Participatory Methods in Violence Prevention: Lessons from CSVR's Collaboration with the Community Work Programme in South Africa

CSVR has been conducting research on South Africa’s Community Work Programme (CWP) since 2010. In 2016, the organisation commenced with an effort to strengthen urban violence prevention interventions carried out by CWP through their work. This report, which is based on the reflections of CSVR staff who collaborated with CWP participants to pilot new violence prevention interventions, shares some of CSVR’s lessons on bridging the gap between participatory approaches theory and practice. These lessons relate to considerations around interventions life cycles, participatory project planning, budgeting, as well as the importance and challenges associated with iterative learning. The report also suggests practical considerations and steps to take to determine the level of participation that is possible and how to maintain it.