Resources

This eight day workshop on PRA integrated practical community placements in Guelph to provide use for the techniques acquired during the theoretical sessions. The report highlights constraints around timing and venue when organizing a workshop in a 'Northern' country, and gives ideas for fieldwork.

This report discusses the results of a community survey conducted to establish the scope of run-off water problems, and to identify ways to promote community cooperation and participation. Prior to the survey, researchers consulted secondary sources. Survey interviews were conducted by 32 students and five university staff during a one-day field visit. People were interviewed about the runoff problem and associated issues. Then patterns in the information were identified by first listing all the issues people discussed and then identifying themes around the issues. Recommendations include: be aware of the different levels of understanding people have of problems; establish common ground in problem perception/problem solving; and, encourage people to commit themselves to community action.

This report discusses the administration of a student-initiated PRA workshop in the North. The workshop combined theoretical discussions with practical community placements. The report does not deal specifically with PRA methods or their use but lists some initiatives which grew out of the workshop. These are: establishing a network of people interested in PRA methodologies and their diffusion; training members of the "Green Plan Project" to use PRA techniques; starting a "PRA Notes Canada"; integrating PRA techniques into a specified Guelph community project; introducing PRA methodologies to London-based medical students; creating a strategy for developing trainers; and, creating a strategy for supporting trainees.

The author analyses maps both as a metaphor for knowledge and also as a major means of knowledge representation. The book is designed to exercise the skills of visualisation and visual analysis, which the author says are essential to any understanding of the basic theoretical issues of perception and cognition. The author considers maps as embodying shared examples of practice and believes that all maps have a "local, contingent and indexical character intimately tied to human purposes and action." While the book does not mention PRA or RRA in any context, it could serve as useful background reading before undertaking any mapping exercises or training.

Report of a participatory health needs assessment carried out on the Roundshaw Estate by a team of residents, health, housing and youth service workers, which focused specifically on residents views on well-being on the estate and their suggestions for improving the quality of life there. The report includes a section evaluating and reflecting on the process used, which examines amongst other aspects, reactions of the community members and also the Participatory Appraisal Team to the process.

In 1996, the City of Ottowa Council was working on two land management project: the Green way System Management Plan and the Open Spaces Project. When realised, the Greenway System will link natural areas, ecological corridors, hydro corridors, parks and communities, while the Open Spaces Project plans for protected areas. The input of the community was needed for both projects and a series of community workshops were facilitated to gain insight into the various stakeholders' concern for the city's open spaces. The goal of the workshops was to better understand which green and open spaces people value, why they value them, and what their visions were for the future of these spaces. The workshops incorporated community mapping facilitated by staff from the city's Environmental Branch. Participants placed great emphasis on community/citizen action. They felt that the community should be better organised to have a voice in planning, management and operations. The results from the consultation were used to support decision-making on the direction of the projects and were used to determine the social criteria and value of Ottowa's existing natural and open spaces. The authors conclude that upon evaluation of the methods and the results of the consultation, the City should use participatory methods more often in the future.