| Participatory Development Professionals with PLANET KERALA |
| The people at PLANET Kerala possess various professional backgrounds and works as a multidisciplinary team hence providing a complete picture for participatory development processes. Bio sketch of the key professionals and their areas of expertise. |
| M J Joseph |
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Social Worker with 18 years of NGO sector experiences, in Kerala State. Versatile in applying participatory methodologies in assessing the dimensions needed for overall community development approaches. As an expert trainer and researcher in Participatory approaches, supports capacity building needs of NGOs working in various parts of the State and in Sri Lanka. Started his career among tribal and marginal agricultural communities in the highlands of the State and eventually developed effective approaches that lead to the beginning of Participatory Appraisal Tools in the State. |
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Joseph considers participatory approaches as a knowledge generation processes whereby by people gain better understanding over their environment through action learning and innovation and paves way for towards democratisation of development processes. Currently promoting an action research project for building issue based community partnerships for sustainable and integrated management of water resources in Kuttanad region of Kerala State. |
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| Terry Thomas | |
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Agricultural Engineer having diverse experience in small-scale water resources
development and management in rural water supply, irrigation and
environment sectors.Since
1996 involved with plantation ventures mainly developing springs and
earthen ponds in the highlands and midlands of the state. After four
years of work enrolled for management studies at University of London
and later exposure in participatory approaches enabled to integrate
various dimensions into a processes oriented development with a
“systems thinking” view.
As Team Leader with PLANET KERALA, holding responsibility for providing a series of policy and issue based inputs for water sector and in action research facilitating participatory technology development. |
| Won the World Bank -Development Marketplace 2004 for experimenting “Solar Distillation for Potable Water in Coastal Areas”, enabled to bring about innovation towards addressing water issues prevailing in wetlands and coastal areas through ecorestoration. Current interest is in evolving community knowledge and science based “process approach” for addressing location specific water issues through multistakeholder processes, community level local actions and in enhancing application of plant diversity towards regenerating homestead water systems. |
| Sunny George | |
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Sunny George did his post graduation in Fishery Biology and PhD in Zoology. He was senior research fellow of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) New Delhi. He was awarded visiting research fellowship by the Belgian National Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels and by United Nations University, Tokoyo to work in six European countries. He has also gained exceptional fellowship from United States Department of State, Washington DC.
Dr. Sunny George is a consultant for Save a Family Plan, India in order to implement participatory action research on Natural Resources Management in 38 watersheds by 38 NGOs funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Dr. Sunny George also heading the Restoration of Ecosystems in Tsunami affected areas around the confluence of the right arm of Periyar River. |
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| P.V.Baiju | |
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A social worker by profession is teaching social sciences at Sree
Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit since 2003. Earlier worked for
Swajaldhara -Water sector Reforms project in Kararagod as Monitoring and
Evaluation Specialist; involved extensively in participatory monitoring
and evaluation and in participatory rural appraisal. He is presently
progressing with a PhD in Participatory Approaches of the NGOs in Kerala.
Recently he a governing board member of PLANET Kerala and provide his services for documentation and institutional development. Baiju sees participation as placing the stakeholders in a project or programme and in democracy in influential spaces, so that they are also heard and take part in the decision making and hence considers a conscious involvement of people in transforming the society. |
| Dr. S. Gregory | |
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Dr. S. Gregory is an Anthropologist, having done his PhD in Development Studies. He supports
PLANET Kerala towards imparting skills and guidance in participatory research and
development undertaken mainly in decentralization and Panchayath Raj development and issues
linked with poverty, livelihood and sustainable development. Being equally involved in academic and field activities, it enables effective bridging between academic research and practical applications. Moreover, it enables acting as a link towards disseminating the influence of participatory philosophy in enhancing the anthropological understanding of sustainable development. He is also a team member in the Editorial Board, Journal of IRISH (Institute for Research in Social Sciences and Humanities). |
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| Mrs.Jancy Francis | |
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Mrs. Jancy Francis is an Anthropologist with M Phil from Madras University. Since 2003 is the Chairperson of PLANET Kerala. She has published more than 15 research articles in various journals covering topics like Community Studies, Migration, Health and Education, Women and Development, and Decentralization. She undertakes various appraisal and action research missions linked with gender roles in participatory development.
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| Haris T | |
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Haris is a postgraduate in both in Sociology and in Rural Development, with 8 years of experience in various NGO programmes. His experience spreads out in assessing feasibility and effectiveness of decentralization approaches, planning and implementation of community water supply projects and in documentation of participatory development projects. Haris is working with PLANET Kerala, since April 2004 as Research associate. He has involved in conducting participatory monitoring exercises in water user groups and assessment; capturing process underwent during formation of water user groups viz- planning and implementation period across various socio economic groups and dynamics leading to demand generation. He was also a team member in various participatory assessment studies including -Chronic poverty issues among Tribal women in Wynad and Palakadu Districts, team member-Stakeholders need analysis in Health and Education sectors, CDS research work titled “Impact of Globalization in agriculture sector” and in the performance appraisal of women IT enterprises in Kerala. |
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| Ms. Chitra K.P | |
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Chitra is a social worker specializing in Rural and Urban Community Development. She began her career as a Process Monitor with Planet Kerala since 2002. She has wide experience in assessing and analyzing information concerning decision-making process towards forming water user groups, gender dynamics among economically weaker sections in demand driven water supply initiatives. As an Action Research Facilitator, she is involved in enabling process and approach development towards addressing water and environment issues in wetlands regions of Kuttanad and in coastal areas around Kodungalloor
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| Ms. Bindu Antony | |
| Bindu holds bachelors degree in plant biology and later studied Social Work specializing in Rural Development. As an Action Research Facilitator, she imparts her skills in biological science towards addressing water and environmental issues in the wetland communities through phytoremediation and allied process. She is also having experience working in participatory assessing using PRA tools for various aspects associated with community driven water supply projects in the state. |  |
| Sasikumar C | |
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Sasikumar is a postgraduate in Social Work from Sree Sankara University.
Associating with PLANET Kerala since 2000, he contributes his community
development expertise gained from working with three major NGOs in
northern Kerala for over 8 years. He is largely experienced in
activities covering participatory planning, implementation of various
community level development initiatives and an active coordinator in
charge of tasks associated with participatory action research and
capacity building. He also extends his expertise social work students
and progressive community groups from time to time. Sasikumar is
currently doing his PhD at Kannur University in participatory
development.
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