Step 1: Review the participation work already done within your organization.
Are there lessons to be learned from the last projects?
Could you use creative methods to help evaluate the work done in the past, as well as the participants’ views concerning an important experience?
If your school is new to such participation efforts, then start with something small scale.
Talk to people in other organizations who have experience of working in this way.
Step 2: Get the people you need on board.
Talk to managers, staff, parents and volunteers to gain their support and then discuss with the students what they might like to pursue in terms of participation projects.
Think about doing ‘taster’ type of activities to help give everyone an idea of what it is like. It can be difficult to declare ‘I’d like to organize a vegetable market…’ if you have never even organized anything at all. Children and young people sometimes say that they cannot do something or ‘I’m not any good at…’ but often they have never had a chance to give it a try. They may need encouragement to do so, and/or find cooperation partners.
Think about whom the project is going to influence in a positive or negative way.
Step 3. Start planning the activity or taster sessions.
Organize meetings to get everybody involved in the planning. Make sure, notes will be taken about decisions and tasks.
State clearly what the different key players are going to focus on and what the outcomes of their work will be. Make sure everybody is clear about this as well.
Be practical.
Consider how you could record progress – maybe on a graffiti wall or with photographs, and reserve some time at the end to review and evaluate the work with the group.
Step 4. Review the activity with everybody.
What was good about it?
What would they do differently next time?
Did they agree on any important messages?
For whom are the messages intended?
How can they can make sure they are heard?
What happens next?
Step 5. Consider how to further build on the work.
Is there a way this can be shared with others with the children and young people’s permission and involvement?
If the children and young people thought it was successful, would they like to do more projects, and what would they like to focus on?
