Methods workshop, Hambantota, Sri Lanka, 6-17th May 2002

This was held in Sri Lanka from 6-17th May and enabled the detailed development of methodological approaches to the research and decision support. The workshop was attended by 12 key members of the project team and included a six-day field-based training period in techniques of household economy assessment. This led to the development of a SecureWater Methodological framework which is to form the basis for 'building in' SL approaches to DRA'.

In short it addresses the issue of ability to pay by different household types within communities and develops ways of assessing the impact of shocks and changes to household economies both within years and between 'good' and 'bad' years. This method can, inter alia, help interveners to select realistic cost options to present to communities, help to develop better ways of supporting community-level management (including raising finance and budgeting within and between years) and indicate areas where a demand-responsive approach alone may be difficult to operationalise.

Emerging research and methodological issues are summarised in ODI's Water Policy Brief 4: 'SecureWater? Poverty, Livelihoods and Demand-Responsive Approaches'.