Unpaved roads, usually found in rural and sparsely populated areas, are prone to dust, potholes, corrugations, rutting and loose gravel and deteriorate faster than paved roads. Currently, subjective visual surveys and manual methods for monitoring and assessing the condition of unpaved roads dominate. In contrast, data-driven objective methods must be applied holistically for maintenance planning and decision-making. The paper proposes a participatory data-driven approach for unpaved road condition monitoring based on the literature and an exploratory case study of road maintenance practices in  Sweden and Zambia. Participatory data collection and sensing empower regular unpaved road users to collect road condition data with their smartphones using applications embedded with a global positioning system (GPS) while driving on an unpaved road and carrying out their typical day-to-day activities. The data is shared with the road governing bodies and processed to establish the current road condition (Nowcasting) and the expected future condition (Forecasting). The proposed approach allows road users to be part of the maintenance process, minimising the cost of collecting and evaluating road condition data, resulting in improved unpaved road maintenance planning and decision-making for unpaved roads. Based on the literature and the case study findings, participatory data collection and sensing for unpaved roads can provide an efficient and effective alternative for collecting road condition data, accomplishing broad coverage. The data collected can provide valuable information for unpaved road condition monitoring and maintenance planning and potentially improve unpaved road management. However, the participating road users must be trained in data acquisition to ensure quality data collection.