- Description of the process carried out for the participatory assessment
- Benefits of participatory assessment
- Participatory diagnostic methods
- References
The participatory assessment is a method of citizen participation designed to obtain the views and participation of groups, residential homes and other local actors. The objective is the collection and analysis of information on technological innovations, development interventions or proposals for resources or land use policies that affect a community or region.
It is useful for early identification of feelings of insecurity in cities, communities, districts and neighborhoods. It is a process that gives participants the opportunity to say what makes them feel unsafe, and to promote balanced gender participation.
The participatory assessment is carried out before the start of a planning project itself. Its results feed the planning of the project and contribute to the efficiency of the planning of public policies. Participatory assessment is often the first time that a village or community experiences equality in the decision-making process.
The participatory diagnosis is directed –mainly– to community projects, where decision-making and the benefits of the project activity fall on the community (either individually or communally). The community can be in any country, and encompass any social, economic or cultural group.
These communities must want and need inputs, resources, or a new perspective to change, improve, manage, rehabilitate, or more usefully and equitably process the resources that surround them.
Description of the process carried out for the participatory assessment
Participants are grouped according to similar opportunities and constraints they share with each other. The sessions begin with a review of the characteristics of the issues and concerns, seeking to prioritize the most important problems for the community.
Potential solutions are then discussed and possible alternatives are identified. The process ends with a selection of the best solution acceptable to all parties. '
Participatory assessment helps communities and individuals:
- Identify reasons for a particular type of behavior and reveal areas of difficulty;
- Identify feelings and perception of (in) safety and risks;
- Obtain information and ideas for handling a particular issue in the urban space planning process.
The participatory diagnosis focuses on the identification of problems and their prioritization. It can also cover topics related to the assessment of stakeholder needs and opportunities, a gender analysis and an assessment of livelihoods and documentation can be done.
Benefits of participatory assessment
Participatory assessment can have benefits both for the community involved and for 'outsiders'. For the latter, some of the benefits are:
- They can learn what the needs of the communities are and how to best address these needs.
- They can understand the constraints that communities face in meeting their needs.
- They can use the participatory assessment as an entry point to a project in conjunction with the community.
- If communities want to share information, they can learn this important information.
- They can discover relevant research questions inspired by the questions of the communities.
- They can see if the objectives of the project respond to the real needs and priorities of the communities.
For the community, some of the benefits of participatory diagnosis are:
- They may have the opportunity to learn different types of analytical skills during the identification, problem analysis, and information gathering processes.
- They can get new perspectives on old problems.
- They can learn new ways to judge whether their efforts are worthwhile enough to continue.
- They can learn new ways to express their needs.
Both the community and the 'outsiders' benefit from participatory assessment as sustainability and self-help goals are encouraged and, as a result, the potential for long-term positive impact increases.
Furthermore, projects are more likely to be successful because relevant and useful information is available to facilitate decision making and mediate between conflicting objectives and priorities.
Participatory skills can be developed through training workers in awareness and self-awareness emphasizing leadership ability, flexibility, open-mindedness, a non-judgmental approach, honesty, awareness, and problem solving.
To obtain benefits, the participatory assessment can be carried out at any stage of the project - even if it is only the final evaluation since going through the process of a participatory evaluation can strongly influence future projects in the community.
These benefits will vary based on a number of factors: specific community needs; cultural, political and social conditions of the community; availability of local resources or local access to other resources; among other.
Participatory diagnostic methods
The following table shows an overview of the participatory assessment methods:
References
- D'Arcy Davis-Case (1993). Tools for the community: concepts, methods and tools for participatory diagnosis, monitoring and evaluation in community forestry development. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- D'Arcy Davis-Case (1998). Participatory assessment, monitoring and evaluation. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- Estrella M, Gaventa J (1998). Who counts reality? Participatory monitoring and evaluation: a literature review. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
- Guijt I (2014). Participatory approaches. Florence: United Nations Children's Fund.
- Holland J (2013). Who counts? The power of participatory statistics. Bourton-on-Dunsmore: Practical Action Publishing Ltd.
- Jarvis D, Campilan D. Participatory diagnosis guidelines. Biodiversity International.
- Jarvis D, Hodgkin T, Brown A, Tuxill J, López I, Smale M, Sthapit B (2016). Principles and applications in research practices. New Haven: Biodiversity International.