Rapid assessment methodologies: a conference summary
This article presents comments which came out of a conference on rapid assessment procedures (RAP). Discussion was dominated by issues of whether RAP is a set of well-defined techniques, or an approach which is eclectic but above all participatory. Methodological pluralism - RAP is not a panacea but just one of many options - is important. A third premise is action orientation. RAP is not just a method but a catalyst for intervention or consensus building.