Participatory Appraisal Fact-sheet

May 2005

• What is participatory appraisal?
  Participatory appraisal is a community-based approach to consultation that gives precedence to the views and attitudes of local people as experts within their own communities. Through PA, local people can explore and share their knowledge of life and local conditions, as well make decisions, plan and carry out actions to effect change within their communities. The PA approach transcends more conventional research methods by using visual and flexible tools such as maps, spider diagrams and charts. The process is interactive rather than extractive, enabling people from all backgrounds and with varying abilities to be involved in the research, education and collective action. The use of this approach allows all to have their say, rather than only a few which is often the case in public meetings. It allows those that are shy or from traditionally ‘hard to reach’ groups to voice their views.

• How does PA work?
  PA comprises of 3 elements; research, education and collective action.

• Research
  A key aspect of PA concerns the involvement of local people within the research process, not as objects of research, but as experts in the situation - as people who 'know how things really are'. PA is particularly effective in group situations as the potential for discussion is increased, with issues being debated. The type of information obtained through participatory appraisal is usually qualitative and in-depth, often providing an effective complement to data derived from other sources, and is specific and relevant to the local community. Data reliability is constantly checked and verified through triangulation (by using different 'tools and techniques' to ask the same question), with all information being carefully and systematically recorded so that comparisons can be made throughout the process.

• Education
  Collective education occurs when people participate in a group discussion on an issue that is important to them. This education happens at many levels, through self education (where someone reflects upon their own issues and solutions), educating other local people (others involved in the research process may have already identified potential solutions to a problem), and educating service providers and policy makers (for example via a group discussion between local people and service providers).

• Collective Action
  On one level the participatory nature of this approach enables respondents to be more involved with decision-making processes by actively contributing their knowledge of local needs, suggesting appropriate solutions, and having their views widely (and transparently) documented. The research process of PA can act as a catalyst for identifying and stimulating individuals/groups/organisations that may be well placed strategically for moving from ideas/solutions on paper to actionable initiatives and strategies that are both locally-grounded and owned, and sustainable beyond the short term.

• Where did PA come from and how can it be applied?
  Participatory appraisal has been widely used in the southern hemisphere in the context of working with rural communities in developing countries. However, in recent years the principles of participation and action-oriented research have been increasingly drawn upon in the northern hemisphere (including the UK) to identify and find solutions to a range of issues within local communities.

For more information go to:

http://northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic/sas/sas_research/pa/

http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/particip/index.html

http://www.oxfamgb.org/ukpp/sid/index.htm

Information in this fact sheet is reproduced by kind permission of PEANuT (Participatory Appraisal in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Northumbria University.