ABSTRACT
A people-centred, bottom-up approach to watershed interventions is described in this chapter. It is demand driven and flexible in adjusting to local resources and skill. In the monitoring and evaluation for watershed development projects too, people are placed at centre stage to gather information at village, household, and specific site or beneficiary level, using participatory modules and semi-structured participatory rural appraisal for village profiles, household surveys and village transect surveys. However, direct measurements are necessary for quantified data on important indicators. Participatory models with on-site people and grassroots-level functionaries largely leave out the impact on vital biophysical linkages and remain inadequate to provide quantified and graded outputs as well as outcome that are essential for close scrutiny by a third party for taking investment decisions or assessing potential for replication. It has thus become necessary to make the participatory team a mixed one including beneficiaries and outside experts. The data collected with specially designed schedules provided quantified results that helped draw important inferences. These deliberations established a rationale for participatory concepts, approach, and principles developed in India for impact assessment of watershed development projects spread over large areas.
