Dimensions of participation. Experiences, lessons and tips from agricultural research practitioners in Sub-Saharan Africa

This book is about participation in agricultural research. It documents the experience of practitioners in implementing agricultural research projects in which participation has been a central issue. This experience is documented through case studies, and through summaries of the authors' experience. Reference is made to other literature on aspects of participation, both specific and general. The case studies give first hand accounts of the challenges and successes involved in using participatory approaches in agricultural research projects undertaking technology development and adaptation. Written by practitioners, the case studies cover many practical aspects of design and implementation that are not covered in more academic and conceptual writing on this subject, or in general manuals on how to undertake participatory agricultural research. The existing books, manuals and guidelines adequately outline the key principles and approaches in participatory agricultural research (e.g. Okali et al., 1994; Van Veldhuizen et al., 1997; Sutherland, 1998). This book is different from most others on participatory agricultural research in the following respects: it organizes and compares case-study experiences within topical chapters, rather than having case studies written as separate chapters; it embraces a wider view of participation- in addition to interaction between farmers and researchers, this view includes participation both within project teams and between the project team and other stakeholders in the agricultural research process; it is not a training manual detailing what to do, when to do it and how; however, lessons and tips are provided for the topics covered; it is rooted in project experiences rather than in development discourse, and does not advocate a particular participatory research philosophy, or claim to break new ground in terms of participatory concepts and methods. The aim of the book is to stimulate learning, primarily by presenting examples of how a range of projects handled various components of the participatory research process. These examples are given within a broader discussion of the typical challenges and issues faced by projects and practitioners when using participatory approaches to develop and adapt agricultural technology. Drawing on the case studies and other experiences, some lessons, strategies and tips are outlined in relation to particular topics within participatory agricultural research