What is participation
Participatory Approach and
Transparency to Development Actions and Policies
Definitions
By “participated development” we mean a process through
which stakeholders influence and share control over development initiatives and
the decisions and resources which affect them. For an innovative community
effective and comprehensive participation enables exchange of ideas and opinions
both among themselves and also from external experts and resource persons,
strong interpersonal rapport and sharing of information (communication), that is
grounded in mutual respect and shared responsibilities (commitment), and working
together towards common and mutual benefit (cooperation).
Getting the participation of the poor requires
strengthening the organizational and financial capacities of the poor so that
they can act for themselves. The constructive dialogue between civil society
and local authorities is an essential prerequisite for a sustained and
participated development. Participation is a process through which
stakeholders influence and share control over development initiatives and the
decisions and resources which affect them. Participation in political science is
an umbrella term including different means for the public to directly
participate in political, economic or management decisions. The term is also
used in management theory (as in "participatory management") to denote a style
of management that calls for a high level of participation of workers and
supervisors in decisions that affect their work. Sustainability is about
fostering participation - with dialogue, cooperation and communication.
Participation is a key term used in discussions,
discourses and conversations on development.
Participation is an action taken by people when they
want their needs, rights and opinions to be part of the political processes of
their country that affect their lives.
Participation is an action taken by governments or
decision makers when they want people's voices and opinions to be part of
decisions, policies, legislations, plans that they make and that affect people's
lives.
A dialogue happens when there is participation. And
cooperation also happens when there is participation.
When you provide support in terms of assistance, effort,
funds, resources or make decisions only after considering the choices, the will,
and the needs of those who receive, you are cooperating.
When you participate together with others in the action
of resolving a problem or facing a challenge, you are cooperating. Otherwise,
you only give as charity, not cooperate.
And development neither continues nor does it make a
lasting improvement in people's lives, if people do not actively participate in
all the steps and processes taken to achieve it
And development neither continues nor doe sit make a
lasting improvement in people's lives, if people do not actively participate in
all the steps and processes taken to achieve it
By “participated development” we mean a
process through which stakeholders influence and share control over development
initiatives and the decisions and resources which affect them. Participation
in political science is an umbrella term including different means for the public to
directly participate in political, economical or management decisions. The term is also
used in management theory (as in "participatory management") to denote a style
of management that calls for a high level of participation of workers and supervisors in
decisions that affect their work. For an
innovative community, effective and comprehensive participation enables exchange
of ideas and opinions both among themselves and also from external experts and
resource persons, strong interpersonal rapport and sharing of information
(communication), that is grounded in mutual respect and shared responsibilities
(commitment), and working together towards common and mutual benefit
(cooperation). (see also
development).
Getting the participation of the poor requires
strengthening the organizational and financial capacities of the poor so that
they can act for themselves. The constructive dialogue between civil society
and local authorities is an essential prerequisite for a sustained and
participated development.
Sustainability is about fostering participation - with
dialogue, cooperation and communication.
For an
innovative community, effective and comprehensive participation enables exchange
of ideas and opinions both among themselves and also from external experts and
resource persons, strong interpersonal rapport and sharing of information
(communication), that is grounded in mutual respect and shared responsibilities
(commitment), and working together towards common and mutual benefit
(cooperation).
Through the participatory process, , people can make informed commitments, and, by
observing the participatory process, assessments can be made by government ,
among others, about the presence or absence of the commitment necessary to ensure
sustainability.
Getting the participation of the poor involves a lot more than finding the right
technique. It requires strengthening the organizational and financial capacities of the
poor so that they can act for themselves. In searching for ways to build local capacity,
we found it useful to think in terms of a continuum along which the poor are progressively
empowered. On one end of this continuum, the poor are viewed as beneficiaries--recipients
of services, resources, and development interventions. In this context, community
organizing, training, and one-way flows of resources through grant mechanisms are often
appropriate. Although much good work has been done in this mode, the provision of benefits
delivered to people in this way may not be sustainable in the long term and may not
improve the ability of people to act for themselves. As the capacity of poor people is
strengthened and their voices begin to be heard, they become "action sponsors/beneficiaries" who are
capable of demanding and paying for goods and services from government and private sector
agencies. Under these changed circumstances, the mechanisms to satisfy their needs will
change as well. In this context, it becomes necessary to move away from welfare-oriented
approaches and focus rather on such things as building sustainable, market-based financial
systems; decentralizing authority and resources; and strengthening local institutions. We
reach the far end of the continuum when these action sponsors/beneficiaries ultimately become the owners and
managers of their assets and activities. This stage ranks highest in terms of the
intensity of participation involved. A question we asked ourselves while preparing the
Sourcebook was, how can we support and prepare poor people to own and manage assets and
activities in a sustainable manner? In part, we found out that the more poor people are
involved upstream in the planning and decisionmaking process, the more likely they are to
own a development intervention, contribute to it, and sustain it; this alone, however, is
not sufficient. Constraints exist at the policy level that impinge on the rights of people
to organize, access information, engage in contracts, own and manage assets, and
participate fully as members of civil society. Efforts are needed, therefore, to create an
enabling policy environment that allows all stakeholders-especially poor and disadvantaged
ones-to be part of the definition we noted at the outset. They too must be enabled to:
...influence and share control over development initiatives and the decisions and
resources which affect them.
When
all stakeholders collaborate in designing their collective future, it increases the
chances of former differences being resolved and a new consensus emerging around issues
everyone can agree on. This is probably so because people who have to live and work
together can often find ways to agree if given the chance. Unfortunately, people do not
often get the chance to work together to determine their collective future. Development
projects prepared in the external expert stance do not provide that chance. The
participatory process, however, facilitates working together. So participation can be a
"conflict avoidance" process to the degree that it helps stakeholders with
different interests explore and potentially find common interests.
Participatory techniques (or methods or approaches)
generate constructive collaboration among stakeholders who may not be used to working
together, often come from different backgrounds, and may have different values and
interests. This section documents approaches that designers and sponsors use to undertake
participatory planning and decisionmaking with appropriate stakeholders collaboratively.
To learn more about individual techniques, please turn to Appendix 1. Return to top
See:
Other resources
Participatory techniques (or methods or approaches) generate constructive
collaboration among stakeholders who may not be used to working together, often
come from different backgrounds, and may have different values and interests.
This section documents approaches that designers and sponsors use to undertake
participatory planning and decisionmaking with appropriate stakeholders
collaboratively.
Getting the participation of the poor involves a lot more than finding the right
technique. It requires strengthening the organizational and financial capacities
of the poor so that they can act for themselves. In searching for ways to build
local capacity, we found it useful to think in terms of a continuum along which
the poor are progressively empowered. On one end of this continuum, the poor are
viewed as beneficiaries--recipients of services, resources, and development
interventions. In this context, community organizing, training, and one-way
flows of resources through grant mechanisms are often appropriate. Although much
good work has been done in this mode, the provision of benefits delivered to
people in this way may not be sustainable in the long term and may not improve
the ability of people to act for themselves. As the capacity of poor people is
strengthened and their voices begin to be heard, they become "action
sponsors/beneficiaries" who are capable of demanding and paying for goods and
services from government and private sector agencies. Under these changed
circumstances, the mechanisms to satisfy their needs will change as well. In
this context, it becomes necessary to move away from welfare-oriented approaches
and focus rather on such things as building sustainable, market-based financial
systems; decentralizing authority and resources; and strengthening local
institutions. We reach the far end of the continuum when these action
sponsors/beneficiaries ultimately become the owners and managers of their assets
and activities. This stage ranks highest in terms of the intensity of
participation involved. A question we asked ourselves while preparing the
Sourcebook was, how can we support and prepare poor people to own and manage
assets and activities in a sustainable manner? In part, we found out that the
more poor people are involved upstream in the planning and decisionmaking
process, the more likely they are to own a development intervention, contribute
to it, and sustain it; this alone, however, is not sufficient. Constraints exist
at the policy level that impinge on the rights of people to organize, access
information, engage in contracts, own and manage assets, and participate fully
as members of civil society. Efforts are needed, therefore, to create an
enabling policy environment that allows all stakeholders-especially poor and
disadvantaged ones-to be part of the definition we noted at the outset. They too
must be enabled to: ...influence and share control over development initiatives
and the decisions and resources which affect them.
When all stakeholders collaborate in designing their collective future, it
increases the chances of former differences being resolved and a new consensus
emerging around issues everyone can agree on. This is probably so because people
who have to live and work together can often find ways to agree if given the
chance. Unfortunately, people do not often get the chance to work together to
determine their collective future. Development projects prepared in the external
expert stance do not provide that chance. The participatory process, however,
facilitates working together. So participation can be a "conflict avoidance"
process to the degree that it helps stakeholders with different interests
explore and potentially find common interests.
Some Characteristics of Participatory Methods
Despite some clear differences in methodology, most participatory approaches
share some common core principles:
-
Respect for the individual as
an adult with experience, ideas and concerns of his/her own. Substantive
content is not imposed on adults. Instead opportunities are provided to tap
their own rich experience and to identify issues and situations requiring
further analysis. Thus, participants are part of a process in which, in lieu
of an instructor, there is a facilitator who encourages group participation
and who is also learning from the process. The facilitator does not lecture
but instead involves participants in inclusive and engaging tasks such as
defining their own ‘ground rules’ on attendance and participation in the
sessions.
-
Ensuring an enabling environment in
which the participants feel comfortable in expressing their ideas and in
supporting or challenging each other if they so wish. This is particularly
important in an area such as HIV/AIDS where sensitive issues are likely to
emerge concerning sex and sexuality, stigma, gender and power relations,
blame and hostility, family crisis and pain. To create and maintain this
type of enabling environment, the facilitator tries to minimise hierarchical
relationships, for example, by positioning tables and chairs within the
working rooms in such a way as to ensure that participants can move around
freely and form subgroups of different sizes.
-
Use of non-conventional discussion
media: pictures, cut out figures, "chits", props or other aids which the
participants themselves can manipulate, sort out, prioritize, modify and
interpret as they wish. This is another means of equalizing communication
opportunities and helping to uncover talents within the group that might
otherwise not be disclosed in a more formally stratified setting. Such tools
potentially give all members of the group the opportunity to be involved in
some way since it takes many different talents, for example, to create a
mural, take part in a role play, or actively engage in group
problem-solving. The aids also help to enliven the session, providing scope
for creativity, analysis, planning and humour.
The
Six Steps in the partnership process
Steps of
Communication
Management
Communication and
Evaluation
Communication and
Knowledge Management
see aslo:
Participation Methods and Tools ;
Varieties of Communication
What is participation -
Partecipazione come concertazione allargata
The Six Steps in the partnership process
Identify project
stakeholders
Involving Stakeholders
Introduction
Building Trust
Involving Directly Affected Stakeholders
Seeking Feedback
Involving the Voiceless
Involving the Opposition
Participatory Planning and Decisionmaking
What Do Participatory Techniques Achieve?
Creating a Learning Mood
Building Community Capacity
Understanding Community
Organizations
Building the Capacity of
Community Organizations
Partecipation Methods and Tools
Introduction Methods and Tools
Appreciation-Influence-Control (AIC)
Objectives-Oriented Project Planning (ZOPP)
TeamUP
Beneficiary Assessment
Glossary of tool
-----------------------
See also:
The Strategy Challenges
Communication and
Evaluation
Communication and Knowledge Management
-------------
Links:
World
Bank's Participation web page
The World
Bank Participation Sourcebook
PARTICIPATORY COMMUNICATION
STRATEGY DESIGN A Handbook Second Edition Prepared by Paolo Mefalopulos and Chris
Kamlongera for the SADC Centre of Communication for Development in collaboration with the
Communication for Development Group Extension, Education and Communication Service
Sustainable Development Department Table of Contents FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF
THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2004
Partecipare a cosa? Riflessioni di Mario Spada
- http://www2.comune.roma.it/uspel/LeRagioni/Leragioni2.html
The
Six Steps in the partnership process