Participatory development - does the practice support the rhetoric

Using focus group discussions and key informant interviews this study examines the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and practitioners' understanding of participatory development and the way in which it is implemented. The researcch reveals that often the implementation of participation is limited to simply 'involving' local people at various stages in a project. Constraints limiting participation at the empowerment end of the continuum are identified and recommendations made.