From the introduction:
"The Participation Guide presents a simple set of guidelines
to design and implement participatory health and development
communication programs. ... [It] provides ...tips and
tools to involve affected individuals and groups in
the various stages of health and development communication
programs. This Guide provides examples of how to include
those most marginalized that a health or development
communication program is meant to empower. These people
could include low-income women of reproductive age,
youth, orphans and vulnerable children, people living
with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), or staff from organizations working
with affected individuals or groups. The Guide’s intended
audience includes program officers, program staff, and
development practitioners interested in effectively
involving those directly concerned in the health and
development communication programs they support."
This reference tool, a companion to the Health Communication
Partnership’s (HCP) new P-Process, is a step-by-step
guide for the five stages of strategic communication:
Stage 1 Analysis
Stage 2 Strategic Design
Stage 3 Development & Testing
Stage 4 Implementation & Monitoring
Stage 5 Evaluation & Replanning
The guide begins with some commonly asked questions.
For example, in response to the question: "What is participation?",
the guide includes a diagram illustrating strategies
for increasing participation - from the entry-level
step of attending programme activities, through 8 levels,
including: being consulted on a programme, selecting
leaders and resource people, setting objectives, initiating
new activities, and advocating for policy and macro
changes. It addresses participation in each specific
stage in two ways: for those directly affected and for
other key stakeholders. It gives general guidelines
for involving those affected, e.g., "strive for gender
balance"; discusses how to deal with potential resistance,
including government resistance; and adds notes on capacity
building and a list of questions to ask at every stage
of a participatory process.
In the second section, the guide gives a description
of each stage along with steps for involving affected
groups or individuals. For example, Stage I, Analysis
includes involving affected individuals or groups, a
case study from Namibia, a participatory assessment
tool, and facilitation tips. The document concludes
with a resource list.
