From MPA to NPA: participatory assessment of water & sanitation projects in rural Nepal (PLA 50)
Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH) is an non-governmental organisation working in the water and sanitation sector in rural Nepal. Over 10 years of experience implementing projects confirmed to NEWAH that women, the poor, and socially excluded groups were not represented in key decision-making processes, and that they were also unable to gain equal access to safe drinking water, all of which made projects unsustainable. To address gender equity and poverty issues, NEWAH piloted a special project which they evaluated using the Methodology for Participatory Assessment (MPA) tool. This experience revealed that the MPA needed to be simplified, streamlined and adapted for the specific conditions of Nepal. This article describes the difficulties and advantages of creating the NEWAH Participatory Assessment (NPA).
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
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Available at https://www.iied.org/g02111