l Understanding and facilitating a biocultural community protocol process 181
Box 2: Guiding questions about
community institutions and governance
Box 3: Guiding questions to enhance
participation and representation
• How are important decisions made in your
community?
• What are the core values that guide decisions?
• Who is involved in making decisions? Who is
considered to be the community authorities?
• How can or do you participate in the process?
• Do you feel you have sufficient opportunities to
voice your concerns and opinions?
• Would you like to change anything about the
existing system or structure?
• How do community institutions relate to local
government officials?
• Could you share an example of a good decision?
What were the main factors that led to it?
• Who should be involved in the different stages of
developing a biocultural community protocol? What
roles and responsibilities could they undertake?
• What social, cultural or political barriers affect
different members of the community? How might they
affect people’s capacity or willingness to participate in
activities related to the protocol? How can these be
accommodated in an attempt to facilitate broad
participation and representation in locally appropriate
ways?
• Are there certain times of the year, month and/or day
that would be more appropriate for different people to
be involved? Discussions and activities around the
protocol should aim to work around the community’s
schedules and routines, rather than vice versa.
• People respond differently to certain learning,
documentation and communication styles. For
example, some learn better through watching others,
looking at text or listening, and others learn better
through physical movement. How can discussions and
activities around the protocol be facilitated in
culturally appropriate, diverse and engaging ways?
personal experiences rather than allegations of the validity of decisions. In some
situations, community institutions may
not seem equipped to deal with new challenges. In other situations, long-standing
community practices may be highly effective at dealing with new threats or
opportunities. Assumptions either way
should be withheld (Box 2).
Participation and representation
Participation and representation are
essential to biocultural community protocols. As much as possible within the local
culture and situation, the protocol should
strive to include the full spectrum of
perspectives, especially those of women,
youth, the elderly and others who are often
excluded from decision-making processes
(Boxes 3 and 4). Although it is not possible
to include every single person, a participatory approach contributes to building
greater consensus and collective learning.
It also helps people feel personally
invested in the process, which increases
potential for effective social mobilisation
and tangible change. Conversely, a
community protocol that has been developed with little consultation and without
using any participatory methods would
raise significant concerns about representation and legitimacy. It could also lead to
feelings of exclusion, internal conflict and
divisions, and ‘elite capture’.
Box 4: Accommodating different groups
within the community
Guidance on accommodating different groups within
the community such as women, youth, the elderly, and
people with disabilities or behavioural challenges:
• Remain sensitive and patient
• Avoid appearing to be condescending or patronising
• Understand that each wants to contribute to
community processes
• Have confidence in their abilities and unique
contributions
• Ask in advance when they might be able to
participate in activities such as workshops or data
collection
• Hold separate meetings or workshops for specific
people or groups
• Pay close attention to behaviour and levels of
participation during community activities
Understanding your role as a facilitator
Facilitation can be challenging yet highly
rewarding. It requires skill, sensitivity, flexibility, and willingness to learn and adapt
to changing conditions (Box 5). The role
of the facilitator in workshops, community
meetings, group discussions and other
forms of gathering includes, for example:
• drafting an agenda and list of participants to be invited;