Challenges and Solutions in Participatory Development: Managing Constraints, Power, and Adaptation
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Article | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-prtdvchange-09
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About the Article
Participatory development aspires to inclusion, ownership, and sustainability—but its practice is often hindered by resource scarcity, power imbalances, cultural barriers, weak institutions, and political instability. This article synthesizes these challenges and proposes a comprehensive framework of solutions grounded in both theory and global field evidence. It classifies constraints—financial, institutional, socio-cultural, geographic—and aligns them with practical strategies: diversified resource mobilization, inclusive facilitation, cultural responsiveness, capacity development, adaptive management, and sustainability planning. Drawing on examples from Nepal, Ghana, Tanzania, Peru, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, the discussion illustrates how communities and practitioners can transform structural limitations into drivers of resilience and innovation. The article emphasizes iterative learning, participatory monitoring, and equitable power redistribution as essential elements for adaptive governance. For academics, it bridges participation theory and collective action research; for practitioners, it provides an operational roadmap to diagnose barriers, design adaptive strategies, and institutionalize learning for long-term, community-led impact.
Key Topics
- Challenges and adaptive solutions in participatory development
- Power dynamics and inclusive facilitation
- Capacity building and institutional strengthening
- Resource mobilization and financial transparency
- Adaptive management and participatory M&E
- Sustainability and community resilience
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Challenges and Solutions in Participatory Development: Managing Constraints, Power, and Adaptation. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-prtdvchange-09
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