Participatory EvaluationParticipatory Evaluationwithin a Paradigm of Sustainability within a Paradigm of Sustainability

Kyle Beidler

CRP 484/584

2.19.02

BackgroundBackground

What is Participation?

• The act or state of participating, or sharing in common with others; as, a participation of joy.

• Community; fellowship; association.

• Distribution; division into shares.

BackgroundBackground

What is Participation?

• The redistribution of power that enables “have-nots” excluded in the political and economic processes to deliberately be included in the future.

• The conception of Empowerment: the ability to make decisions that control your own future.

Arnstein, Sherry R. 1969. A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners. 35 (4): 216-224.

BackgroundBackground

Foundational Assumptions: A participatory democratic process is fundamental

in a collective shift towards sustainability. (Principle of Democratic Change)

Those affected by a decision should participate in the decision making process. (Politics of Inclusion)

Roseland, Mark. 1998. Toward sustainable communities. New Society

Publishers, Stony Creek, CT.

QuestionsQuestions

Based on these democratic principles: How should grades be assigned for this course?

– What should the extent (level) of participation be throughout the decision making process?

– What kind (type) of participation should be involved ?– When (in which stages) should you or others participate?– What would facilitate participation?– What are the risks and barriers to broadening the extent of direct

participation in grading decisions?– (Also think about the participatory process you propose versus the

process you use you within your group.)

Classroom ResponsesClassroom ResponsesExtent? Type? When? Facilitation? Barriers? Risks?

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Relationship with SustainabilityRelationship with Sustainability

Thering and Doble (2000) suggest:– Sustainability is an emerging paradigm associated with

a post-industrial worldview.– This worldview perceives the social structure as a non-

hierarchical, web-like network.– Within this network, decisions are guided by

participatory processes and behavior. – Thus, as a paradigm, sustainability represents a shift in

our sciences, views, values, goals, and behaviors.

Thering, Sue and Doble, Cheryl. 2000. Theory and practice in sustainability.

Landscape Journal 19 (1+2): 191-200.

Relationship with SustainabilityRelationship with Sustainability

Post-Industrial Paradigm

ScienceEcology

BehaviorParticipatory

WorldviewWebs & networks

Values and GoalsSustainability within a context of

growing social & ecological concerns

Relationship with Social CapitalRelationship with Social Capital

This paradigm shift, which relies on participatory foundation, multiplies the importance of social capital (Roseland 1998).

However, this shift also implies a shift in type of behavior (Thering and Doble 2000).

Declining forms of Social Capital (Putman 1995)

Increasing Forms of Behavior (Inglehart 1995)

Election Turnout

Political Party Affiliation

Social Group Affiliation

Campaigning

Neighborhood Projects

Grassroots Organizations

Direct Action Activism

“Visioning” Projects

ImplicationsImplications

Medieval hierarchies, traditional methods, and existing educational programs are unable to meet the needs of today’s communities centered of environmental and social thought of a post-industrial society.

Toady’s community needs include:– Multi-disciplinary approaches– Informed citizenry– Methods of sustainable evaluation– Processes of participatory decision making

ImplicationsImplications

Therefore, there is a need to develop a framework to evaluate existing decision making processes.

Evaluation concepts include:– The level of participation– The educational objective of participation– The type of participation– The stages of the participatory process

The Levels of ParticipationThe Levels of Participation

Citizen Control – Obtain the majority of decision making seats, full managerial power.

Delegated Power

– Citizens hold the significant cards to assure accountability.

Partnerships – Citizens share planning and decision making power

Placation – Select citizens are “given” the right to advise but, power-holders maintain their right to decide.

Consultation – Voices are heard but, not heeded. People are perceived as statistics.

Informing – A one way flow of information, from officials to citizens with no direct (or indirect) feedback loop.

Therapy – Power-holders “cure” participants with social therapy or self help programs to adjust “their” values.

Manipulation – Officials educate, persuade and advise the citizens, not the other way around.

Arnstein, Sherry R. 1969. A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American

Institute of Planners. 35 (4): 216-224.

The Objective of ParticipationThe Objective of Participation

Evaluation – Criteria appraisal and judgment of value

Synthesis – The combination of parts to reveal a pattern or structure

Analysis – The breaking down of information into parts and relationships

Application – The application of information in appropriate situations

Comprehension – Responses which represent an understanding of the information received

Knowledge – Remembering information received in a learning situation

Bloom, Benjamin S. 1956. Taxonomy of cognitive objectives. New York,

David McKay Co.

The Type of ParticipationThe Type of Participation

Whitmore, Elizabeth. 1998. Understanding and practicing participatory evaluation.

Jossey-Bass Publishers. San Francisco.

Practical

Participation

- Focuses on involvement and decision making within programs and organizations- Empowerment may be a by-product of the process or problem solving exercise- Individual thinking towards collective a collective action

Transformative Participation

- Process begins with the existing power structure- Empowerment, is a central goal invested within the ‘vision’- Collective social action towards change

Stages of ParticipationStages of Participation

Seaman, Corrintha. 1998. Bioregional communication: Watersheds, community

participation and synchronicity. Thesis, Iowa State University.

Stages of Sustainability ReportingStages of Sustainability Reporting

Maclaren’s stages of developing indicators:– One; Define urban sustainability goals– Two; Define the scope– Three; Choose an appropriate framework (i.e. issue based,

sector base, etc.)– Four; Define selection criteria– Five; Identify potential indicators– Six; Evaluate and select final set– Seven; Collect and analyze data– Eight; Prepare and present report– Nine; Asses indicator performance

Maclaren, Virginia. 1996. Urban sustainability reporting. Journal of the American Planning Association. 62(2); 184-202

A Ladder of Participatory EvaluationA Ladder of Participatory Evaluation

Indicators Participatory Methods Objectives

Self- Mobilization

– Facilitator Training, Committee/ Stakeholder Empowerment, Consensus Building Activities

Evaluation

(Interaction)

Interactive Participation

–Community Partnerships, Workshops, Advisory Groups, Individual Interviews, VisioningVisioning

Synthesis

(Problem Based)

Functional Participation

– Key Contacts, Opinion Leaders, Public Meetings, Focus Groups, Material Incentives

Analysis

(Product Based)

Consultation – Traditional Presentations, Public Reports, Expert Services

Comprehension

(Issue Based)

Passive Participation

– Mass Media Release, Information Dissemination, and Analysis

Knowledge

(Public Relations)

Information Giving

– Mail Survey Techniques, Questionnaires, Outside Reports

Compliance

Visioning as a Participatory ProcessVisioning as a Participatory Process

A Visioning process can be conceived as interactive participation with in a context of sustainability:• Bottom-up methods of participation promote

dialogue and information diffusion. (Level of participation)

• Participatory communication is interpreted as the means towards collective action. (Type of participation)

• Citizen participation takes place throughout the entire planning process. (Degree of participation throughout the stages)

Extension ExampleExtension Example

Extension ExampleExtension Example

Extension ExampleExtension Example

Extension ExampleExtension Example

Extension ExampleExtension Example

Extension ExampleExtension Example

ConclusionsConclusions

Within a paradigm of Sustainability, participation is not a one-dimensional process or goal.

As a result, several aspects need to be considered including; the level, type, and stages of participation. As well as, the existing power structure within communities.

More importantly, as a guiding behavior, participation also needs to be considered outside of the planning process and thus includes the evaluation of traditional educational objectives.