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The process of institutionalising participation in land management (‘gestion des terroirs’) in Senegal is described. The approach is based on the assumption that multi-actor learning groups or platforms are key for sustained adaptation to changes in policies and practices in rural areas. After analysing the learning process and its context, the authors present the methodological, practical and institutional lessons generated by this social experiment in participation. The authors emphasise the importance of local learning groups as spaces in which policies and projects on ‘gestion des terroirs’ can be effectively discussed. Moreover, some technical departments of the state are developing mechanisms to integrate participatory approaches in their day-to-day activities.