It is often tempting to focus all of your energy and resources on carrying out the actual participatory activities. While this is obviously important too, there is a lot of work to be done before you get that far.
The early phase of a participatory project is often mistakenly underestimated and under-prioritised. This is a real pity because it is in this phase that the entire project should be designed and developed. If enough care and consideration is shown here, much pain and difficulty can be avoided later. If you have a clear picture of the purpose of the project, and the impact you want to achieve from the outset, the odds are that the input throughout the project will be much better. In turn, this will increase your likelihood of successfully achieving the goals of the project.
In this chapter, there are a number of tips and tricks that will give your project a strong start.