CRAC-GRN
SOS Sahel International Niger
Cellule de Recherche Action Concertée
Our Working Principes
Approaches taken in implementing CRAC-GRN projects vary, but are all guided by the following fundamental principles:

Concerning the NRM process…
  • Equity : The equitable, legitimate and responsable representation of stakeholders (particularly marginalised groups) is a
    prerequisite;
  • Context: The management of a given resource should be tackled in the relation to it’s wider role in the local socio-
    economic context;
  • Knowing and exercising one’s rights: Individuals, communities and institutions need to know and understand their NRM
    rights and be  empowered through exercising these rights;
  • A Sense of Ownership: The objectives and modalities of management must reflect the needs, interests and
    preoccupations of all the different users and be designed and ‘owned’ by them;
  • Social Communication:  Flexibility  and permanent dialogue (collaboration and negotiation) between actors in order to
    critically question on-going processes and change tack as a result are essential characteristics of the process;
  • Adaptation: The management system must have the flexibility to change and evolve when the circumstances require that it
    do so.

Concerning the implementation of activities:  
  • Facilitation : Projects are only temporary facilitators, accompanying autonomous local processes;
  • Process : The adoption of a ‘process approach’ in which nothing is preconceived and everything is discovered together
    with the partners;
  • Learning through Doing: The recognition, systematisation and analysis of local knowledge and practices as well as
    responsibility and capacity building for individuals, communities and institutions are prerequisites;
  • « Persuasion by inclusion » : Obligation to persuade all the actors concerned to participate throughout the process by
    ensuring that the necessary useful information is available to them;
  • Sustainability: All actions need to clearly take into consideration questions of durability, evolution and autonomy;
  • M&E by the actors: Create the conditions necessary for internal monitoring & auto-evaluation.
  • Capitalising on experiences (positive &  negative): should aim to strategically influence policies and strategies.