Participation in development is a process of equitable and active involvement of all stakeholders in the formulation of development policies and strategies and in the analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development activities. To allow for a more equitable development process, disadvantaged stakeholders need to be empowered to increase their level of knowledge, influence and control over their own livelihoods, including development initiatives affecting them.

Participation is an iterative process involving the continuous re-adjustment of relationships between different stakeholders in an organization and in society at large in order to increase stakeholder control and influence over development initiatives that affect their lives.

Participation is the key to sustainable development, since it will lead to:

• building on existing potentials and capacities
• a greater sense of ownership on the part of the stakeholders
• increased commitment to agreements
• longer term social sustainability
• increased self-help capacities
• stronger and more democratic institutions and partnerships

How to ensure participation in development?

Participatory processes, approaches, methods, tools, activities and related changes in attitudes can facilitate a more equitable and demand-driven participatory development process.

Towards this end FAO’s Participation Website has been serving for many years as a virtual community of development professionals and others interested in sharing knowledge, lessons learned, ideas and practical experiences. Today more than 880 FAO publications and more than 340 methods and tools from around the world and lessons learned articles and links to a wide range of related organizations are accessible through the site.