Participation and U; A Case-Based Testing of Theory-U’s Utility in Facilitating the Pivot towards Participatory Development Practice

Abstract: This thesis will contribute to the transition the development sector presently sees itself confronted with. This transition involves the pivoting from project-based development endeavors, whereby frameworks and targets defined in the Global North play a dominant role in defining the overall development trajectory. It will engage with the question how development organizations can effectively structure their activities in a manner that prioritizes inclusive sustainable development rooted in systems thinking and local participation. It will also reflect on the history of development management, how the present state of affairs hinders participatory development from being practiced effectively, and what pitfalls need to be considered when pivoting towards participatory practice. These questions are approached by testing a method of enacting systems change called the Theory-U model. Its utility will be tested through a single-case study in which the proposed trajectory is contrasted with three instances of successful participatory practice as executed by CRHP in India. The Theory-U model does demonstrate significant levels of overlap with CRHP’s trajectory of change, and could be instructive to the practice of participatory development for other aid agencies. Further research will have to test whether this overlap is found in other instances of successful participatory practice of development.