Ethical Considerations for Collecting and Using Participatory Data

People participating in decisions that affect their lives is a core value of open and democratic societies. This value is an important starting point for how to plan, implement and manage participatory data and engagement processes in international development. Programmes are more likely to succeed if the people they aim to reach are directly involved in them. This is particularly true for vulnerable people who tend to be excluded. Yet it is also true that participation may expose people to risks, requiring programmes to think carefully about ethics.