Work reflection

Development is driven not only by action in the field but also by the ability to learn, document, and share what works. This article traces PRADAN's evolving journey from an implementation-focused organisation to one that places research and knowledge generation at the heart of its mission to scale impact and facilitate development practices.

Development rarely follows a predictable path. As communities evolve through complex social interactions, conventional monitoring and evaluation frameworks often fail to capture the realities of change. This article explores why measuring development requires moving beyond rigid indicators towards learning, adaptation and context.

This article, authored by PRADAN alumnus, Ammu Thankam Mathew, was first published by ASSURE (Agency for Social and Spiritual Upliftment, Renewal and Empowerment) and has been reproduced here with minor edits. It captures her reflections and experiences as a development practitioner working in Scheduled Areas, with a focus on tribal communities.

For decades, I’ve seen the fields of rural India weather the challenges of rugged terrain, erratic rainfall, and shrinking landholdings. Agriculture, the backbone of life here, often felt less like a path to prosperity and more like a test of survival. In regions with hilly, undulating terrain—interspersed with forest patches—nearly 70% of rainfall escapes as surface run-off, leaving the land dry soon after the monsoon. With most households dependent on rain-fed farming, sustaining livelihoods becomes increasingly difficult without reliable water sources.