1. Participatory Appraisal
Researching for Social Change
MA in Activism and Social Change
Paul Chatterton (Leeds University)

2. 1. What is it? Part of body of community research work linking:
Participatory appraisal methods
Action research
Participatory/popular education
Structured process of learning with communities about their lives/conditions
Hears and elicits views of local people
Informs policy

3. 1. What is it?
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, and plan and carry out actions to effect change within their communities.

4. 2. Approach Involves education, research and action
Valuing local knowledge and respecting local perceptions
Verifying each stage using variety of methods – triangulation
Full involvement of local people
Emphasis on visual material rather than just written
Emphasis on feedback
Information in research process is publicly/locally owned
Help overcome barriers between ‘professionals’ and ‘locals’
Participation is voluntary and in community settings
Empowers local people to control the process and set agenda

5. 3. Where does it get used? Lots of areas including:
Community development
Community health
Urban environmental improvements
Rural development
Can collect data on a range of topics:
Physical (pollution etc)
Demographic, health, social
Cultural
Spatial and temporal distributions

6. 4. Values Behaviour and attitude are key! Make a list Respect
Watch and listen
Self critical
Supportive
Sharing
Participatory
Flexible
Adaptable
Exploratory
Enjoyable
Iterative
Inventive
Empowering
Collaborative
Transparent
Neutral/objective

7. 5. Dangers Rushing Forced or one-off Jumping on the bandwagon
Rhetorical not substantive
Inadequate training
Use of methods only and not values/approach
Institutional claims to ownership
Reinforcing local power structures
Having a ‘hidden agenda’

10. 7. Scales of participation
Co-option
Tokenism, manipulation
Co-operation
Incentives or tasks given
Consultation
External analysis of local opinion
Collaboration
Local discussion, external responsibility
Co-learning
Sharing knowledge
Collective action
Locally determined process
The ladder of participation (Hart)

12. 8. THE PROJECT CYCLE

13. 9. Tools Semi structured interviews Community walkabouts and fieldwork
Spidergrams (showing cause, effects etc)
Timelines or daily activity lines
Graffiti walls
Pie charts (showing proportions between different activities/choices)
Mapping (places, bodies, cities, countries - social, historic, land use, resources)
Venn diagrams (to show groups, institutions and overlaps)
* Evaluation wheel
* Pair wise ranking Matrix (making a choice between options)
* Criteria ranking Matrix (using dots to rank features of options)
* Impact ranking Matrix (focuses on impacts V ease)

16. Remember Plan well Group size (individual or groups)
Sequencing of activities
Triangulation of results