Selener, Daniel

This workbook goes further than describing the "what" and "how" of the now well-known family of PRA tools. Almost half of the book focuses on planning, the all-too-often missing link in PRA practice. It shows readers how to use the information generated by participatory appraisal methods to make feasibility matrices, SWOT charts, and planning matrices. The workbook describes ways to design realistic projects involving community members who participated in the appraisal phase of PRA.

This workbook describes 'systematization' as a method of instituting a continuous process of participatory reflection on a project's processes and results, undertaken by both project staff and participants. The systematic analysis generates lessons which are fed back to improve the project. The final section includes a variety of tools (such as written exercises, worksheets and tables) that may be used for conducting the process.

Participatory action research approaches have been developed and applied in four main areas: 1) participatory research in community development, 2) action research in organisations, 3) action research in schools, and 4) farmer participatory research. This book gives details of how, where and for what purpose PAR approaches have been used and discusses the role of the researcher and potential for social change of each participatory action research approach.