Recent Field Applications and Evaluations of BOSTI/PAK: A Mental Health, Participatory Planning Process

The current federal posture towards local design and control of urban services generates the need for tools to aid community groups in priority setting, program planning and evaluation. BOSTI/PAK (The PLANNING AID KIT) is such a tool, developed in a mental health context, but adaptable to other uses. It is a structured process used to organize and aid the planning of community mental health programs and facilities, according to a prepared set of agendas, in meetings, by a group of service providers and service users. An evaluation is presented, as is a set of recommendations for improving this process. These recommendations are seen as generic for any community participation in planning.