Empowerment and Participation It is interesting how the word

communication can change life at home and at work. When everyone is

aware of what is going on around him or her, they can function better. What
a concept! All of the readings I have done taught communicating is the key.
We read about ridding the stigma of upper management, getting their hands
dirty, understanding their position, and why it is important to the rest of the
company. This chapter takes it one step further and says talk about the
company finances as well. It is important for employees to understand the
business in its entirety. That includes the finances of the job. All of the
readings in this chapter had something to offer. I feel taking a bit from each
will provide a work place of splendor. Finances include a variety of things:
From hiring a new employee to purchasing a new tool to make the job easier.
It is those decisions we make which can make difference of saving, spending
and making money. It is these decisions that can make or break a company.
The old school tells us not to share finances with anyone else in the company
but those directly on top. The new school is saying that this philosophy is all
wrong. If one want an employee to do the best he or she can do, and feel
important, give them the company information. Let all the employees know
what role they play. Allow them to make decisions that will make their job
easier. As implied before, who betters know the job than the employee
performing the job? The reading, Zapp! The Lightening of Empowerment
suggests managers help their employees take ownership of their jobs. This
requires trust, listening to the workers, and giving feedback. The novel
concept here is to treat people like humans. Like any relationship, one needs
these qualities to survive. If one gives positive reinforcements people tend to
respect them. Employers hire people everyday with the hopes and trust they
will do their job. But when people do not understand the role they really play
in the company, they may not give their full effort. Hence, we have Saps,
people who lack the main ingredients of relationships discussed earlier. We
must let the employees know we trust them to make good positive decisions.
Give them the empowerment by letting them know they are valued, and
commending them on jobs well done. Open Book Management suggests we
share our finances with the other employees no matter what their status,
and give them a stake in the company. After all, this is a good suggestion,
why work if one can't reap the benefits of their work? It also suggests that
many employees are business illiterate, and if we want them to understand
business we need to teach it to them. In conclusion, all of the readings I have
done so far make management more then just problem solvers. They have
become part of the problem. To solve their own problems managers need to
be teachers, coaches, and a wealth of knowledge to be shared. Businesses
need to be a team, and to this they need to share every aspect of the team.
When the business succeeds all should have a share in the profit, and when
it fails all are responsible.
PARTICIPATION IS THE KEY TO
EMPOWERMENT
by Ben Fleming

edited by Phil Bartle, PhD

Participation doesn't always lead to empowerment. It takes a supportive environment in which to

nurture people's aspirations and skills for empowerment to ultimately occur. Some means of
achieving this are:

• Don't underestimate people. Give them tools to manage complexity; don't, shield them
from it
• Divide the issues into bite-sized chunks
• Start with people's own concerns and the issues relevant to them/li>
• Don't superimpose your own ideas and solutions at the outset
• Help people widen their perceptions of the choices available and to clarify the
implications of each option
• Build in visible early successes to develop the confidence of participants
• "Staircase" skills, trust and commitment to the process: offer a progressive range of levels
of involvement and help people to move up the ladder
• Direct empowerment training for participants may not be appreciated - it may be better to
develop skills more organically as part of the process
• If at all possible, avoid going for a comprehensive irreversible solution. Set up an
iterative learning process, with small, quick, reversible pilots and experiments
• Continuously review and widen membership. As new interests groups are discovered
how will they be integrated into the process?
• Help people to build their understanding of complex and remote decision processes
which are outside the delegated powers of the participation process but which are
affecting the outcomes
• Nurture new networks and alliances
• Plans must be meaningful and lead to action
• Manage the link between the private ability of the various interest groups to deliver on
their commitments and the public accountability and control of the implementation
• Build in opportunities for reflection and appraisal
• Make sure people are having fun! (from «The Guide to effective Participation» by David
Wilcox)

Ten Key Ideas about Participation

1. Level of participation
Sherry Arnstein (1969) described a ladder of participation with eight steps. Briefly, these are: 1
Manipulation and 2 Therapy. Non participative. The aim is to cure or educate the participants.
The proposed plan is best and the job of participation is to achieve public support by public
relations. 3 Informing. A most important first step to legitimate participation. But too frequently
the emphasis is on a one way flow of information. No channel for feedback. 4 Consultation.
Attitude surveys, neighbourhood meetings and public enquires. But a window dressing ritual. 5
Placation. Co-option of hand-picked 'worthies' onto committees. 6 Partnership. Power
redistributed through negotiation between citizens and power holders. Planning and decision-
making responsibilities are shared. 7 Delegated power. Citizens holding a clear majority of seats
on committees with delegated powers to make decisions. Public now has the power to assure
accountability of the program to them. 8 Citizen Control. Have-nots handle the entire job of
planning, policy making and managing a program.

2. Initiation and process

Participation doesn't just happen, it is initiated. Someone then manages a process over time, and
allows others involved some control over what happens. The process is described during four
phases: Initiation - Preparation - Participation - Continuation.

3. Control

The initiator is in a strong position to decide how much control for. This decision is equivalent to
taking a stand on the ladder - or adopted a stance about the level of participation.

4. Power and Purpose

Understanding participation involves understanding power: the ability of the different interests to
achieve what they want. Power will depend on who has information and money. It will also
depend on people's confidence and skills. Many organizations are unwilling to allow people to
participate because they fear loss of control. However, there are many situations when working
together allows everyone to achieve more than they could on their own. These represent the
benefits of participation.

5. Role of the facilitators

Facilitators control much of what happens. It is important they constantly think about the part
they are playing.

6. Stakeholders and Community

A stakeholder is anyone who has a stake in what happens. Who will be affected by any project,
who controls the information, skills and money needed, who may help and who may hinder?.
Everyone affected does not have an equal say. Use the ladder to think about who has most
influence.
The community which participates depends on the project as different people are interested in
different issues.

7. Partnership

Useful when a number of different interests willingly come together formally or informally to
achieve some common purpose. The partners don't have to be equal in skills, funds or even
confidence, but they do have to trust each other and share some commitment. Building trust and
commitment takes time.

8. Commitment

Commitment is the other side of apathy: committed people want to achieve something, apathetic
don't. But what leads to commitment? Not telling people "You ought to care," inviting them to
public meetings or bombarding them with glossy leaflets. People care about what they are
interested in, and become committed when they feel they can achieve something. Hard selling
won't achieve that. If people are apathetic about your proposals, it may simply be that they don't
share your interests or concerns.

9. Ownership of ideas

People are most likely to be committed to carry something through if they have a stake in the
idea, or allow people to say "We thought of that." In practice that means running brainstorming
workshops, helping people think through the practicality of ideas, and negotiating with others a
result which is acceptable to as many people as possible. Apathy is directly proportional to the
stake people have in ideas and outcomes.

10. Confidence and capacity

Putting ideas into practice depends on people's confidence and skills. Many participation
processes involve breaking new ground. It is unrealistic to expect individuals or small groups
suddenly to develop the capability to make complex decisions and become involved in major
projects. They need training or the opportunity to learn formally and informally, to develop
confidence, and trust in each other.

Empowerment And Participation

Empowerment and Participation It is interesting how the word communication
can change life at home and at work. When everyone is aware of what is going
on around him or her, they can function better. What a concept! All of the
readings I have done taught communicating is the key. We read about ridding
the stigma of upper management, getting their hands dirty, understanding their
position, and why it is important to the rest of the company. This chapter takes
it one step further and says talk about the company finances as well. It is
important for employees to understand the business in its entirety. That
includes the finances of the job. All of the readings in this chapter had
something to offer. I feel taking a bit from each will provide a work place of
splendor. Finances include a variety of things: From hiring a new employee to
purchasing a new too

ol to make the job easier. It is those decisions we make which can make
difference of saving, spending and making money. It is these decisions that can
make or break a company. The old school tells us not to share finances with
anyone else in the company but those directly on top. The new school is saying
that this philosophy is all wrong. If one want an employee to do the best he or
she can do, and feel important, give them the company information. Let all the
employees know what role they play. Allow them to make decisions that will
make their job easier. As implied before, who betters know the job than the
employee performing the job? The reading, Zapp! The Lightening of
Empowerment suggests managers help their employees take ownership of their
jobs. This requires trust, listening to the workers, and giving feedback. The novel
concept here is to t

Participation and Empowerment

Go to the people, Live among them, Learn from them, Plan with them, Work with them, Start with what they know, Build on what they have, Teach by
showing, Learn by doing, Not a showcase but a pattern, Not odds and ends but a system, Not piecemeal but an integrated approach, Not to conform but to
transform, Not relief but release.
Credo of Rural Reconstruction

Participation and empowerment are key factors in sustainable development. Local ‘ownership’ is
essential to sustain capacity but depends on wide-spread participation, which in turn requires
empowerment.
Empowerment occurs when people realise that they can make a contribution or solve problems, and they
have a right and responsibility to do so.
Many factors work against empowerment: a lack of self-confidence and experience in resolving issues, an
environment that thwarts self-help efforts. Participatory development aims to assist individuals and
communities in overcoming these obstacles to development. Participatory approaches emphasise
strengths - the skills, knowledge, and resources available already - and through success builds
confidence, motivation, and problem-solving strategies. As communities gain a sense of control over their
lives this leads to further community action and communal cohesion (social capital).
Empowerment leads to people, organisations, and communities gaining control over their lives, enabling
them to move from powerless non-participants to active and effective citizens.
It is based on the premise that people know best about their own needs and resources: if all community
members are involved at all stages then programs have a far greater chance of success than those
imposed from ‘outside’ or ‘above’.
Sustainable development cannot be achieved without massive advances in the empowerment of women
and minority groups. For more information see the pages on Gender and Minorities.

Information on participatory approaches to developing commuities:

 • Communitybuilders.nsw provides resources and links to community development toolboxes and
handbooks, case studies and organisations from around the world. It includes sections on setting
up and organisation; project planning and management, media, people, and capacity building.

• The development gateway ELDIS, provides both a Participation Resource Guide (information and
case studies on participatory approaches; manuals and toolkits on participatory methods) and
Participation.net (a global, online space for sharing ideas about the participation of people in
development, citizenship, governance and rights).

• OneWorld Guides provides tools and case studies on capacity building and community
development.OneWorld Guides provides tools and case studies on capacity building and
community development.

• Institute of Development Studies Participation Resource Centre provides links to research and
information on citizen participation, governance, democracy and rights.

• The International Institute for Sustainable Development promotes a strengths-based approach to

community development rather than the more common problem-oriented methods.

• The South African based Centre for Developmental Practice aims to influence development
practice and provides comment on current development practice.

Organisations involved in community building are also a good source of practical information:

• World Neighbours helps people develop, manage and sustain their own programs. Most
programs begin using locally available resources and simple, low-cost technologies. As people
gain skills and confidence, local leaders and organizations emerge to carry on the work, multiply
results and participate in coalitions advocating for wider change.

• Pact seeks to empower vulnerable groups and works with them to combat isolation, exclusion,
and human rights violations stemming from stigmatization and discrimination. These groups
include women, orphans and vulnerable children, civilian victims of war, people living with
disabilities, and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

• The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) is a rural development organisation with
80 years experience, working in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It promotes people-centred
development through capacity building for poor people and their communities, development
organisations and agencies.

• Journey to Forever is a pioneering expedition by a small, mobile non-government organisation

involved in environment and rural development work, starting from Hong Kong and travelling
40,000 kilometres through 26 countries in Asia and Africa to Cape Town, South Africa. The site
provides easy access to information and case studies.