Framework for participation
This section summarises a theoretical framework for thinking about participation which brings together ideas from the 10 Key Ideas section. The summary below covers the main ideas:
- There are different levels of participation appropriate for different situations, and it is important to decide where you stand.
- There isn't one `community' but many interests - or stakeholders - to consider.
- Participation takes time.
These ideas are then developed in more detail in following sections:
- Where
do you stand?
The idea of levels of participation in practice
- It
takes time
The phases of participation
- Signposts
from theory to practice
A theoretical discussion about how to decide what methods to use.
Summary of the framework
The framework is developed from the idea of a ladder of participation discussed in the 10 Key Issues section. The framework adds two other dimensions to the idea of the level of participation on a ladder:
- The phase or stage of participation.
- Different interests - or stakeholders - may be at different levels or stages of participation.
1 The level of participation - where do you stand?
See the set of questions at
the end of this section about who `you' are and what you are
trying to achieve.
The ladder of participation model described in the
previous
section suggests
some levels are better than others. In this framework I
suggest it is more of a case of horses for courses -
different levels are appropriate in different
circumstances.
The key issue is what `stance' are you taking as someone
managing a participation process, or controlling resources,
and your reasons for doing so.
I suggest thinking of five levels - or stances - which offer
increasing degrees of control to the others
involved.
- Information
- The least you can do is
tell people what is planned.
- Consultation
- You offer a number of
options and listen to the feedback you get.
- Deciding together
- You encourage others to
provide some additional ideas and options, and join in
deciding the best way forward.
- Acting together
- Not only do different
interests decide together what is best, but they form a
partnership to carry it out.
- Supporting independent community initiatives
- You help others do what they want - perhaps within a framework of grants, advice and support provided by the resource holder.
The 'lower' level of
participation keep control with the initiator - but they
lead to less commitment from others.
Compare this diagram with Sherry Arnstein's ladder in
10
Key ideas
Each of these levels is discussed in more detail in the next
main section: Where
do you stand?
2 The phase - where have you got to?
Participation is a process
in which people have to think through what they want,
consider some options, and work through what should happen.
I suggest there are four main phases:
- Initiation.
- The phase at which something triggers the need to involve people, and you start to think what that involves.
- Preparation.
- The period when you think through the process, make the first contacts, and agree an approach.
- Participation
- The phase in which you use participation methods with the main interests in the community.
- Continuation
- What happens in this phase will depend very much on the level of participation - you may be reporting back on consultation, or at another level setting up partnership organisations.
These different phases are discussed in more detail in the section It takes time
3 People - who is involved?
Some people will want - or demand - more involvement than
others. Others will wish not to be involved. Identifying
these different interests - stakeholders - and negotiating
the level of participation appropriate is the third
dimension of the framework
Some of the main issues in participation are about where power and control lies between these interests, and the role of `you' in this.
Before starting a participation process it is important to reflect on the role you have - the hat you are wearing. The way you act may be influenced by how far you control resources, to whom you are answerable. People's attitudes to you will certainly be influenced by the role and power they think you have.
It is also essential to clarify the purpose of participation - because that will determine which stakeholders benefit.
These issues are discussed in the items on Beneficiaries, Power and Empowerment in the A-Z
The nature of effective participation
I think participation may
work best for all concerned when each of the key interests -
the stakeholders - is satisfied with the level of
participation at which they are involved.
That is, those who don't have much at stake may be happy to
be informed or consulted. Others will want to be involved in
decisions and possibly action to carry them out.
The difficult task for the practitioner managing the process
is to identify these interests, help them work out what they
want from the process, and negotiate a route for them to
achieve it.
The power of the practitioner lies in influencing who will
benefit. Participation is not a neutal process. As
yourself:
- What is the purpose of the process?
- Who benefits? Who pays? Who controls?
With different interests seeking different levels of
participation, and being in different phases, effective
participation can seem like shooting an arrow through a
number of keyholes.
Some early questions
At the start of a
participation process a number of key questions should help
you decide your approach:
Who are you? For example:
- Someone in a position of power controlling funds or other resources.
- Someone with influence because you are planning or managing a participation process.
- Someone with professional expertise or knowledge?
What do you want to achieve by working a participatory style?
- To try and develop plans that meet people's expectations.
- To give people a say in the plans.
- To give people control over the solutions.
Who will have the final say over decisions?
- Yourself.
- A management team.
- Everyone who gets involved.
- A political institution or other body
How ready are people, and organisations, to work in a participatory way?
- Do they have the desire?
- Do they have the skills?
- Do they have the authority?