ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how information is used in the development of projects, as a way of fitting them to their context. Planners use information throughout the project cycle to integrate five different project levels. These include the stakeholders involved in the project, the agency responsible for project implementation, the project's central concept or idea, the project's structure, and the hoped-for changes or outcomes. Anthropologists can play a critical role in developing planners' understanding of local stakeholders. Because stakeholder support is so critical to project success, systematic investigations should take place early in the project cycle to build up an accurate and detailed picture of what key stakeholder communities are like. Rapid assessment procedures (RAP) are frequently used to begin the process of learning about the project environment. Although RAP is designed primarily to benefit the project team by providing it with better information, a variation, termed participatory rural appraisal, places somewhat more emphasis on the empowerment of local communities.
