1. Ground preparations in inventorying Unit 29 PowerPoint presentation
UNESCO
Intangible Cultural Heritage Section
© 2009 by Chen Ming/Beijing Bureau of Culture

2. In this presentation… Introduction Step-by-step process:
Establish contact and build rapport
Become familiar with community surroundings
Identify community support structures
Maintain communication and community relations
Arrange community feedback
Source: Musyoki S. M., PPT No. 1: Community Ground Preparation: Step-by-Step Processes. Unit M04U02, Module M04: Community Groundwork and Processes; in "Training Kit on Participatory Spatial Information Management and Communication". CTA, The Netherlands and IFAD, Italy.

3. Planning inventorying projects: basic tasks
Determine the purpose of the inventory
Identify and involve the communities concerned and other stakeholders (including NGOs)
Build consultative mechanisms and trust, obtain consent
Locate resources
Identify/create structures for information gathering and networking
Information gathering and data entry
Dissemination, access and updating

4. Holistic view of ICH

5. Ground preparations for inventorying
Building relationship with communities is key for a successful participatory process in inventorying.
Adequate time is needed to prepare communities for participation in the inventorying process.
Before the inventory begins, communities should be well-prepared, have a good understanding of the process, and see its relevance to their lives.

6. Step-by-step process
There is no universal or standardized blueprint for community ground preparation.
Encourage community members and facilitators to use their own creativity and develop their own process guides.

7. Proposed generic sequence
Establish contacts and build rapport.
Become familiar with the community surroundings.
Identify community support structures.
Maintain communication and community relations.
Arrange community feedback.

8. Establish contacts and build rapport (1)
Share the purpose of inventory making.
Respect community/local feelings on secrecy or access.
Involve members as much as possible, even if not part of the proposed team.
Make note of individuals/groups/ institutions who may be capable of carrying out an inventory.
Keep in mind that inventorying is part of the larger goal of safeguarding.

9. Establish contacts and building rapport (2)
Building rapport between ‘outsiders’ and ‘insiders’ is essential for effective participation.
Initial contacts could be made with community leaders, who then would introduce the team to the wider community.
Facilitators and community members should talk about the inventorying process and allow questions.

10. Defining the ‘field’ What is ‘fieldwork’ or what is the field?
An area entered to collect information/samples/data to be analysed later.
Deciding/defining a field area:
village, neighbourhood, district, geo-cultural area;
community, ethnic group, occupational group;
genre of performance;
event, festival or ceremony.

11. Become familiar with the community surroundings
Some activities that can help facilitators learn about the community include:
take walks or drives with local people to observe;
participate in the daily activities of communities;
listen to conversations in public places, conducting oral histories and draw daily activity schedules and seasonal calendars with different groups; and
stay overnight in villages to listen to histories and folk tales.

12. Creating a team with community members and other stakeholders
The insider/outsider perspective;
Community representatives and possible roles:
direct roles such as practitioners, knowledge bearers, performers, craftspeople, shamans; and
indirect participants such as patrons and audiences.
Group work:
multiple perspectives,
need to assign roles, and
complementary skills.

13. Identify community support structures
Every community has an operating structure or structures; it is good to work through existing ones.
Share the inventorying process with leaders and the community and allow them to reflect upon whether the existing structures can support participation for all.
Agree on how the structures can be made more inclusive and participatory or find alternative ways for the marginalized to participate.

14. Maintain communications and community relations
The inventorying process will not result in immediate material benefits.
The stakeholders and facilitators are there to support the community in any further inventorying activities that it wishes to take forward.
Community-based inventorying involves first and foremost the community concerned.

15. Arrange community feedback (1)
Regular community feedback during the inventorying process is important.
Feedback may not be effective unless communities are involved in designing the feedback mechanisms.
Feedback needs to take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the different groups (e.g. literacy levels, language, timing and gender constraints).
This ensures participation in validating the inventory and sustains interest and enthusiasm in the entire process.

16. Arrange community feedback (2)
How is community access guaranteed?
Where is the material to be stored or preserved?
How will copies be provided to the community or individuals?
Identify a local archive/repository/ institution where materials can be accessed.
Provide documents that state permission, and on- going access to the community.
Discuss and state community rights over the inventoried materials.