Defining of Participation Mode

One of the important steps is to discuss and agree the type and style participation at the earliest stage. Modes of participation may vary between minimal consultation through shared working to shared decision-making and degrees of empowerment. Different approaches may require different mechanisms. There are various models, which help to explain the options and around which programs may be designed and mechanisms for involvement selected. As a result of the EU Demonstration project a 'partnership' model has been adopted, acknowledging the following modes of participation:

• legal requirements
• information-giving where people are told what is planned with little opportunity for feed-back;
• information-receiving where comments are received and taken into account in decision-making (Information giving and gathering are the key components of consultation.);
• shared working where participants are actively involved in jointly studying issues, e.g. through topic or issue groups;
• shared decisions where participants resolve differences together and take collective decisions;
• empowerment/self-mobilisation involving greater freedom of decision making in defined spheres or through neutral facilitation, or via self-mobilization where people initiate action independently of external institutions.

These are not to be rigidly separated, but to be seen as cumulative options, each stage dependent on previous. Thus together information-giving and information-receiving comprise conventional consultation, while genuine participation builds on these while moving towards joint working and shared decision-making.

after:

EU Demonstration Programme on Integrated Management in Coastal Zones 1997-1999