Abstract
Taking into consideration that the development of a technical methodology is a fundamental goal of international technical cooperation projects, there is a need for comprehensive and participatory approaches to development that incorporate both technical as well as social aspects. In association with a Bolivian counterpart organization, a technical cooperation project of JICA (the Japanese International Cooperation Agency) for afforestation and erosion control was implemented in a small watershed area encompassing three communities, whose members participated in the project over a period of five years. In implementing the project, the participatory approach caused basic problems. Through the establishment of a community based organization in the project area, community members were encouraged to actively participate in erosion control activities. However, the final project evaluation mission, realized in March and April 2003, found that their participation, while functional, was not self mobilized. Focusing the objectives of participation, whether it is a means or end, the authors concluded that participatory approach was effectively utilized as a means, though the broad aim of participatory development was not sufficiently achieved in this project.
In the future, the following points should be well considered prior to the implementation of international technical cooperation projects on soil erosion control, watershed management and related activities which take the participatory approach: monitoring the relationship between the system of incentives and the achievement of project goals must be undertaken, while at the same time it is neither reasonable nor necessary that the participatory approach be incorporated into every technical cooperation project.
