Railton Community Assessment Project

A collaborative project between Railton Foundation and Stellenbosch University.This booklet is about sharing our process with other people so that they may be able to do the same in other communities. We have realised how valuable this kind of research is in the process of community development and we would like to help share our experiences of collaborative and community participative research. We hope that this handbook will serve as a guideline for any community leader, teacher or researcher who would like to undertake similar research projects. We realise that there are other ways of doing this, but you may find it helpful to see how we went about the community assessment process. In this booklet we will be providing background information that will help to create a context for doing this kind of research, and we will be outlining various steps in the process. To help bring life to this research process, we will give real lived experiences and examples from the Railton Community Assessment Project (CAP) team. Please consult the Railton Community Assessment Project Report for a comprehensive description of the research processes and findings referred to in this booklet. We hope this handbook is helpful to you and your community.Stellenbosch UniversityRailton FoundationPublishers' versio

Railton Community Assessment (CAP) : research report

Research reportThe main aim of the Community Assessment Project (CAP), which arose out of the above mentioned partnership, was to conduct a community assessment of Railton (within Swellendam) to assist the local community and the Railton Foundation to identify priority areas for community development. This was pursued through a mapping of community assets (including strengths and resources) and a priority needs assessment process. This research was conducted within a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Approach. CBPR is a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognises the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community with the aim of combining knowledge and action for social change to improve the community. The first main section of this Report discusses the CBPR approach, and how ethical issues relating to conducting community research were addressed in the CAP research. This is followed by a detailed outlined of the 10 phases of the research design. The research training process is then discussed in some detail. The research participants are identified, and then the various data collection and analysis methods are discussed in some detail. The process of ‘pulling all the data together’ (called triangulation) is then explained. The process of sharing the research findings and recommendations with the community is then discussed. This chapter ends with a focus on both the strengths and limitations of the CAP research.Railton FoundationStellenbosch UniversityPublishers' versio

Railton Gemeenskapsassessering handleiding

A collaborative project between Railton Foundation and Stellenbosch University.Die doel van hierdie handleiding is om die navorsingsproses met ander mense te deel sodat hul op hul beurt dieselfde proses in ander gemeenskappe kan gebruik. Hierdie tipe navorsing is waardevol in die proses van gemeenskapsontwikkeling, en om die rede wil ons graag die ervaring van gemeenskap-deelnemende navorsing met ander deel. Ons hoop dat hierdie handleiding as ‘n riglyn sal dien vir enige gemeenskapsleier, opvoeder of navorser wat soortgelyke projekte wil loots. Alhoewel daar ander maniere is om hierdie tipe navorsing te doen, mag u dalk baat by die manier waarop ons die gemeenskapsassesserings-proses benader het. Ons sal in hierdie handleiding agtergrondinligting verskaf wat as konteks sal dien vir die uitvoer van dié tipe navorsing. Die onderskeie stappe van hierdie proses sal ook belig word. Ons gebruik werklike voorbeelde van die Railton Gemeenskapsassesserings-projek (GAP) om die egtheid van die navorsingsproses weer te gee. Raadpleeg asseblief ook die “Railton Community Assessment Project Research Report” vir addisionele inligting oor hierdie navorsingsaktiwiteite en bevindings. Ons hoop dat beide u en u gemeenskap hierdie handleiding tot groot nut sal vind.Stellenbosch UniversityRailton FoundationPublishers' versio

Data_Sheet_1_Iterative mapping of marine ecosystems for spatial status assessment, prioritization, and decision support.PDF

South Africa has taken an iterative approach to marine ecosystem mapping over 18  years that has provided a valuable foundation for ecosystem assessment, planning and decision-making, supporting improved ecosystem-based management and protection. Iterative progress has been made in overcoming challenges faced by developing countries, especially in the inaccessible marine realm. Our aim is to report on the approach to produce and improve a national marine ecosystem map to guide other countries facing similar challenges, and to illustrate the impact of even the simplest ecosystem map. South Africa has produced four map versions, from a rudimentary map of 34 biozones informed by bathymetry data, to the latest version comprising 163 ecosystem types informed by 83 environmental and biodiversity datasets that aligns with the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology. Data were unlocked through academic and industry collaborations; multi-disciplinary, multi-realm and multi-generational networks of practitioners; and targeted research to address key gaps. To advance toward a more transparent, reproducible and data-driven approach, limitations, barriers and opportunities for improvement were identified. Challenges included limited human and data infrastructure capacity to collate, curate and assimilate many data sources, covering a variety of ecosystem components, methods and scales. Five key lessons that are of relevance for others working to advance ecosystem classification and mapping, were distilled. These include (1) the benefits of iterative improvement; (2) the value of fostering relationships among a co-ordinated network of practitioners including early-career researchers; (3) strategically prioritizing and leveraging resources to build and curate key foundational biodiversity datasets and understand drivers of biodiversity pattern; (4) the need for developing, transferring and applying capacity and tools that enhance data quality, analytical workflows and outputs; and (5) the application of new technology and emerging statistical tools to improve the classification and prediction of biodiversity pattern. South Africa’s map of marine ecosystem types has been successfully applied in spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritization to support protected area expansion and marine spatial planning. These successes demonstrate the value of a co-ordinated network of practitioners who continually build an evidence base and iteratively improve ecosystem mapping while simultaneously growing ecological knowledge and informing changing priorities and policy.</p

Data_Sheet_2_Iterative mapping of marine ecosystems for spatial status assessment, prioritization, and decision support.PDF

South Africa has taken an iterative approach to marine ecosystem mapping over 18  years that has provided a valuable foundation for ecosystem assessment, planning and decision-making, supporting improved ecosystem-based management and protection. Iterative progress has been made in overcoming challenges faced by developing countries, especially in the inaccessible marine realm. Our aim is to report on the approach to produce and improve a national marine ecosystem map to guide other countries facing similar challenges, and to illustrate the impact of even the simplest ecosystem map. South Africa has produced four map versions, from a rudimentary map of 34 biozones informed by bathymetry data, to the latest version comprising 163 ecosystem types informed by 83 environmental and biodiversity datasets that aligns with the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology. Data were unlocked through academic and industry collaborations; multi-disciplinary, multi-realm and multi-generational networks of practitioners; and targeted research to address key gaps. To advance toward a more transparent, reproducible and data-driven approach, limitations, barriers and opportunities for improvement were identified. Challenges included limited human and data infrastructure capacity to collate, curate and assimilate many data sources, covering a variety of ecosystem components, methods and scales. Five key lessons that are of relevance for others working to advance ecosystem classification and mapping, were distilled. These include (1) the benefits of iterative improvement; (2) the value of fostering relationships among a co-ordinated network of practitioners including early-career researchers; (3) strategically prioritizing and leveraging resources to build and curate key foundational biodiversity datasets and understand drivers of biodiversity pattern; (4) the need for developing, transferring and applying capacity and tools that enhance data quality, analytical workflows and outputs; and (5) the application of new technology and emerging statistical tools to improve the classification and prediction of biodiversity pattern. South Africa’s map of marine ecosystem types has been successfully applied in spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritization to support protected area expansion and marine spatial planning. These successes demonstrate the value of a co-ordinated network of practitioners who continually build an evidence base and iteratively improve ecosystem mapping while simultaneously growing ecological knowledge and informing changing priorities and policy.</p

Table_1_Iterative mapping of marine ecosystems for spatial status assessment, prioritization, and decision support.XLSX

South Africa has taken an iterative approach to marine ecosystem mapping over 18  years that has provided a valuable foundation for ecosystem assessment, planning and decision-making, supporting improved ecosystem-based management and protection. Iterative progress has been made in overcoming challenges faced by developing countries, especially in the inaccessible marine realm. Our aim is to report on the approach to produce and improve a national marine ecosystem map to guide other countries facing similar challenges, and to illustrate the impact of even the simplest ecosystem map. South Africa has produced four map versions, from a rudimentary map of 34 biozones informed by bathymetry data, to the latest version comprising 163 ecosystem types informed by 83 environmental and biodiversity datasets that aligns with the IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology. Data were unlocked through academic and industry collaborations; multi-disciplinary, multi-realm and multi-generational networks of practitioners; and targeted research to address key gaps. To advance toward a more transparent, reproducible and data-driven approach, limitations, barriers and opportunities for improvement were identified. Challenges included limited human and data infrastructure capacity to collate, curate and assimilate many data sources, covering a variety of ecosystem components, methods and scales. Five key lessons that are of relevance for others working to advance ecosystem classification and mapping, were distilled. These include (1) the benefits of iterative improvement; (2) the value of fostering relationships among a co-ordinated network of practitioners including early-career researchers; (3) strategically prioritizing and leveraging resources to build and curate key foundational biodiversity datasets and understand drivers of biodiversity pattern; (4) the need for developing, transferring and applying capacity and tools that enhance data quality, analytical workflows and outputs; and (5) the application of new technology and emerging statistical tools to improve the classification and prediction of biodiversity pattern. South Africa’s map of marine ecosystem types has been successfully applied in spatial biodiversity assessment, prioritization to support protected area expansion and marine spatial planning. These successes demonstrate the value of a co-ordinated network of practitioners who continually build an evidence base and iteratively improve ecosystem mapping while simultaneously growing ecological knowledge and informing changing priorities and policy.</p