How do you foster collective learning and action among your PAR participants?

1 Define the purpose and scope

Before you start your PAR project, you need to clarify the purpose and scope of your inquiry. What is the problem or question that you and your participants want to explore? What are the goals and objectives of your PAR project? How will you measure your progress and impact? How long will your PAR project last? What resources and support do you need? By defining the purpose and scope of your PAR project, you can establish a common vision, set realistic expectations, and plan your activities accordingly.

2 Build trust and relationships

PAR is based on the principle of mutual respect and solidarity among the participants. Therefore, you need to build trust and relationships with your participants, as well as among them. You can do this by creating a safe and inclusive space for dialogue, listening actively and empathetically, acknowledging and valuing diverse perspectives and experiences, and addressing any conflicts or challenges that may arise. You can also use icebreakers, games, and storytelling to foster rapport and connection.

3 Use participatory methods and tools

PAR is not a rigid or fixed methodology, but rather a flexible and creative approach that adapts to the context and needs of the participants. Therefore, you can use a variety of participatory methods and tools to engage your participants in the different stages of your PAR project, such as problem identification, data collection, analysis, action, and evaluation. Some examples of participatory methods and tools are surveys, interviews, focus groups, mapping, ranking, photovoice, theater, and action planning. The key is to choose methods and tools that are relevant, accessible, and empowering for your participants.

4 Facilitate reflection and dialogue

PAR is not only about doing, but also about learning. Therefore, you need to facilitate reflection and dialogue among your participants throughout your PAR project. Reflection and dialogue are essential for generating insights, sharing feedback, identifying challenges and opportunities, learning from successes and failures, and improving your practice. You can facilitate reflection and dialogue by asking open-ended questions, encouraging critical thinking, providing constructive criticism, and celebrating achievements.

5 Support collective action and change

PAR is not only about learning, but also about doing. Therefore, you need to support collective action and change among your participants throughout your PAR project. Collective action and change are the outcomes of your PAR project that aim to address the problem or question that you and your participants identified. You can support collective action and change by helping your participants develop and implement action plans, mobilize resources and allies, communicate and disseminate their findings and recommendations, and monitor and evaluate their impact.

6 Sustain the process and the outcomes

PAR is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that requires ongoing commitment and support. Therefore, you need to sustain the process and the outcomes of your PAR project beyond its formal completion. You can sustain the process and the outcomes by maintaining and strengthening the relationships and networks that you and your participants built, documenting and sharing your learnings and best practices, scaling up or replicating your actions and changes in other contexts or issues, and engaging in new or follow-up PAR projects.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?