Abstract:
This study aims to investigate participatory approaches in community development
projects in non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The primary data was obtained
from 10 in-depth interviews with 10 NGO project managers in the northern province
of Sri Lanka. Thematic analysis was used to identify participatory approaches in
community projects. The study revealed that NGOs widely apply participatory
approaches in the project initiation, planning, implementation and evaluation stages.
Also, the study identified the following practices of participatory approaches in
NGOs; Participatory meetings, teamwork, participation in fieldwork, participation in
rural and needs assessments, cross-sectional walking, open discussions, community
meetings, and participatory evaluation. The project managers emphasized that
participatory approaches are very important for the project's success and
sustainability in community development projects. However, they emphasized the
following obstacles that hinder the effective application of participatory approaches
such as political influences, different casts/groups in the communities, lack of
technical knowledge among beneficiaries, and conflict between people in the
community.
