Participatory methods and techniques are relevant to a broad range of sectors and interventions including programmes in sustainable agriculture, urban transport, education and training, health, and rural and urban development and regeneration.
There is increasing recognition in these different policy domains that bottom-up involvement of local people in the development (and evaluation) process is key to achieving broad policy objectives.
Involvement here implies active engagement of local people and agencies that goes beyond eliciting the views of individuals, to processes of interactive dialogue, collective learning and joint action.