ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

Ask the group who they think is at the top of
the field (triangle): who has the most
influence with regards to how development
happens on the ground? Often people
mention our government, but you can ask
who even influences how our government
operates – international role players are
surfaced. You can ask the group to mention
any role players they are familiar with, like
the European Union, World Bank,
International Monetary Fund, UNICEF, etc.
Explain the key role players and what their
influence might be.
The next level is allocated for government and
business. These were originally two separate
categories but now with so much cross over
between politics and economics, it seems
fitting to put them together using examples to
illustrate their interdependence like Black
Economic Empowerment, government
officials having shares in major companies,
and needing substantial financial backing to
even stand for election.
Next level is for institutions like universities, churches, schools etc. that develop curricula and
development theory which practitioners are often schooled in.
NGOs are the next level followed by CBOs and finally the community.
It is often important to clarify the differences between an NGO and CBO in terms of where the driving
force usually comes from. These lines however tend to be more blurred nowadays with many NGO and
government initiated CBOs! Both can register as nonprofit organizations (NPOs) which can also be
clarified.
The gaps in between the levels are for gatekeepers which you can now fill in as there are gatekeepers at
all levels – those who hold the ‘keys to the gate’, who may keep information and opportunities more for
their own interests and block the flow to other levels. The flip side can also be true if we think of the
important role of ‘gappers’ – those who positively move between the different levels and open the
doors for collective interests. They are also sometimes the ‘shock absorbers’ who are able to hold the
tensions that come at times in dealing with the complexity, bureaucracy and patronizing attitudes of
others. Ask the group where the bulk of resources tends to be – top or bottom. The diagram indicates
this to be at the top which in many cases is true (for example, it may cost R1 million to distribute R10
000 at community level) because of extraction by intermediary agencies. If you are aware of examples
that illustrate this imbalance, you can elaborate.
Ask the group where revolution tends to come from: top or bottom? Rightly, it usually comes from the
bottom as people at higher levels tend to be comfortable in maintaining the status quo and their
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