Types of Participation

The following is a list of the types of participation that could be evident in participatory work andtheir characteristics. The type of participation influences what a person might say and the valuethey put on their participation. When considering the type of participation you make available for individuals it is important to ask yourself what is your own role and what ‘power or control’ is

 being given to the individuals to have ownership over the project you are implementing.

 Assigned participation: An individual is told to participate and has little opportunity to decide onhow or what they will contribute or even if they want to participate. The participants are likely tofeel anxious and unskilled as they feel their views or concerns may be scrutinised or used againstthem. They are unlikely to say how they really feel unless it is supports the status quo.

 Prescribed participation: The individual feels a moral and cultural obligation to participate andconsiders the opportunity to participate a privilege. Even if couched in a way that it looks like theyhave free will: ‘you can participate if you want to’, the obligation to participate is such that this is

only a facade. The participant might find it impossible to express his or her own opinions in fear of going against the ‘grain’. This form of prescribed participation is particularly evident when teachers

or parents commit children to participate in projects where they have little choice because of the power relationships.

 Invited participation: The individual is invited and provided with the opportunity to feel able towithdraw without being disadvantaged. The level and form of participation is still controlled by the

 project officer but the individual, unlike in the prescribed participation scenario, has a choice. The participants are more likely to say how they really feel in this situation.

 Negotiated participation: The individual is assigned a participatory role through an invitation, buthas the opportunity to negotiate the level and type of involvement and how long they would like to

 be involved. Providing a diversity of methods is important if you want to provide an opportunityfor people to negotiate their participation - so they can pick and chose and feel they are able tocontribute in ways where they feel they have strengths or something useful to offer. The role of the

 project worker is to provide skills to enhance the individual’s capacity to contribute.

Graduated participation: As the individual increases in competence, opportunities are provided sonew and different types of participation are available to them. This means making a commitment todeveloping individual skills and the importance of working with a community over a period of timeso they can take over responsibility and ownership of the project.

Collaborative participation: Collaborative participation is when a project is initiated and supported by a group, which collectively negotiates all elements of the project, including the level and form of involvement of individuals and the type and use of the information emerging from it.

Self-initiated participation: A self-initiated or existing project is the only time when self-initiated participation is truly evident. That is, a group has an existing project around an issue or concern tothem and they control the information and contribution they make to the project. The participationis negotiated with the individuals controlling how their information is used. Self-initiated

 participation might start from the group contacting you and saying they have something tocontribute or might be initiated by your contact to them.

 

 

Types of Participation in Decision Making

by Warwick Rowell  

People use, understand, demand or invite "participation" very loosely. It is so broad a phrase that itis almost a cliché. To help my management consulting clients I have talked for over twenty yearsabout the types of participation that are possible. These are set out below, for you to consider.

TO AVOID SYNTHETIC PARTICIPATION, AND TO CLARIFY RESPONSIBILITIES WHENMAKING A DECISION, ASK:

1.  WHO SHOULD BE CONSULTED BEFORE THE DECISION IS MADE?

Who are the people inside and outside the organisation who have some knowledge of or involvement in the matter being decided? List them all, to make sure that you consider all of them, and their various perspectives, and their different reactions to what might be

 proposed. Julius Caesar is reported to have said: "One should listen very carefully to one's petitioners. Frequently that is all that you can do. Frequently that is enough."

2.  WHO WILL ANALYSE THE ALTERNATIVES?

Someone may well take responsibility for analysis of alternatives, library searches, presenting information, etc.

3.  WHO WILL ACTUALLY DECIDE?

Deciding is choosing the best of the alternatives established as viable by those you haveconsulted.

4.  WHO WILL MANAGE THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE DECISION?

To whom will even the Managing Director defer when it comes to scheduling and chairingmeetings, and timing?

5.  WHO SHOULD BE ADVISED AFTER THE DECISION IS MADE?

Who are all the parties who will be impacted by this decision? You will never offendanyone on the list... What do they need to be told?

6.  WHO HAS A RIGHT OF VETO?

A veto is a decision about whether to implement a decision. A good veto is based on acondition, rather than an opinion - "We will defer until we have $10,000 in the bank" rather than "We won't act until the bank manager is comfortable".

Copyright 2000, Rowell Consulting Services Pty Ltd.  

 

Participatory Appraisal for Community Assessment: 

Principles and Methods 

4. Types of Participation 

`Participation’ is one of those words that can be interpreted in many different ways – it can meanfinding something out and proceeding as originally planned; it can mean developing processes ofcollective learning that change the way that people think and act. The many ways thatorganisations interpret and use the term participation can be resolved into six distinct types. Theserange from passive participation, where people are told what is to happen and act outpredetermined roles, to self-mobilisation, where people take initiatives largely independent ofexternal institutions (Table 1).

The problem with participation as used in types one to three is that any achievements are likely tohave no positive lasting effect on people's lives. The term participation can be used, knowing itwill not lead to action. Types 4-6, by contrast, involve building of social and human capital.

Great care must, therefore, be taken over both using and interpreting the term participation. Itshould always be qualified by reference to the type of participation, as some types will threatenrather than support the goals of community regeneration. What is important is for institutions andindividuals to define better ways of shifting from the more passive, consultative and incentive-driven participation towards the interactive end of the spectrum.

Table 1. A typology of participation 

Typology  Characteristics of Each Type 

1. PassiveParticipation

People participate by being told what has been decided or has already happened.Information being shared belongs only to external professionals. 

2. Participation byConsultation

People participate by being consulted or by answering questions. Process does notconcede any share in decision-making, and professionals are under no obligation totake on board people's views. 

3. BoughtParticipation 

People participate in return for food, cash or other material incentives. Localpeople have no stake in prolonging technologies or practices when the incentivesend. 

4. FunctionalParticipation 

Participation seen by external agencies as a means to achieve their goals, especiallyreduced costs. People participate by forming groups to meet predeterminedobjectives.

5. InteractiveParticipation 

People participate in joint analysis, development of action plans and formation orstrengthening of local groups or institutions. Learning methodologies used to seekmultiple perspectives, and groups determine how available resources are used. 

6. Self-Mobilisationand Connectedness 

People participate by taking initiatives independently to change systems. Theydevelop contacts with external institutions for resources and technical advice theyneed, but retain control over how resources are used. 

Source: adapted from Pretty, 1995