Participatory Management

Building on its deep knowledge of participatory approaches, Participatory Management focuses on the development and use of various assessment methods for the effective and efficient planning of new services and for the monitoring of existing ones, at both community and district levels. In many cases this can be done in combination with computer management tools. Based on the success of the Methodology for Participatory Assessment (MPA), a new flexible system called Qualitative Information System (QIS) has been developed that enables quantification of people's perceptions of project progress and processes, while Action Monitoring for Effectiveness (aMe) can help to make short term improvements in project effectiveness at the lowest appropriate level.

Quantification of qualitative data in the water sector: the challenges

This is a preprint of the article 'Quantification of qualitative data in the water sector: the challenges', as published in Water International, Volume 33, Issue 2, June 2008 pp. 150-161 © 2008 copyright Taylor & Francis. Water International is available online.

Quantification of qualitative data Accepted in WI.doc (290.0 kB)

The QIA & QIS methods

The Qualitative Information System (QIS) is a new system to capture and manage qualitative information over time and space, store and manage this information on computer databases, and link assessment with action planning. In brief, QIS is a flexible system:

· to capture and manage qualitative information;

· which can be tailored to suit local conditions and needs;

· and yet generate uniform and comparable qualitative information;

· that can link assessment and action;

· for project management and communities.

The Qualitative Information Appraisal (QIA), the main component of a QIS, is designed for use as one-time assessments for baseline, mid-term and overall project impact assessments. IRC, together with Pragmatix India, developed the QIA and QIS (regularly repeated series of QIAs) to form a flexible system to capture, store and manage qualitative information over time and space on computer databases, and to link assessment with action planning and adaptive management.

The documents available here provide further details on these methods including their background and development as well as application.