Livelihood, coping and influencing strategies of rural development personnel

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Abstract
In spite of new understandings and the development and promotion of management methods in rural development and natural resource projects, rural development is still a problematic activity for many development personnel. Projects can be regarded as arenas of social interaction, where development personnel are a group within a whole range of actors who are constantly negotiating for resources, influence and social control. The way forward is to: gain a better understanding of the motivations, behaviour and reward structures of development actors; take responsibility for finding room to manoeuvre; create coalitions and networks; recognise which institutions are going to be built up and which weakened; and train development personnel in the political and cultural origins of the available methods.