Programme Planning, Implementation and Evalution

PROGRAMME PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION 2(1+1)

Lesson 32 : Techniques of Participatory Rural Appraisal

Time chart or Seasonal calendar

Purpose:
To learn about changes in livelihoods over the year and to show the seasonality of agricultural and non agricultural workload, food availability, human diseases, gender-specific income and expenditure, water, forage, credit and holidays.

• Seasonal calendar is also called as seasonal analysis, seasonal activity profile and seasonal diagram. This PRA tool indicates the perceptions of the local people regarding seasonal variations on a wide range of items.
• A seasonal calendar is a PRA method that determines patterns of activities and trends throughout the year within a community (Fig. 32.3). It can be used to find changes in rainfall distribution, food availability, agricultural production, income and expenditures, health problems, labour demand, wood supply for fuel, disease incidence, migration for employment, cash crops, live stock and many other elements that change over time.
• The seasonal calendar can also be used to collect information on how villagers allocate their time as well as their labour in various activities within the village.
• A time chart or seasonal calendar is prepared by drawing a two-dimensional matrix and writing the time period (i.e. month, year) on one axis and the different village activities on the other axis. Villagers are encouraged to fill in the matrix of the chart/calendar by marking the grid or by placing stones or other objects on the matrix.

(Ref: Britha Mikkelsen ,1997, Methods for development work and research , pg 78)

1. Labour Schedules
   Such calendars can be further modified to analyse labour demand for different agricultural activities and to discuss gender related issues. Labour schedules are drawn to understand in detail how labour is utilized in management of resources. Such schedules can be used to visualize the situation of individuals (men, women, children of a household), family households (agricultural family, fishing family etc.) or the general pattern of labour usage in village level. The relationship between seasonal cropping patterns, labour engagements, and biophysical/socioeconomic features is analyzed to plan activities of service providers or to design a tailor-made delivery of services according to the needs of the people. Good examples are credit institutions, plan of community work or extension campaigns.

2. Daily Routines
   Daily routine is also referred to as daily activity schedule, daily schedule and daily activity profile. It is a popular method to identify the activities of an individual, group or community, on a daily basis.
   Apart from seasonal pattern of a year, daily routines or schedules can be prepared if necessary. Usually daily schedule of family members reveals the routine activities among different household members and the time of the day. Such information is sufficient enough to identify critical times for peak labour usage and gender related issues related to overwork of women.

Daily activity schedule can be represented in the following format:

Time (hours)	Activity
4 a.m
5 a.m and so on till the last activity conducted at night