© Malcolm J. Odell, Jr. The Basics of Appreciative Planning & Action (APA) Shifting the Development...

© Malcolm J. Odell, Jr.

The Basics of Appreciative Planning &

Action (APA) Shifting the

Development Paradigm for Sustainable

Community & Women’s

Empowerment

Malcolm & Marcia Odell2009 World Appreciative

Inquiry ConferenceKathmandu, Nepal

November 2009

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.


“Dance and Drum” Drumming Circle !!!

Where are the drums?

….a song…….a dance…Sharing &

celebrating… “Breaking the

Dependency Cycle”




Participant Expectations & Dreams

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“House Rules”

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The ‘Essence’ of APAAsking empowering questions

Finding the answers in the community

The Three Basic ‘All-Purpose’ Questions of APA:• “What’s the best?”

• What is most successful, empowering?

• “What does ‘even better’ look like?”• What are our dreams for our children, grandchildren?

• “How do we get there together?”• What can we do now to get started?


Appreciative Planning & Action From 4 Ds to 7 Ds:

Discover The best, success, what works

Dream Of even better, what we want more of

Design A strategy, general plan to get there

Deliver An action plan & commitments

Do it now! Take the first step, now!

Discuss “A-Valuation” – positive evaluation & feedback

Dance & drum! Celebrate success


Appreciative Planning & Action

“Problem to Opportunity”

• An exercise in the appreciative approach to problem solving

– Problems are either:• Things that discourage us and drag us down…or• Opportunities for achieving great things….

– It’s our choice...!

– Now, choose the worst problem you can think of…• Let’s see if we can turn it into an opportunity in just an hour or

so!


“The Worst Problem….”

Brainstorming----------------

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“The Worst of the Worst”

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Problem to Opportunity The ‘positive opposite’ of the ‘worst problem’

Examples: Problem• War• Death, destruction• Conflict, violence• HIV/AIDS• Domestic violence

Opportunities• Peace• Life, creation• Harmony, caring• Healthy, safe-sex• Domestic harmony

Our “worst” problem:


ProblemTree


Problem to Opportunity The ‘positive opposite’ of the ‘worst problem’

Our “worst” Problem:

PositiveOpposite:

This is our Affirmative, Positive Topic


Step 1: Discoveryof the best, of success, of what works

Exercise -- Small Group Brainstorming:(Pairs form Teams of 4-6)

• The Search for ‘the best,’ ‘what works,’ successes concerning our affirmative topic

– Choose a name for your Team– Choose a motto– Share your own personal positive stories,

experiences that illustrate personal experiences related to our affirmative topic

“All the knowledge we need is in this village….”


Step 2: Dreamof even better, what we want more of…

• Share your personal dreams of life, your community, a world full of the best, of what you want more of related to our affirmative topic

• Draw a picture together of the year 2020, of what this looks like for your children, your grandchildren – of a world full of the best





Step 3: Design & DeliveryAction Plan to Get Started

• Group– Write a short action

plan – tasks for the coming week to get started on implementing, Delivering your Design for achieving your Dream

• Each Person– Take one simple task

from the action plan that you want to work on personally

– Write your own personal commitment on your group plan “All the knowledge we need is in this village….”




Step 4:“Do It Now!”

Participants• Choose one thing

from your tasks, one small thing you can do right now to get started… a small first step

• Do it now!

“All the knowledge we need is in this room….”




Step 5: Sharing Dreams and Designs

• Each team makes a one-minute presentation summarizing your team’s– Dream– Design– Delivery– Do it now!

• Each person stands and shares his/her – Personal commitment




SuccessTree


What Happened?Discussion:• Only about an hour ago

participants felt the problem was ‘hopeless’

• Now they are engaged in action, addressing the opportunity, and feel encouraged.

>>Did the world change? • What changed? • --• --• --• --• --




“Words Make Worlds”• What changed?

– Our words – positive, future-oriented– Our language – affirmative, appreciative– Our questions

• Instead of asking about the problem, we asked about the solution

• This is the power of Appreciative Planning and Action – Short– Simple– Positive– Action-oriented approach to Appreciative

Inquiry


How can we apply the principles of APA to Community Mobilization & Women’s

Empowerment ?

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Appreciative Planning and Action (APA) Framework:

1 Goal - Seeking the Root Causes of Success

2 Laws– What you seek is what you find– Where you think you’re going is where you end up

3 Principles– If you look for problems, you find – and create – more

problems– If you look for success, you find – and create – more

successes– If you believe in your dreams, you create miracles

4 4 ‘Ds’ 7 ‘Ds’➔


Appreciative InquiryThe Basic “4 Ds”


Dream Even better, what we want more of

Design Strategy, general plan to get there

Deliver Action plans


Appreciative Planning & Action From 4 Ds to 7 Ds:


Dream Of even better, what we want more of

Design A strategy, general plan to get there

Deliver An action plan & commitments

Do it now! Take the first step, now!

Discuss “A-Valuation” – positive evaluation & feedback

Dance & drum! Celebrate success


Adapting AI for Community Mobilization: Appreciative Planning and Action (APA)

Purpose

To empower communities and individuals: • To take pride in what and who we are and

what we have achieved• To dream of what might be• To plan for what will be, and • To feel the energy that comes from making

commitments and taking the first stepTo be simple enough that anyone can do it,

profound enough to change people’s lives


“Time out for the Cinema!”a “KISSS” Video

“Appreciative Planning & Action”

• The first APA community meetings in Nepal

• From Discovery to ‘Do it Now’

• Overview of the APA process• (The 7-Ds in 5 minutes!)

• Short• Sweet• Simple

• This is what you will do tomorrow…– Only you’ll have 2 full hours to do it!


Role playing an APA meeting with local communities

• Role Play interviews with members of local community

• Purposes:– Practice APA meeting

process for use with communities

– Learn how to mobilize & empower local communities, women




“Fishbowl” demonstration of an initial APA meeting with a Community or VillageTwo groups take turns in

“Fishbowl:”• Community group

– 3-5 participants• Community Mobilizers’

team -- using different APA techniques with the community, women’s group

– 2 participants

• Take turns practicing the following methods





Step One:

Initial Assessment – ‘Discovery’“The ‘Super-D’”

Your team –

Searching for success

Seeking “The Best!”


“All the knowledge we need is in this village”

The never-ending search for the best, what works, successes, moments of joy, empowerment, when we felt specially proud of ourselves and our community




Discovery

Choosing a good, basic ‘Discovery’ Question

Frame the Discovery question for community members to share stories to discover their strengths, successes:

Possible questions: • “When have I felt empowered, successful, excited about

something I have personally achieved on my own?” or • “Tell the story of a time in our village when we felt

excited, empowered, proud of what we had done together? or

• Tell us about your Community’s greatest successes; times when you felt you were working at your best; happy, joyful, about something you accomplished together

Role Playing an APA meeting with Local Communities



Some Different ‘DISCOVERY’ Methods

• Success Stories

• Success Pictures

• Success Maps

• Asset Inventory - strengths, skills, knowledge

“All the knowledge we need is in this village”

The never-ending search for the best, what works, successes, moments of joy, empowerment, when we felt especially proud of ourselves and our community



Success Pictures -- ‘Around the Campfire”

– Sharing my personal picture and the story that it tells

• Give each participant a small sheet of paper (A4)

• Using your chosen ‘Discovery’ question, such as:

(“Draw a picture of a time when you felt you made a difference, felt empowered, proud of something you did for yourselves”)

• Each one stands, introduces him/herself, and briefly describes his/her picture and what it means





Some Different ‘DISCOVERY’ Methods:• Success Maps

– Creating our “Village Success Map”• Drawing by whole group

– Assuming group is not very large• Small groups share their “Success Maps”

with whole group– When working with a large group

Use your Discovery Question… asking the community to draw picture of all the things we are proud of in our community that we have done together.


Example of a “Success Map”


Discovering“Root Causes of Success”

“Root Cause Analysis” -- Group Discussion• Why APA?• What made these experiences special,

extraordinary ?• What can we apply to Community Mobilization?

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Step Two: Vision for the Future –

“Dream”Your group – asks the

Community the second basic APA question:

2. What does “Even Better” look like?

Role Playing an APA meeting with Local Communities




Frame the Dream question to create a positive vision for their children, grandchildren

Possible questions, which can inspire Dream pictures: • “Imagine it is 10 years from now. Our village is

everything we dreamed it could be. What would it look like?” or

• “Draw a picture of life for our children (and grandchildren) that is full of achievements that we have dreamed for them.”

• “Draw a picture of what our community will look like in the year 2020, a community that we would dream of having for our children and grandchildren.”




Different ways for Collecting Dreams:

“Dream Pictures”Individual pictures

Group pictures

“Future Maps”Village ‘Success’ Maps





“Dream Picture” or “Success Map”


Step 3: Design & DeliveryAction Plan for achieving the Dream for

Community Mobilization & Women’s Empowerment

“Dream Teams” – decide • What you can do --

this month, or this year -- to begin to move toward creating your dreams for community mobilization & women’s empowerment

• How would you do it?





Step 4: DeliveryAction Plan to Get Started

Making Commitments:

“What will I do during the coming week (month) as my part for helping implement our plan?”

(Or is there a better question?)

• Each person takes one simple task from the action plan that they will work on personally

• Each person writes their commitment on their plan

“The power of commitments is contagious” “All the knowledge we need is in this village”




• DON’T FORGET THOSE PERSONAL COMMITMENTS !!“The Power of Personal

Commitment is Contagious!”

– Those that may not have had an opportunity to state their commitment often feel they missed something important

The Power of Personal Commitment

“All the knowledge we need is in this village….””




Step 5:“Do It Now!”Frame your “Do it Now!” question to encourage

villagers to find something they can do right away to start implementing their plan

Possible questions• “What can we do right now to get started?”• “What is the ‘first step’ in our plan that we

could begin immediately?• “How can we begin to implement our action

plan right away, right now in the next 10-15 minutes, before we end our meeting?”

• “What can we do together right now, before the tea comes?”





Planning Tomorrow’s APA Meeting

“Do It Now!”Participants• Teams of 2• Prepare a 1-2 hour APA

Meeting to conduct with a village group tomorrow

• Do it now !– Yes, that’s right, go ahead

and do it, right now!





“Dance and Drum” Celebration !!!

Get out the drums!! Who has…. ….a song…?….a dance…?….a poem…? ….a reading…?….a mime or skit…?Sharing & celebrating.. Empowered

Community Mobilization & Women’s Empowerment






“A-Valuation”

• “The Best” and “Even Better”

• APA for Evaluation




APA for EvaluationThe Three Simple

Questions of “A-Valuation”

• What’s “The Best?”

• What does “Even Better” look like?

• How are we going to get there?




‘A-Valuation’‘The Best’ Your favorite moments today,

what you enjoyed most, what was most valuable

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“Do it Now”What to do --tomorrow? --

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‘Even Better’

If we were running a training together like this, how could we make it ‘even better’

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Who will do it? --------


Are we having fun yet?

• “Thanks!”

Source: The “Do it Now!” Appreciative Tool Kit




Quotable Quotes…“All the knowledge we

need is in this room”“Whoever is here are the

right people”“Use your own best

judgment at all times”“Perfection is the enemy

of getting the job done”KISSS-”Keep it short,

sweet, simple”

“Do it Now!”“The helping hand strikes again”“Don’t punish those who come on

time”“Find, create: Joy In Work!”“Work shrinks to fit the time

available”“Don’t get it right, get it written”“Simple is not easy”

© Malcolm J. Odell, Jr. The Basics of Appreciative Planning & Action (APA) Shifting the Development...

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