Effectivity and Impact of Participative Planning

Abstract

A process of participative planning has been developed in the Netherlands according to a relatively new model. A literature study and a survey have been executed to assess the effectivity of the process and the contingency factors with regard to developing support in the group of participants for the plans. The process appears to be very effective. It appears to be important to use contingent processes and techniques: situations with a high technical complexity should be dealt with in a different way from situations in which the social complexity is dominant. The dynamics of mental images could be studied with the results of the survey. Recommendations for the approach of participative planning are derived from the analysis of these dynamics. The participants of the planning process appear to have undergone a learning experience that makes them more tolerant with respect to the planning product and more critical with respect to the planning process.

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