ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

2.3. Appreciative Interviewing
(Adapted from Ashford and Patkar 2001)
Session Title
Session Objectives
Duration of Session
Resources
Training Materials
Appreciative Interviewing
Discover ways to focus on achievements and assets
Remind people of past success with the aim of motivating them for
future action
Identify the energy of potential leaders who will mobilize community
members
45 minutes
None
None
Introduction
Appreciative interviewing is usually one of the first activities undertaken by CBOs, NGOs or government
offices with the local community as it is important to establish a culture of positive thinking and of
genuine learning on the part of both the outside institution and the community members. Facilitators
need to cast themselves as searchers genuinely seeking community knowledge and experience rather
than planners with their minds already made up about what the community should do. We suggest that
interviews with the local community about past successes can start off very informally with individuals,
and then become more systematic, as more people are interviewed in groups.
Interviews can generate considerable information about individual and community skills, strengths, and
assets. It is also a way in which development workers can build new-found respect for the knowledge
and the experience of community members. By asking questions rather than telling communities what
to do, a genuine partnership is more likely to emerge. To make these interviews as productive as
possible it is important to keep the discussion focused and to ask detailed questions.
Instructions
In the training, ask participants to form teams of three. Tell them:
“I want one of you in the team to volunteer to be interviewed. You are going to be asked about your
experience living in a community where people organized themselves to carry out a project, host an
event, meet a crisis, or meet an opportunity. Can you think of an example?”
When one person has agreed to be interviewed, a second person can be the interviewer. The third
person should be the observer, but can also help the interviewer ask questions.
Explain to the participants that the interviewer will be using a technique called appreciative interviewing
that helps people to identify and analyze the strengths and assets of the whole community.
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