Despite best intentions, the reality is that “development” is still conceptualised, planned and “delivered” by change agents and their institutions in a top-down manner. This is problematic for both the beneficiaries and government change agents as it amplifies rather than lessens service delivery challenges and does not lead to a grassroots planning partnership. Development, Change and the Change Agent – facilitation at grassroots contextualises the change agent through his or her relationship with the local beneficiaries of development.

This updated second edition, previously titled The development change agent – a micro-level approach to development, consists of thirteen chapters contributed by seventeen authors representing nine universities. The key theme is the challenge to establish authentic and empowering participation, and the importance of change agent and local development beneficiary engagement and partnerships in achieving this. It covers an interdisciplinary field of development-related foci using a holistic, people-centred approach which includes grassroots facilitation, capacity building, empowerment and participation, developmental local government and good governance, and national development planning. It also incorporates social capital, indigenous knowledge systems, action research methodology and project management.

Scholars, development practitioners, development consultants, those working for NGOs and CBOs, development corporations/agencies, and politicians and government officials, specifically local ones, will find the publication relevant in confronting contemporary developmental challenges.