1. Participatory Rural Development Projects
Lecture 16
Rural Development
Rural development is a strategy designed to improve the social life of a specific group of people – the
rural people. It involves extending the benefits of development to the poorest among those who seek a
livelihood on rural areas . The group includes small holders, tenants and landless (World Bank 1974)
Participatory Development Functions
1. Identifying and eliciting development priorities by the target community itself.
2. Strengthening the civic skills of the poor by nurturing community organizations.
3. Enabling communities to work together for the common good.
Peoples Participation
Peoples participation as a strategy of rural development was given a new fillip beginning in 1970 , when
the various governments in developing countries , international agencies and research bodies became
disenchanted with the pace and direction of economic growth and social progress of 1960.
Nature and definition of participation
Definition ofParticipation
In narrow connotation as the active engagement of citizens with public institutions as activity which falls
into three well defined modes , voting, election, and contacting.
In broad sense , participation is a “ a collective sustained activity for the purpose of achieving some
common objectives especially a more equitable distribution of benefits of development (UNESCO 1979)
Definition ofParticipation
The centrality of participation can be realized from a definition of good governance put forward by
UNDP (1997) which states that:
‘… governance comprises the complex mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens
and groups articulate their interests, mediate their differences and exercise their legal rights and
obligations. Good governance is, among other things, participatory transparent and accountable. It is also
effective and equitable. And it promotes the rule of law. Good governance ensures that political, social
and economic priorities are based on broad consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and
most vulnerable are heard in decision-making over the allocation of development resources (UNDP,
1997, cited by Sibbel, 2005: 6).
Variety of participation

2. 1. Horizontal
Involves partisan or political behavior, interest group activities, involved collectively in efforts to
influence policy decision.
2. Vertical
Any occasion when member of the public develop particular relation with elites or officials , relation they
are mutually beneficial .
3. Administration
It includes decision by farmers whether to adopt new technology, rural dwellers meeting together to plan
communal efforts to put up a market or taking part in civic education programme.
Dimension ofparticipation
When used in developmental activities the question is how to operationalize the participation
Such as
1. What ( activities0
2. Who ( farmers)
3. How the way)
Participatory Approach in Rural Development
There are Two main traditional approaches in rural development
1. Community development programmes which were aimed at preparing the rural population to
collaborate with government development plans.
2. Establishment of formal organizations ( cooperatives, farmers associations etc. etc.)
Participatory Extension
The participatory extension paradigm is essentially a combination of technology transfer,advisory
services, and human resources development, and involves two key elements. The first element addresses
how extension systems are organized and emphasizes the fact that all types of farmers,especially small-
scale and women farmers, must play an important role in setting extension priorities and shaping
extension programs. By so doing, farmers will take more “ownership” over these ongoing extension
programs and operations. The second key element of the participatory extension approach generally
encompasses more participatory extension methods, such as experiential learning and farmer-to-farmer
exchanges. It emphasizes that knowledge is gained through interactive processes that include extension
field staff, private-sector firms, NGOs, and/or innovative and progressive farmers within local or nearby
communities. Participants are expected to make their own decisions, especially about how they will
intensify and/or diversify their farming systems.