Working with Groups → Enabling community participation

Enabling community participation

People affected by disaster have important capacities, competencies and aspirations, and ultimate responsibility for their own future and survival.  Their involvement at all stages is vital.

Factors to consider about participation in humanitarian action

• How has the crisis impacted people’s ability and willingness to participate?
• Have you asked people what level of participation they want?
• What is the local perception and trust of  humanitarian agencies?
• What participative approaches would accommodate such limitations?
• How can you avoid generating unrealistic expectations as an outcome of their participation?
• What is the local social hierarchy and how is participation perceived?
• What physical or cultural barriers could inhibit participation?.
• What are the political dynamics and who are the major stakeholders?
• Who wields power within the local context and how can you ensure equal participation of the most vulnerable and marginalised?
• How might participation affect security or protection risks to aid workers and beneficiary groups, and how might these be addressed?
• What are the risks that participation will increase marginalising and stigmatising vulnerable groups, and how can these be mitigated?
• What are the organisational and beneficiary time and resource constraints?
• How can existing initiatives or intermediaries be used as a bridge to the affected population?
• How could participation compromise your independence and impartiality?
• How can you maintain and communicate this impartiality to those affected?   
• How can you promote the engagement of local stakeholders in wider relief or recovery operations and coordination e.g. advocating for translation of information, interpretation services, accountability / transparency?
• What additional information or expertise do you need to adopt an appropriate  participatory approach and tackle the challenges identified?

Useful participatory tools

For further tools and details of their application in the project cycle – see the ALNAP Practitioners Guide under Additional Resources.