In order to alleviate poverty, people-oriented projects (those dealing with activities such as institutional development, health, family planning, education, and rural development) must be well-targeted towards the most vulnerable groups. However, official 'top-down' information is incapable of identifying, prioritising and 'marking out' these groups at a local level, and the result is too often an unfair, inefficient and ineffective allocation and use of the resources of social programmes. The author argues that a 'process approach' is often necessary to geneate relevant knowledge about local needs, especially in poor urban and heterogeneous areas. Such an approach fosters flexibility and adaptability to the local context. The book analyses the whole approach to information handling which was developed in the Brazilian project. The different phases are analysed; the collection and processing of data and the construction of an information system to be used for decision-making.

People's participation has begun to influence the practice of development substantially. This study provides an interpretation of how participation occurs, uses case studies to highlight various approaches, and develops elements of a strategy and a methodology.

A comprehensive state-of-the-art review of gender in one of the world's most diverse and dynamic regions. The authors draw on a wide range of sources, including their own field research, to explore changes and continuities in gender roles, relations and identities during the late twentieth century into the twenty-first. Debunking traditional universalizing stereotypes, diversity in gender is highlighted in relation to the cross-cutting influences of age, class, sexuality, ethnicity, rural-urban residence, and migrant status.

This publication considers the final reports of three research projects that explored how investing in health can benefit economic growth, household productivity, and poverty reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean. It contains case studies of health systems and policies in a number of countries including Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico and Peru; as well as a review of experiences from other regions in the world regarding health inequalities and poverty alleviation.