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Key Concepts
Definition
Participation is a process through which
stakeholders influence and share control over development
initiatives and the decisions and resources which affect
them.
Stakeholders
In order to establish a participatory planning
process, project designers must first identify those who
should be involved in the process, or the stakeholders.
Stakeholders are those whose interests are affected by
Bank-financed interventions. Their interests and relative
levels of influence and power will vary from project to
project and should be identified through an analysis of
each situation.
- The poor are considered key stakeholders because
the Bank's main objective is to reduce poverty.
- Those to be directly affected (either positively
or negatively) by a proposed project.
- Governments and government organizations
responsible for devising and implementing public
policies and programs.
- Those indirectly involved or affected such as
NGOs or private sector organizations with an
interest in outcomes.
- World Bank management, staff, and shareholders
who have their own objectives, policies and
institutional responsibilities.
Participatory Stance
- To establish meaningful participation it is
essential for project planners to take themselves
out of the external expert role to place
themselves within the local social system and
demonstrate a willingness to learn from the other
key stakeholders in preparing a project.
- Specifically project planners should work
collaboratively with other stakeholders to carry
out the steps required for preparing,
implementing and evaluating a project. The key
characteristic of a participatory approach is the
collaborative stance the project sponsors and
designers take so that stakeholders influence and
share control over the decisions that are made.
Participatory Mechanisms
Different development situations call for varying
levels of stakeholder participation. These levels, and
related participatory mechanisms are described in the
following four categories:
Information Dissemination = one-way flow of
information
- translation into local languages and
dissemination of written material using various
media
- informal seminars, presentations and public
meetings
Consultation = two-way flow of information
- participatory assessments
- beneficiary assessments
- consultative meetings
- field visits and interviews
Collaboration = shared control over
decisionmaking
- participatory planning techniques
- workshops and retreats to discuss and determine
positions, priorities, roles
- formation of joint committees, working groups and
task forces with stakeholder representatives
- joint work with user groups, intermediary
organizations and other stakeholders
- stakeholder groups given principal responsibility
for implementation
- meetings to help resolve conflicts, seek
agreements, engender ownership
- (public) reviews of draft documents and
subsequent revisions
Empowerment = transfer of control over
decisions and resources
- capacity building for stakeholder organizations
- strengthening legal status of stakeholder
organizations
- stakeholder authority to manage funds, hire and
fire workers, supervise work, and procure
materials
- stakeholder authority to certify satisfactory
completion of project and establish monitoring
and evaluation indicators
- support for new and spontaneous initiatives by
stakeholders
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