Partnership is part of the new
process of community development. Partnership with the government benefits the
community and the government itself. For one side, there is a better control
for taxation. On the other side, the community can have access to public
funding to operate logistically. Another part of the community partnership to
consider is the professionals, who can contribute their knowledge and
abilities. All can work in directions that can be collaborative. All the
stakeholders are needed to collaborate with each other to produce sustainable
results.
Decision making based on
evidence. Data is
necessary to take effective action. This point is essential because the
SEED-SCALE approach can not be effective with the lack of this information.
Community development leaders often act based on suppositions. The information
gathered might directed better to make a decision based on the inputs and
opinions of the members of the community. Information based on
suppositions might not be relevant. Work can be wasted along with human energy,
and the results can differ from what the community wants. Evidence provides the
opportunity to know the capacity, common ground objectives, and ways to work
collaboratively.
Behavior change. Traditional interventions search
for results while SEED-SCALE achieves behavior change. The behavior of the
members of the community changes when the results come. Leaders challenge
people to do what they are able to do. Community members learn from mistakes as
improving abilities, learning new processes, etc. as part of their behavior
change. When the project is based in the community, there is no need for
control because the members are free to act, establishing the guidance and
goals themselves and eventually transcending human energy and empowering the
momentum of all the members.
Management from seeds to changed behavior is a way to
achieve a successful community program. Results are achieved based on community
development activities, where the leaders empower all of the members of the
community in a collaborative way. Everyone is oriented to achieve quality of
life. When leaders and community members are linked by the same ideology, human
energy is moving. All the members are committed to be part of the ethno
development strategy. Traditionally, thinking is based on individual success,
not taking into consideration the collective or community. Collaboration and
equality among other principles assure the success and trust of the members
where truth and honesty turn into energy, as Gandhi demonstrated. Furthermore,
traditional approaches to development can be destructive, resulting in changed
ideologies, and the destruction of racial integrity, ecosystems, etc.
Sometimes the partnership with the government is quiet
hard because of their dependent-capitalist philosophy of the governmental
employees and there is always a wall that loose the trust like corruption. The
but as well of getting along people can join them as part of the members and
look at them as a way to get some help what for low belongs to them. It is just
a fact of learning how to manage human energy effectively and have enough
knowledge to point out the rights. So here is where the professional comes
along and make this part more effective.
Reflection
The SEED-SCALE approach is based on working
“with people, not for people and from people”, where objectives and processes
are doable and applicable for anyone and everywhere. Everybody who has the
moral imagination for social change can create a local committee, identifying
resources to ensure success. The starting point is the self evaluation survey,
followed by the creation of a plan to coordinate resources.
Recently, I became acquainted with an indigenous
community in the ecological reserve of Cayambe Coca, called Oyacachi, it is
located three hours drive from Quito. Oyacachi has experienced a mud slide
that devastated one third of the village, affecting the main source of
income which includes the tourism, woodworking and dairy products. Parts of the
SEED-SCALE approach were applied prior to reading the Taylor book Empowerment
on an Unstable Planet: From Seeds of Human Energy to a Scale of Global Change.
SEED-SCALE approach has helped BCF tremendously and we are really eager to work with many communities intervention applying this approach.
We are eager to record the change of behavior on the members of the
community.
Cecilia Guerrero
