How Participatory Is Participation? The Case Of The Idrc – Naro Participatory Development Communication Initiative In Uganda; 2001 – 2007.
Abstract:In participatory communication, the degree of participation lies on a continuum that is largely determined by the power holder. This paper points out key areas in the implementation process of a participatory development communication (PDC) initiative that took place between Uganda’s national banana researchers, and banana farmers, with funding from IDRC. The paper aims at tasking readers to ascertain the degree of participation in the participatory communication initiative. PDC is a ten-step process that mobilizes communities to take part in their development by involving them in joint identification of an objective, and in implementing, monitoring and evaluating activities all aimed at achieving the identified objective. The banana researchers resorted to PDC after their dissatisfaction at the low rate of farmers’ uptake and sustained utilization of researched banana information. IDRC facilitated NARO banana researchers to employ participatory development communication with the hope of improving farmers’ natural resource and banana management. The objective of the initiative was to try out a participatory communication methodology that promised to result in small scale farmers’ sustainable adoption of researched banana information and technologies. Researchers later reported that the PDC initiative had led to achievement of the initiative’s objectives. In conclusion, the paper proposes that considering the kaleidoscopic nature of participatory communication, there is need for guidelines to be explicitly specified regarding its implementation, so as to prevent its manipulation.
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