Improving Beneficiary-Centered, Participatory Development Projects through Reciprocal Information Sharing and Mental Model Building

Abstract

Small-scale, community development projects have incorporated participatory approaches to improve their long-term success; however, these projects are not as participatory nor as successful as expected. Published reviews and project reports demonstrate many of these projects are participatory in name only. They include the rhetoric of participation and empowerment, but do not address the underlying attitudes or “us versus them” nature that often occur in development projects. Intentionally or unintentionally, these attitudes lead to asymmetric flows of information, which result in limited beneficiary involvement in the project, especially in major decisions related to the project or choice of technology. The absence of reciprocal information sharing limits participation, conveys disrespect, and prevents beneficiaries from developing a sense of ownership and gaining deeper understanding of the project. These statements are substantiated by the concepts of reciprocal information sharing and mental model building from the Reasonable Person Model, a cognitive framework based on human informational needs. This paper discusses the consequences of asymmetric information sharing and the need for reciprocal information sharing in beneficiary-centered, community development projects and presents a set of guidelines to avoid frequent difficulties in these projects. The proposed guidelines are supported through extensive literature review, project evaluations, and observations from field work.