SHS

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
SOLIDARITY AND CITIZENSHIP
Second Quarter – Module 6:
PLAN USING PARTICIPATORY
APPROACHES

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Community Engagement, Solidarity and Citizenship
Quarter 2 – Module 6: Plan Using Participatory Approaches

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represent nor claim ownership over them.

Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Alma Theresa D. Diaz

Evaluator: Raymund S. Briones

Editor: Divina M. Diaz, Ph.D.

Marita H. Mendoza

Illustrator:

Layout Artist: Edsel D. Doctama

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INTRODUCTION

The unit of competency, "Plan using participatory approaches", is one of the

competencies of Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship, a course

which comprises the knowledge, skills and attitudes required for a HUMMS graduate

to possess. The module will introduce to you the participatory approach in

community action plan, its advantages and disadvantages as well as the levels of

participatory planning and its processes.

OBJECTIVES

Your learning will be successful if at the

end of this module, you will be able to:

a. explain what participatory approach in community action plan is;

b. identify the importance, steps, and guidelines of participatory action

planning;

c. make a community action using participatory approaches.

VOCABULARY LIST

To guide you in the module there are some words

and phrases that you need to know before you start:

Plan - design or something to be made or built

Participatory - characterized by or involving participation especially

in providing the opportunity for individual participation

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Participatory Approaches – identify the participation or role of an individual, group

of persons or social institution in community development

Partnership - it implies a relationship of equals, where everyone has an equal

voice, and where power and responsibility are equally shared

Reflexivity - generally refers to the examination of one's own beliefs,

Judgements and practices during the research process and

how these may have influenced the research

Stakeholder - a person with an interest or concern in the community

PRE-TEST
Let me see if you are ready
for this module. Take time
to answer the pre-test.

Instruction: Read and understand each sentence carefully. Choose the letter of

best answer that agrees with the statement.

1. It is essential and strategic for any organization or community.

A. Planning

B. Action

C. Participate

D. A & B

2. Participatory approach in community action plan will fail if there is,

A. Lack of participation

B. No action Plan

C. Few resources

D. Less manpower

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 3. Which is not a level of participatory approach in planning?

A. Information

B. Deciding Together

C. Consultation

D. Targets of change

4. He/ She believes that humans have equal rights and dignity that can be used

for social change and development.

A. Stakeholder

B. Leader

C. Facilitator

D. Member

5. The following are advantages of participatory planning process, except

A. It implies respect for everyone in the community

B. It is effective

C. A participatory process takes longer

D. It builds trust

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

In module 5, you identified the major issues existing in the

community and learned how to formulate community action
plan that will address the community issues. Enrich your
knowledge by learning more about participatory approach.

A participatory approach helps to secure the ownership and commitment of

the communities involved. Active participation by local citizens and other stakeholders

aims to enhance both the quality and relevance of the suggested interventions.

Implementation Stage is when the planned intervention is implemented.

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 Participatory planning is an urban planning paradigm that emphasizes

involving the entire community in the strategic and management processes of urban

planning; or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. It is often considered

as part of community development. Participatory planning aims to harmonize views

among all of its participants as well as prevent conflict between opposing parties. In

addition, marginalized groups have an opportunity to participate in the planning

process

Planning is essential and strategic for any organization or community. With

planning, organizations and communities become reflexive, dynamic, responsive, and

systematic.

In order for planning to become participatory in nature, there must be an

ongoing process wherein the participants and stakeholders engage dynamically in

identifying the community’s situations, needs and resources, goals and objectives, and

strategies; in outlining activities for implementation; in setting time frame and duration;

and in allocating resources.

The important thing to remember here is the word participatory. The use of that

term implies not just that you'll ask for someone's opinion before you do what you were

going to do anyway, but rather that each participant becomes an important contributor

to the planning process.

A true participatory approach is one in which everyone's perspective is

considered. That doesn't mean that people can't challenge others' assumptions, or

argue about what the best strategy might be. It does mean, however, that everyone's

thoughts are respected, and it isn't necessarily assumed that the professionals or the

well -educated automatically know what's best. Everyone actually gets to participate

in the planning process, and has some role in decision-making.

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The participatory approach involves:

♦ sharing of knowledge and

BIG IDEAS
Many low-income or minority
experience
individuals and groups feel that they
♦ recognizing and encompassing have no voice in the society, that they

different perspectives are not heard even when they are

asked for their opinions. True
♦ working in teams on practical
participation means that everyone has
tasks a voice which must be acknowledged.

♦ the use of visualization and Acknowledgment also implies having

analytical tools, imagination and enough respect for another's opinion

to argue with it. All too often, low-
drama
income or minority members of a
♦ an open-ended creative learning planning team or governing board are

process treated with reverse condescension,

as if anything they say must be true
♦ the development of shared
and profound. A truly participatory
understanding and jointly owned process would include not only

plans or other products everyone being heard, but also

everyone thrashing out ideas and
♦ the capacity for reflection and
goals, and wrestling with new
self-assessment concepts.

In order for this to happen, those with

ADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATORY
less education and "status" often need
PLANNING APPROACH extra support, both to learn the

Participation carries with it process and to believe that their

opinions and ideas are important and
feelings of ownership, and builds a
worth stating. All of this takes time, but
strong base for the intervention in the the rewards are great.

community. If people are integral to the

planning of a community intervention, then that intervention will be theirs. They have

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a stake in it not only as its beneficiaries or staff or sponsors, but as its originators. They

will do what they can, to see their work succeed.

It ensures that the intervention will have more credibility in all segments of the

community because it was planned by a group representing all segments of the

community. If people know that others with the same point of view and experience as

theirs were instrumental in making the intervention happen, they'll assume that their

interests were attended to.

A participatory planning approach avoids pitfalls caused by ignorance of the

realities of the community or the target population. If, for instance, Muslims are part of

the planning process for an intervention in a community which includes many followers

of Islam, they'll know that lunch meetings during Ramadan, the Islamic month of

daytime fasting, are not likely to work. Long-time community members will know what

has failed in the past, and why, and can keep the group from repeating past mistakes.

It involves important players from the outset. If the intervention needs the

support of a particular individual, or that of a particular agency or group, and they've

been part of the planning from the beginning, their cooperation is assured.

It can provide an opportunity for often-disenfranchised groups to be heard, and

teach the community that they have important things to say.

It teaches skills which last far beyond the planning process, and can help to

improve the community over the long term. People learn to run meetings, to analyze

data, to construct strategic plans - in short, to become community resources and

leaders.

It can bring together and establish ties among community members who might

normally have no contact. Such relationships - between low-income people and

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business leaders, for instance - are not only supportive of the intervention, but may

help to create long-term relationships and break down barriers in the community.

A participatory planning process builds trust, both between your organization

and the community and among the individuals involved. This trust can serve as a

foundation for future community development and community action.

A participatory planning process generally reflects the mission and goals of

grass roots and community-based organizations. With its underpinnings of

collaboration, inclusiveness, and empowerment, a participatory approach embodies

the ideals that form the foundations of most grass roots and community-based

organizations.

It implies respect for everyone in the community, and thus sets a standard for

community participation and empowerment that other organizations - and the

community at large - may feel compelled to follow.

Logically, a participatory planning approach should be effective. The fact that it

includes the views and perspectives of everyone affected by the intervention should

work to assure that all assets and needs are identified and addressed, and that

unintended consequences are minimized.

Finally, it does things the way they should be done. It respects everyone's

intelligence, values everyone's ideas and experience, and affords everyone a measure

of control. By empowering the community, and particularly the target population, rather

than just superimposing its own ideas on a social structure that already exists, your

organization can give substance to its ideals. In the final analysis, some level of

participatory approach is almost always the most ethical way to plan a community

intervention.

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DISADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING APPROACH

It's crucial to understand and anticipate these considerations, and to decide

when and how a participatory planning approach can work in your situation.

A participatory process takes longer. A diverse group always takes longer to

make decisions and come to conclusions than does an individual or small group.

Education may be needed, for community members and the organization.

Members of the target population and the community may not have important technical

knowledge or experience, and may need to understand some theory or past practice

in order to see what the organization is trying to do. Some may need new skills in order

to participate fully in the planning process. The organization, on the other hand, may

need to learn more about local culture, political issues, and community history in order

to tailor the intervention to the community and avoid past errors. Education takes time.

One determined individual can wreck the whole process if he's not handled well.

Someone who has a particular axe to grind, or who's convinced that only he knows

what's right for the community can make a participatory process very difficult. Handling

this situation can take both tact and toughness.

It may be difficult to assure that all the right people get to the table. Some key

people may simply not want to participate. Factions in the community, a history of

failed attempts at communication or at dealing with problems, ignorance of which

groups or individuals are important, or just basic mistrust may complicate the task of

creating a participatory planning process. Overcoming this barrier, however, can have

profound positive consequences in the community over the long term.

A participatory planning process takes patience and commitment on everyone's

part. People have to maintain their commitment over time, remain civil while discussing

issues about which they may have strong feelings, and be willing to compromise. A

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few misplaced words, or one or a small number of key people losing interest can upset

the whole process.

While these disadvantages present potential or real challenges to the success

of a participatory planning process, overcoming them may tremendously increase the

possibility of designing and carrying out an effective community intervention.

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING

Information - The least you can do is tell people what is planned.

Consultation - You offer a number of options and listen to the feedback you get.

Deciding together - You encourage others to provide some additional ideas and

options, and join in deciding the best way forward.

Acting together - Not only do different interests decide together what is best, but they

form a partnership to carry it out.

Supporting independent community initiatives - You help others do what they want -

perhaps within a framework of grants, advice and support provided by the

resource holder.

WHEN IS PARTICIPATORY PLANNING APPROACH APPROPRITATE?

Information-only may be appropriate when:

• The course of action has already been decided - by a funder

• You're simply reporting on something that's already in progress

• You're keeping people informed so that they'll have the information to be

part of a participatory effort later

Consultation-only may be appropriate when:

• You want to evaluate or improve existing services

• There are limited options, and you're trying to choose among them

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 • There are technical reasons - again, perhaps because of a funder - why

only certain people or groups can be officially involved in the planning

process

Deciding together may be appropriate when:

• It is important that everyone feels ownership of the plan.

• You want fresh ideas from as many sources as possible.

• You can pull in people whom the intervention will directly affect.

• There is a commitment to provide support through the process for those who

needs it

• There is enough time

Acting together may be appropriate when:

• The intervention will be more effective than if it were run by a single entity

• There is a funder's requirement for community oversight

• There is commitment to the development of a real partnership

• Everyone benefits from acting together

• One goal of the intervention is the eventual assumption of leadership or the

learning of leadership skills by the target population and/or others in the

community

Supporting local initiatives may be appropriate when:

• There is a commitment to community empowerment

• The community has the desire and at least some of the tools to start and run a

successful intervention

• There is a commitment to provide training and support where needed

• Your organization can only provide support, or can only run an intervention for

a short time

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PERSONS INVOLVED IN A PARTICIPATORY PLANNING PROCESS

Everyone who is affected by the proposed intervention should be involved in

the process, but that is seldom possible, or even desirable. You may be talking about

thousands of people, too many for an effective planning process. In reality, there

should be strong and effective representation for everyone involved, including:

TARGETS OF CHANGE

Targets of change are the people for whom the intervention is aimed or whom

it is intended to benefit. That could be very specific (e.g. teen mothers, for a job training

program aimed at teen parents) or very general (the community as a whole, for a

smoking prevention and cessation initiative aimed at everyone in the community).

AGENTS OF CHANGE

Agents of change are the people who make or influence policy or public opinion.

These include actual policy makers, but also encompass people influential in the

community at large, who can help or block an intervention by their support or

opposition.

A. Policy makers

▪ Local elected or appointed officials

▪ Local public agency heads (welfare, e.g.) who actually administer policy

in the community.

B. Influential people in the community

▪ Members of the business community

▪ Clergy and religious sectors

▪ Natural leaders, those whom others respect and listen to

▪ The media, or others who have a public platform

▪ Directors or staff of other organizations affected by the problem or issue.

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INTERESTED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY

These might include parents, youth, or school personnel, for instance, for an

intervention dealing with youth. Many seniors have the time, the desire, and the

experience to be excellent community volunteers. People with a personal or

professional interest in the issue may also want to participate - parents whose children

have had drug problems, graduate students, retired teachers or doctors.

MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF

Administrators and line staff, volunteers, current participants, board members,

and supporters.

PARTICIPATORY PLANNING PROCESS

1. RECRUIT STAKEHOLDERS

The obvious first step toward starting a participatory planning process is finding

people to participate. Some of that relies simply on networking and old-fashioned

legwork, but there's a logical process that accompanies it as well.

A. Identify the stakeholders

These should always include, at the very least, members of the organization's

staff and Board and the target population. In general, it also makes sense to include

members of the community, especially if:

• The intervention needs community support or participation in order to

succeed

• The intervention affect the community as a whole

• The community is being asked to change in some way - its attitudes,

behavior, assumptions, bylaws, etc.

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 B. Get the word out

If you're trying to inform only specific groups in the community, start with

people in those groups you already know. They'll help to spread the word to their

friends and acquaintances, who'll pass it on further still. They can also help you

decide where to place other information so the target groups will be likely to

encounter it. Be sure that your message is simple and clear, and in the languages

that the community speaks. Be sure also that your message appears in places where

it will be seen or heard by those subjectively concern. Supermarkets, waiting areas,

particular agencies, barangay halls, may be good places to post your message.

2. CONVENE THE PLANNING PROCESS

A. Choose someone to convene the process

Regardless of what happen afterwards, someone needs to call people

together and run a first meeting. If that person is identified with a particular group, then

that group will probably be seen as in charge of the planning process. Depending upon

the community, it could be important to think carefully about who should be in that

position.

Sometimes it is best to find someone from outside the group - often an elected

official or other respected figure - to run a first meeting. This type of choice both lends

credibility to the intervention, and identifies it as a community effort, rather than that of

a particular organization.

B. Hold an initial meeting

An initial meeting might be open to a very large number of people (the whole

community, or all of the target population, for instance) or to a smaller group (one

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representative from each of several agencies and organizations, a few selected

members of the target group, etc.). The time, place, and tone of this meeting are all

important in making sure that people will be willing to participate in it and in the process

that follows.

3. MAINTAIN THE PLANNING PROCESS

Once the planning process has started, it has to be maintained. Participants

have to be continually interested, support be provided when it's needed, conflicts have

to be resolved, methods have to be devised to keep the process reasonably efficient,

goals and deadlines have to be set, etc.

A. Choose someone to guide the planning process

Someone - realistically, it is usually the director or another administrator of the

organization that will conduct the intervention, but it could be a Board chair, an outside

facilitator, or a community member thus to monitor what's happening and make sure

that nothing derails the planning. Finding the right person to fill this role is extremely

important. He has to be able to communicate well with everyone involved, to see the

big picture as well as the details, and to deal gracefully with both interpersonal and

logistical problems.

B. Decide who will issue final approval on a plan

If, as is often the case, the actual planning is done by a relatively small group,

there is usually a mechanism to have the plan approved by some larger or governing

body.

This body might take one of several forms:

a. A meeting of all stakeholders

b. A diverse group chosen to oversee the intervention

c. A community meeting

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 d. The Board of the organization

e. A very small group - the director and Board chair, for instance, or even

just one of them

C. Determine how long the planning process will go on

The planning you want to do might be for a single initiative or campaign, or

might encompass years of collaboration on working with a large and diverse

population. If the planning group is meant to continue, either to furnish oversight of the

final plan, or to keep developing and changing the intervention as circumstances and

the community's needs change, an ongoing participatory approach may be even more

important to the intervention's success.

.
How well you maintain the process once it's

KEEP begun is just as important to its success as how

IN
MIND well you start it. Remember that the planning

process itself is only a beginning.

You’re almost done! How was your

readings? Can you now identify the
importance, steps, and guidelines of
participatory action planning? Let’s see.
Try to accomplish the practice tasks
below.

Practice Task 1

You initiated a clean and green project in your barangay. You have already

created a project plan. What level of participatory planning is appropriate for you to

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do when having a meeting with your community to discuss your project? Explain you

answer.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Practice Task 2

You have observed that there are several individuals in your community that

are unemployed due to the CORONAVIRUS pandemic. Your barangay has abundant

supply of “buri” plant that can be used to create baskets. Plan on how to approach

your Barangay Chairman to propose a project that will utilize the “buri“ plant in your

barangay and benefit those displaced workers.

PROJECT TITLE:

PERSONS INVOLVED:

FACILITATORS OF THE
PROJECT:

STAKEHOLDER

DATE AND TIME OF

MEETING:

WHO WILL PRESIDE

OVER THE MEETING?

AGENDA ON THE
MEETING.

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Practice Task 3

Based from your proposed community action plan in module 5, develop a plan
with participatory approaches anchored on “Community Sustainable Development”
following the template below.

ISSUES ACTIVITIES PARTICIPATORY

APPROACHES

Congratulations! You did it again. I

hope you have learned a lot from
this module. This will prepare you in
the study of the next module. Answer
the post-test below to access your
learning.

POST TEST

A. List down 5 Advantages of Participatory Planning Approach.

1. __________________________________

2. __________________________________

3. __________________________________

4. __________________________________

5. __________________________________

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 B. Choose 3 Levels of Participatory Planning and cite when it is

appropriate to use.

1. ___________________ - _______________________________

- _______________________________

- _______________________________

2. ___________________ - _______________________________

- _______________________________

- _______________________________

3. ___________________ - _______________________________

- _______________________________

- _______________________________

ASSIGNMENT

Instruction: In your journal, answer the following questions based on the data

provided to you, but your opinion is also appreciated. Be guided with the rubric.

1. Why it is important to respect one’s opinion in participatory approach?

2. Why does participatory approach in planning takes longer?

Rubric

4points 3 points 2 points 1 points

Quality of Ideas were Ideas were Ideas had little Ideas had no
presented in presented in an style or voice style or voice
Writing extraordinary interesting style
style and voice and voice Gives some Gives no new
information but information and
Very informative Somewhat poorly very poorly
and well informative and organized organize
organized organized
Grammar No spelling, Few spelling A number of So many
punctuation or and spelling, spelling,
punctuations punctuation or punctuation and

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 Usage and grammatical errors, minor grammatical grammatical
errors grammatical errors errors that it
Mechanics errors interferes with
the meaning
ANSWER KEY

Pre-Test
1. A 2. A 3. D 4. C 5. C

Post Test
A.
1. Participation carries with it feelings of ownership, and builds a strong
base for the intervention in the community.
2. A participatory planning process builds trust.
3. It teaches skills which last far beyond the planning process, and can
help to improve the community over the long term.
4. It implies respect for everyone in the community.
5. It can bring together and establish ties among community members who
might normally have no contact.
B. Acting together may be appropriate when:
✓ The intervention will be more effective than if it were run by a
single entity
✓ There is a funder's requirement for community oversight
✓ There is commitment to the development of a real partnership

1. Information-only may be appropriate when:

✓ The course of action has already been decided - by a funder, for
instance
✓ You're simply reporting on something that's already in progress
✓ You're keeping people informed so that they'll have the
information to be part of a participatory effort later

2. Consultation-only may be appropriate when:

✓ You want to evaluate or improve existing services

✓ There are limited options, and you're trying to choose among
them

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 ✓ There are technical reasons - again, perhaps because of a
funder - why only certain people or groups can be officially
involved in the planning process

REFERENCES

Online Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_development#:~:text=A%20participatory%20approach%
20helps%20to,the%20planned%20intervention%20is%20implemented.

https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/where-to-start/participatory-
approaches/main#:~:text=A%20participatory%20planning%20process%20builds,community%20dev
elopment%20and%20community%20action.

http://www2.wlv.ac.uk/webteam/international/cidt/cidt_participation.pdf

https://www.participatorymethods.org/task/plan-monitor-and-evaluate

http://www.mekonginfo.org/document/0003943-environment-guidelines-on-public-participation-
in-eia-in-the-mekong-region

Cover photo credit: Melody D. Legaspi (Rizal Integrated National School, Sorsogon City)

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