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This paper focuses primarily on lessons from experiences in mainstreaming and up-scaling participation, which are relevant to the partnership and ownership principles of the World Bank's Comprehensive Development Framework (CDF). The paper explores its various themes in relation to the idea of participation as building ownership and partnership from the bottom up. Lessons learned from applying participatory appraisal methodologies, particularly in participatory poverty assessments, to help national-level policy makers design more appropriate anti-poverty policies, are examined. A summary of lessons from a range of large-scale government programs that have attempted to scale up participation is also presented. The paper then reviews the efforts of four large donor agencies - DFID, GTZ, USAID and the World Bank - in mainstreaming participation. The use of participatory monitoring and evaluation in assessing performance is discussed. The authors also propose the broader enabling environments they believe are necessary for participation to take root. The paper concludes by summarising the lessons considered most pertinent to CDF implementation.