Community Participation

Introduction

Participatory approaches involve the community – from start to finish – in interventions, with the minimum requirement for community participation being that the initiative should stem from the wants and needs of the immediate stakeholders, or in other words, the people concerned.

Why

This toolkit is useful for your organisation when you want the people involved to have a voice in the decisions to be made and thus also take responsibility for an initiative or project. By giving directing and decision-making authority to the direct stakeholders, you stimulate self-esteem and increase self-confidence.

What you can expect

In eight steps, we will support you in involving the community in your development project or initiative.

Knowledge and Skills

Know how:

• definition of community participation
• connecting stakeholders' wants and needs
• resources from various NGOs

Examples:

• real life examples from SHIPO (Tanzania), iMpilo Zimbabwe Trust and Silent Work (Senegal)

Tool:

• participation ladder
• stakeholder analysis
• Memorandum of Understanding

What you get

An overview of how to involve the community in your project step-by-step, including a reflection and resources on the role of the donor.