ANNEX II: Practical advice for conducting a PACDR assessment This annex offers some important practical tips for preparing and conducting the PACDR assessment and planning with a community. Community consultations are the main analytical method employed in this tool. The tips come from experience with previous versions of this tool. Module 1 might be done with little community involvement, but all the following modules require a maximum of community participation to ensure community ownership. The facilitation team has to make sure that the community process is well prepared, that the community members have confidence in the team, that expectations are openly discussed, and objectives are clear and realistic. PACDR is not about data collection but about community empowerment and action. Therefore, the facilitation team must have skills in participative methods.
Preparing for the community consultation: Plan carefully
Select the community or respond to the request of a community. Important considerations include the willingness of the leaders to participate, contribute and carry out adaptation plans, the availability of participants, the existence of internal conflicts that might impede the process, and openness to sharing the PACDR experience with other communities.
Decide on the geographical extent of the assessment, and make sure people from different locations in the area are consulted.
Organize preparation meetings with the community authorities and leaders. Discuss the purpose, expectations, benefits, limits, requirements, expenses, duration and course of the PACDR process.
Prepare a budget and set up a skilled facilitation team.
Decide on whom to consult, considering the perspectives of gender and minority groups and potential conflicts among certain groups. Conducting a number of different consultations allows the facilitation team to appreciate the broad range or perspectives, priorities and needs within a community.
With the help of community leaders, invite 15–20 women and 15–20 men representative of the social and age groups in the community. These men and women form the group of participants for Modules 2–7. The goal in selecting participants is to have comprehensive representation and, ultimately, community ownership.
Provide for separate groups for women and men and for minorities if appropriate in Modules 2–5. The selection of participants is intended to ensure
62 Annex II: Practical advice for conducting a PACDR assessment
