10 Key stages towards effective participatory curriculum development

This brochure describes the participatory methodology used by Helvetas, the Swiss Association for International Cooperation, which intends to help improve the quality of education and training. It introduces and describes the basic principles and approaches of curriculum development and the learning process, and presents a case study of the Social Forestry Support Programme in Vietnam. Other Helvetas experiences are also presented, from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Lesotho, Kyrgyzstan, and Bhutan. With regard to the financial costs of the approach, it is seen as too expensive, though the approach is a long term investment. A number of benefits are evident:| As it is an innovative process it raises the prestige of institutions and individuals involved;| As prestige rises and experience grows, attitudes change in terms of greater willingness to listen, communicate and learn;| It promotes the development of transferable skills, peer learning, building of relationships, and of mutual trust and support.|Constraints to the programme are related to time and resources, bringing stakeholders together and trying to establish a common agenda among them, different groups lead to different levels of involvement. Finally, factors which facilitate the approach are:| Innovation should be key to the process;| The principle of participation means the development of partnerships and networks, in which experiences and knowledge can be shared;| Awareness of the fact that it is a time-consuming and continuous process;| Understanding of what motivates different stakeholders.