Toward participatory research

The traditional, centrally managed, supply-driven emphasis of development in poor urban and rural communities is undergoing a fundamental transformation toward demand-based approaches which give local stakeholders genuine ownership of both the process and the outcome of development projects. By involving users in project development and implementation, participatory research helps build local capacity leading to an improved chance that facilities will be used and maintained on a sustained basis. In order to implement successfully an approach emphasizing user involvement, planners must understand the social fabric in which change will be embedded. Data collection for social analysis can provide planners with information crucial for achieving desired objectives. This volume, the third in a series on participatory development produced by the PROWWESS/UNDP-World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, provides many insights, innovative tools and techniques and is based on field experience gained in the water and sanitation sector. The document is intended to be used by technical and social science staff involved in the planning and implementation of water and sanitation facilities for the poor. Designed as a practical guide to the formulation and implementation of participatory research and inquiry, this volume contains material about the principles underlying participatory techniques (and how these differ from conventional research methodologies), insights gained from the use of such techniques in the field (noted as boxes complementing the text), suggestions about how best to design and implement these methods, and actual participatory activities and checklists which have proven successful. With adaptation, the methods outlined in this document have application across sectors.