Rapid Assessment Process RAP

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Rapid Assessment Process RAP

• James Beebe
• Gonzaga University
• 2006

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Rapid Assessment

• A way to investigate complicated situations in
  which issues are not yet well defined.
• Where there is not sufficient time or other
  resources for long-term, traditional qualitative
  research.

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Rapid Assessment

• Is a type of Participatory Action Research.
• Shares many of the characteristics of
  ethnographic research.

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Differs from traditional qualitative research

• INSTEAD OF LONG-TERM FIELDWORK
• Uses intensive, team interaction.
• Divides time between data collection and data
  review/ analysis before additional data
  collection.

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RAP is defined as

• intensive, team-based ethnographic inquiry
  using triangulation and iterative data analysis
  and additional data collection to quickly develop
  a preliminary understanding of a situation from
  the insiders perspective.

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• RAP cannot be done by one person.

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RAP can be used to

• make preliminary decisions about interventions or
  changes
• make decisions about additional research.
• RAP can also be used for monitoring and
  evaluation.

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Usually RAP should NOT be used

• for estimating numbers or percents.

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Results can be produced in

• as few as five day,
• but usually requires several weeks.

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A definition of rap

• To talk freely and frankly
• To communicate with participants using their
  vocabulary and rhythm.

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Stories NOT Answers

• The goal is to get the insiders to tell their
  stories and NOT answer the questions of the
  outsiders.

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The RAP team should seek out

• the poorer,
• less articulate,
• more upset, and
• those least like the members of the RAP team.

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Teamwork

• The success of RAP depends upon the quality of
  the teamwork.

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Intensive teamwork

• Intensive teamwork for both the data
  collection and analysis is an alternative to
  prolonged fieldwork.

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Intensive teamwork

• Intensive teamwork helps produce a preliminary
  understanding of a situation from the insiders
  perspective.

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Team interaction

• Team interaction is necessary for rapid
  triangulation in data collection.
• Team interaction is necessary for understanding
  the insiders categories and definitions.

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Team interaction

• The RAP team should be together most of the time.
  
• All team members should be involved in data
  collection and data analysis, including the
  preparation of the report.

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Team interviewing

• RAP uses group discussion involving the entire
  team and the local participants (team
  interviewing),
• NOT sequential interviewing by individual
  members of the team.

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Teams should be composed of insiders and
outsiders.

• At least one team member of the RAP team should
  be an insider.
• After the rest of the RAP team leaves, the
  insider continues to be called upon to clarify
  results, resolve pending issues, and help
  organize local responses.

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Cultural differences and diversity

• Sensitivity to cultural differences is essential.
• Team diversity improves cultural sensitivity and
  helps establish credibility with local
  communities.

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Flexibility critical for use in a variety of
situation.

• Some specific techniques have proven to be
  especially effective, but they are not the only
  techniques that can be used.

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Flexibility critical for use in a variety of
situation.

• Relaxed, semi-structured interviewing that
  provides respondents with time to think is often
  effective in eliciting stories.

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Audio recording of interviews

• Usually interviews should be tape-recorded.
• Tape recorders should be expected to fail.
• Digital recorders allow overnight transcribing.

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RAP Sheet

• A RAP Sheet should be used to document what was
  done.
• A RAP Sheet allows the reader of a RAP report to
  judge the quality of the work.

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Successful RAP

• Members of the RAP team need to recognize
• They dont know enough to ask questions,
• They dont know enough to provide the answers,
  but
• They do know enough to want to empower others to
  solve their own problems.

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Practice Team Interview
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Iterative Analysis and Additional Data Collection

• Time is divided between
• blocks used for collecting information and
• blocks when the team does data analysis and
  considers changes in the next round of data
  collection.

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Iterative Analysis and Additional Data Collection

• Team interaction before each new cycle of data
  collection is essential.

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Analysis

• Analysis begins with the first round of data
  collection.
• Analysis involves
• Coding the data,
• Displaying relationships in the data, and
• Drawing conclusions.

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LOG repository of information from field notes
and transcripts

• When transcripts are not available, the first
  step is consolidating the field notes from all
  team members.
• When transcripts are available, the first step is
  review by the entire team and the addition of
  information from field notes.

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LOGS are more useful

• If typed, double-spaced with every sentence
  beginning on a new line.
• With VERY wide margins on both sides
• Often codes are placed in the left margin and
  comments in the right margin.

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Coding

• Coding involves dividing what participants
  have said into thought units and applying a few
  labels to selected units.

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Some techniques for understanding data

• Identifying patterns and themes
• Seeking plausibility
• Clustering
• Metaphor making, and
• Counting

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Practice Team Analysis

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Member checking

• Sharing conclusions before they are final with
  the people who have provided the information is a
  critical part of the iterative analysis process.

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Ethical Issue Participation

• Assumption that problems can be addressed at
  the local level without the involvement of
  outsiders.
• RAP assumes decision makers should be part of the
  research effort.
• Even when outside decision maker are not part of
  the team, research should be designed with
  sufficient rigor to inspire confidence

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Ethical Issue Shifting Burden

• Excessive focus on participation can lead to
  shifting of the burden onto the poor and the
  relinquishing by outsiders of their
  responsibilities.

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Ethical Issue Unrealistic Expectation

• Research can raise unrealistic expectations about
  future actions.

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Ethical Issue Bogus Empowerment

• Encourages people to falsely believe that their
  input will be acted upon.
• The RAP team needs to keep their promises and
  make promises that they can keep.
• The RAP team needs to avoid the temptation of
  engaging in hyperbole about the democratic nature
  of the situation.

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The major challenge

• Confusing rapid with rushed.

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RAP is an idea whose time has come.

• ?
• Only if it not oversold and only if it is
  implemented rigorously.

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Additional Information
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Additional Information

• Visit the web site http//www.rapidassessment.net
  
• Contact mebeebe_at_gonzaga.edu