CIPAST IN PRACTICE provides three different and complementary elements:
- information resources about designing participatory procedures (see chapter ‘Design’ which include a suggested model of a training workshop, based on experiences from accomplished workshops (see ‘Design’ / ‘Workshop blueprint’ );
- elementary sets for teaching and learning which are based on ‘real life case studies’ and which can be used and re-assembled by potential users (see chapter ‘Practice’ ); and
- further resources like experts, literature and additional experiences (see chapter ‘What else?’ ).
Navigation is simple. The coloured bars on top of the pages show the different chapters or steps in the training process. Each chapter start with a general introduction or overview. The navigation bar on the left allows to choose different content available in these chapters. All pages can be printed by the print-device of your web browser. In addition the offered material can be downloaded either as PowerPoint presentation or as Acrobat pdf-file for your use in the training situation. Hyperlinks will lead to the specific files. When choosing a PowerPoint presentation don’t forget to read the additional notes in the presentation.
Designing Participatory Procedures
A fact that every organizer of a workshop or training session has to consider is that the majority of the participants will not have read the working documents before the sessions. This will detract the effect and outcome of most of the case studies. The CIPAST experience also showed a lack of knowledge about participatory methods among the participants. Thus there is an absolute need for input on methodologies before working on a case study. This can be achieved in adapting the sessions on “planning participation” and “how to achieve impact” in a way which would guarantee that trainees get a good appraisal of the characteristics of the main participatory procedures and a fair understanding of their advantages and limits.
Lack of time is always a problem in workshops with active involvement of participants. The employment of a moderator for the working groups therefore is essential for the dynamic and the production of the group.
The Case Studies
All case studies presented in this training package were developed by involving actors and users. They either deal with designing a participatory process in a specific context ( ‘GM Vine’ , ‘Nano Dialogue’ , ‘Nuclear Waste’ , ‘Doing Dialogue’ ), or offer opportunities for learning more in depth about one specific methodology ( ‘Ocean Rise’ ). All case studies were tested in training sessions in two international workshops 2006 (http://www.cipast.org/cipast.php?section=41) and 2007 (http://www.cipast.org/cipast.php?section=42).
Although users can go through the case studies in a self learning process the offered case studies were prepared for workshop settings. Participants are put in the role of practitioners and are enabled to bring their experiences together in a learning situation. They will have to perform different tasks in small groups. The tasks illustrate some of the difficulties of design and implementation of public participation in practice such as the choice of a procedure, convincing a given policy maker of the rationale for public participation or drafting a press release.
Each case study starts with a short description of the case, then describes the training objectives, the training method and the previously required knowledge. A clear guideline on how to work with the case study is given which includes advices when to use which additional material as well as a workshop timetable.
For each case study the expert of the ‘real’ case is mentioned to get further information if necessary.
Additional resources
In the last chapter of this training package you will find other case studies which are less structured for a training situation as well as poster presentations on different projects and experiences involving the public.
Excerpts from the CIPAST database mentioning national experts and processes and a bibliography with selected publications and websites support possible needs on further information.
You as potential user of this training package can contribute to the promotion of participatory procedures by supplying your edited case study to the CIPAST platform.