Participation is a key concept supporting the Millennium Assessment Goals. The premise for participatory management or ‘citizen development' lies in the fact that our modern societies interact with their environments in increasingly complex ways. Such complexity tends to hinder the implementation of purely engineering or technocratic solutions. This is particularly true in developing countries.

Over the last decade, participatory modelling has attracted a growing number of practitioners and researchers working on environmental management and sustainable development. Participatory modelling uses ‘models' as mediating tools to facilitate discussion and negotiations amongst stakeholders. Depending on the context, types of model in use range from role-playing games to interactive computer simulations.  The objective of the course is to provide a clear understanding of the possibilities (and limits) offered by participatory modelling to enhance consensual and collective action. The course is structured around actual case studies and is equally divided between academic lectures and hands-on tutorials. A/Prof Pascal Perez is a leading international expert in participatory modelling with more than 10 years experience in the field.

Successful students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to:

1) Assess the type of participatory modelling required in a given context.

2) Design a participatory modelling process and to gather the relevant skills for implementation.

3) Conduct an external evaluation of a participatory modelling project.

N/A

Delivery Mode:

Spring Session (1 week intensive with assignments completed after the intensive).