Water

Dams and Development E-Paper Contents

p. 18 of 74 BACK | NEXT Home Page of Dams and Development Foreword I. Why an e-paper on dams and development? II. Assessing options III. Participatory processes Levels of participation How to identify the stakeholders Assessing social impacts Prior informed consent What do ADB policies and strategies say? IV. Social impacts V. Environmental impacts VI. Benefit distribution VII. Dam safety and sustainability VIII. Existing projects IX. Improving governance X. What other organizations say XI. ADB, Dams, and Development XII. References Contact Us

What are the different levels of participation?

Inform or Empower?

The International Association for Public Participation developed a five component 'Spectrum' that provides a useful frame of reference for categorizing participatory processes and the extent people are involved in decision-making, ranging from simply informing people to empowering them. The five categories are:

1. Inform: To provide the public with balanced an objective information to assist them in understanding the problems, alternatives and/or solutions.
2. Consult: To provide public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions.
3. Involve: To work directly with the public throughout the process to ensure that public issues and concerns are consistently understood and considered.
4. Collaborate: To partner with the public in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and the identification of the preferred solution.
5. Empower: To place final decision-making in the hands of the public.

IAP2 has also developed a toolbox outlining the pros and cons of various techniques of sharing information ranging from printed information materials through to group meetings and workshops.

ADB uses a similar four stage characterization (information sharing; consultation/ feedback; collaboration/joint decision making; and empowerment / shared control).

Back III. Participatory processes	Next How to identify the stakeholders