Participatory Action Research: Methods for Engaged Inquiry 

Learn and apply new approaches to action learning.

Originating with the pioneering work of Kurt Lewin and the Tavistock Institute, participatory action research (PAR) is a well-documented tradition of collective reasoning and evidence-based learning for social change. The various formulations of PAR constitute a robust alternative to positivism’s denial of human agency and justice in the global era.

The Instructor is Dr. Daniel J. Buckles, co-author of Participatory Action Research: Theory and Methods for Engaged Inquiry (Routledge, 2013) and co-founder of SAS2 Dialogue (www.sas2.net). He has more than 25 years of experience in international development research, planning and evaluation in a wide range of sectors (agriculture, youth employment, conflict management, indigenous land rights, health policy, disaster relief and reconstruction, among others).

The course is designed for university-based researchers (students and faculty) who need to engage groups and design collaborative processes for problem-solving and evaluation. Given the scope of PAR as a field of research approaches, and the wide range and diversity of tools available, the course is introductory. By the end of the workshop all participants will have:

• Practiced the use of participatory tools to assess problems, actors, and options;
• Applied process design concepts and tools to their own projects;
• Discussed design challenges and ways to manage them.

The one-day agenda introduces tools and concepts organized around three key questions:

1  Exploring the Problem: Describe or tell the story about a core problem, assess root causes and identify strategic entry points into complex systems;

2  Knowing the Actors: Identify, sample or describe the stakeholders involved in or affected by a core problem or action, assess the ongoing relations or  interactions among them, and manage the expectations of different stakeholders.

3  Assessing the Options: Develop a vision or likely future, set priorities, create criteria and indicators that support planning and decison-making.

Each session will use practical tools from the Handbook for Participatory Action Research, Planning and Evaluation (available in English, French and Spanish) and engage participants in discussion of the principles and steps for selecting, sequencing and scaling tools to meet a purpose.

OPEN ONLY TO CARLETON UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA AND ST. PAUL'S UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND FACULTY. Contact the organizer if you have any questions about eligibility.

 

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