DAILY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Purpose:
This technique is meant to identify the routine demands the participants have in their daily lives (demands on their time for their own and their families' overall welfare). This is done by tracing a routine day from the time of rising to the time of retiring at the end of the day. This information provides valuable insights into their labor constraints and opportunities. The information can also serve as baseline data to return to as a way to monitor the impact of future project activities on their time allocations.
 

Materials:
Flip chart paper, large markers, scissors, tape and tacks. You can also use dirt, sticks, stones, etc. and transcribe the schedule the community creates onto paper to preserve a copy (this is often best with illiterate participants who may not be comfortable with writing tools).   
 

Instructions:

In small groups, ask participants to consider a routine day during the year.  If there are great differences by season, for example, participants may need to repeat the exercise twice, once for each period.  These activities should be associated with rough estimates of the time block. Multiple tasks for one time period are not uncommon.

Debrief

Groups are then rejoined and each reports their results. Ask the participants to interpret the existing demands on their time.