Reframing Aid
A strengths-based approach for international development
Winterford, Deborah Rhodes, Christopher Dureau
The practice of international development continues to change as more is understood about what works. A shift from a deficit or problem-solving approach to a strengths-based approach is a significant reframing for international development. A strengths-based approach aims to reveal assets, strengths or what is working within an individual, group, community or organization, then uses these strengths as a way to achieve change and preferred futures. This book sets out the thinking, practical action and evidence-base to inform a sector-wide transformation. For many, this is a radical or even revolutionary shift, but for others, the writing is already on the wall.
The authors set out the strong theoretical and practical basis of a strengths-based approach; explore insight through the lens on power, culture and psychology; and provide examples of how the approach is already applied in practice within the project cycle, monitoring and evaluation, dominant current approaches and sectors of international development.
The theory and rich descriptions of how a strengths-based approach works, will give development workers, governments, researchers, policy makers and donors in the global north and south the confidence to continue or try new this approach to creating change. These fresh perspectives offer a much-needed alternative to the deficit-based/problem solving paradigm that dominates, but is no longer relevant to shared global efforts for social justice and environmental sustainability.
Published: 2023
Pages: 320
eBook: 9781788532389
Paperback: 9781788532365
Hardback: 9781788532372
The authors set out the strong theoretical and practical basis of a strengths-based approach; explore insight through the lens on power, culture and psychology; and provide examples of how the approach is already applied in practice within the project cycle, monitoring and evaluation, dominant current approaches and sectors of international development.
The theory and rich descriptions of how a strengths-based approach works, will give development workers, governments, researchers, policy makers and donors in the global north and south the confidence to continue or try new this approach to creating change. These fresh perspectives offer a much-needed alternative to the deficit-based/problem solving paradigm that dominates, but is no longer relevant to shared global efforts for social justice and environmental sustainability.
| Acknowledgements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preface | |||
| Part A Introducing a strengths-based approach | |||
| Chapter 1: Why a strengths-based approach in international development? | |||
| Chapter 2: Philosophical underpinnings of a strengths-based approach | |||
| Chapter 3: What is a strengths-based approach? | |||
| Chapter 4: How change happens within a strengths-based approach | |||
| Part B Exploring a strengths-based approach | |||
| Chapter 5: Perspectives on power | |||
| Chapter 6: Culture and a strengths-based approach | |||
| Chapter 7: Psychology and a strengths-based approach | |||
| Chapter 8: The development worker | |||
| Part C Application of a strengths-based approach in international development | |||
| Chapter 9: A strengths-based approach and program cycle | |||
| Chapter 10: Rethinking monitoring, evaluation and research | |||
| Chapter 11: A strengths-based approach and approaches in international development | |||
| Chapter 12: A strengths-based approach and development sectors | |||
| Chapter 13: Conclusion | |||
| Websites and training manuals applying strengths-based approaches | |||
| References |
Research Director, Institute for Sustainable, University of Technology Sydney
Deborah Rhodes is an international development practitioner, author, and trainer with 35 years of experience largely in Pacific and Asian countries, specialising in topics including working across cultures, capacity development, disability inclusion and strengths-based approaches.
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