This paper addresses the need to further understand the linkages between different units of organization (e.g. households, peer networks, etc.) as they relate to increasing participation. Many aid agencies (e.g. UNDP, World Bank) have acknowledged the importance of participatory information collection and planning, yet they (and academics) have failed to address the different linkages between these different segments of the population, especially in terms of the role played by (and granted to) women and their organizations. A further failure is noted in the absence of discussion of participation, empowerment and democracy in the organizations. The author notes two gaps in the information gathering system that will have to be addressed so that development will be more 'meaningful'. The first relates to the content of information relating to the assumption of a bounded entity (e.g. family or community). The second gap concerns the processes whereby information is gathered and analyzed, where local perceptions and priorities are integrated into the entire process.