Lammerink, Marc P.

A review of an event held at the Hague in late 1999 which provided an opportunity for participatory development practitioners from around the world to showcase their efforts and share experiences.

This article sets down the features of the PAD approach, and then takes the reader through the different phases - diagnosing, experimenting and sustaining - and outlines the steps involved with locating communities, identifying their problems and exploring solutions. Some examples are provided.

Brief explanatory note on the concept of Participatory Action Development (PAD), its epistemological origins, its use in the field and its relevance to the community water management programme managed by the International Water and Sanitation Centre. The authors also discuss the uses for a PAD approach and draw out the ways it can be implemented in the different phases of projects.

The article provides the overview and analysis, gives examples of diverse experiences and draws on emerging trends and patterns in community water management which is the thematic focus for this issue of PLA Notes. In teasing out the outcomes and progress of a research project for the International Water and Sanitation Centre which aimed to improve the management of water supply systems of rural communities in six countries, the authors challenge readers to think of water management in terms of participation, governance and democracy.

A series of articles in this issue report on a research project for the International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) working with partner organizations in Kenya, Cameroon, Guatemala, Colombia, Nepal and Pakistan and focusing on the role of communities in the improved management of rural water resources.

This collection of articles demonstrates some of the methodological problems which may be experienced in participatory research. This is followed by examples of participatory research, which illustrate general and methodological observations from different sectors and continents. Donors perspectives are the subject of a chapter and finally there is a listing of contacts in participatory research and networking.

There is a growing trend in most countries in the south to encourage rural communities to manage their water supply systems. This paper is based on an action research programme designed to draw lessons from twenty four projects representing various types of water supply systems and service levels chosen from a range of environmental, socio-economic and cultural conditions.