What is a participatory planning approach? ___You know that a participatory planning approach means that all stakeholders' voices are heard and respected, and that everyone has some role in decision-making. What are the advantages of a participatory planning approach? ___Participation carries with it feelings of ownership, and builds a strong base for the intervention in the community ___It ensures that the intervention will have more credibility in all segments of the community because it was planned by a group representing all segments of the community ___It brings a broader range of people to the planning process provides access to a broader range of perspectives and ideas ___Avoids pitfalls caused by ignorance of the realities of the community or the target population ___It involves important players from the outset ___It can provide an opportunity for often-disenfranchised groups to be heard ___It teaches skills which last far beyond the planning process,and can help to improve the community over the long term ___It can bring together and establish ties among community members who might normally have no contact ___It builds trust, both between your organization and the community and among the individuals involved ___It generally reflects the mission and goals of grass roots and community-based organizations ___It implies respect for everyone in the community ___It is generally effective ___It does things the way they should be done What are the disadvantages of a participatory planning approach? ___A participatory process takes longer ___Members of the target population or the community may not agree with the "experts " about what is needed ___Lots of education may be needed, both for community members and the organization ___One determined individual can wreck the whole process if he's not handled well ___It may be difficult to assure that all the right people get to the table ___A participatory planning process takes patience and commitment on everyone's part What are the levels of participatory planning? ___Information ___Consultation ___Deciding together ___Acting together ___Supporting local initiatives When is participatory planning appropriate? ___Information-only may be appropriate when: The course of action has already been decided - by a funder, for instance You're simply reporting on something that's already in progress You're keeping people informed so that they'll have the information to be part of a participatory effort later ___Consultation-only may be appropriate when: You want to evaluate or improve existing services There are limited options, and you're trying to choose among them There are technical reasons - again, perhaps because of a funder - why only certain people or groups can be officially involved in the planning process ___Acting together may be appropriate when: The intervention will be more effective than if it were run by a single entity There is a funder's requirement for community oversight There is commitment to the development of a real partnership Everyone benefits from acting together One goal of the intervention is the eventual assumption of leadership or the learning of leadership skills by the target population and/or others in the community ___Supporting local initiatives may be appropriate when: There is a commitment to community empowerment. The community has the desire and at least some of the tools to start and run a successful intervention. There is a commitment to provide training and support where needed. Your organization can only provide support, or can only run an intervention for a short time. When isn't participatory planning appropriate? ___When there's simply no time ___When a community is so brutally divided, it's impossible to get all - or even any - of the rival factions to the same table ___When there's no way to provide proper support - facilitation, structure, etc. - for the process ___When the target population is simply not interested in participating, and just wants the organization to take care of it ___When the intervention rests on technical knowledge of a kind that the target population and community members simply don't have ___When involving all or most stakeholders simply isn't logistically possible, because of distance, time, or other issues ___When funding constraints or funders' regulations don't allow it ___When there is no trust between your organization and the community Who should be involved in a participatory planning process? ___Targets of change Members of the target community People whom the target community sees as significant opinion makers ___Agents of change Policy makers Influential people in the community ___Interested members of the community at large ___Members of the organization itself What do you have to do to get a participatory planning process up and running? ___You've identified all the individuals and groups who need to be involved ___You've gotten the message about the planning process out to everyone who needs to be informed ___You've chosen someone to convene the process ___You've held an initial meeting, for which: You've personally invited as many people as possible You've planned meeting times around the convenience of those attending, rather than the convenience of the organization You've held the meeting in a place that's convenient and comfortable for everyone involved You've provided some food and drink You've considered carefully who'll run the meeting If the community is multilingual, you've made sure to have translators present, or to present everything in multiple languages, so that everyone feels included You've planned activities so that everyone at the meeting has a chance to be heard, either in the larger group or in a smaller one By the end of the meeting, there was a clear next step, and everyone knew what it was ___You've chosen someone to guide the planning process ___You've decided who will approve a final plan ___You've decided how long the planning process will go on
