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The real import of Article 243-G of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which defines the powers, authority and responsibilities of the panchayats, has not been appreciated in most states in India. Little effort has been made to involve the mass of the people in the planning process or in the setting of plan priorities. The Kerala model of a people's campaign for decentralised planning aims to resolve this issue. This article looks at what has been achieved, how the movement can be sustained, and what type of institutional framework should be in place to carry on a planning process involving popular participation.

The Ad Hoc Working Group set up following the adoption of the DAC (Development Co-operation Directorate of OECD) Orientations on Participatory Development and Good Governance at the December 1993 DAC High Level Meeting (HLM) has completed its three-year mandate. Part I (i.e. the present part) of this report sets out the main results of this work as agreed by DAC Members in the framework of the Ad Hoc Working Group. This includes an agreed policy note, endorsed by the HLM of 1996, on in country co-ordination and a related guidance note on possible first steps for donors. It looks at the conclusions and action-oriented outcomes; the major points emerging from topic discussions; promoting in-country dialogue and coordination; and linkages to other development objectives and the DAC strategy for shaping the 21st century. It also contains three annexes with: Mandate and scope of work of the DAC Ad Hoc working group on PD/GG; Policy note on strengthening country level coordination for participatory development and good governance; and Proposed guidance for introducing in-country coordination on participatory development and good governance issues. Part II, Lessons from Experience in Selected Areas of Support for Participatory Development and Good Governance, contains summaries of the discussions on the main themes taken up over the last three years in formal meetings and in a series of informal seminars organised jointly by Members and the OECD Development Centre. Additionally, a separate publication Evaluation of Programs Promoting Participatory Development and Good Governance resulting from surveys of evaluation results and lessons learned in a number of relevant PD/GG ôsectorsö.

The primary objective of the workshop was for the small group of experienced participants, from both the urban and rural traditions, to explore the problems and prospects associated with developing and applying participatory approaches in urban areas, and to clarify key issues and opportunities for future action. This paper summarises the results. Sections include: Characteristics of Urban Participatory Approaches (internal and external constraints/strengths, the role of facilitators, methods used, actors involved, challenges and lessons, etc.); Emerging Issues and Questions; SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis on the Use of Participatory Approaches in Urban Areas; and Methodologies and Strategies; Capacity Strengthening and Training; and How to Institutionalise a Participatory Approach.

This paper draws on experience from Uganda. Uganda is committed to decentralisation. This commitment is transforming the way services are planned and financed, and new associations between local government, NGOs and private sector agencies are being created. Much attention has been focussed on the adoption of various techniques - such as participatory rural appraisal - through which direct and intensive forms of participation can be encouraged in decentralised planning. This trend is critically examined and potential unintended consequences are highlighted. A broader concept of accountability is outlined to illustrate a more inclusive approach to planning and allocation for more equity and sustainability in rural services.

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.

This book is a collection of selected papers by Anil C. Shah. The book spans the worlds of Government and civil society over a lengthy career working with the poor and marginalised.

It covers a wide range of activities based on direct personal experience and innovation in the field. It contains a mixture of short personal articles and longer, broader and more detailed articles.

The work is presented from a variety of contexts ranging from government administration to NGO's, from community development to joint forest management, from watershed development to participatory irrigation management, and from behaviour, attitudes and training to influencing and changing policy.