PRA-Manual Embracing Participitation tools-only.pdf - PACA

3.42 EMBRACING PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT: Wisdom from the Field
A scoring analysis can also be carried out without fixing a maximum score at
the beginning. This is called the free scoring method. In this case too the list
of options is prepared first, and then the analysts use counters to give weights to
all the options. Usually the counters are counted and then placed against the
option. Since the number of counters placed against an option is relative to the
score given to the other options, the analysts may add or remove some of the
counters against the different options as the analysis progresses. It is important
for the facilitator not to interfere when the analysis is going on.
Following is an example of using the free scoring method for analyzing the
comparative preference of different contraceptive methods for single and
married males.
CONTRACEPTIVE PREFERENCES OF SINGLE AND MARRIED MALES
(USING FREE SCORING METHOD)
(Analyzed by a group of boys, Old Kanyama Compound)
METHOD SINGLE MALES MARRIED MALES
Pills 5 151
Herbs 0 0
Condom 183 41
Safe period (natural) 2 0
Part 3
NOTE: According to this analysis, boys prefer condoms while they are
single. After marriage, condoms are used only with sex partners other
than the wife. After marriage it is up to the wife to use a contraceptive.
Hence, the high score for the pill for married males. No score
was given to herbs, as these are used by females and these did not
have an impact on the decision making of the males. It was also
mentioned that most males are not aware whether their female partners
use any herbs.
Some may point out that if we were to add the scores vertically, for
single males and married males, the totals do not match. They are
not meant to. In free scoring there is no fixed maximum out of which
a score is given. The analysts can start with placing a score in one cell
and the remaining cells are filled with numbers relative to the first one
as also the scores in all the other cells. Therefore, there is no reason
why they should give equal totals either along the vertical axis or
along the horizontal axis.
Matrix ranking and scoring
When the options have to be analyzed on the basis of multiple criteria, it is
most effective to use the Matrix Scoring or Ranking method.