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

3.72 EMBRACING PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT: Wisdom from the Field
CHAPTER 3
TACKLING DOCUMENTATION, ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS
AND REPORT WRITING (27)
Meera Kaul Shah
3.1 The challenge of documenting a participatory process
Documentation and synthesis of information generated during a participatory
appraisal is a very important part of the process. Often this is where the facilitators
have most problems (Shah and Shah, 1995). Problems in documentation
and reporting arise because:
Part 3
Fieldworkers are often more comfortable with, and are
more used to, the verbal mode of communication.
Facilitators are not used to taking notes in the field, and
have to be continuously reminded about it, at least in the
beginning.
Usually a participatory appraisal process provides an
opportunity for enormous learning. Given the way we
learn so many new things, at an unbelievably fast pace, it
is very easy to get carried away while following the discussions
with the community and to forget recording the
same.
Very often the documentors find it difficult to separate the
participants’ analysis and views, from their own judgement.
This can create a lot of confusion later, while
synthesizing the information.
Fieldworkers often lack the necessary analytical and
writing skills, especially if they have not been trained in
this field. Usually their work does not require them to
have such skills.
Analyzing and documenting information generated
through a participatory process is far more difficult as
compared to that using a more conventional method (like
questionnaire surveys).