Strategies of participation in development projects

Strategies of participation in development projects

This essay deals with strategies to mainstream participation in development projects which involves different typologies, processes and key methods. Participation is basically a process in which all member of a community or organizations are involved and play different roles regarding development activities and projects. Ensuring effective participation in development process makes it more significant and successful among people because each of a participant is contributing in it. This essay highlights view points of different authors like Carl Bruch, Mayo, Arntein, Alen Reid and Eade. It also discusses importance of participation and different ways of participation which includes learning, education and awareness programs, need assessment, capacity building and technology.

Bruch collects many experiences and lessons to enhance participation and public involvement in international watercourse management. He highlights successful mechanisms and approaches to enhance participation which ensures that people have access to information about watercourses that affects their participation in watercourses activities. According to him, firstly participation needs awareness among people that what factors are threats to environments. This knowledge let them decide that whether the action is necessary or appropriate. Also there is a need to aware people about ongoing projects and activities that could affect watercourses. This builds trust, decision-making power and empowers them. . One way to improve public access to decision-making processes is to take the process to the people to make it easier for them to participate. Secondly in order to realize effective participation it is necessary to address historical, geographical and financial constraints. NGOs can also be play vital role in improvement of participation process. They help to establish trust and connection between government and civil society (Carl Bruch, Libor Jansky, 2005).

Participation can also be made effective through videos, films and theatre; also they have histories in community development. According to UN report on Popular Participation in Development, this is one of the emerging trends to communicate with people and make them active for participatory approach. This project based on film-making technology at the disposal of the local people, who used the process of making the film to explore and face their problems, and then communicates their views directly to the provincial cabinet. Replies from a cabinet representative were then filmed and sent back to the local communities in question. Through these processes, communication was improved as attitudes and awareness changed (UN 1971). Now case study In Vietnam will be discussed that how this approach helped community to participate in community development. Oxfam explored the prospects of participatory video in Vietnam in nineties, and also started the videos potential for reflecting back the voices of underrepresented which enables them to communicate more effectively. This process helped to develop dialog between community and decision makers. Also video tapes were made, played back, discussed and edited, all with the villagers’ active participation. Women, men and children all took part in lively discussions in their community issues and development like water storage and irrigation issues (Mayo, 2001). This case study clearly shows that videos and films can be also used as a tool for active participation in different development projects.

Sherry Arnstein gave a very popular and well known framework of participation in which he used ladder as a metaphor for explaining participatory planning for projects. Later on the Ladder model was modified and explained in different ways. Basically this model provides typology of participation that helps different groups and institutions like health professionals, social workers, NGOs and youth organizations. Since in 1980s the Ladder has became a well used model in planning, discussing and evaluating approaches in child and youth participation in community based projects. The Ladder consists of eight rungs, the below rungs of model are manipulation and therapy which deals with to enable powerholder to educate participants. Then there are third and forth rungs i-e Informing and consultation which allow the have-nots to hear and have a voice. The fifth one is placation which allows citizens or poor to give suggestions but power will be still remainwith powerholders to check feasibility of a plan or suggestion. The sixth is partnership that enables them to negotiate and engage in trade-offs with traditional power holders.. At the topmost rungs, (7) Delegated Power and (8) Citizen Control, have-not citizens obtain the majority of decision-making seats, or full decision-making power(Arntein, 1979).

Alan Reid connects participation and learning process. He discusses different participatory approaches to education that focus environmental, health and sustainable challenges. He argues that participatory approaches to educations are tools of development, sharing knowledge and skill that led to the community building.Education and awareness could be given to the people by organizing participatory workshops in education and training;also education should be given to children and youth to engage them in developmental activities through schools and colleges(Alan Reid, Bjarne Bruun Jensen, 2007). I would further stress on his argument that when people are fully aware and educated, then they know what is good or bad, what is suitable for community, what should be done and how? Also when they are given participatory education, they will more likely to involve in development and betterment of the community.

There is another important tool which can increase participation in community based development, that is need assessment programs which refers to the identification of the assets of the community and determine potential. An estimate of needs of a community is taken by simply asking their opinion about issues they are dealing with. There are different techniques of need assessment programs like key informants approach, focused group interview, existing data interview etc. A public meeting is held and all the members of the community are encouraged to attend to have discussions and express their concerns and needs(IOWA State University).

Participation of people in development process can also be enhanced by building up their capacities, in this approach people are not depending on the state or no demanding aid and it can be an effective method of reducing poverty in long term. In this way when people get mobilized, they participate according to their capacities they can use them at best to attain their goals for instance if people of some area have land and water resource at hand then capacities should be build up by the organizations or their government to support the rural people as Eade  argues that people become more vulnerable if they are not provided by the services which enhances their capacities and he argues that project based interventions have made them more vulnerable and aid dependent then before so in order to come out of any crisis and gain their involvement, it’s important to build the capacities of local people (Eade, 1997).Therefore capacity building can also be an important factor of participation.

.Participatory approaches must be gender sensitive. Both men and women should be given a chance to participate without any differences. Cornwel argues that participatory methodologies and approaches should clearly explore, analyse and work with differences between women and women and men and women of different social groups of society. Therefore gender mainstreaming is also important for mainstreaming of participation because both men and women should have say and opportunity to participate(Cornwel, 2001)

Conclusion

So participation can be enhanced through many ways including need assessment programs and capacity building. Also videos and films could improve participation among people through which communication process is developed among local people and decision makers. If children and young people are given participatory education in schools, colleges, seminars and workshops they will also come forward to participate in community-based projects. People should be given a chance to give suggestion and advice for their community issues and also their consensus is important to initiate any development project. So these strategies should be used to enhance participation.