THE PRACTICE OF PARTICIPATION Some operational issues

Must know the context of participation Context is local environment, that is the social, cultural, political and economic characteristics of the community

Specifically – the institutional arrangements supporting the activities the general understanding of the program The previous experience Availability of resources

Preparation People begin to learn how to participate and work with social institution Interaction, dialogue and meeting between community and institutions are necessary Participation increases community empowerment

Project structure The existing local social institutions Types of leadership Any local conflict, or political tension

Objectives of the project What to achieve Objective is jointly formulated and understood by community – feasible and responsible to felt needs

Implementation The mode of implementation is normally unique to each project Requires 2-way communication between community and the organizer Participation occurs through collective action

Participation must be representative of the different segments in the community Budget allocation must be clear according to activities

Resistance or conflict Accordance or resistance are among the responses from the community Community should be prepared as active recipients

It is the responsibility of CD workers to reduce resistance / conflict, by first educating the community about the advantages of the project

Training Training is needed for capacity building at the local level Training is for local leaders and community members

Monitoring Monitoring is needed to ensure principles of CD are being practiced Participation facilitates the process of learning

Impact Assessment Measurement of the outcome felt by the community Outcome is in the form of behavioural and institutional changes within the community