Participatory Planning PDF

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Summary

Participatory PlanningParticipatory planning is the process of laying out the course of actions needed to attain a set of socio-economic goals. It resolves community issues or problems by giving concerned community members the chance to identify problems and propose solutions.Historical Development ...

Description

Participatory Planning P

is the pr set o ls. It resolves community issues or problems by giving concerned community members the chance to identify problems and propose solutions.

Historical Development of Participatory Planning In the 1970s, professional development workers became aware of the mismatch between the reality they constructed and the reality others experienced; dissatisfied with the short rural visits of development technocrats only to drop by the offices of, or talk to, local male leaders; and disillusioned with questionnaire surveys and their results. They also acknowledged that people from the provinces themselves knew more about their situations and communities as compared to those from the cities (Chamber, 1997). Thus, t d .

Principles of Participatory Planning 1.

t should be seen more as a change · from the bo

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2. The sh .e., unduly focused on plans, goals, objectives, targets, and schedules. This implies that the aforementioned variables may change and that, therefore, they should be made flexible. 3. The development process should also strengthen local organizations and local government bureaucracies. A c should be chosen acc . 4. The development process should be supported by local institutions with the villages, primary cooperatives, religious and youth groups, and community based and self-help associations playing a major role. This is a case in point. According to Rina Jimenez-David, former Department of interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jessie Robredo' s legacy is the empowerment of his constituents. When he was the mayor of Naga City from 1988 to 2010, he laid down a clear and comprehensive framework that allowed his constituents to take an active part in governance. Nagueños were able to voice their concerns and suggestions to the city hall and act in various project stages from procurement to budgeting. They also scuttled a plan to set up a golf course. As a result, 193 non-governmental and people's organizations now work with the local government through the Naga City People's Council. 5. The development process must be based primarily on confidence-building and learning rather than on expertise and training. It is more important for the people who will make decisions at the local level to have the full trust of the people they represent rather than to be trained experts. This implies that he technical staff of central government departments should work in tandem with local interest groups · rather than just sit idly and dismiss the plans prepared by the latter.

Levels of Participation Typology 1.Passive 2. Information-based 3. Consultation-based 4.lncentives-based 5.Functional participation 6.Interactive 7.Self-mobilization

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Results People are told of what will happen or is ta king place. People answer a survey team's questionnaire (no follow-up). People answer a questionnaire defined or designed by "outsiders:' i.e., non-community members. People work for cash, food, or other incentives. Decisions by "outsiders" and interest groups are synthesized to mèet objectives. Joint analyses, decisions, and action plans are made, implemented, and monitored by interest groups. Initiatives are ta ken independently from official institutions.

is described in the Webster's Dictionary a

he i is t s. The next is to lay down the project as reflected in the acts to be taken. A project' s common elements include the following:

ELEMENTS: 1 -This element describes what the project aims to do and what the project is for.

limitations

s -This element specifies the scope and of the project.

-This element identifies where the project will be implemented. es -This element states who will benefit from the implementation of the project. -This element determines the schedule of the project, i.e., when the project will be implemented and when it will end. This element itemizes the expected expenses that the project will incur upon its implementation. -This element indicates the approach or manner by which the project will be implemented.

Project Development Cycle P

ay vary accor

y. However, all projects undergo a process called the project development cycle consisting of t :

Although the phases may appear sequentially separated, they are, in fact, circular, i.e., the phases continually interface with each other both back and forth.

1 n - ln this stage, a potential project design is organized after adequate consultations with the different stakeholders of the community. - In this stage, the planners determine how and when a chosen project will be implemented. on - In this stage, the project is carried out by. the planners and the local community members based on an agreed-upon timetable. - In this stage, the planners and the community members determine whether or not the project objectives have been met.

CONCLUSION Successful participatory planning will help identify and transform community weaknesses into strengths. With the support of the local government, community members may contribute in the planning of projects that can solve the problems that beset them. Since participatory planning creates a sense of urgency among the

members of the community, it should be followed by the implementation of the project which has incorporated their ideas.

PARTICIPATORY MONITORING AND EVALUATION

E

is, therefore,

To monitor is to keep track of the implementation of a project. Monitoring involves the study of the progress of an undertaking in relation to the agreed upon schedule, resources, and performance indicators. Moreover, it identifies -1agging areas" that require intervention. Monitoring has also been defined as :he management function guiding the project towards its intended direction and checking the performance of workers using pre-determined plans and targets to ensure timely completion.

M are neither expensive nor complicated. They do not require specialists or technicians. The complexity of these studies can be adapted to fit the needs of the program.

Furthermore,

1. assess project results to find out if the objectives and desired changes are being met;

ng i

s. Along with other procedures, monitoring can be in any of the following forms: 1.

.

The purposes of monitoring and evaluation are to:

2. improve project management and process planning to better adapt to contextual and risk factors such as new social and political relations that may affect the research process;

Assessment of one's daily operational activities

2. Utilization of internai audit personnel or other similar personnel who are performing a wide range of fonctions 3.

Correspondence with third parties

4.

Implementation of additional safeguards

is a t i d. It aims to develop the project design in real time. The information gathered during monitoring is used to make important changes in the project. As an internal! activity, it provides constant feedback on the progress of a project, i.e., the problems it is facing, and the efficiency with which it is being implemented. h i .

3. promote learning by identifying lessons of general applicability such as how different approaches to participation affect outcomes, impact, and reach; what works and what does not; and what contextual factors enable or constrain participatory research; 4. understand-through direct participation in monitoring and evaluation -the different stakeholders' perspectives to allow the various people involved in a research to better appreciate each other' s views and values and come up with ways to resolve competing or conflicting opinions and interests; and 5. ensure accountability to assess whether the project is effectively, appropriately, and efficiently executed and accounted for to the key agencies supporting the project (including, but not exclusively, the donors).

Monitoring Outcomes

Participatory Evaluation

Monitoring

P involves the active participation of the stakeholders in assessing the implementation and impact of a project. The people concerned take the time to present their own analyses. The following are some techniques that can be used in participatory evaluation:

k: In what way is it beneficial to the target group? What has been the outcome, result, and impact of a project? These questions have often been neglected since they are difficult to answer. But confronting them is highly important since the question of whether or not a project has been beneficial will answer the question of whether or not the purpose of the project has been fulfilled. Monitoring Accountability It has been proven that the c r i

Providers are expected to have their projects constantly monitored and evaluated by outside experts and the project implementers. Constant monitoring and evaluation provide a more immediate feedback and facilitate learning. Having an extremal evaluator is considered to be desirable and very helpful in bringing out insights coming from an independent and objective perspective. , according to Hall (2012)

is also called exThe evaluation of cu is called in .

Focus groups ar questions. The s are be heard. The wi an overall evaluation.

P i

ch in .

3. Drawing metaphors This method is useful for participants I .

4. Constructing tables

s. In the past, the evaluation process employed research methods used in the social sciences to determine the impact of public programs and policies. Modern evaluation has its roots in the 1960s when government policymakers wanted to know the impact of new public programs. The ev

Forming a focus group

2. Spearheading participatory action research lts.

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1.

In this method, t

. They are then asked to interpret their project table as an .

P oject. Due to time or financial constraints, however, these efforts are invariably restricted to only a few aspects of the p:rogram. Thus, it is important to identify the most vital issues to be monitored first and how monitoring could be done using a participatory evaluation technique....