Explain the topologies of participation in development programs and projects.

1. Passive participation. People participate by being told what is going to happen or has already happened. It is a unilateral announcement by administration or project management without any listening to people's responses. The information being shared belongs only to external professionals.

2. Participation in information giving. People participate in answering questions posed by investigators using questionnaire surveys or similar approaches. People do not have the opportunity to influence proceedings, as the findings are neither shared nor checked for accuracy.

3. Participation by consultation. People participate by being consulted and external agents listen to their views. These external agents define both problems and solutions, but may modify these in the light of people's responses. Such a consultative process does not concede any share in decision making and professionals are under no obligation to accept people's views.

4. Participation for material incentives. People participate by providing resources, for example labour, in return for food, cash or other material incentives. Much on-farm research falls into this category, as farmers provide the fields but are not involved in experimentation or the process of learning. Although often called participation, people have no stake in prolonging activities when the incentives end.

5. Functional participation. People participate by forming groups to meet predetermined objectives through the development or promotion of externally initiated social organizations. Such involvement is seldom at early stages of project cycles or planning, but rather after major decisions have been made. These institutions tend to be dependent on external initiators and facilitators, but may become self-dependent.

6. Interactive participation. People participate in joint analysis, which leads to action plans and the formation of new local institutions or the strengthening of existing ones. These groups take control over local decisions and so people have a stake in maintaining structures or practices,

7. Self-mobilization. People participate by taking initiatives to change systems, independent of external institutions. They develop contacts with external organizations for resources and technical advice they need, but retain control over how resources are used. Such self-initiated collective action may or may not challenge existing inequitable distributions of wealth and power.

---

Kavungya answered the question on April 30, 2019 at 11:56