Guidelines Glossary

Although the concept of ‘popular participation in development’ is far from new, realisation has grown during the recent past that ‘participation’ must be organised in such a way that it leads to popular involvement in decision-making, not simply in making voluntary contributions of time, effort or payment. Thus, today, participation is understood to mean a process by which people share in decisions relating to policies and actions undertaken by formal bodies on their behalf, and by which they accept responsibility for those decisions. A participatory approach is often one which leads to project beneficiaries becoming actors or managers within a service delivery scheme: in BWSS, as handpump caretakers, for example, or as latrine manufacturers and installers. Basic services schemes usually include the establishment of local Water Committees, with responsibilities for community involvement and contributions. A local community-based worker, voluntary or modestly paid, frequently acts as go-between between service providers and consumers as a strategy for fostering participation (see also Basic Services). From the perspective of senior project managers and government agencies, the benefits of participation are that stakeholders have a sense of ownership of the project, are motivated to take an active part in project activities, and their contributions may keep cost low and ensure services are wanted, used properly and maintained. The participation by women as well as men at all levels is regarded as essential. (See also Gender, Participatory Appraisal and Stakeholders.)

Participatory appraisal (often known as PRA because its origins were in rural appraisal) is a process of gathering information in which people are involved in the collection of information about their own communities. This allows them to become actively involved in the analytical process concerning actual or proposed interventions, mobilising stakeholders and collectively identifying and prioritising, problems and actions to resolve them. Typically the method relies on verbal communication and often incorporates techniques such as structured interviews, focus groups, and mapping. (See Chapter 13 for a description of methodologies.)

Participatory irrigation management denotes a system of managing irrigation schemes which involves users in all aspects of their development and operation. The principle of participation in irrigation was introduced in the recognition that scheme design and management was not sufficiently responsive to local conditions and needs. Other more pragmatic incentives include the poor performance of many public sector agencies and the drive to reduce government expenditure on operation and maintenance. (See Chapter 13 for a fuller account of different approaches to PIM.)

PTD focuses on technology development appropriate to the needs, interests and skills of the users, usually starting from technology with which they are already familiar and competent. The purpose of PTD is to enable users to maintain a sense of control and ownership of technology, to provide them with information about the options available to them and the knowledge to assess alternatives. PTD utilises indigenous knowledge – the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. Indigenous knowledge has a value in its own right, enjoys high credibility locally, is not dependent on a high level of education, and has its own channels of dissemination. By taking time and effort to document local knowledge, it becomes accessible to those trying to introduce change. A relationship based on understanding and respect helps to establish a sound basis for participatory approaches.

The ‘Polluter Pays’ principle is based on an economic approach to pollution control designed to ensure that the polluter bears the cost of the pollution damage and/or the costs incurred in controlling the pollution – otherwise known as the abatement costs. The OECD describes it as ‘the principle to be used for allocating costs of pollution prevention and control measures to encourage rational use of scarce environmental resources and to avoid distortions in international trade and investment’. Accordingly, ‘the polluter should bear the expenses of carrying out the above mentioned measures decided by public authorities to ensure that the environment is in an acceptable state. In other words, the costs of these measures should be reflected in the cost of goods and services, which cause pollution in production and/or consumption.’

The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) approach was initiated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in 1999. These papers are prepared by member countries through a participatory process involving domestic stakeholders as well as external development partners, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Updated every three years with annual progress reports, PRSPs describe the country's macroeconomic, structural and social policies and programs over a three year or longer horizon to promote broad-based growth and reduce poverty, as well as associated external financing needs and major sources of financing.

The participation of the private sector in delivery of water supplies, irrigation and wastewater services has attracted much attention as a solution to systemic problems of service delivery. The basis for its advocacy is the recognition that private commercial companies tend to operate services with greater efficiency and less waste than government-run utilities, while managing to recover their costs. The level of development and the suitability of private sector institutions in different settings will strongly influence the form of public-private partnerships. Options are wide-ranging, from minimum private sector involvement, which could consist of contracting out the management of certain major installations; to full divestiture to autonomous water companies of responsibility for capital investment, operations, and commercial risk. (See Chapter 13, Public-private partnerships.)