Forty-five studies were commissioned to investigate participation-related issues and draw lessons from participatory projects financed by the World Bank. Questions posed included: What are the benefits and costs of supporting participation in Bank-supported operations? What factors enhance or limit their successful implementation? How can a government encourage participation, and how does its relations with nongovernmental organizations impact participation? Finally, how can the Bank support participatory approaches in client countries and in Bank-financed projects? The papers addressing these queries have been summarized and edited. The case studies illustrate lessons learned on the above questions. The papers are organized in three sections which examine Bank experience and cover a large number of projects; provide ideas on how the public sector can better encourage participation and how this approach can enhance public sector performance; and focus on project-level interventions in select African, Asian, and Latin American countries.
