NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2

Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto

……..LEARNING OBJECTIVES…………………………………………………………………………………..

At the end the chapter, the student will be able to:

1. Understand the importance of participatory planning and implementation;

2. Discuss the different concepts of participatory planning; and
3. Apply the steps in participatory planning.

……..OVERVIEW………………………………………………………………………………………………….

This chapter deals with participatory planning and implementation. Specifically, it discusses
the meaning, principles, and levels of planning, as well as a brief historical development of
participatory planning.

……..LECTURE……………………………………………………………………………………..…………….

Planning means to direct and guide the people who are involved in a certain project.

1. Social planning includes the areas of health, education, housing, and social welfare. Its aim
is to improve the quality of life and the standard of living of a particular minority group in a
community, e.g.,the poor, women, children, disabled, and indigenous people.

2. Assessment means to gauge the impact of a community project on the social development
of a community.

Participatory Planning

Participatory planning is the process of laying out the course of actions needed to attain a
set of socio-economic goals. It resolves community issues or problems by giving concerned
community members the chance to identify problems and propose solutions.

Historical Development of Participatory Planning

In the 1970s, professional development workers became aware of the mismatch between
the reality they constructed and the reality others experienced, dissatisfied with the short rural
visits of development technocrats only to drop by the offices of, or talk to, local male leaders;
and disillusioned with questionnaire surveys and their results. They also acknowledged that
people from the provinces themselves knew more about their situations and communities as
compared to those from the cities (Chamber, 1997). Thus, these workers developed new
methods and approaches in social planning as an alternative to centralized, top-down
planning.

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
PRINCIPLES OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING

1. Development should be seen more as a change from the bottom-up than from the top-
down.

2. The development process should be managed naturally rather than mechanically, i.e.,
unduly focused on plans, goals, objectives, targets, and schedules. This implies that the
aforementioned variables m therefore, they should be made flexible.

3. The development process should also strengthen local organizations and local government
bureaucracies. A community program should be chosen according to its ability to enhance
local development. It should start with a few schemes to solve immediate local problems, build
confidence, and earn experience.

4. The development process should be supported by local institutions with the ages, primary
cooperatives, religious and youth groups, and community based and self-help associations
playing a major role.

This is a case in point. According to Rina Jimenez-David, former Department of Interior

and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jessie Robredo's legacy is the empowerment of his
constituents. When he was the mayor of Naga City from 1988 to 2010, he laid down a clear
and comprehensive framework that allowed his constituents to take an active part in
governance. Nagueños were able to voice their concerns and suggestions to the city hall and
act in various project stages from procurement to budgeting. They also scuttled a plan to set
up a golf course. As a result, 193 non-governmental and people's organizations now work with
the local government through the Naga City People's Council.

5. The development process must be based primarily on confidence-building and learning

rather than on expertise and training. It is more important for the people who will make
decisions at the local level to have the full trust of the people they represent rather than to be
trained experts. This implies that the technical staff of central government departments should
work in tandem with local interest groups rather than just sit idly by and dismiss the plans
prepared by the latter.

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

Typology Results
1. Passive People are told of what will happen or is taking place.
2. Information-based People answer a survey team’s questionnaire (no follow-
up).
3. Consultation-based People answer a questionnaire defined or designed by
“outsiders,”
4. Incentives-based People work for cash, food, or other incentives.
5. Functional participation Decision by “outsiders” and interest groups are synthesized
to meet objectives.
6. Interactive Joint analyses, decisions, and action plans are made,
implemented, and monitored by interest groups.
7. Self-mobilization Initiatives are taken independently from official institutions.

A project is described in the Webster's Dictionary as a planned undertaking. The initial

step is to identify the specific acts that must be taken to meet a set of objectives.

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
The next is to lay down the project as reflected in the acts to be taken. A project's
common elements include the following:

1. Objectives

This element describes what the project aims to do and what the project is for.

2. Boundaries

This element specifies the scope and limitations of the project.

3. Location

This element identifies where the project will be implemented.

4. Target beneficiaries

This element states who will benefit from the implementation of the project.

5. Duration

This elements determines the schedule of the project, i.e., when the project will be
implemented and when it will end.

6. Budget

This element itemizes the expected expenses that the project will incur upon its
implementation.

7. Methodology

This element indicates the approach or manner by which the project will be
implemented.

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

Projects may vary according to their objectives, boundaries, locations, target

beneficiaries, duration, and methodology. However, all projects undergo a process called the
project development cycle consisting of these stages:

Identification Preparation Implementation Evaluation

Although the phases may appear sequentially separated, they are, in fact, circular, i.e.,
the phases continually interface with each other both back and forth.

1. Identification

In this stage, a potential project design is organized after adequate consultations with
the different stakeholders of the community.

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
2. Preparation

In this stage, the planners determine how and when a chosen project will be
implemented.

3. Implementation

In this stage, the project is carried out by the planners and the local community
members based on an agreed-upon timetable.

4. Evaluation

In this stage, the planners and the community members determine whether or not the
project objectives have been met.

……..CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………..………

Successful participatory planning will help identify and transform community weaknesses
into strengths. With the support of the local government, community members may contribute
in the planning of projects that can solve the problems that beset them. Since participatory
planning creates a sense of urgency among the members of the community, it should be
followed by the implementation of the project which has incorporated their ideas.

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
…….APPLICATION……………………………………………………………………………………………

Name ________________________________________________Course and Level _________________

Facilitator _____________________________________________Date _____________________________

A. Conduct a planning session with your classmates or groupmates and the community
leaders regarding possible community immersion activities.

B. Implement the activities you have planned. What are your observations?

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
…….REFLECTION……………………………………………………………………………………………

Name ________________________________________________Course and Level _________________

Facilitator _____________________________________________Date _____________________________

C. Write your reflection on the space provided.

1. What should your frame of mind be when conducting participatory planning with
community members?

2. What are your expectations before engaging in participatory planning?

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
…….EXERCISE 4……………………………………………………………………………………………

Name ________________________________________________Course and Level _________________

Facilitator _____________________________________________Date _____________________________

A. On the space provided, discuss substantially the following topics:

1. The importance of planning in organizing a project

2. The participatory planning process

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
B. MULTIPLE CHOICE. Write the letter that corresponds to the correct answer on the
space provided.

_____1. It is an outline that consists of strategies and specific action steps to be undertaken in
order to reach certain goals.

a. plan
b. idea
c. objective
d. concept

_____2. It is the first critical step in ensuring a project’s success.

a. developing a plan
b. developing a project
c. developing a linkage
d. developing a connection

_____3. In this process, the planning and provision of public services in local government units
are done.

a. community planning
b. community goal
c. community project
d. community assessment

_____4. Which of the following is NOT a part of social planning?

a. Analysis of social conditions

b. Social policies and agency services
c. Setting of goals and priorities
d. Monitoring of specific actions

_____5. It is defined as a planned undertaking.

a. project
b. subject
c. program
d. goal

_____6. This specifies where the project will be implemented.

a. location
b. objective
c. management
d. duration

_____7. The plan is executed during this stage.

a. preparation
b. implementation
c. identification
d. evaluation

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino
 NSTP 2 – NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM 2
Dr. Herminigildo S. Villasoto
_____8. This step is usually conducted to determine whether or not the project objectives
have been met.

a. evaluation
b. implementation
c. monitoring
d. planning

_____9. It is the first critical step in securing a project’s success.

a. developing a plan
b. developing a project
c. developing a program
d. developing a goal

_____10. It refers to the schedule of the project.

a. duration
b. objectives
c. methodology
d. location

REXSON D. TAGUBA, LPT

Guro sa Filipino