Participatory Action Research: A hands-on learning event 

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. Taken together, 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 workshop is designed for experienced facilitators who need to engage groups and design collaborative processes for problem-solving and evaluation. By the end of the workshop all participants will have:

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

The three-day agenda is 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 introduce 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.

Download a logistic pack for information on the venue and travel in the U.K.

The course cost is £ 590 (select the Register Now button below, for registration details). 

Artisans of PAR: Advanced Practitioner Session

If you have taken SAS2 Dialogue training in the past or through this event, sign up for a half-day of reflection on lessons learned and design options, at the ActionAid office Saturday, February 4 from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The session offers advanced practitioners the opportunity to flesh-out designs for real-life events. There is no cost, but the pass-on rule applies (commit to pass on PAR skills to novice practitioners by providing a value to them similar to that received from the session). Register here for the Artisans of PAR session, or contact the organizer for more details. Register below for the main event.

Register Now!