ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on research recently conducted in partnership with voluntary services overseas (VSO) in the Philippines. The research used training in systemic action research (SAR) to integrate the use of interpretive methods, participatory approaches and systemic thinking into the monitoring of a volunteering programme focusing on the sustainable management of natural resources. It shows how a different approach to monitoring progress, grounded in cycles of action and learning about the realities of practice and experience, can support volunteers to review, adapt and improve the activities they devoted their energies to, while they were still active in the community's development. The importance assigned in the SAR approach to encouraging volunteers and community actors to be active' in their learning about change pathways is supported by research in behavioural psychology. Community-level inputs that called into question programmatic expectations about project deliverables or advice received from local authority figures presented the biggest challenge to volunteers.
