Influencing and enhancing externally driven initiatives: the use of participatory approaches in local government, Poland (PLA 44)

EU funded projects usually have their direction and focus determined by the EU with little input from the communities that the projects are based. This paper reports on a project in Poland, where local commune citizens were consulted independently of an EU project, and how this information was used to help lever the EU programme towards the communities needs.

Participatory Learning and Action (PLA, formerly PLA Notes) is the world's leading series on participatory learning and action approaches and methods. PLA publishes articles on participation aimed at practitioners, researchers, academics and activists. All articles are peer-reviewed by an international editorial board. See: www.planotes.org

This article was published in PLA 44: Local Government and Participation (June 2002). ~Click on ‘More information’ to visit: www.planotes.org~Click on 'Additional information' to download the whole issue or individual articles for this issue of PLA.