Doing participatory action research in community projects

Documentation and action research

 

SFLEX Team - Documenting our learning

Garrow, A
Five bags thumping: impressions of first project visits.
Stronger Families Learning Exchange Bulletin no.3 Winter 2003: 16-17, and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au /sf/pubs/bull3/ag.html
Members of the Stronger Families Learning Exchange Training and Support Team are responsible for supporting Stronger Families Fund projects through the process of designing and running an action research evaluation. This article describes team members' experiences of visiting a project for the first time.

Haviland, M., Turner, C. and Garrow, A.
Evaluating Community Programs from a Strengths Perspective: Lessons, Challenges and Opportunities - Online (PDF)
SFLEX Team members share the insights they gained from this May 2003 seminar run by the Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle. Included is a description (pp5-6) of Alice Campbell's presentation on Child-Led Evaluation: A Photovoice Case Study. Photovoice is a participatory action research method involving people photographing issues and themes to form the basis of program, service and policy development (See Photovoice website )

Johnson, K
The elephant and action research.
Stronger Families Learning Exchange Bulletin no.3 Winter 2003: 3-5, and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au /sf/pubs/bull3/kj.html

The Stronger Families Learning Exchange (SFLEX) will be involved in the development of a series of resources over the next twelve months. Each of these reflect themes emerging from the Stronger Families Fund projects. There are three different kinds of themes: content themes dealing with the impact of the project on the community in which it works; process themes which examine how the project has undertaken its work; and conceptual themes which look at overarching contributions made by the Stronger Families Fund project to strengthening families. This article proposes a means by which the SFLEX training and support team can work together to document the learning that is emerging from the different projects in an action research framework.

Creative examples of documenting and communicating

Cuthbertson, N
Indigenous Yarning Service (Indigerrelate) evaluative report.
Family Services Australia Newsletter no.23 Dec 2000: 52-54

An Indigenous Relationship Education Pilot project, known as Indigerrelate Indigenous Yarning Service, and established at Lismore NSW by Interrelate in liaison with the Indigenous Community Advisory Panel, is described in this paper. The focus of the program is directed towards improving the psychological well being and behavioural patterns of Indigenous families. Community participation and cross cultural awareness issues are addressed.

East, D; Delamain, A
Developing a framework for evaluating empowerment.
In: Teesson, M. et al, eds. No one is an island: contemporary TheMHS in mental health services: book of proceedings, 11th annual TheMHS Conference, 29-31 August 2001, Wellington, New Zealand. Balmain, NSW: The Mental Health Services Conference, 2002, p194-199

Based on the outcomes of a workshop for Queensland Mental Health Community Development Officers (CDOs) this paper addresses the lack of documentation of systematic frameworks which can be used to improve the health of people suffering mental illness. It proposes a method of developing a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of empowerment interventions at multiple levels or settings. Strategies employed by Queensland CDOs in using the framework to support the involvement of local communities are covered together with the principles underlying consumer empowerment and some of the challenges encountered in applying these principles to current projects.

Newman, J; Acklin, F; Trindall, A; Arbon, V; Brock, K; Bermingham, M; Thompson, C
Story-telling: Australian indigenous women's means of health promotion.
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal v.23 no.4 Jul - Aug 1999: 18-22

This paper describes how storytelling was used and recorded on video as a vehicle for conveying health promotion messages in several urban Aboriginal communities in Sydney. The women elders integrated their personal stories which stressed the need for a healthy lifestyle, with information about preventive health care, particularly the processes of screening for cervical cancer and coronary heart disease. The methodology of the project is outlined and the principles and procedures for the conduct of research are discussed with reference to evaluation and theoretical issues.

Noble, A. and Jones, D. "Hey look at this": photography as participatory action research.
In: Sankaran, S, ed.; Dick, B, ed.; Passfield, R, ed.; Swepson, P, ed.
Effective change management using action learning and action research: concepts, frameworks, processes, applications.
Lismore, NSW: Southern Cross University Press, 2001

Slattery, P
Youth works: a very practical book about working with young people.
Dulwich Hill, NSW: Peter Slattery, 2001, 278p, tables, illus.

Presenting a way of communicating with young people and aimed at people who work with young people either individually or in groups, in families or in couples, this book combines a range of practical approaches covering issues of: how to catch a person's interest; the role of humour and play; styles of participation; difficult and sensitive topics; safety and challenge; the spririt of mutuality; what being different means; what integration means; balancing through exploring all possible options; the basis of the questioning approach; and putting it all together through connecting the activities. Reference is made throughout to creativity, theatre, physical movement, drawing and meaningful conversation.

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