GRE Update 2024-25
The Green Rural Economy project has been ongoing over the past 12 months. During this time, several experiments were run to
- Understand the nature of requirements in the rural landscape
- Understand the nature of the knowledge available and supplement it where possible.
- Attempt to match the needs that surfaced in the rural landscape with practitioners who can solve the problem
- Create a channel for disseminating this information in a form that is palatable in the rural landscape.
Knowledge Base - Playbooks
We collaborated with the Axis Bank Foundation (ABF) based on the understanding that grassroots Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), particularly those operating in resource-constrained environments, often struggle to prioritize the documentation and sharing of their learnings for the benefit of the wider sector. ABF recognized this need within its network of grantees. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of the GRE, which is to create a knowledge commons that supports various ecosystem players in fostering a thriving rural economy.
Through our work with PRADAN and engagement with other organizations, we discovered that many practitioners lack a solution-oriented perspective. In response, we formalized the playbook development process into a more detailed and rigorous methodology for three selected organizations:
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Ibtada
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Trust Community Livelihoods (TCL)
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Development Support Centre (DSC)
Virtual workshopping-based playbooks were created with various CSOs in 2 formats, i.e. pre-designed PPT and simple 15 Q&A PDF. One-page playbooks were created by reviewing resource material shared by the Industree Foundation and Bindi International. Listed with playbook title as follows:
- WASSAN - Integrated water management based on pooling groundwater
- Soppecom (under process) - Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM)
- HUM - Model Landscape Assessment
- Shivganga - water conservation with tribal community, Aarogya Village (Mobile Medical Unit and Preventive healthcare)
- Saahas - Rural solid waste management, Composting for rural India
- Industree Foundation - Bamboo basket maker, Bamboo sliver maker skill training, Banana basket maker, Financial inclusion training, Leaf plate making training, Crochet lace maker skill training, Rope maker skill training
- TCBT - TCBT natural farming solution
- Bindi International - Solar community model
Some insights from this process are as follows:
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In the ABF project, Ibtada and TCL aimed to prioritize knowledge products for Sakhi and field trainers. However, DSC is at a more advanced stage in terms of knowledge creation, specifically in developing IEC materials related to water and community development.
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We have created playbooks in four thematic areas:
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Agriculture
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Animal Rearing
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Water Management
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Institutional Building for Livelihoods
Institutional Building for Livelihoods emerged as an interesting theme, identified through our observation that many successful programs were possible due to community-based groups, institutions, and program designs that were customized and contextualized to fit the geography, culture, and communities involved. For example, Ajeevika Pathshala is a farmer field school conducted by Ibtada at the village level. It serves as a core center for knowledge transfer and dissemination, facilitated by Ajeevika Sakhis. Women farmers from the entire village or multiple hamlets (in case of a larger area) participate in the monthly forums. One proposed topic for the playbooks was to document how to enhance the effectiveness of this program. We also recognized the field school’s effectiveness in sharing knowledge related to the solutions. Consequently, we proceeded to create playbooks on this theme.
Qualifying a solution is a necessary step before defining playbook themes and topics. This is accomplished by asking four essential questions:
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Under what circumstances did we conceptualize, create, customize, or contextualize this solution?
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How long has this solution proven to be effective? Has it been tested thoroughly?
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How many lives has this solution impacted?
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How will this solution make the users’ lives easier?
In most instances, the answers to these questions helped differentiate between solutions and mere interventions.
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We followed up on requests from Ibtada and TCL for guidance in the areas of backyard poultry, enterprise development, and regenerative agriculture. We leveraged the GRE consortium to facilitate access to civil society organization experts in this field. A GRE clinic was exclusively organized for the BYP solution.
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A blog on the ABF project was published on the WELL Labs website:
1. “Downloading the Expert’s Brain: How to Decode Knowledge and Encode It into Solutions”
- User testing provided valuable feedback regarding color coding, layouts, language, and even characterization in the playbooks. Rural users demonstrated a keen eye for detail, and even those who were not accustomed to reading regularly could comprehend the information conveyed through the visuals and format of the playbooks.
Surface Needs - GRE Clinics
Over the past year, GRE Clinics have emerged as an effective platform for fostering collaboration and actionable knowledge exchange in the rural development ecosystem. The clinics facilitated direct connections between knowledge seekers and experienced practitioners to help organizations address specific operational or strategic bottlenecks.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, we received over 20 requests for support from various organizations working across domains such as Solid Waste Management (SWM), Biogas, Natural Farming techniques, Branding and Market Linkages, and Alternate Livelihoods. These requests were processed through GRE Clinics, and matchmaking efforts were made to connect them with relevant knowledge experts and organizations who had prior experience or had successfully implemented similar solutions.
For instance, IBTADA was connected with PRADAN, and PRADAN, in turn, was connected with CRA and NCNF on related themes. Waste Warriors, who approached us with queries around both biogas and material recovery facilities (MRFs), were connected with Saahas, a well-established organization in the waste management space. Similarly, Vaagdhara’s request for biogas was matched with Akshayakalpa, while Tieedi Foundation and TBS were connected with Saahas and Lipok, respectively.
In some cases, like HUM, the engagement went deeper, evolving into a weekly cadence of interaction and support. HUM was matched with multiple organizations, including ERA, SELCO, SWMRT, Saahas, Lipok, Akshayakalpa, and Raheja Solar. These touchpoints enabled cross-functional learning and helped address multiple aspects of their program.
Other examples include Buzz Women, who were connected with a wide pool of partners—Saahas, SWMRT, WASSAN, GrowNest, SELCO, WELL Labs, and Lipok—to explore opportunities across multiple themes. Rights Bamboo was introduced to Industree, and Trust Community Livelihoods (TCL) was connected with PRADAN and Aikyam for further engagement.
Each of these connections was facilitated through GRE Clinics to enable practical, experience-based learning. In many cases, the conversations progressed into trainings, consultations, and long-term handholding support. In some cases, MoUs were signed, and collaborative initiatives were launched. However, there were also instances where progress was limited due to internal constraints, either from the knowledge seeker or the provider side.
Through these efforts, GRE Clinics have demonstrated that peer-to-peer learning and timely expert support can help organizations navigate challenges more efficiently, reduce duplication of effort, and accelerate solution implementation on the ground.
Surface Needs - Orissa Sandbox
The Orissa sandbox has been working towards setting up a robust process to surface needs. One resource from GRE was embedded in the Orissa Sandbox being run by Socratus, and she was able to engage at the village and block level to understand the nature of the need that is witnessed on the ground.
The interventions undertaken by socratus helped surface over 100 requirements in the OSB. These were disaggregated and then matched with appropriate solution providers.
After the requirements were surfaced, heavy engagement was needed with the community as well as the solution providers to create matches and make them succeed.
Match Solutions - Solutions Mapping + Servicification
Apart from the OSB other requirements were also surfaced through the GRE clinics, one of which was run at the OSB.
Over 100 requirements were surfaced through these initiatives. There were both gaps in terms of availability of service providers and the ability of the end-users to afford the solution that matched to them. For example, BuzzWomen had 8 training requirements, and while all of the requirements were matched, only one training intervention was completed since the trainers were unable to travel to the location and train for free. The rest of the matches were not successful.
We continue to work on the development of a directory of services and service providers to put ourselves in a better position to provide matches to various requirements. Our focus at this time is on Natural Resource Management. The directory for Water has already been developed over the course of March.
Channel for dissemination - Website
There was a need to surface all of the work that has been done under GRE in a form that is useful. At the same time, we needed a single source of truth where all of the information pertaining to the activities could be found.
For this, we created https://gre.welllabs.org. The website is live to see, but will be launched soon.
Not only would it allow us to see how people utilise the site but also understand the solutions that generate the greatest interest, and also the “customers” who are interested in each of these solutions.
Currently, the matchmaking is done with a broad brush, and this can be made more specific using the data that we are able to collect from this website. The platform is built on WordPress so that we can stay nimble and turn on a dime if we need to. We can make changes rapidly as more insights accumulate from the users.
Service and landscape Mapping in NRM Vertical
We have categorised NRM into: Water, Land (soil, etc), Forest and ecosystems (NTFPs, restoration, pastoralism, invasives, etc.), Renewable Energy (solar, micro-hydro, water mills, etc), Biodiversity conservation (wildlife conservation, HWC, etc), Coastal ecosystems and fishery, Waste Management, Animal Husbandry
Water: Starting with the water theme, we have mapped about 40 services in the sector that are relevant to the objectives of the GRE. The internal expertise of WELL Labs is also utilised for the same. These services are categorised broadly into: too little water, too much water, water quality, and pollution. It is further linked to various organisations and agencies that cater to or potentially cater to these services. Current solutions are mapped accordingly, and a directory of all actors in the domain is also built. The next phase involves outreach and planning to onboard these service/solution providers into GRE by co-developing playbooks and fetching other metadata like training programmes, products, etc.
Forest and ecosystems: Post initial discussion with various desks at ERA, we have started working together with the Education Desk at ERA to co-build service mapping in the restoration domain, specifically related to Courses, Case studies and Resources. We are also talking to other relevant desks like the Knowledge and Services Team at ERA to further build on the work, particularly around Services.
Apart from this, discussions are underway with Dasra and CRA to categorise and work together on the remaining themes under the NRM vertical.
Agroecology Vertical at GRE
Western Himalaya Natural Farming-Water Sandbox: After several discussions and onboarding some solutions/demands from HUM, a Western Himalaya sandbox was proposed with a focus on agroecology and water themes. HUM expressed interest, and given its wide network with CSOs in the region it was being contemplated as a suitable anchor. However, in the latest discussion with Anju Bahri, Lead - Institutional Partnership and Chief Administrator, funding needs appeared to be a major challenge to start. The HimRRA network was identified as a solution provider to the agroecology theme. Several discussions and exchanges of information occurred with the Him-RRA network. One major limiting factor is the current lack of documentation for solutions and low activity.
Jharkhand Sandbox: After several discussions with NCNF (led by Pramel ji and Anjul), NCNF expressed interest in collaborating for using technology in knowledge dissemination and otherwise, in this space. After initial brainstorming, Jharkhand was selected as an appropriate region to form the sandbox, with the following stakeholders: Resource Partner - Pradan, Network Partner - NCNF, Grassroots implementing partners, Platform partner - GRE, Dissemination partner - ClimateRise, and Digital Green as potential collaborators.
A discussion was held with the NCNF resource person in JK, and 10 small to medium CSOs were selected to begin the sandbox work: Abhivyakti- Giridih, AROUSE- Gumla, TSRD- West Singhbhum, Mahila Mandal- Chatra, SSSS- Ranchi, Multiart Association- Latehar.
Pradan also agreed to anchor the sandbox in JK and collaborate with NCNF and GRE for the same. A proposal was also developed for the same by GRE and finalised after including the feedback from NCNF and Pradan.
Pradan PDP: Pradan is also conducting a year-long Regenerative agriculture-themed Professional Development Programme (PDP), especially for its cadres across different landscapes in India. After a few discussions, Pradan expressed the need for technological help in PDP. Some discussions and monitoring of PDP were initiated by GRE in the beginning, but were not followed up on anymore. It seems to be an apt opportunity for experimenting and developing a useful service/product using AI, chatbots, and virtual learning technology, building on the initial CRP chatbot user testing study conducted by GRE during the Pradan field visit at Ranchi. Some initial discussions were also held with Digital Green for the same (AI & chatbot technology), and are currently in progress.