Lesson 6

What comes into

your mind when
you hear about
Participatory
Monitoring and
Evaluation?
The is one of the
participatory tools used to build the capacity of
community members in taking action in accordance
with the problems, needs, and potentials of the
community (see also problem analysis and decision
making). Using participatory approaches in impact
evaluation means involving stakeholders,
particularly the participants in a program or those
affected by a given policy in specific aspects of an
evaluation process.
?
Rationale and Definition:

is an urban planning paradigm

that emphasizes involving the entire community in the
strategic and management processes of urban planning;
or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. It
is often considered as part of community development.
Participatory planning aims to harmonize views among all
of its participants as well as prevent conflict between
opposing parties. In addition, marginalized groups have
an opportunity to participate in the planning process.
The Need for Participatory Action Planning
Participatory
planning is needed when there is public distrust of previous
planning practice and/or where new development may lead
to significant conflicts. Therefore, public relations
consultants have been hired to 'do public outreach, run
community meetings, provide public notices and
informational items to get the public involved'. This sounds
less ambitious than many examples encountered in our
research, but the point remains that there is a perceived
need to make a step-change from past practices.
The Need for Participatory Action Planning

.
Planning needs to change from a narrow, self-
enclosed system of regulation to become a means
of delivering development that achieves broader
objectives, social justice and other sustainable
development action initiatives.
The Need for Participatory Action Planning

. This
means being aware of different cultures and ensuring that
issues of diversity are addressed throughout the planning
process. Traditional public participation has often failed to
do this. Participatory planning is built around diversity,
conflicting interests and the need to listen to the voices of
marginalized groups. A recognition amongst governments
and non-governmental organizations that sustainable
development requires consensus building and engagement
with citizens.
Grassroots involvement and local participatory
democracy are much more a part of a political
culture while in other country it is a non-political
culture, a sense of resistance. Thus, there is a good
deal of regional variability in attitudes toward
planning, government, and local activism. Planning
is accepted widely and there is an emphasis on
grassroots participation and inclusivity.
?
 There are a number of ways to be considered in
participatory planning. As demonstrated in the
discussion regarding its advantages and
disadvantages, this kind of process always presents,
even at best, a trade-off between efficiency and
inclusiveness.
 , the needs of the community, the
of those participating, and the
, among other factors, all help to dictate
the actual shape of the planning process. So what
are the possibilities? Just how participative do you
want to be? David Wilcox, in his excellent "Guide to
Effective Participation," sets out the following as a
model of the different possible levels of
participation:
•Information
•Consultation
•Deciding together
•Acting together
•Supporting independent community initiatives
1. - The least you can do is tell
people what is planned.
2. - You offer a number of options
and listen to the feedback you get.
3. - You encourage others to
provide some additional ideas and options,
and join in deciding the best way forward.
4. - Not only do different interests decide
together what is best, but they form a partnership to carry it
out.
5. - You help
others do what they want - perhaps within a framework of
grants, advice and support provided by the resource holder.
Each of these levels may be appropriate in different
circumstances, or with different groups, although only at
"deciding together" and above do they really begin to be
fully participatory in the sense that the term is used in this
section.
?
 Participatory approaches are a product of long-lasting interaction
between researchers, development workers, government agents and
local populations. The history of participatory methods in development
co-operation began in the late 1970s with the introduction of a new
research approach called "Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)", which
immediately became popular with decision-makers in development
agencies. Building on close collaboration with local populations RRAs
were designed to collect first-hand data from the local people about
their perceptions of their local environments and living conditions in
rural areas. RRAs were usually conducted as 1-3 days workshops with
villagers in the field and facilitated by small teams of RRA specialists or
researchers.
 RRA methods were specifically adapted to respond
to local conditions. Thus, communication processes with
illiterate persons not used to communication in abstract
terms were carefully considered. Visualization using
locally comprehensible symbols, and tools like mapping,
diagramming and ranking were introduced. A limitation of
RRA, however, was that it was extractive; the role of the
local people was limited to providing information, while
the power of decision-making about the use of this
information remained in the hands of others.
 These core principles of good governance are to facilitate
public participation in the decision-making process. Public
participation increases the likelihood that actions taken or services
provided by public agencies more adequately reflect the needs of
people and that the benefits of development are more equitably
shared. Equitable sharing of resources and benefits is also an issue
of sustainable development. As such, public participation has been
recognized as one of the core principles of sustainable
development.
 Here, participation means contributing to development,
benefiting from development and taking part in decision-making
about development, which could be realized through activities
facilitated by authorities as well as activities initiated or generated
by the people themselves. Many people also believe that further to
merely contributing to the planning process, people can prepare
their own plans in most cases with some qualified help.
 The planner can limit his or her role to that of a facilitator
of the planning process and provider of technical inputs.
Participatory approaches may be practiced at all levels of
planning. However, the extent or nature of participation by
various actors (beneficiaries/citizens, public officials elected
by the people, professionals and civil servants, and other
stakeholders) may vary. It may be recalled here that the
involvement of citizens in governance of society is the subject
of history itself and is very important to any democratic society.
However, the term participation is open to varied
interpretations and the level or intensity of involvement by
various groups of actors may greatly vary.
 The simplest terms, a participatory approach is everyone who
has a stake in the intervention of a voice, either in person or by
representation. he use of that term implies not just that you'll ask
for someone's opinion before you do what you were going to do
anyway, but rather that each participant becomes an important
contributor to the planning process. A true participatory approach
is one in which everyone's perspective is considered. That does not
mean that people cannot challenge others' assumptions, or argue
about what the best strategy might be. It does mean, however, that
everyone's thoughts are respected, and it is not necessarily
assumed that the professionals or the well -educated automatically
know what is best. Everyone actually gets to participate in the
planning process, and has some role in decision-making.
Steps of Participatory Approach
1. Form a planning team
2. Identify possible issues and list all broad groups of
stakeholders
3. Carry out participants’ analysis
4. Determine the purpose and level of public participation
5. Identify constraints and special circumstances
6. Select a method (or a combination of methods) of
participation
7. Decide
Participatory approaches are not about a ‘single’ method but
about a way of undertaking impact evaluation that is
meaningful to different stakeholders – and specifically to
program participants. Many opportunities exist to use
participatory approaches in impact evaluation, so it is
important to systematically think through who is best involved
in which aspect of the evaluation, and to be clear about the
purpose of more or different forms of participation.
Participatory approaches can be used in any impact evaluation
design, and with both quantitative and qualitative data
collection and analysis methods.
?
• Participation carries with it feelings of ownership,
and builds a strong base for the intervention in the
community. If people are integral to the planning of
a community intervention, then that intervention
will be theirs. They have a stake in it not only as its
beneficiaries, staff, or sponsors, but also as its
originators. They will do what they can to see their
work succeed.
• It ensures that the intervention will have more
credibility in all segments of the community
because a group representing all segments of the
community planned it. If people know that others
with the same point of view and experience as
theirs were instrumental in making the intervention
happen, they will assume that their interests were
attended to.
• Bringing a broader range of people to the planning process
provides access to a broader range of perspectives and ideas.
• A participatory planning approach avoids pitfalls caused by
ignorance of the realities of the community or the target
population. If, for instance, Muslims are part of the planning
process for an intervention in a community, which includes
many followers of Islam, they will know that lunch meetings
during Ramadan, the Islamic month of daytime fasting, are
not likely to work. Long-time community members will know
what has failed in the past, and why, and can keep the group
from repeating past mistakes.
• It involves important players from the outset. If the
intervention needs the support of a particular
individual, or that of a particular agency or group,
and they have been part of the planning from the
beginning, their cooperation is assured.
• It can provide an opportunity for often-
disenfranchised groups to be heard, and teach the
community that they have important things to say.
• It teaches skills, which last far beyond the planning
process, and can help to improve the community
over the long term. People learn to run meetings, to
analyze data, to construct strategic plans - in short,
to become community resources and leaders.
• It can bring together and establish ties among
community members who might normally have no
contact. Such relationships - between low-income
people and business leaders, for instance - are not
only supportive of the intervention, but may help to
create long-term relationships and break down
barriers in the community.
• A participatory planning process builds trust, both
between your organization and the community and
among the individuals involved. This trust can serve
as a foundation for future community development
and community action.
• A participatory planning process generally reflects
the mission and goals of grass roots and
community-based organizations. With its
underpinnings of collaboration, inclusiveness, and
empowerment, a participatory approach embodies
the ideals that form the foundations of most grass
roots and community-based organizations.
• It implies respect for everyone in the community,
and thus sets a standard for community
participation and empowerment that other
organizations - and the community at large - may
feel compelled to follow.
• Logically, a participatory planning approach should
be effective. The fact that it includes the views and
perspectives of everyone affected by the
intervention should work to assure that all assets
and needs are identified and addressed, and that
unintended consequences are minimized.
• Finally, it does things the way they should be done. It
respects everyone's intelligence, values everyone's
ideas and experience, and affords everyone a measure
of control. By empowering the community, and
particularly the target population, rather than just
superimposing its own ideas on a social structure that
already exists, your organization can give substance to
its ideals. In the final analysis, some level of
participatory approach is usually the most ethical way
to plan a community intervention.
?
• It is crucial to understand and anticipate these
considerations, and to decide when and how a
participatory planning approach can work in your
situation.
• A participatory process requires a lot of time. A
diverse group always takes more time to make
decisions and come to conclusions than does an
individual or small group.
• Members of the target population or the
community may not agree with the "experts” about
what is needed.
• Education may be needed, for community members and the
organization. Members of the target population and the
community may not have important technical knowledge or
experience, and may need to understand some theory or past
practice in order to see what the organization is trying to do. Some
may need new skills in order to participate fully in the planning
process. The organization, on the other hand, may need to learn
more about local culture, political issues, and community history
in order to tailor the intervention to the community and avoid past
errors. Education takes time.
• One determined individual could wreck the whole process if he is
not handled well. Someone who has a particular axe to grind, or
who has convinced that only he knows what's right for the
community can make a participatory process very difficult.
Handling this situation can take both tact and toughness.
• It may be difficult to assure that all the right people get to the
table. Some key people may simply not want to participate.
Factions in the community, a history of failed attempts at
communication or at dealing with problems, ignorance of which
groups or individuals are important, or just basic mistrust may
complicate the task of creating a participatory planning process.
Overcoming this barrier, however, can have profound positive
consequences in the community over the long term.
• A participatory planning process takes patience and commitment
on everyone's part. People have to maintain their commitment
over time, remain civil while discussing issues about which they
may have strong feelings, and be willing to compromise. A few
misplaced words, or one or a small number of key people losing
interest can upset the whole process.
 While these disadvantages present potential or
real challenges to the success of a participatory
planning process, overcoming them may
tremendously increase the possibility of designing
and carrying out an effective community
intervention.
?
 Participatory Monitoring is the systematic recording and periodic
analysis of information that has been chosen and recorded by insiders
with the help of outsiders. Both insiders and outsiders can monitor
participation, but it may be for very different reasons. Outsiders may be
interested in equal community representation in decision making, while
insiders may be interested in equal distribution of costs and benefits.
Participation is often an outsider objective because they are
concerned with equal representation of all elements and groups in the
community. Outsiders may want to ensure, through monitoring
participation, that all involved and affected people in the community are
represented when decisions regarding activities are made.
 The main purpose of Participatory Monitoring is that it
provides information during the life of the project, so that
adjustments and/or modifications can be made if necessary.
Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PM& is a process in which
all the stakeholders who took part of a certain project are engaged
in the activities of monitoring, data collection and final evaluation.
All stakeholders SHARE the planning framework, definition of
indicators, control process, content, and final results. In the end, all
stakeh olders together are able to identify obstacles and
complications; this is then followed by a series of learn lessons,
corrective actions and a possible project reimplementation. It is an
action oriented tool where all stakeholders become active
participant s rather than just sources of information
Do this!
1. What are the levels of Participatory
Planning?
2. Differentiate Participatory Planning from
Participatory Approach. 3. What are the steps
of Participatory Approach?
4. What is the aim of Participatory Approach?
Task: Supply each item with the necessary
information.
Task 4. Supply each item with the necessary information.
1. Make a constructive criticism of an organized event or activity
published in the newspaper, magazine, or website that failed to realize
their objectives, making the activity unsuccessful.
2. Based on our topic “Plan Using Participatory Approaches”, identify the
reasons that made the activity fail to achieve such goals?
3. What do you think are the right steps to undertake in order to
successfully materialize the said event?
4. Acknowledge the source of information, as well as the place of origin,
date, and time of the event.