Participatory Processes

To us, working in a participatory way means that we actively engage a team of stakeholders selected by the organization as our partner in designing and carrying out a project. We have many years of experience demonstrating that, where appropriate, participatory approaches contribute to:

• Products and processes that better reflect organizational aims
• Greater leveraging of team member experience and skills to strengthen the project
• Teams with deeper investment in the project’s results and the use of these results
• Teams with enhanced skills, experience, and confidence to conduct similar projects in the future

New Perspectives facilitates the process and provides training, coaching, and coordination as needed for people with various backgrounds, organizational roles, and skill sets to be actively engaged in the work. We focus on accessible language, people’s assets, and power dynamics, as well as listening, shared decision-making, and down-to-earth planning.

Some projects lend themselves to a participatory approach more than others. For example, many evaluation and assessment projects benefit from this approach. But in all cases, organizational priorities, desired outcomes, timelines, staff availability, funding, and the like will suggest an appropriate approach.

Regardless of whether a project is participatory, New Perspectives is committed to providing clients with information and opportunities for input and capacity-building that ensure that the work advances their organizations in critical ways.