Evaluation

Printer-friendly Version  Send to a Friend  Give Feedback

Special Evaluation Study on Participatory Development Processes in Selected Projects in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Social Infrastructure Sectors
Completed 2001

Participation is a process through which stakeholders influence and share control of development initiatives and of decisions and resources that affect them. The process enhances stakeholder ownership and commitment, and helps give a voice to the poor and disadvantaged.

The aims of the study were to

• assess the extent to which participatory development processes enhanced the effectiveness and sustainability of Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects in sectors where such processes are most useful.
  
• assess the effectiveness of participatory processes
  
• recommend appropriate participatory development methodology and institutional changes of stakeholder entities that could contribute to better participation in preparing and implementing ADB-supported projects.

Bangladesh, Philippines, and Sri Lanka were chosen for the study, where ADB project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) and loan-financed projects in the agriculture, natural resources, and social infrastructure sectors included participatory development processes.

   Summary of Findings

• Consultations during definition of the project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) have been generally limited as few stakeholder workshops have been conducted to enable consensus agreements on the project design.



• PPTA papers have often specified a rigid task definition for consultants that has further reduced opportunities of effectively relating with other stakeholders during project design.



• Nongovernment organizations have been used mostly to mobilize primary stakeholders during project implementation, but they have had little involvement during project preparation when they should actively participate in the design process because of their often better knowledge of communities.



• Local government elections and changes in staffing in local government units adversely affected continuity of project knowledge.



• Implementing agencies identified during the design process were seldom involved in implementing participatory development approaches due to their limited exposure and capability to carry out such approaches.



• Country planning and budget authorities also seldom participate early in project preparation. This has sometimes resulted in changes to the project design that local stakeholders had previously agreed on.



• The capacity of executing agencies to formulate, prepare, and implement projects should be a major design consideration but such capacity is seldom comprehensively assessed.



• Participation of ADB mission leaders in the initial design steps under PPTAs is considered inadequate although mission leaders are responsible for subsequent design steps leading to loan approval.

   Recommendations

• PPTA fact-finding missions need more time and support if they are to facilitate participatory development processes, notably for workshops intended for identification of potential stakeholders.



• Executing agencies need to participate in the selection of PPTA consultants who have experience and aptitude to facilitate participatory development processes.



• During the PPTA there is a need to
• maintain close participation of ADB mission leaders in initial stakeholder workshops, definition of PPTA strategy, and documentation of participatory development processes
  
• use, and further develop, consultative mechanisms to ensure real stakeholder participation starting at the project level up to the national level, notably through workshops
  
• facilitate the process of project framework (design and monitoring framework) development, with full stakeholder participation, to be used as a key mechanism for project monitoring, planning, and management.