Changing professional attitudes - complementing use of participatory techniques with attention to the 'here and now'

This article presents a training project that focuses on training professionals working in irrigation management transfer programmes to develop skills in the facilitation of participatory processes. It concentrates on attitudes required for good facilitation and uses what occurs 'here and now' in the training sessions as a starting point for reflection on interaction and attitudes. The article concludes by describing the challenge, both for trainers and professionals working with rural communities, of complementing the focus on participatory techniques with equal attention to the interaction between workshop participants themselves.