Sustainability Planning and Monitoring

THE MPA IN ACTION4.10 Quality controlParticipatory tools are visually interesting andexciting to work with. For new users of these toolsit is easy to get carried away by the novelty ofoutputs generated while losing sight of the processand the environment that generate them. The latter,however, are crucial to the authenticity of theresults. A few points that are critical for ensuringthe validity of results of participatory assessmentand analysis are mentioned here.The MPA tools function only in the handsof people that have experience in, andvalues and attitudes for, , using participatoryapproaches with gender and social equity.Participatory analysis requires more thanparticipatory tools. All members of teamsundertaking participatory learning assessmentswith community groups need to have experiencein the application of participatory tools andtechniques, such as PRA, SARAR, or PHAST. It isnot enough if only one or two members of theteam are so trained, because team members mustbe able to complement each other’s work duringfield application of the tools.Bias due to inappropriate facilitation styles is oneof the most important threats to quality and validityof resulting data. Facilitators with knowledge ofparticipatory techniques and some applicationexperience may still distort field level results withinappropriate facilitation styles and attitudes. Likeall participatory methods, MPA is vulnerable tofacilitators who are directive, judgmental,insensitive to gender and social status imbalanceswithin groups, being mechanical and hurried orrigid, and unable to adapt to local situations.While MPA training can emphasize building therequired attitudes and openness to learning, it isalways a good investment to have specializedfacilitation and quality monitoring observers forthe first 1-2 assessments after training. Theobservers can provide immediate feedback tofacilitator teams for course correction if necessary.The MPA has a sequence of activities thatis carried out with different groups in acommunity over a period of 4-5 days.When and where each activity takes placeis determined in consultation with thegroups which will participate.The first activities, in the first 1-2 days, are plannedwith the local leaders and members of thecommunity water and sanitation managementorganization. These activities give the facilitatorsthe time and information to plan further activitieswith other groups, such as poor women and menand non-users, at times and places of theirconvenience. Fixed workshop schedules are notappropriate. Sessions must be planned so as notto disrupt livelihood-related activities and domesticroutines. Also, it is necessary to avoid periodswhen communities experience seasonal stress orheavy workloads, such as agricultural plantingand harvests, or festivals.Factors that may inhibit participation haveto be anticipated and problem solvingstrategies planned and practiced by thefacilitators’ team.Very often, women hesitate to speak up in front ofmen and figures of authority in male-dominatedcultures. Gender-segregated settings are thenessential. Helping each group to present its resultsto other groups afterwards and then discussconclusions and action promotes two-wayunderstanding and collaboration.The presence of government officials, the villagechief, or the Water Committee chairman mayprevent the poor, women and/or non-users ofservices from freely expressing their views. In suchcases, sessions are planned without inhibitingpresences or a team member tactfully takes the45