Participating or taking control? An experience in rural planning from Mali (PLA 44)

Although Rural Councils in Mali control management of natural resources, they depend on local taxes and levies on the use of natural resources to generate income for management - a system that is often abused. This paper assesses an attempt to build capacity of the councils to ensure community involvement, to reduce the risk of corruption and improve long-term sustainability.

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.