OL 341—Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change

This week, we continue posting samples of our light version of our most popular course. This will allow you to have a little background on what studnents are posting on our Facebook page, and at our Development Community. Just click on the two links below.

Week 3: Will Your Theory of a Solution Work?
OL 341 Assignment Three CBA Discussion
Magee Example Project OL 341 Assignment Three

Investigating if there is a scientific basis that our proposed theory and activities have worked on other projects.

Suppose that you are a mother whose children are suffering, and an unknown organization came to you with a plan to help your children. Wouldn’t you want that plan to work? Suppose that you are a donor hoping that your donations will fulfill some need. Wouldn’t you want your donations to have an impact? Suppose that you were a local NGO hoping to improve the lives of your people. Wouldn’t you want to be successful?

There is an extraordinarily simple solution to this and that is to do a bit of research to see if any studies have been done about the effectiveness of your proposed activities.

The Lite Version
Each week, running in parallel with the course, I will be posting a discussion sheet about community-based adaptation, and an example of the week’s homework. This is simply to give you the opportunity of seeing what these courses are like from the student’s perspective & also give you an opportunity to better understand what the students are discussing that week.

This is called the Lite Version, because the full course has a collection of online student resources, expanded discussions about that week’s assignment, and, of course, it has the course leader who works with students in reviewing their assignments and in making suggestions for their projects.

Is providing this information helpful to you? Please let us know your thoughts!

Be sure to visit the CSDi’s Development Community. Join 450 colleagues in sharing resources & collaborating online.

Like us: CSDi Facebook.

Learn how to develop a community centered, impact oriented project.

New Online Diploma Program: Integrated Community Based Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction, & Rural Development
	A diploma program of online field courses integrating community-based adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction, and rural development. These courses begin by introducing climate change and adaptation, participatory disaster preparedness, and mainstreaming them with rural development. Participants identify local community vulnerabilities, risks and hazards, investigate appropriate solutions, develop full projects, launch and manage them.
To earn the diploma simply complete four sequential foundation courses, then select four elective courses of your choice for a total of eight courses. With a wide variety of electives, you are able to tailor the diploma program to meet your needs and interests. The program starts May 17.

Free ‘Online Lite’ Courses Off to a Good Start:  Week 2: What’s your Theory of a Solution? 1,000 People/week get installments
	Each week, running parallel with a live course, we have been posting a discussion sheet about community-based adaptation, and an example of the week’s homework. This is to give you the opportunity of seeing what these courses are like from the student’s perspective. Check in each week on our Facebook page to get the latest installment. Follow this week’s installment:
Week 2: Developing a theory of how you plan to solve the problem identified last week. You concluded Assignment One with a set of community identified problems organized into a unique project outline. You also wrote a short and concise problem statement. Now is your opportunity to develop a theory of how to solve this problem, and to begin exploring specific project activities that will fulfill your theory.

Is influencing communities in making behavioral changes paternalistic?
	Projects can only influence communities in making positive behavioral changes. For example, we can introduce the concept of hand washing, but it is ultimately their decision to incorporate it into their daily lives. Positive outcomes are behavior changes in partners – changes that contribute to the long-term sustainable improvement in people’s lives.
Outcomes need to begin happening on a new level of development that depends on sustained behavioral change. And how do we insure sustainability? How do we insure our communities will incorporate these behavioral changes? Through community buy-in. Through the community’s sense of ownership of the project.

Climate Change Study in Injustice: 10 Million Additional African Children Malnourished by 2050

The World Food Program estimate that globally, 10-20 percent more people will be at risk of hunger by 2050 than would be without climate change. Of these, almost all will be in developing countries, with 65 percent expected to be in Africa. This has severe implications for nutrition, particularly for children. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that 10 million more children will be malnourished as a result of climate change.

Prem Goolaup:  Participatory Mapping. Will It Help Mauritian Farmers Adapt to Climate Change Hazards?
	Prem Goolaup, of the island state of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, has been developing a community based adaptation project for the past eight months. The adaptation components of his project include a Soil Restoration and Water Management Program.
He’s using a participatory mapping technique to not only learn more about the specific challenges the farmers face, but by including them in the research and drawing of the map, they are better understanding their current challenges and also developing a sense of ownership for the project.

Become the Solution
	Are you a donor, a development practitioner, in a job transition, or a student who wants to learn more about what works in designing impact-oriented projects? Online course participants are using our courses to develop real, on-the-ground projects with real communities—both individually and through North/South student partnerships.
Our online courses use each class assignment as a concrete step in developing a real project within a real community. You will take an assignment into the field and use it as a solution-oriented activity that you do together with community members—thereby finishing one component of the project you are developing in the class. And there you have it: an online field course with tangible, concrete results.

OL 440 Diploma Program: Integrated CBA, DRR, and Rural Development
CSDi is launching a diploma program of online field courses integrating community-based adaptation to climate change, disaster risk reduction, and rural development—on May 17.

These courses begin by introducing basic climate change concepts, participatory disaster preparedness, and mainstreaming them with rural development—and develop as participants identify local community vulnerabilities, identify risks and hazards, investigate appropriate solutions, design participatory M&E plans, develop full projects, launch and manage them.

To earn a diploma in Integrated CBA, DRR and Rural Development, simply complete four required, sequential foundation courses, then select four elective courses of your choice for a total of eight courses. With a wide variety of electives, you are able to tailor the diploma program to meet your needs and interests.

Upcoming Online Development Courses: May 2011

STEP 1. Enroll in the first course of this series: OL 341.
Required Foundation Courses. These four courses are taken in sequence prior to enrolling in elective courses.
 

	341 Community Based Adaptation 1: Gain an insight into contemporary methods of developing community based, sustainable, impact-oriented projects. Gain practical field tools and develop a range of skills: facilitating participatory needs assessments and DRR assessments, designing projects, and evidence-based activities. Develop a real project in real time.
	342 Community Based Adaptation: Planning for Impact. July 19 – August 29. Imbed impact into your adaptation project design with a powerful set of management tools. Log frames, detailed budgets, timelines, compelling fact sheets, M&E plans, outcomes and impact. These tools will communicate to donors and stakeholders exactly what you are trying to accomplish and can be used for effective management of the project once funded.
	343 Community Based Adaptation 3: The Community Focus. September 6 – October 31. What does climate change adaptation mean at the community level? What practical tools are available today for communities to use in adaptation and in DRR? Conduct a baseline survey including climate vulnerability, risk assessment, an adaptation capacity analysis, and gain an understanding of local knowledge of a changing climate and of coping strategies. For practitioners who wish to begin working now at the community level to successfully adapt to the challenges that face us.
	344 Community Based Adaptation 4: Sustainable Implementation. November 8 – December 19. How do you launch and implement a community based adaptation/DRR project? The importance of community engagement and project co-management. Developing skill sets for your community to use in the adaptation process. Learning tools: monitoring & evaluation. Community empowerment during project hand-over. Sustainability, follow-up & mentoring

Elective Courses. Enroll in four of these elective courses.
After successful completion of the four prerequisite courses above, you will be invited to enroll in elective courses. Select four electives of your choice to tailor the diploma program to meet your needs and interests.

OL 303. Food Security, Nutrition, and Starting Home Gardens 1
OL 304. Food Security, Nutrition and Managing Home Gardens 2
OL 224. Participatory M&E
OL 345. Community Based Disaster Risk Assessment, Preparedness and Management
OL 346. Small Island Developing States and Climate Change
OL 326. Developing Livelihood Resilience in your CBA project.
OL 332. Water Conservation and Management in your CBA project.
OL 333. Improved, Integrated Agricultural Practices for your CBA project.
OL 334. Incorporating REDD+ and Forest Stewardship into your CBA project.
OL 202. Impact Analysis

Community Based Adaptation brings together those working in the fields of disaster risk reduction, community development, and climate change science. Community Based Adaptation draws on participatory approaches and methods developed in both disaster risk reduction and community development work. CBA needs to start with community expressed needs and perceptions, and have poverty reduction and livelihood benefits, as well as reducing vulnerability to climate change and disasters. In practice, CBA projects look very like ‘development as usual’ and it is difficult to distinguish the additional ‘adaptation components’.
IIED: PLA Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change.

Expanded information on elective courses.

Find out more about this Online Diploma Course.

Be sure to visit the CSDi’s Development Community. Join 450 colleagues in sharing resources & collaborating online.

Like us: CSDi Facebook.

Learn how to develop a community centered, impact oriented project.