TOOLKIT - Investing in Local Communities

Toolkit for Investing in Local Communities 2
Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

Table of Content
Introduction
1. An Overview
2. Principles of Research Ethics
3. Research Methodology
Planning the Implementation
4. Guiding Principles for Focus Groups -

Roles and Responsibilities of an Effective Focus Group
Facilitator
5. How to motivate the participating specialists?
6. Steps in Planning Awareness Sessions
Case Study
7. Background Information
8. Summary of Action
9. Evaluation
Appendix
I. Pair-Wise Ranking
II. Training Report on Participatory Rapid Assessment
(PRA)
III. Basics of Conducting Focus Groups
IV. Report of Focus Groups
V. ILC – STEP 2: Matching list of priorities of each village
with available specialists including all contact details

VI. Awareness Session Report Form including

Questionnaire
VII. ILC – STEP 3: Establishing a network within each
village, by identifying a contact person in charge of all
data (lists of specialists, information leaflets) and of
organizing the next steps as independent as possible
(however, assistance will be provided by Facilitator such
as TDH, Naba’a, Volunteers and Field Workers.)

1. An Overview
Objectives
The main objective of this manual is to offer information on a

new methodology which is in the process of being tested and
evaluated in 7 villages in the North of Lebanon and 15 villages
in Tyr District, South Lebanon. Its aim is to encourage the
people within those communities to gain knowledge of local
resources available to solve their community needs. The
methodology further intends to encourage investment in
existing local community resources as well as in the
empowerment process of the communities to become more
independent from external aid. By stimulating a process of
knowledge sharing among the focus groups and the available
resources, this methodology promotes initiatives to build
networks among the villages in order to meet their needs.
The implementation will take place using a participatory

approach that is a characteristic of this new mode: the
community will be involved as much as possible in order to
strengthen their feelings of responsibility, independence, and
commitment to improving the situations of their villages. The
focus group meetings will be held so as to stimulate the
community participation in the identification of the
priorities/needs related to all participants. Group dialogue as it’s
the case in focus groups, tend to generate rich information and
offer participant’s insights into personal experiences,
perspectives and complex topics. It further provides information
directly from individuals who are invested in these issues and
hold expert knowledge about a problem or challenge they are
facing about which little is known among researchers and
facilitators. In addition, this methodology provides a relatively

low cost and efficient way to generate a great deal of

information and work cost-efficiently.
At the same time the communities of the participating villages

will be involved in an awareness campaign about their final
chosen main topics such child raising, environmental problems,
agricultural questions and other matters of public concern that
will be identified in cooperation with the community and in
observance of the local culture. So parents, youths, elderly and
key persons of the communities will have to identify the
awareness campaign topics, to take part in them and, by
establishing a person in charge of correspondence, to manage
the meetings by themselves.
Outcomes
Generally speaking, the aim is to make the people of the village

aware of the resources/specialists available not only in their
village but in the surrounding area and thus enhancing their
ability to start networking among the villages. Networking in
this case means to be able to
identify the main problems
and needs of the village and
to use the given data of
specialists in the area in
order to contact them
independently, hold
sessions/trainings and start
solve their problems
independently without
foreign assistance.
By establishing a human resource mapping for the North and

South of Lebanon, which will be available to all participating

villages, this methodology of Investing in Local Communities

aims to strengthen the local networks and improving the overall
situation in the villages by meeting exactly the needs mentioned
during the focus group research. The most important aspect of
this new method is to link the community with the specialists in
the village and the surrounding area by raising awareness about
certain issues and about ways to resolve future
challenges/problems in the villages.
Advantages
1) Cost Effectiveness: The awareness sessions will be

conducted by specialists who are coming from the villages and
work voluntarily in this project in order to improve the overall
situation within the community. Therefore, no external people
will have to come in to conduct the sessions which means that
no extra funding is needed to pay for external specialists and
their accommodation/transportation costs.
2) Sustainability: Once the available specialists are included in

the human resource mapping, their advice and counseling can
be searched any time, as they are all living in close proximity to
each other in the same region (in the example of Lebanon:
Akkar or Tyr District). Furthermore, those specialists will not
leave the country or area once the project is concluded and the
village will be able to benefit from the established network in
the future, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of this
methodology.
3) Culture-sensitivity: Local specialists holding awareness

sessions are aware of the critical issues affecting the community
represented by the participants and because they have been
living in this community for years, they have a basic awareness
of sensitive issues so that they do not offend or insult

participants unknowingly or unintentionally. Additionally, the

participants do not feel as shy or timid in talking about personal
and intimate problems with a person who understands their
concerns, is aware of the cultural as well as religious taboos,
and can build a relationship of trust among the participants.
4) Local Community Resource Investment: A list of specialists

available will be firmly embedded in the newly established
network among the villages in the country. This will enhance
the status of the specialists and contribute to future employment
opportunities. For the participants in the local villages this
investment will improve the living situation, educational
standards and other challenges they are facing in daily life.
Moreover, it encourages communication among the inhabitants
and the neighbouring villages, making all of them aware of the
fact that they can rely on themselves to solve their problems.
2. Principles of Research Ethic
Voluntary participation
Individuals must
agree to
participate in the
research of their
own free will. It
is essential that
participants
understand that
their
participation is
voluntary and
that there are no consequences for refusing to take part in the
study or to answer specific questions. Researchers must explain
the nature of the study openly and honestly and in a way that is

understandable to the participant. It is the responsibility of the

researcher to ensure that the participant understands the nature
of the research, the purposes of the research, the potential risks
and benefits to the participant of participation, and the fact that
they may withdraw from participation at any time.
Respect for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression
Facilitators must be respectful of the rights of others and

sensitive that others hold values, attitudes and opinions that can
differ from their own. Researchers and their work must respect
the rights, dignity and worth of all people.
Confidentiality
One of the most critical principals of research ethics is

maintaining confidentiality of research participants. Participants
of research projects share valuable and sometimes sensitive
information with the researcher, and they trust that the
researcher will ensure that their identity is protected.
It is imperative that no one but the researchers coordinating and

conducting the focus groups knows the names of participants.
Furthermore, people other than the researchers should not have
access to the responses from individual participants.
Appreciating Time and Contributions of the

Participants
Facilitators should always remember to thank participants for

their time and participation and most importantly let them know

that the information they have shared is valuable not only for
this methodology but for their own community development.
3. Research Methodology
1- Desk Research using secondary sources:
 Media reports about situation in villages

 Former Project reports
 Feedback from volunteers working or local
organizations working in the villages
2- Direct Observation:
 Direct observation means observing object, events,

processes, relationships or people's behavior
systematically and recording these observations.
3- Focus group discussions:
 Small group of people (6-12) with specialist knowledge

or interest in a particular topic with a Facilitator chosen
to keep the discussion on or around the original Topic.
 It can bring together people who have a particular
problem and those who cannot speak up at large
meetings (such as women or minority groups).
 Successful focus discussion need to be held in a
comfortable place with no interruption, an informal
atmosphere, equality and trust between group
participants and facilitator, understanding and agreement
within the group about the purpose of the discussion,

respect for the right of all participants to speak and to be

listened to.
4- Ranking and Scoring:
Ranking and scoring

exercises can be used in
interviews or on their
own and they can lead
to more direct and
revealing questions.
This method helps to
identify the main
problems or preferences
of people, to set the
criteria they use when
deciding in what order to place things and enables the priorities
of different people to be compared.
Pair wise ranking: 1A matrix is drawn to compare which is the

preferred of two options.
4. Guide lines for Facilitators in Conducting

Focus Groups2
The role of the facilitator is to achieve a balance between
collecting necessary information and gathering important data
that have not been anticipated. The facilitator has to make sure
that the interview respondents are interrupted as little as
possible and are not rushed to answer in a situation where they
might need more time to think about their needs or feelings.
1
For an example of Pair-Wise Matrix, please see appendix number I.
2
Some of the information about how to conduct focus groups have been
taken from other sources and are listed in the appendix number II. and III. -
Training Report on PRA; Basics of Conducting Focus Groups

- Begin with the traditional greeting and state that the

interview team is here to learn.
- Conduct the interview informally and mix the questions
with discussion
- Be open-minded and objective
- Let each team member finish their line of questioning
(do not interrupt)
- Carefully lead up to sensitive questions
- Assign one note-taker
- Be aware of non-verbal signals
- Avoid leading questions and value judgments.
- Avoid questions that can be answered with "Yes" or
"No"
- Group interviews should last no longer than two hours
- Each interviewer should have a list of topics and key
questions written down in his or her notebook
The Importance of Neutrality
While it is important for the facilitator to show participants that

they are actively listening and interested in what participants are
sharing, the interviewer should remain as neutral or impartial as
possible, even if they have a strong opinion about something.
Avoid Making Assumptions
The opinions of the respondent should not be assumed by the

interviewer or their thoughts be summarized by the facilitator. It
is important to let the discussion flow in any direction the
participants like it to go. There should be no comments from the
facilitator’s side and no leading to any conclusion or summary.
Avoid Asking Leading Questions
An example of a leading question is “Don’t you think…” This

type of question may lead the facilitator to influence the
outcomes of the discussion and to make the participants answer

questions according to what the facilitator expects to hear,

rather than how they really feel about some issues.
Common Mistakes during Focus Groups Discussion:
- Failing to listen closely to what the interviewed person

is saying
- Repeating questions
- Helping the interviewee to give an answer
- Asking vague or insensitive questions without being
aware of the context and the environment in which the
focus group is conducted.
- Over-Generalizing findings by not paying enough
attention to all the details and having incomplete note-
taking
- Ignoring anything that does not fit the ideas and the
preconceptions of the interviewer
Effective Facilitators should:
 Have good listening skills

 Have good observation skills
 Have good speaking skills
 Be able to foster open and honest dialogue among
diverse groups and individuals
 Have the ability to remain impartial and do not give
their opinion in order to influence the participants
 Encourage participation when someone is reluctant to
speak up
 Be able to manage participants who dominate the
conversation and keep on talking the whole time.
 Be gender and culturally-sensitive

5. How to motivate the specialists who offered

to participate?
At the beginning of this session for all the specialists and
persons who offered their skills to this new component
“Investing in Local Communities”, the fact should be
emphasized that without their support and their voluntarily
commitment and dedication, the awareness sessions would not
be possible. The following reasons could be used in order to
further motivate the specialists and ensure that they understand
their role in this concept correctly.
I. Make a difference and improve situation in the villages:
Community service and volunteerism are an investment in your

community and the people who live in it. Contribute to a cause
that you care about, using your skills in a productive way,
making meaningful contributions and improving the situation in
the villages by using your specific knowledge and skills.
II. Be actively involved in this development without counting

on external aid:
Take responsibility for your future and the future of your

communities; take the chance of performing an advisory
function within the focus groups and in cooperation with local
as well as external NGOs. To be involved in developing and
testing a new project tailored to the "real" needs of the people.
III. Personal growth and self-esteem:
Become part of a project that aims at uniting people from

diverse backgrounds to work towards a common goal. By
making a difference for those people you will feel needed and

appreciated in the communities where you are going to offer

your skills.
IV. Professional growth:
You will be able to advance your personal communication skills

by giving talks and interacting with the focus groups. Develop
personal networks that will be useful when goals of project are
achieved and have the chance to build personal, professional
contacts and to expand your horizons.
V. Role model for community and young people:
Improvement is possible if everyone takes his/her share and

engages in community development.
VI. Small time commitment:
It doesn't require a huge time commitment: you can start small

by volunteering for a one-time event or scheduling just a couple
hours per week, it will be all arranged according to your free
time and availability.
6. Steps in Planning Awareness Sessions

Step 1: Identification of Needs within Focus Groups3
and of Available Local Human Resources
(Qualifications/Skills of Specialists)
The various focus groups will identify and establish a list of

relevant and important topics in which they would like to have
3
Please see attached appendix number IV. - Report of Focus Group
Sessions

further training/education or awareness sessions. Topics could

include: Breast Cancer, Pollution, HIV awareness, Women's
rights, democracy, drugs etc. The agenda will be sole
responsibility of the people in the different focus groups.
Role of the facilitator:
1. Conduct a needs assessment by using participatory

research approach using focus groups. The facilitator
should start collect information on needs and challenges
within the village and establish a list of priorities among
community members as to know what has to be
addressed first.
2. During the conducting of focus group sessions, the role

of the facilitator will be the following:
 Select the Team: Choose a facilitator to guide the

discussion and a note-taker who will take notes and
make observations during the discussion.
 Identify the
most suitable
individuals to
participate in
each group –
ensure that
participants fit
the criteria
established for
inclusion in a
particular
focus group.
 Plan a time of day that is convenient for the
participants and responsive to their life
circumstances. Groups should also be conducted in

locations that are also convenient and comfortable

for all participants, especially if the topic is very
sensitive and requires some degree of privacy.
 Invite appropriate participants and contact confirmed
participants the day before the group to remind them
of the time and location of the focus group and to
confirm their participation.
 Make an attendance list, take pictures4 and document
the whole process of the focus groups. Collect
feedbacks from participants on how to improve the
sessions in the future.
3. Identifying and collecting data about the available

resources; the facilitator will gather information about
specialists within the villages concerned and develop a
list/database including all information on area of
specialization/knowledge offered, contact details (phone
number, address, email, times available) and the areas in
which the specialist could operate (related to means of
transportation).
Step 2: Matching list of priorities with list of

available resources.5
In this second step, the needs and main priorities of the villages
will be matched with the specialists/available resources.
Specialists will be chosen and identified for giving awareness
sessions in their areas of specialization.
4
Note: People should be asked for the permission to take photos as this is
prohibited in some rural villages and may cause the participants to feel
uncomfortable.
5
For an example of the list of matching priorities with available human
resources, please see appendix number V. – ILC – STEP 2

Role of Facilitator:
1. The facilitating partner will match the list of priorities of

the various villages with the newly-established
database/list of specialists and available resources in
order to be able to develop a timetable for future
awareness sessions.
2. Moreover, it is the role of the facilitator to provide

access for focus groups to the specialists’ database so
that in the future they can solve their problems by
matching their needs with the available skills within the
village or area.
Step 3: Implementation
In this stage of the project, the specialist sessions/ talks will be

implemented. The focus groups in the villages should choose
the best time and location to hold the talks and organize them
for themselves. For more sensitive topics, the talks could be
located within domestic houses as to create a more familiar
atmosphere for women, children or elderly. However, this is
just a suggestion as the responsibility and choice of the location
as well as date and hour of the talks will be sole responsibility
of members of the focus groups.
1. The facilitator should ensure that a person in charge of

correspondence and organization of the sessions is
chosen and that constant contact is kept with this person.
This will make it easier for the facilitator to invite all the

interested people and target groups to the awareness

session and to alleviate the communication among the
people and the facilitator.
2. Help preparing the location and outline of the awareness

session; prepare the participants as well as the specialists
for the talk and give an introduction about the expected
outcomes and next steps.
3. Facilitators will provide the villages with the lists of

experts in the certain areas of demand and attend the
awareness trainings as “silent witnesses" in order to
collect data about the outcome as well as feedback for
future evaluation. The main role of the facilitator is to
assist and facilitate the procedures and act as the main
point of correspondence between the specialist and the
person organizing the awareness session within the
village.
Step 4: Evaluation
An awareness session report including a survey-questionnaire6

will identify, report and interpret behaviors, beliefs and
observations of specific groups during the awareness sessions to
find out if the people's expectation have been met and what
could be done to improve future sessions. In addition, a final
evaluation including lessons learned, challenges faced during
the implementation, and the specialists’/participants’ feedback,
has to be produced after the project has been finished.
6
For an example of this questionnaire please see the enclosed appendix
number VI.

1. Prepare pre and post-questionnaires on samples of

participants during awareness meetings
2. Establish an
attendance list,
take pictures
and take notes
of the direct
observation by
the team
members.
3. Collect information on specialists’ feedback, interview

participants about their opinion of the sessions, the main
questions that have been raised and on improvement
possibilities.
4. Provide assistance to the participants and the contact

person in particular for the next steps and future
intervention in the villages.
5. Use evaluation methodology, sources of verification

(such as reports of community workers and facilitator
attending meetings) and measurement of success in
order to identify problems and obstacles to improve the
new methodology and learn from difficulties/failures.

Step 5: What next? - How to ensure the

sustainability7
1. These steps could include forming some kind of

committee or group who is willing to take the initiative
of passing on the acquired knowledge and organizing
meetings, new sessions (on their own) as well as
informing all the inhabitants who did not take part in the
session. Furthermore, leaflets could be produced with
the most important points and information of the
awareness session. This leaflet should be produced by
the participating members and the information for the
leaflet should also be chosen by the participants in order
to make this leaflet as needs-related as possible.
2. As a way of improving the sustainability of the held

awareness sessions and the project in general, the
knowledge and information has to be passed on to
children and youth (especially for issues regarding
personal hygiene, and health care etc.) Inside schools,
classes can be hold on those topics with the children in a
more artistic way by making children reflecting on what
they heard through drawings, handcraft or exhibitions,
theater/sketches etc. By these means, the children are
able to remember in more detailed the message and can
pass their knowledge on to other students in the school
in a playfully way.
3. Another opportunity is to have monthly meetings or

two-monthly on new arising problems and issues among
the community members of the villages. These meetings
could be organized and initiated either by the contact
7
Please find attached the draft of how to establish a network among villages
and to plan future intervention in appendix number VII- ILC STEP 3

person or the committee/reference system established in

the village after the awareness sessions. In these
meetings the new main priorities can be addressed and
future sessions/meetings with the specialists arranged, as
each village will be able to access the specialist database
on their own or with little assistance of the initiating
organizations.
Note: However, one has to bear in mind that the above steps
for future intervention are only some ideas and the people in
the villages are very creative and sometimes very eager to
find their own way of passing on the information and
establishing a working network among the region.
7. Case Study
Background Information
The implemented
program of Investing in
Local Communities has
been established in the
context of the Project
ROSS in partnership
with Terre des
Hommes Italia and the
Italian Cooperation,
which aims at
improving educational
and recreational
opportunities for
children and adolescents resident in 22 villages in Lebanon. An

initial rapid education assessment in January 2009 followed by

a comprehensive needs assessment in February 2009 of all
villages concerned, took place in which Naba'a, together with
Terres des Hommes (TDH) conducted field visits to villages in
North Lebanon's Akkar region to assess local needs of
communities in the villages.
Case study of the Village of Borkaiel
Borkaiel has a population of 1,500 with a majority of the people

working in the areas of agriculture, military or governmental
work. The village faces various problems: to begin with, there is
no municipality in Borkaiel which further enforces the other
problems as there is no one to coordinate a response to the
challenges. Furthermore, no potable water is available in the
village and the inhabitants have to go to the neighbouring
villages in order to fill up their water tanks. Regarding the
health situation, there are 2 medical centres which provide basic
services but all serious medical cases have to be transferred to
the hospital of the next bigger city of Halbah. Three local
organisations are working in Borkaiel at the moment: Borkail
Development ( social & charity): its directed at all the village,
Al Taalof (Alliance) is giving language (English) and computer
courses; and Al Hadata which is offering language & Computer
Courses as well. No international organization is operative in
Borkaiel and all three organizations mentioned above do merely
focus on educational matters and offering courses and trainings
for all members of the village.
Social and Economical problems:

 Lack of clinics and health care, which forces a

village's residents to travel to other villages for
medical services. Regular health checks cannot be
carried out inside the village and this has led to an
increase in the development and spread of illnesses,
particularly among the elderly who refuse to travel
so far.
 Sources of water in the village are often
contaminated, or simply do not exist.
 Lack of involvement of parents in schools, despite
the fact that parents' committees often exist. The fact
that parents do not play an active role in the school,
has led to an increased dropout rate among pupils
who have to work in agriculture with their parents or
do not pass their final exams due to lack of
assistance from all sides.
 Lack of youth groups, centres as well as playground
and thus lack of activities for children.
 The above-listed problems increased in incidence
with economic deprivation and the high inflation
rates apparent especially in the remote areas and
rural villages such as Borkaiel.
8. Summary of Action
Various focus groups were held within the community in order

to gain information on the existing problems within the village.
Focus groups were held among men, women as well as female
and male youth. The facilitators collected all the information
mentioned in the discussion and tried to establish a list of
priorities in order to resume the village’s main problems and
challenges. This method of pair wise ranking will be shown on

the example of the woman – focus group which was held on

20th of July 2009.
This focus group targeted 14 women from Borkaiel, including

13 mothers and 1 single woman, and took place in the house of
one of the participants. The major points of the meeting
included: First the project was introduced and presented by the
facilitator staff, emphasizing the different phases, the targets of
the awareness sessions, the campaign and its importance for the
village, as well as future steps and possibilities after the
awareness session.
In a second step, the facilitator started to ask about the problems
and challenges the community and the participants are facing
and the following points were raised: most women mentioned
problems with their sons in adolescence age or the first years of
their children when they start to ask a lot of embarrassing
questions. Furthermore, most women talked about the intra-
familiar problems and how their husband treats them which
have a negative impact on their children. At the end of the
discussion the following 5 main priorities were chosen, as
follows:
1) Women’s Infections
2) Raising children
3) Violence against children
4) Diabetes
5) Healthy nutrition

Pair-wise ranking methodology:
infections
Woman’s
Nutrition
Diabetes
Violence
Healthy
Raising
Cancer
against
Breast
Kids
kids
infections
Woman’s
Nutrition
Nutrition
Diabetes
Violence
Healthy
Healthy
Raising
Cancer
against
Breast
Kids
kids
1
infections
Woman’s
Raising
Raising
Raising
Raising
Kids 4
Kids
Kids
Kids
infections
Woman’s
Cancer 1
Violence
Cancer
against
Breast
Breast
kids
infections
infections
infections
Woman’s
Woman’s
Woman’s
5
Diabetes
Diabetes
2
Violence
against
kids 2
As soon as the priorities were put in order and the focus group
members had agreed on which points should be further
discussed with specialists, the facilitator started to meet with
specialists in the village and the surrounding area in order to
gain knowledge about their area of specialization and their

availability to help in the awareness sessions. A final list was

established with name, phone number, address, email, political
party, and availability. After founding a specialist who was
willing and available for the first awareness session in Borkaiel
on the topic of women’s infections, the date for the session was
set in order to prepare the residents and the location. The person
of contact, who has been nominated during the focus group
session, started to tell people about the session and invite the
target group to the talk. On the 14th of August 2009 Dr. Hiba El-
Sayyed presented an awareness session on "Women's
infections" for 27 women in the Borkaiel.
On the day of the awareness session, the following steps were

prepared by the facilitator in cooperation with the contact
person/person in charge of future correspondence:
 The procedure of the Session.

 Questions for the specialists so he/she can
prepare her/himself before the session
 Summary for assimilation of information and to
produce some kind of leaflet or information
handout afterwards.
 Discussion about “what next!
Summary of Session:
Specialist asking simple questions in order to discover

the knowledge of the group regarding the awareness
session’s topic.
Symptoms of the disease.
Causes.
How to get infected, how infections are transmitted
between individuals, how do viruses move into the
Human body?

Risks and consequences of inflammation on the child,

adolescents and adults.
Treatment
Prevention
9. Evaluation
Lesson learned:
 It is a necessity to be aware of the traditions and customs

of the villages before starting the implementation of the
project, as this prevents the working group from making
a lot of mistakes in the future.
 Choosing suitable words when introducing the project in
the meetings as to leave no chance for interpreting
words in a different way which could lead to
participants’ disappointment and dissatisfaction.
 Communication should focus on key persons in the field
and not to be open to many persons as this complicates
things and creates more chaos and misunderstanding
among the facilitator and the participants of the village.
Difficulties and Challenges:
 In the beginning of the awareness session it became

clear that some of the participants did not understand the
concept of the sessions very well and suggested to talk
about women’s literacy. Therefore, the team had to
explain the concept of the sessions again and stress the
importance as well as necessity of it for the village.
 While we prepared the session with some women, others
told us that they will invite more women to the session
but in the end only the woman who hold the session in
her house, invited others and organised everything.

Therefore, it is vital to have person in charge of

correspondence and organisation as the other women did
not follow up their promises.
 Regarding the local organisations available in Borkaiel,
we faced a lot of problems with them as they told us
they want to cooperate and help organise and invite
people for the sessions; however, in the end, only one of
the associations came and offered us some help.
 Some of the women participating in the sessions brought
their babies and little children which obliged them to
keep an eye on them all the time and led to distraction
and constant talking of the mothers which interrupted
the talk of the specialist. Therefore, in the future it is
advisable to tell the women to come on their own or
bring their grown-up daughters to take care of their little
children.
 Some of the women stated in the beginning of the
session their problem of talking freely in the presence of
other women and girls and did not want to answer the
questions of the specialist. However, as time passed on,
they started to feel more integrated and relaxed in the
environment of the awareness session group and started
to share their questions, thoughts and problems.
Specialist Feedback:
“At the beginning of the session, all women appeared to be very

shy about issues related to their health. But after a while, they
begun to relax and they started to feel much integrated within
the discussion. I could conclude through their way of asking
questions that they understood the subject very well. Some
women were surprised from the kind of questions I am asking,
so I decided to pay attention with them. But later on, they

showed interaction with me, so I felt relieved and I could

explain more and with much of explicitly.”
Quotes of Participants:
Roula: “I used to think that I have a lot of information about the

women’s infections, but I found out that it is not true. Today I
have seen new issues thanks to you and thanks to the doctor
whom have been capable to explain the subject without shyness
and attracted women without any opposition from them. We
have a lot of topics which must be raised and which need a lot
of courage to talk about.”

Appendix
I. Pair-Wise Ranking
II. Training Report on Participatory Rapid Assessment
(PRA)
III. An Introduction to Participatory Rapid Assessment
Methodology
IV. Basics of Conducting Focus Groups
V. Report of Focus Groups
VI. ILC – STEP 2: Matching list of priorities of each village
with available specialists including all contact details
VII. Awareness Session Report Form including
Questionnaire
VIII. ILC – STEP 3: Establishing a network within each
village, by identifying a contact person in charge of all
data (lists of specialists, information leaflets) and of
organizing the next steps as independent as possible
(however, assistance will be provided by Facilitator such
as TDH, Naba’a, Volunteers and Field Workers.)

PAIR WISE RANKING
This is a way of identifying criteria for choosing certain objects.

It can be used as a means of understanding the reasons for local
preferences for such things as tree species or crop varieties.
The criteria are likely to change from group to group. Women
and men may use different criteria.
Example of Pair wise Matrix;
Favorite Pastimes ,eg. Given the choice of reading or watching

TV, this person prefers TV, given the choice of music and TV
he/she prefers music, etc.
TV Reading Sleep Music Sport

TV TV TV Music TV
Reading Reading Music Reading
Sleep Music Sport
Music Music
Sport

Developmental Action without Borders- NABA’A
Training Title
Participatory Rapid Assessments (PRA)
Prepared by Yasser Dawoud
Training objectives
By the end of the training, Youth participants will be able to;
- Describe and differentiate PRA from other methods of

surveys.
- List three basic elements of the PRA methodology.
- Understand and use at least 4 different tools and techniques

which are used in PRA. “Usage and techniques of PRA “
- Plan for how to do the field assessments (conducting the

PRA in their local communities).
Development (content);
Day 1;
Opening;
- personal introduction
- agenda review
- setting ground-rules

- INTRO ; Training objective time, Interest, range and Needs
1st stage
 PRA objectives.
 PRA Definition.
2nd stage
 Cross-checking of qualitative information.

 What are the roles of PRA facilitators? PRA skills.
3rd stage
 Strengths and weaknesses of the PRA approach.
Day 2
1st stage;
 Tools and techniques.

 Direct observation
 Ranking.
2nd stage
 S.S. Interview.
 SWOC analysis.
3rd stage
 Planning;
PRA should be planned in the following stages:

- Clarify goals and objectives of the research.

- Choose main topics
- Prepare a list of subtopics and key questions
- Identify sources of information for each subtopics
- Select tools to gather and analyze information
- Design research tools
- PRA results (Youth field work) will be used in designing their

own proposal, which intend to implement either in school or
in their local community.
Methodologies of training;
- Training will be based on participatory processes as it’s 10%

theoretically and 90% practical, were participants will learn
and develop their skills in active way (group work, exercises,
practical field research – using new techniques...).
- E.g.; for the direct observation, participants will be offered

the chance to make a round in the school, or the
municipality and document their direct observation, in
addition to the developed key questions that jump to mind
because of the direct observation.
Handouts:
- Handouts will be distributed by the end of the second day

(just briefing, focusing on collecting the data, tools and
techniques and designing the plan).
- All the exercises (In Arabic) are pre-prepared, as around 10

pages will be distributed and used during the two days.
(Power point, exercises, and format).
Means of verification related to project;

- 1 Youth led research is conducted in each village.

- The main themes of Youth projects are response directly to
the youth research main findings.
The resources…
- PRA Booklet training manual.

- Tools and techniques (tools together now – training manual).
Tools and Techniques (related to the training development).
1- Secondary Sources:
- Records
- Any other documents about the place, people or problems
should first be gathered and examined.
Secondary Sources will help:
- formulate questions
- Identify subtopics
- Avoid duplicating previous studies
2- Direct Observation
- Direct observation means observing object, events,

processes, relationships or people's behavior systematically
and recording these observations
-
- If observation of the same thing is to be carried out by
different people, it is important to standardize techniques,
since different people perceive things differently.
3- Semi-Structured Interviewing:

- Interviewers do not use formal questionnaire

- Interviewers used checklist of question related to each topic
of interest
- Question can be added or omitted as appropriate
- Flexible tool must be used systematically in order to produce
valid results
Guide lines for using Semi-Structured Interview:
- Interviewing team should consist of between two and four

people of different disciplines.
- Begin with the traditional greeting and state that the
interview team is here to learn.
- Begin the questioning by referring to someone or something
visible
- Conduct the interview informally and mix the questions with
discussion
- Let each team member finish their line of questioning ( do
not interrupt)
- Assign one note-taker ( rotate)
- Avoid questions that can be answered with "Yes" or "No"
- Individual interviews should last no longer than 45 minutes
Analyzing findings from semi-structured interviews:
- More difficult than analyzing responses to a fixed

questionnaire
- Wide variety of answers
- Different people will raise different points
- Some answers might be long
- Summarize each interview into the main points that were
raised

- Create limit number of categories of responses to see how

many people agree or disagree with different views
- Report any particularly interesting views word for word
Common mistakes during the Semi-Structured Interview
- Failing to listen closely

- Helping the interviewee give an answer
- Asking vague or insensitive questions
- Failing to cross-check a topic
- Failing to judge answer
- Asking leading questions
- Allowing the interview to go on too long
- Over-Generalizing findings
- Relying too much on the information from the well-off
- Ignoring any thing that does not fit the ideas and the
- Giving too much weight to answers that contain quantitative
data
- Incomplete note-taking
Different types of interview:
- Individual interviews
- Key information interviews
- Group interview and discussion
- Focus group discussions
- Ranking and scoring exercises can be used in interviews or

on their own and they can lead to more direct and revealing
questions. (Why is…..a more serious than….?)
- Ranking or Scoring means placing something in order
- Reveals differences within a population
- Helps to identify the main problems or preferences of people

- Helps to set the criteria they use when deciding in what

order to place things
- Enables the priorities of different people to be compared
Preference Ranking:
- Pair wise ranking

- A matrix is drawn to compare which is the preferred of two
options.
- Direct matrix ranking or scoring
- This is a way of identifying criteria for choosing certain
objects.
5- Construction of diagrams and maps:
- A diagram is a model that presents information in an easily

understandable form. It is a simplified model of reality.
Diagrams are useful because:
- They simplify complex information
- The act of constructing a diagram encourages people to
analyze the data they are using
- They facilitate communication
- They stimulate discussion
- They increase consensus among team members
- They are an excellent way of involving community members
and discovering their views.
Brief Introduction to Methodology of

Participatory Research Methods
PRA should be planned in the following stages:
1- Clarify goals and objectives of the study

2- Choose main topics
3- Prepare a list of subtopics, indicators and key questions

4- Identify sources of information for each subtopics

5- Select tools to gather and analyze information
6- Design research tools
Tools and Techniques:
1- Secondary Sources:
 Project reports
 Records
 Base line data
 Any other documents about the place, people
or problems should first be gathered and
examined.
Secondary Sources will help:
1- formulate questions
2- Identify subtopics
3- Avoid duplicating previous studies
2- Direct Observation
 Direct observation means observing object,

events, processes, relationships or people's
behavior systematically and recording these
observations
 If observation of the same thing is to be carried
out by different people, it is important to
standardize techniques, since different people
perceive things differently.
3- Semi-Structured Interviewing:
 Interviewers do not use formal questionnaire

 Interviewers used checklist of question related to

each topic of interest
 Question can be added or omitted as appropriate
 Flexible tool must be used systematically in
order to produce valid results
Guide lines for using Semi-Structured Interview:
- Interviewing team should consist of between two and

four people of different disciplines.
- Begin with the
traditional greeting
and state that the
interview team is here
to learn.
- Begin the questioning
by referring to
someone or something
visible
- Conduct the interview
informally and mix the
questions with
discussion
- Let each team member finish their line of questioning
(do not interrupt)
- Assign one note-taker ( rotate)
- Avoid questions that can be answered with "Yes" or
"No"
- Individual interviews should last no longer than 45
minutes

Analyzing findings from semi-structured interviews:
 More difficult than analyzing responses to a

fixed questionnaire
 Wide variety of answers
 Different people will raise different points
 Some answers might be long
 Summarize each interview into the main points
that were raised
 Create limit number of categories of responses to
see how many people agree or disagree with
different views
 Report any particularly interesting views word
for word
Common mistakes during the Semi-Structured Interview
- Failing to listen closely

- Helping the interviewee give an answer
- Asking vague or insensitive questions
- Failing to cross-check a topic
- Failing to judge answer
- Asking leading questions
- Allowing the interview to go on too long
- Over-Generalizing findings
- Relying too much on the information from the well-off
- Ignoring any thing that does not fit the ideas and the
- Giving too much weight to answers that contain
quantitative data
- Incomplete note-taking
Different types of interview:

A- Individual interviews
B- Key information interviews
C- Group interview and discussion
D- Focus group discussions
Ranking and scoring exercises can be used in interviews

or on their own and they can lead to more direct and
revealing questions. (Why is…..a more serious than….?)
 Ranking or Scoring means placing something in

order
 Reveals differences within a population
 Helps to identify the main problems or preferences
of people
 Helps to set the criteria they use when deciding in
what order to place things
 Enables the priorities of different people to be
compared
Preference Ranking:
- Pair wise ranking
A matrix is drawn to compare which is the preferred of

two options.
- Direct matrix ranking or scoring
This is a way of identifying criteria for choosing certain

objects.
5- Construction of diagrams and maps:

A diagram is a model that presents information in an

easily understandable form. It is a simplified model of
reality. Diagrams are useful because:
 They simplify complex information

 The act of constructing a diagram encourages
people to analyze the data they are using
 They facilitate communication
 They stimulate discussion
 They increase consensus among team members
 They are an excellent way of involving community
members and discovering their views
AWARENESS – SESSION REPORT

Name of Facilitator: _______________ ____________
Date of Focus Group: __________________________
Location of Focus Group: ______________________
Number of Participants: ________________________
Gender (% if they are mixed): ___________________
Age (from…to…): ____________________________
Summary of Session: __________________________
Facilitator’s Observations:
Most important questions that were raised:
Quotes of Participants:

SPECIALIST’S FEEDBACK
Observation made during his/her talk:
His/ her Recommendations:
What next:
_____________________________________________
Signature Facilitator
Location, Date
Post- Awareness Session Questionnaire for

Participants of Focus Groups
1) Are you satisfied with the performance of the

specialist holding the awareness session?

Yes No
2) If no, please explain below:
3) Are you satisfied with the services provided by

Naba’a?
Yes No
4) If no, please tell us how the service can be

improved:
5) If you have any further suggestions for

improvement, please specify below:
6) Would you attend any further awareness

sessions?
Yes No

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Toolkit for Investing in Local Communities 2

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

Planning the Implementation

4. Guiding Principles for Focus Groups -

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

VI. Awareness Session Report Form including

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

The main objective of this manual is to offer information on a

The implementation will take place using a participatory

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

low cost and efficient way to generate a great deal of

At the same time the communities of the participating villages

Generally speaking, the aim is to make the people of the village

By establishing a human resource mapping for the North and

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

villages, this methodology of Investing in Local Communities

1) Cost Effectiveness: The awareness sessions will be

2) Sustainability: Once the available specialists are included in

3) Culture-sensitivity: Local specialists holding awareness

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

participants unknowingly or unintentionally. Additionally, the

4) Local Community Resource Investment: A list of specialists

2. Principles of Research Ethic

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

understandable to the participant. It is the responsibility of the

Respect for Human Rights and Freedom of Expression

Facilitators must be respectful of the rights of others and

One of the most critical principals of research ethics is

It is imperative that no one but the researchers coordinating and

Appreciating Time and Contributions of the

Facilitators should always remember to thank participants for

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

 Media reports about situation in villages

 Direct observation means observing object, events,

3- Focus group discussions:

 Small group of people (6-12) with specialist knowledge

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

respect for the right of all participants to speak and to be

4- Ranking and Scoring:

Ranking and scoring

Pair wise ranking: 1A matrix is drawn to compare which is the

4. Guide lines for Facilitators in Conducting

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

- Begin with the traditional greeting and state that the

The Importance of Neutrality

While it is important for the facilitator to show participants that

Avoid Making Assumptions

The opinions of the respondent should not be assumed by the

Avoid Asking Leading Questions

An example of a leading question is “Don’t you think…” This

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

questions according to what the facilitator expects to hear,

Common Mistakes during Focus Groups Discussion:

- Failing to listen closely to what the interviewed person

Effective Facilitators should:

 Have good listening skills

Naba’a & TDH-Italy Organizations

5. How to motivate the specialists who offered

I. Make a difference and improve situation in the villages:

Community service and volunteerism are an investment in your

II. Be actively involved in this development without counting

Take responsibility for your future and the future of your