Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 2) | Page 86

Practice Issues Dear Social Service Practitioners, Participation is a common word in many initiatives at the ground. But what exactly do we mean when we say we want to build collaborations, form partnerships or build a sense of ownership through participation? In some instances, participation is synonymous with engagement. It is useful to be clear about who should participate and when they should do so; in what and for what outcomes, in order to allow meaningful contact and work to be done. It is also useful to decide the level of stakeholder involvement during different stages of a project or programme. Designing Deeper Levels of Participation ‘Stakeholder participation’ is a common theme today. Thinking about the participation of stakeholders in any process involves making choices. It can involve anyone with an interest (even a marginal one) in a project: from co-designers of a project to those with experience in performing an intervention. Involving all stakeholders equally intensely is almost never feasible or useful. If we can we should avoid saying ‘We will involve all stakeholders.’ We should instead be more precise about who matters more and in what ways. Sometimes a general invitation to step forward to be involved and participate in solving problems may not be appropriate if there is no plan to organise the responses. It risks having too many cooks without anyone taking ownership of following up. It can also generate uncertainty and discourage those who give their feedback and views. It is therefore more constructive to spend time to carefully analyse who can and should be invited to contribute so that there is some structure for engagement. So what should we consider to bring about deeper levels of participation in projects? Participation at a very basic level, is about enabling people to give their views about issues and concerns. Those who participate often have an expectation that decision makers listen and take relevant action in culturally appropriate ways. Often, they expect decision makers to be transparent and close the loop with them even if what they hear goes against what they hope for. Unless decision makers are prepared to engage in this manner, it may not be productive to provide platforms for views. 85