Getting Started With Action Research

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Getting Started With Action Research

• SFF Workshop, 1st April 11.30-1.00pm
• Katrina Bredhauer Lisa Natoli

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What is action Research?

• A way for people to participate in a reflective
  practice that allows change and understanding to
  occur at the same time.
• Aims to improve practice, address problems and
  promote ongoing learning.

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Principles of Action Research

• It is participatory and collaborative, usually
  including everyone who has a stake in the action.
• Aims to ensure that what it does and how it does
  it are relevant for all concerned
• Means empowering people to have a REAL say

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Why Use Action Research for Evaluation?

• Allows projects develop their own evaluation
  frameworks ways of working
• Gives permission for project teams to take time
  out to write down observations and reflect on
  them
• Enables projects to be flexible adjust
  direction

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What is Action Research?

• Plan ? what do we intend to do?
• Act ? what did we do?
• Observe ? what happened? How do we know what
  happened?
• Reflect ? what does this mean for changed
  practice?

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What is Action Research?

• Cycles of Planning, Acting, Observing and
  Reflecting.

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How are projects using action Research?

• Projects are using action research at a micro and
  macro level to evaluate their work
• Many projects are concentrating on building
  community ownership and participation
• Developing a culture of reflection at all levels
  of project participation.

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Observation Methods for AR Projects

• Discussions/interactions/notes/reflections
• Case studies, individuals groups
• Photography
• Stories,anecdotes,impressions
• Meeting minutes
• Creative arts
• Questionnaires,surveys
• Videos
• Field notes
• Audio tapes
• ETC!!!!!!!!

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Experiences from Organising a Diarrhoea Reduction
Campaign in Kandahar City , Afghanistan

• Lisa Natoli

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Background

• 85,000 deaths in under 5s annually in
  Afghanistan attributable to diarrhoea (WHO, 2002)
  .
• ? problem in summer months due to
• Lack of access to safe water sanitation
• Crowding
• Low level of hygiene knowledge
• June 2002, 3 international NGOs collaborated in
  a hygiene promotion campaign

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Some of our AR questions..
What factors behaviors contribute to
transmission of diarrhoea in Kandahar?
What were the most effective communication
strategies for each target group?
What would be the most culturally socially
appropriate ways of doing hygiene promotion?
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What factors behaviors contribute to
transmission of diarrhoea in Kandahar?
PLAN ACT OBSERVE REFLECT
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What would be the most culturally socially
appropriate ways of doing hygiene promotion?
PLAN ACT OBSERVE REFLECT
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What were the most effective communication
strategies for each target group?
PLAN ACT OBSERVE REFLECT
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Summary

• Progress of project relied on answers to
  questions
• Demonstrated importance of participation
  ownership
• Learnings about staff security logistics issues
  in Afghanistan.
• Benefits of collaboration
• Sharing what we found