An Introduction to Particiaptory Development Research

January 22, 2009

Hassan II University's Faculty of Law, Economics, and Social Sciences, Mohammadia, Morocco

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This one day workshop, trained twenty-five Master level students - selected from over 100 applicants - at Hassan II University's Faculty of Law, Economics, and Social Sciences, in the basic approach to participatory development through interactive activities and discussion. Taught in Moroccan Arabic, participants worked in small groups to identify and prioritize opportunities for change in their community (in this case the university) through community mapping and pairwise ranking exercises. Together, as a large group, participants reached consensus for areas of priority reform at the university. The following is what they prioritized to meet their community needs:

1. An online card catalog for the library

2. A library designated for Master students only

3. Better administrative coordination and support

4. Research stipends

5. A photocopy center that is open longer hours and has lower rates

6. Student clubs (sports, arts, etc.)

7. A cultural center

What's the next step? Participants were encouraged to use the skills they learned to come together, seek partners, and create an action plan based on their top priority need - an online card catalog for the library, so that they can use their time more effectively to pursue research and not searching for books.

The "learning by doing" approach of this workshop mirrors the very same types of activities HAF uses in the field when working with communities to identify opportunities for socio-economic and environmental change. Students were encouraged to think about how these tools can be applied to their own research projects - whether focused on urban or rural populations, at the local, national or international level, or qualitative or quantitative research.

At the end of the day, the participatory evaluation - which included free listing and group discussion - showed that participants wanted more workshops, opportunities to practice their new skills in the field, and access to resources about participatory development research in multiple languages (Arabic, French, and English).