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BSC ACTIVITIES








Rural Development Team (RDT)

        The Rural Development Team of the Behavioural Science Centre is responsible for direct interventions and involvement in the geographical areas of Dhandhuka Taluka, Ahmedabad district and Khambhat Taluka, Anand District. Following from the overarching mission of the BSC to, "…empower the oppressed groups/communities through programs of an educational nature to build peoples movements" and its focus on building the capacities of local organizations and peoples movements, the RD team undertakes activities which assist in the empowerment of the marginalized communities of Gujarat. Working directly with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (with special focus on the women of these groups), the staff of the BSC has undertaken many new initiatives to achieve these goals. Below are examples of the Centre's efforts in these areas.

Dhandhuka
 Situated in one of the most oppressive and saline areas of all of Gujarat, the needs of Dhandhuka are daunting. For over ten years the BSC has been working directly with the Dalits and OBC's in the region to combat poverty and oppression and bring about sustainable, equitable change. The forms of these efforts have been varied. There are currently many different projects running simultaneously. The RD team of BSC, working directly in conjunction with women from the area, has established the Shree Bhal Mahila Credit Co-Operative Society, a women's savings and credit organization. This group now consists of approximately 1200 members from 35 different villages in Dhandhuka Taluka. In this last three years it has distributed over 4 lakh rupees in credit and currently has assets equaling over 11 lakhs. It is working towards the greater goals of women's participation and empowerment but also directly affects positive change in the lives of the women and their families. The Rural Development Team also uses trainings and direct interventions to build the capacity of this local organization. Members of the credit co-operative are trained in areas of accounting, group dynamics, empowerment, and management capabilities. The aims of these interventions are to enable the women to self manage the savings and credit co-operative.         The BSC also hosts a wide variety of formal and non-formal trainings in the Dhandhuka area. These trainings tackle such issues as women's reproductive health, the environment, caste and class issues and other longer term, more intangibles such as empowerment, equity and gender awareness. The BSC has also taken a direct interest in the lives and well being of the entire family unit. The goals of this program are to provide education to those marginalized groups and has therefore begun holding training camps and non-formal education for children. These efforts are designed to enhance the self-esteem of these children and prepare them for entry into formal educational institutions.
        A further initiative by the Rural Development Team in the Dhandhuka area is the Mass Contact Program (MCP). This is a widescale, comprehensive effort by the RD team. It involves aspects of gender awareness, trainings, multi-media interventions, and issues of empowerment. Recognizing the oppressive conditions of women, these efforts often revolve around issues of women's reproductive health but further has the flexibility and scope to envelope such imperative issues as legal rights and access to government schemes. The MCP is a long term, comprehensive undertaking that examines and tackles many different, though interrelated aspects of oppression, marginalization and impoverishment and works towards supporting local organizations and building the capacities of rural leaders.
        A final intervention in the area was the establishment of a peoples organization consisting of Dalits, Koli Patels and women from these groups. This group, called the Manav Vikas Sangh (MVS), strives to bring the Dalits and the OBC's together to discuss and tackle the issues of economic deprivation. Established in 1995, MVS has continued to fight against the economic and social injustices, including "upper caste" oppression and atrocities, faced by these groups. The activities of the MVS include:
    1. Social Forestry Co-operatives
    2. Employment generation programmes
    3. Mobilization of Government schemes
    4. Women's issues

For the past five years the BSC has been directly involved in supporting the efforts of the MVS. The Centre conducts trainings for the general members, committee members, and employees of the organization in the areas of caste, gender awareness, class as well as other more structural trainings such as organizational management, project management etc.




Bhal
        The other major target area of the rural development team is Bhal region of Khambhat Taluka. Located approximately 100 kilometers south east of Ahmedabad city, this area was a major site of BSC intervention for the past 20 years. The project is now in its final stages and the BSC has almost completed its withdrawal from the area. In its place the Centre has established, and continues to support, three locally run, self managed autonomous peoples organizations called the Shree Khambhat Taluka Anusuchit Jati Kheti tatha Utpadan Sangh – also called the Federation (established in 1988), Bhal Bara Dalit Mahila Credit Co-Operative Society, and the Antyodaya Vikas Shikshan Centre. The BSC now takes works with the Federation to identify and train local entrepreneurs in the area and further, act as a linkage to formal financial institutions. Moreover, the Centre offers functional assistance and advice when required.
        The Federation now takes the responsibility for managing and co-ordinating many of the development initiatives which were begun by the BSC. These include a fish hatchery, a major agriculture and forestry project (which now has over 1500 acres of fertile land), a paddy processing unit and many other smaller initiatives. Most of these projects fall under the umbrella of Federation activities and represent BSC's commitment and determination over the past two decades.
In recognition of the major social constraints in the area, the BSC formed the Antyodaya Vikas Shikshan Centre (AVSC) in 1993. Unlike the Federation, which is primarily an economic empowerment body, this peoples organization concentrates on social aspects such as education, women's empowerment, networking with government of Gujarat, and enacting social change within the community. The Centre is directly involved in training the employees of AVSC in areas such as management capabilities and organizational development. The BSC also offers some financial support for the cohesive functioning of this organization.
In order to combat the economic hardships faced by the members of the priority communities in this area (primarily the women) the BSC established the Bhal Bara Dalit Mahila credit co-operative society in 1993. This local level women's organization currently has a membership of over 1300 members, drawn from 35 villages in the area. This organization is currently entirely self managed and acting as an autonomous credit and savings body.
        Though the Centre is in its final stages of withdrawal from Bhal, it still plays an integral role in the overall development of the area. Rather than direct interventions, the Centre now sees its main objective in the region as building the capacities of local organizations. To this end, the BSC continues to offer support through contact and trainings.
By concentrating its efforts in supporting local development organizations, the Behavioural Science Centre is working towards sustainable solutions and equitable development.





Resource Support Team (RST)

The Resource Support Team (RST) is designed to provide support to local organizations and build capacities of community-based organizations and greater peoples movements within Gujarat. The RST has three major areas of activities:
    1. Research
    2. Training
    3. Advocacy

Research
Following from the BSC's commitment to education and knowledge, the RST takes the responsibility of researching and documenting selected relevant issues. This is done through constant upgradation of training material, used by both the Centre and external trainers, as well as conducting independent research for publication. The Centre's research is normally in the form of articles, audio visual materials, and case studies centered around a wide range of topics including development theory, social realities (specifically, though not exclusively, issues of caste), gender issues, group dynamics and examinations of the self. Moreover, the Centre also takes on larger projects for publication. It has recently completed The Silken Swing, a book which examines the self-image and coping techniques of Dalit women in Gujarat. This full size book is to be published in mid 1999.        
        The research arm of the Resource Support Team is designed to offer support to the Centre as a whole. Its' constant reflection and investigation into the current issues in development (both in India and throughout the world) ensures that the work of the BSC remains both relevant and contemporary.

Training
More than just responsible for research and publications, the RST is also directly involved in grass-roots outreach and interventions. The RST's non-formal education program consists of trainings designed to provide conceptual as well as skill-based training to individuals and groups outside BSC's major project areas. These non-formal educational interventions attempt to integrate an understanding of the context and the theory of developmental actions and initiatives. The RST trainings are further designed to offer support, and more importantly to enhance the contributions of individuals to their respective organizations. The overarching goal of this branch of the RST is to increase the effectiveness of individuals, groups and organizations.
More than merely acting as a catalyst for change in the target communities, the training function of the RST has direct impact on the effectiveness and cohesion of the Centre as a whole. By preparing and conducting approximately 80 days of trainings per year, the RST is ensuring an adequate level of professionalism and competence from trainers, both within BSC and the external community. More importantly, it is promoting reflection and learning on formal and non-formal educational practices and offering insights in the establishment of effective techniques.



Advocacy
        The advocacy arm of the Resource Support Team is the newest direction to be taken by this section of the Centre. While the BSC has been involving itself in direct interventions in the area of Dalit rights and atrocity cases for years, it has only recently institutionalized this practice within the Resource Support team. The main goal of the advocacy arm of this team is to mobilize support and effect change in the areas of legal struggles, specifically in the area of atrocities against Dalits. The major activities taken up by the Centre are: networking with other NGOs (as a support initiative), identifying the major issues in the areas of legal rights and oppression of the target communities, conducting trainings and providing financial support. As well, the Centre will be directly involved in conducting an annual meeting in order to examine and discuss issues in the area of advocacy. This programme will be directly linked with the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights. The advocacy efforts of the Resource Support Team offer support and attempt to meet the growing needs of the target communities in the areas of legal education and direct assistance.


Development Initiatives Team (DIT)

        The Development Initiatives team of the BSC is designed to identify new directions for the economic development of members of priority communities. This team works to develop non-agricultural income generating alternatives. Established by the Centre in 1996 the DIT has begun working in many areas of economic empowerment. The overall goal of this team is to identify and establish viable businesses and to offer support to these endeavors. Its major projects to date include:
    1. Jagruti Garments
    2. Watershed Development
    3. Micro-Credit and Rural Entrepreneurship Development Program


Jagruti Garments:
Jagruti Garments was established by the BSC in 1997 in response to the expressed need for activities working towards "women's empowerment". BSC believes that empowerment and awareness, though lofty ideals, remain meaningless to the rural poor unless they are translated into tangible results. Led by this simple axiom, and driven by the diligent efforts of its committed workers, the BSC and Jagruti Garments has been making concerted efforts to help the rural poor through financial and social development.
Jagruti Garments is an integrated fashion and utility garments centre located in the town of Petlad, situated in Kheda district of Gujarat, India. Apart from producing goods for urban markets, Jagruti also provides an adequate livelihood for more than 100 women in the area.
The workers of Jagruti Garments are given intensive skills training by experts who have come forward to support this venture. This project has raised ample interest and funds thus enabling the company to acquire modern equipment and skills.
One main criterion for starting this activity was that it should be at a scale which makes a tangible difference in the lives and livelihood of the women. Moreover, it needed to be market driven without losing out on the ethics and ideology of being rooted within the community. To this end, the women's collective has been registered as a company under the name of Jagruti Garments Ltd. This functioning company is a corporate body with a social emphasis. Thereby, certain structures have been institutionalized for example, all employees benefit from the growth of the company through direct share holdings. By ensuring partial ownership by each and every woman employed by Jagruti this competitive company is working towards economic autonomy and women's empowerment.


Watershed Development:
        The newest initiative by the DIT is direct involvement in Natural Resource Management (NRM) in the Tribal area of Danta Taluka, Sabarkantha District located in northern Gujarat. The BSC has recently commenced one project in the area of watershed development. This area has been the sight of comprehensive study and investigation for the Development Initiatives Team. Along with the continuing work in watershed management, the DIT is also examining the possibility of running entrepreneurial trainings and other business initiatives. The DIT has begun work on a series of feasibility studies in order to identify new areas of interventions both in the Danta region as well as throughout Gujarat.
        The BSC has completed a basic social-technical feasibility study in collaboration with Action for Food Production (AFPRO) unit of Udaipur. The study has clearly established a strong need for taking up the watershed development program.
        The BSC, in an effort to make this program both sustainable and effective, has used fully participatory methods in its watershed development program. To this end, trainings and technical knowledge are imparted on the members of this community so that they may take part in and direct all areas of construction and management.

Micro Credit and Rural Entrepreneurship Program
        The DIT team is currently running a program in rural entrepreneurship training in the Bhal region of Khambay Taluka. This initiative targets unemployed, educated rural youth and provides training in the areas of small business enterprise management. To date, three programs have been completed (with approximately 70 participants) and one is still being conducted. Of those graduates of the training, over 40 are currently running their own tiny enterprises.
        The major goal of this program is to identify individuals capacities and business opportunities in any of the Centre's project areas. Therefore the DIT links individuals with financial institutions, training institutions and other resource personnel.


Courses

        This team is designed to carry out more formalized trainings in the areas of development studies and social management. It offers long term, more formalized, educational courses which target both members of the priority communities as well as other individuals interested in the voluntary sector. As this training is designed to prepare both managers and field workers for the development sector, courses are offered in both English and Gujarati. This team has two major projects:
    1. The Fellowship Program in Social Management
    2. The Post Graduate Program in Development Management

Fellowship Program in Social Management (FPSM)
        The FPSM course was established by the BSC in 1982 with the goal of training individuals for the development community. This was the main goal up until 1990 when there was a shift in emphasis. The Centre, recognizing the need for individuals from the priority communities within the development sector, changed the medium of the course to Gujarati. Thereby, the non-English sections of these communities could avail themselves of this training and secure employment in this field.
        The FPSM is a 6 month, intensive course which trains students in the areas of social analysis and development issues. As well, this course recognizes the need for NGO staff to have a greater understanding of 'lived' realities and therefore has included more complex trainings in areas such as self awareness, group dynamics and conflict management.
The FPSM has trained over 100 men and women in the area of social management. To date, close to 80% of graduates are currently working in the development sector.

Postgraduate Program in Development Management (PPDM):
        The PPDM course is currently in its pilot stage. Officially begun in January, 1999 this course has 15 full time students and is midway through its first year.
With this course there is a broadening of the scope of the Centre's formalized trainings. This course is designed for three different types of professionals: the grassroots development activist; the not-for-profit manager; and the development oriented entrepreneur. It not only ensures that the academic content of the courses remain relevant and contemporary but also hopes to provide the students with specific skills which will assist them in setting up enterprises in the future.
In addition, there is a recognized need to assist capable individuals from economically and socially deprived communities. The greatest care has been taken, both in the design as well as in the implementation of the course, to create a supportive and beneficial learning environment conducive to all.
The massive growth and professionalization in the NGO sector in India has brought about a new need for highly trained managers. The complexity of functions and the diversity of issues that NGOs have to handle have become so complex that they demand a high level of competency and training. The PPDM course is designed to offer this training. This program will be offered in 3 forms:

  1. Post-Graduate Certificate in Development Management (60 credits) - 4 months
  2. Post-Graduate Diploma in Development Management (120 credits) - 8 months
  3. Masters Degree (MSc) in Development Management (180 credits) - 1 year

On the whole, this course is designed to offer training for development managers. With this in mind the program aims to combine three distinct areas of study - development theory and action, management, and principles of entrepreneurship. The delivery of the courses will combine lectures, workshops, audiovisual presentations, and short field experiences.

Participants
The PPDM program is designed to appeal to many different individuals from varied backgrounds. Though efforts have been made to ensure the inclusion of people from the "priority communities" (specifically the Scheduled castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women), the PPDM is also an excellent program for:





Students are also taken from international donor agencies who wish to obtain a firsthand understanding of the management and leadership of the voluntary sector and would benefit from direct contact with the challenges of a developing country.



Human Resource Development

        As such, human resource development has always existed within the Centre, but in 1996 the BSC institutionalized this function through the establishment of a formal team. The goals for the HRD are:

  1. To promote and assist the professional growth and development of BSC personnel
  2. To promote and facilitate organizational climate/culture for improving the quality of professional output

The major objective of the HRD is to ensure and carry out the capacity building activities of the Centre. To this end, the HRD team plans and carries out orientations, exposure visits, trainings and seminars. All are designed to directly support the staff at all levels of the Centre. Most recently, the HRD is in the process of preparing for a one-week intensive training seminar for trainers (TOT). This training will be offered for all program staff within the BSC, as well, it will have participants from external NGOs from Gujarat.
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