ASSIST is a micro-level intermediary organisation working for the development of disinherited groups in the dry-land region of Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna and Ranga Reddy Districts. On the basis of yearly planning meetings conducted every year in all target communities, yearly action plan is formulated and is executed in co-operation with government and non-governmental agencies.

In the initial years ASSIST played its role of implementer, later it was transformed into a facilitator and now ASSIST has been assuming its role as a guide and trainer in future expecting greater role of villagers. A lot of efforts evolved from people to promote sustainability are under way.

The key to development impact is to generate a movement from the micro intervention first at the village level followed by regional level and then broader level. As such the strategy evolved by ASSIST has been to begin with the identified target community and involve the whole village. The methodology is focussed to integrate peoples participation with increasing intensity from the micro to the broader level.

Area Coordinator is the over-all in-charge at the area level looking after both administrative and extension works. He or she is supported by Programme In-charges, who happened to be the professionals in various fields. Each area is again sub-divided into 4 to 6 clusters based on the geographical location. Each cluster will have one community organiser, who is responsible for all the programmes in his or her cluster. He or she will be working with the respective village development societies (VDSs) with the aim of making these communities as viable units for their sustainable development.

ASSIST gives greater value to the development of human resources within the organisation to enhance their capacities and capabilities. It has proved to be more effective and majority of the staff members are of a long duration. It follows the policy that each and every staff member should undergo a minimum of 16 days in-service training and 12 days external training per year. This is felt essential and crucial to upgrade ones knowledge and to be helpful and resourceful to the target communities with whom ASSIST works. Training sector is inbuilt in the organisation to make it possible and to monitor the training activity of all its staff members constantly.

Besides 30 co-ordinating staff, ASSIST has over 20 Programme Incharges, who are either graduates or post-graduates in different disciplines.

ASSIST also has a well-equipped Cultural Team under caption MELUKOLUPU. It has developed a good rapport in the operational areas of Prakasam, Guntur, Rangareddy and Krishna Districts and it has succeeded in mobilising the rural poor towards critical thinking process.

At the grass-root level, ASSIST has over 165 full-timers (mostly women) and 27 part-timers holding positions as community organisers, skill instructors, teachers and other supportive staff.

ASSIST strongly believes that a regular and strict monitoring of programmes is fundamental for successful achievements.

At regards area level weekly targets are fixed at area wise meetings for all the concerned staff and the performance is reviewed. Material resources required to accomplish the set targets will be submitted to the project coordinator for approval and necessary action.

At central level meetings are organised monthly in the Head office and work performance is reviewed as per the set targets in the previous monthly meeting. Keeping in view the yearly action plan of the area, the monthly targets are fixed. Reasons for failures or successes are identified in these meetings and solutions are worked out.

The reports are submitted as per the prescribed norms and requirements of the agency and impact assessment of the project will be done at the end of the project to measure the project outputs and the objectives.