ELDIS, the gateway to development information.
URL : http://www.eldis.org/
Description of tools-oriented content : There is a wealth of information, and it is very well organised. Click on Manuals and Toolkits to find a list of topics that toolkits are available for, including: managing NGOs/CBOs; participation; children; forestry; governance; poverty assessment; how to design a project; and building websites. Under each topic, all the manuals and toolkits are listed, with author/s, organisation and a two sentence description. Click on “More” to get more detail and often chapter or section outlines, and an option to get the full text. This is the best place to start if looking for tools.
Type of tools : Recipes
Availability of tools : Available as links to downloadable documents.
** Practical resources
Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), an international organisation dedicated to training and supporting local activists to bring environmental injustice to national and international attention. Based in London.
URL : http://www.ejfoundation.org/index.html > Training > EJF Training Manuals
Description of tools-oriented content : The Advocacy Manual covers: successful advocacy through defining goals and audience; developing an effective strategy; using your information; lobbying; and an advocacy checklist. The Internet for Activists covers: how the internet can be used as a campaigning tool; explaining webpages; email; search engines including google; news groups; and a directory of useful internet sites. Examples of webpages are given, with windows and buttons explained. There are also manuals on desk research, field research, GPS, media, photography and video.
Type of tools : Recipes
Availability of tools : Available as downloadable pdf documents.
** Practical resources
Environmental Protection Agency, United States
URL : http://www.epa.gov/ > Quick Finder
Description of tools-oriented content : There is a long list of topics on the home page. The Ecosystems topic has a Recommended Webpages link called Community-Based Environmental Protection, and that page has Tools as a menu option. The tools include ecosystem, economics, human dimension and integrated tools. Under the Sustainability, the Scientific Tools and Technology are evident, but often very scientific: for example, Environmental Technology Verification, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This is a US government website, and the information it contains is geared towards people who live there.
Type of tools : Descriptions
Availability of tools : Available as downloadable documents.
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), an media watch and anti-bias organisation in the US.
URL : http://www.fair.org/index.html > Activism
Description of tools-oriented content : The Media Activism Kit includes: detecting bias in media reporting; how to communicate with journalists, write a letter to the editor and an Op-Ed; how to organise a demonstration, a speaking event, or promote programmes on TV; and the media business – the world’s 10 largest media companies. It is written very practically, although the organisation is in the United States, and the intended audience is there.
Type of tools : Recipes
Availability of tools : Available as saveable webpage (html) documents.
Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN (FAO) Forestry
URL : http://www.fao.org/forestry/index.jsp > People and Forests > Participatory Processes > Publications
Description of tools-oriented content : The Community Forestry Field Manuals include: a community toolbox on participatory assessment, monitoring and evaluation, which contains 23 practical tools; tree and land tenure: rapid appraisal tools, which includes gathering information in the field about physical aspects, use and management of resources. Publications are listed by Series or by Topic, including gender and conflict management. There is also a Collaborative Partnership on Forests Sourcebook in Funding for Sustainable Forest Management, a database of global funding sources. It can be found through Information Sources> Databases> Sources of Funding.
Type of tools : Descriptions with some recipes
Availability of tools : Available as downloadable documents.
Global Development Network (GDN), a network of research and policy institutes, hosted by IDS.
URL : http://www.gdnet.org/index.html > Online Services > Toolkits
Description of tools-oriented content : Proposal Writing and Fundraising comprises six sections: before you start; writing the proposal; budgeting; a guide to donors; institutional insights; and networking. It is based on interviews with development practitioners in the North and South, and each section contains some “useful links”. The other tool is called Disseminating Research Online.
Type of tools : Recipes
Availability of tools : Available as saveable webpage (html) documents.
Global Witness, which aims to highlight and change the exploitation of natural resources and how it is linked to human rights abuses, based in England.
URL : http://www.globalwitness.org > Monitoring > Research
Description of tools-oriented content : Guide to Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM) will only be available early in 2005, and will present the lessons learned by Global Witness. It will help people understand what IFM is, how it operates, and how it can be used as a tool to tackle illegal logging and governance in the forestry sector. It will describe the criteria that should be in place for an IFM to operate effectively, while recognising that local context and needs differ. Feasibility studies on IFM are being conducted in 2004, and the outcome of the studies will be released with the Guide, and the two could be used together.
Type of tools : Recipe
Availability of tools : Will be publicly available early in 2005.
Green Media Toolshed, a US-based organisation committed to helping environmental organisations by providing knowledge and software for effective campaigning.
URL : http://www.greenmediatoolshed.org/ > Tools (scroll down to find the Tools tab)
Description of tools-oriented content : The tools are designed to help environmental groups be more effective in getting their message across to the public via the media. They include a media contact database (for United States only), an image management system, a polling library to help organisations access public opinion polls, a library of fact sheets, video clips, and digital files, media training, campaign management, and a toolshed users’ profile, to see how other members use the tools. Although this is a US-based organisation, there may be useful tools here for people in other countries.
Type of tools : Recipes, descriptions and online advice
Availability of tools : Available for members only, but becoming a member only requires filling in an on-line registration form.
Hakikazi Catalyst, Tanzania
URL: http://www.hakikazi.org/
Description of tools-oriented content: Bulletins, Plain Language Guides, Reports and Training Materials focus on capacity-building and on popularising policy. The Plain Language Guides explain both Tanzanian and international policy and are available in English and Kiswahili. The Training Materials are links to effective materials developed by a range of Tanzanian and international organisations, for example Demystifying Policy - the Work Breakdown Structure Approach and Advocacy Basics.
Type of tools: Both procedures and descriptions
Availability of tools: Downloadable pdf documents
The Impact Alliance, a global capacity-building network of development organisations.
URL : http://www.impactalliance.org > Resource Centre
Description of tools-oriented content : This is a very dense website, that contains a host of information under the following headings: accountability; advocacy; capacity building approaches; change management; facilitation techniques; financial management; fortalecimiento municipal; HIV/AIDS; human resource management; information technology; knowledge management; leadership; mission and vision; monitoring and evaluation; network strengthening; organisational assessment; partnership; planning and strategy; project design and management; public relations; resource mobilization; and team building. Clicking on one of these brings up a brief description of the issue and options of Contacts, Discussions or Resources. Under Resources are some toolkits, which have to be searched out, as well as papers and articles. Some of the Resources are available in Spanish.
Type of tools : Recipes and descriptions
Availability of tools : Available as downloadable documents from this website or from linked websites.
