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'''2. Why use participatory methodologies?'''

Participatory methodologies have gained considerable support from donors, governments and practitioners around the world since the 1980s. These approaches emerged and gained popularity as alternatives to the ‘blueprint’ approach to top-down development employed by many extension agents, international agencies and research institutions. Participatory methodologies have subsequently been developed and refined for different purposes. Some are focused broadly, like PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) while others have been designed for a specific sector, like PHAST (Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation) in the water supply and environmental sanitation sector.

'''3. Core principles of participatory methodologies'''

The majority of participatory methodologies used today are based on a set of principles called SARAR:

'''4. Strengths and weaknesses of participatory methodologies'''

No one methodology is foolproof. It is therefore important to highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of participatory approaches.