Other Research

  • 3R PAR

    During the pandemic, in partnership with Rural Support Partners and the Appalachia Funders Network, we developed an innovative approach called Rigorous Rapid Response Participatory Action Research (3R PAR). We use 3R PAR approaches in our current research.

  • Systematization

    In partnership with PODER Emma and Colaborativa La Milpa, we co-produced several reports based on systematization, a participatory research and evaluation process developed in Latin America. We learned about systematization from Popular Education Consultants.

  • Diagnosticos

    In partnership with PODER Emma, Colaborativa La Milpa, and Power of the Commons, we co-produced several reports that we call diagnosticos, the Spanish word for self-assessments. These were all based on participatory evaluation and popular education.

3R PAR

Rigorous Rapid Response Participatory Action Research

We combined Participatory Action Research methods with innovative qualitative data analysis approaches and rapid response data management approaches to develop a system for providing real-time data and feedback for funders across Appalachia during the early days of the COVID pandemic.

Systematization

Systematization is an approach to organizational or collective learning where the goal is to use participatory research and popular education methods to get knowledge and experiential wisdom out of people’s heads, make sense of it, and create systems that put that collective wisdom to use (i.e., systematize it). This approach is common in Latin America. We had never heard of it when we were approached to try it out. We liked it a lot.

Diagnosticos

We have co-created many participatory organizational self-assessments with local partners. Most have these have been in Spanish, so we call them diagnosticos. We tend to engage in these annually, and the findings from the diagnosticos feed into our partners’ yearly planning. Each diagnostico is a little different, but we tend to use some combination of participatory evaluation and popular education approaches.

We have many more examples.

If you would like to learn more about 3R PAR, systematization, or diagnosticos (or see more examples or resources), please contact us by clicking the button below. We have a LOT more information on these - we are only introducing them here.