Participatory needs assessment in the peri-urban areas of Lusaka, Zambia

The article describes a participatory appraisal and needs assessment (PANA) training workshop run by the NGO CARE Zambia in August 1994. The training was part of a strategy to reorient CARE's activities away from infrastructure improvement through food-for-work towards a more holistic livelihoods approach. Two important initial strategy decisions had to be made: how to reorient project staff; and how to generate greater participation by the communities concerned. The article outlines the methodological approach adopted, which was a combination of Training for Transformation (TfT) and PRA, and discusses some early trends and lessons.