1. Introduction

An international meeting on participatory development took place in Dakar, Senegal, from the 25-28^th April 2000. This meeting, which was co-organised by the West African Rural Foundation (FRAO/WARF) and the Sahel Programme of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), with finance from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) Brighton, brought together 70 participants from 13 countries, primarily francophone. The objectives of the meeting were:

• To analyse the experience and current challenges for participatory development in francophone Africa;
• To reflect on strategies for the future of participatory development in Francophone Africa; and
• To define mechanisms for collaboration for improving the impact of participatory development in Africa.

Discussions as well as the exhibitions during the Fair for Participatory Methods allowed us to state that much progress has been made. At the same time, the participants recognised that certain challenges remain, the analysis of which have allowed the formulation of a certain number of statements and recommendations.

1. Development of national and transnational frameworks

The participants of the meeting have formulated two statements:

• Heterogeneity in situations from one country to the next and the discontinuity of communication generates notable regional distortions in Francophone Africa;
• These distortions far from being a handicap, justify the urgency of the development and the reinforcement of national and transnational frameworks of collaboration, of which the mission/aim is to engage in reflection, help production (of methods) and reinforce methodological convergence in the field of participatory development.

As a result of these statements, the meeting recommended the following statements to the participants:

With regards to the creation and reinforcement of national frameworks of collaboration

• Work out a national framework for collaboration, identify a focal point among the various organisations interested of which the responsibility will be to act as a relay and to facilitate exchanges between national actors and between focal points.

• To identify and evaluate needs of institutional support and to reinforce organisational capacity necessary for the establishment of this mission within three months. These needs will be submitted to IIED and FRAO.

• To expand the limits of participation from the national framework level and to take into consideration exchange mechanisms including the grassroots level.

With regard to the creation of a transnational framework of collaboration.

• To create a transnational framework of inter-institutional collaboration so called ‘Space for exchanges and reflection on Participatory Development’

• To give mandate to IIED and FRAO to finalise the conceptualisation of this framework and to steer the primary steps.

• To create working groups around central themes such as documenting the impact of participatory processes, extension of ICT, Development of methodological innovations (in fields such as gender, children, poverty assessment, urban aspects etc.). IIED and WARF will work closely in order to define the terms of reference, to promote the involvement of actors and to facilitate and identify coordinators for these working groups.

1. With regard to the impact of participatory approaches.

The participants of the meeting at Dakar have recognised that despite advances attained so far the reinforcement of experience will depend largely on our capacity to document and to prove the impact of participatory approaches in the improvement of the living conditions of local people. To this regard, it has been recommended that a mechanism is established which will allow the identification and measurement of the impact of participatory approaches in the Francophone African context. To establish such a mechanism, the meeting proposed that the Sahel Programme of IIED is the main coordinator of this activity. With reference to this, IIED is requested to engage with this as soon as possible with the establishment of structures considered at the present meeting for the establishment of terms of reference for a programme on the evaluation of the impact of participation in francophone Africa.

Concerning the institutionalisation of the participatory approach

Some decisive steps have been taken regarding the conception and the diffusion of participatory methods.

It is necessary to validate individual and collective experiences which contain areas of complementarity.

• Under the guise of the workshop, there is a call to decompartmentalise institutions and to bring forth methodological renewal. FRAO and IIED could help the production of concepts with greater relationship/reference to current practice in participatory development. Propositions must be completed by the 2 institutions by the next meeting.

1. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

The essence of ICT is one of the major concerns of these last 2 decades. Radio, television, telecommunications (fixed and mobile), electronic networks, notably the internet are no longer merely simple support structures — neutral technologies for the diffusion of information. They are not only transporters of contents but also creators of contents which play multiple roles;

• Liaison role (between individuals, groups and communities)
• Development role (of ideas, of culture and of causes)
• Advocacy role (becoming aware of and moulding public opinion)
• Organisational role (establishment of networks etc.)

These different functions make ICT not only variables in the debate but also serious parameters in the exercise of all political, intellectual, cultural and economic power. The promotion of participatory development approaches exists as a result of the effective taking in charge of levying powers. In this perspective, the international workshop proposes that FRAO initiates rapidly, based on its experience, a reflection of the use of ICT so that it is not just a simple effect of fashion but of real operators for the development of methodological and conceptual approaches of participatory development.

1. Publications and the diffusion of information.

The meeting recommends the creation of closer linkages between FRAO and IIED on one hand and between the institutions and other organisations attending the workshop on the other.

• To face up to the difficulties related to the collection and diffusion of information, a greater link between the RCPLA Network and the communication work of FRAO has been recommended. For practical reasons, FRAO and IIED must reflect on the mechanisms for better communication between their different networks.

• In the area of diffusion of information bulletins, co-publication of an information bulletin concerning participatory development has been suggested. Furthermore, IIED, FRAO and other organisations which have higher potential for publication can share this initiative. It has been suggested that FRAO and IIED reflect on the practical modalities concerning format, regularity and languages of diffusion.

• In the first instance, a website relating to the meeting will be created and housed at FRAO, providing access to all the papers, to the journal and to additional information.

• It has also been recommended that the papers prepared by the participants be edited and widely disseminated. IIED and FRAO, as well as other institutions, are invited to find resources necessary for such an output.

Completed at Dakar, April 28^th 2000