Some Terms
Community. Can mean almost any group of people, from marginalised communities across a large geographical area to a mixed group in a fixed geographical area or organisation.
Participant. When we use the term participant, we mean the people in a community or organisation that we need to speak with to find out about problems and solutions, to prioritise, action plan and verify information. These are the experts. In a community it would include the people that live in it. In an organisation it would include both managerial level staff and the 'on the ground' workforce. A participatory approach is about empowering people to take responsibility for change.
Participant researcher. When we use the term participant, we mean the people in a community or organisation that we need to speak with to find out about problems and solutions, to prioritise, action plan and verify information. Although we are happy to undertake projects and consultancy it's often better if 'champions' or 'participant researchers' are trained to do it. The advantages are numerous and we'd be happy to discuss them. The main benifit is that the process becomes embedded in the community or organisation, helping it become more sustainable.
Triangulation. This is the process of checking that your information is as complete as possible and that you've spoken to all the groups you need to.
Verification. This is the process of taking findings back into the community or organisation to make sure you've got-it-right. It could be a one off event or several events over a period of time. It should reach as many people in a community as possible. It usually takes place after you have finished collating your information.