Involving the Community: A Guide to Participatory Development Communication Guy Bessette Publisher: Southbound in association with IDRC ISBN 983-9054-41-4.  168 pages.  14 X 21.5 cm. Paperback: US$18

This guide is intended for people working in research and development. It introduces participatory development communication concepts, discusses the use of effective two-way communication approaches, and presents a methodology to plan, develop and evaluate communication strategies to address the following questions:

How can researchers and practitioners improve communication with local communities and other stakeholders?

How can two-way communication enhance community participation in research and development initiatives and improve the capacity of communities to participate in the management of their natural resources?

How can researchers, community members and development practitioners improve their ability to effectively reach policy makers and promote change?

Foreword by Nora Quebral

Introduction

Roles
The researcher or development practitioner as a communication actor
o Introduction
o The researcher and the development practitioner as a communication actor
o Participatory development communication
o The researcher and the development practitioner as a facilitator
o Making participatory research and development more effective
o Where does it come from?
o Major trends in development communication
o The limits of participatory development communication
o Implementing a participatory view of development
o Community participation
o Using communication to facilitate participation
o Participatory research and participatory development communication

Methodology
How to plan a participatory development communication strategy
o Introduction
o The methodological approach
o Step 1: Establishing a relationship with a local community and understanding the local setting
o Step 2: Involving the community in the identification of a problem, its potential solutions, and the decision to carry out a concrete initiative
o Step 3: Identifying the different community groups and other stakeholders concerned with the identified problem (or goal) and initiative
o Step 4: Identifying communication needs, objectives and activities
o Step 5: Identifying appropriate communication tools
o Step 6: Preparing and pre-testing communication content and materials
o Step 7: Facilitating partnerships
o Step 8: Producing an implementation plan
o Step 9: Monitoring and evaluating the communication strategy and documenting the development or research process
o Step 10: Planning the sharing and utilization of results
o Concluding remarks

Tools
Using communication tools with a participatory approach
o Introduction

Types of communication tools in PDC
o Interpersonal communication tools
o Group media tools
o Traditional media tools
o Mass media tools
o Information and communication technologies tools

Identifying communication tools for different kinds of applications
o Triggering the process of participatory communication
o Supporting and moderating discussion groups
o Extending group discussion sessions
o Reaching other groups or participants beyond the immediate locale
o Supporting learning and the exchange of knowledge
o Helping participants communicate with each other or with a specific group
o Evaluating and keeping a record of activities

Conclusion

Bibliography

Annex
o Major trends in development communication