Appreciative Inquiry
A Strengths-based Approach to Planning and Evaluating in Communities
Dave Tims,
Maree Beaven,
Suzanne Grant,
Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a planning and evaluation tool that seeks to generate positive change within groups and communities. It focuses on the strengths and assets in a community organisation or programme, rather than the problems and deficits.
In his work in Randwick Park, Manurewa, Dave Tims has seen AI used to assist his community to grow and change. The AI approach inspires people to identify things that could be changed, get involved in the work to effect change and also to monitor the changes. Dave says that, “If you follow the process, it creates ownership and responsibility – the people own the mission and become responsible for implementing it.”
Dave is joined by Maree Beaven who is the Programme Manager at Manu Tuktutuku Randwick Park (Sports and Neighbourhood Centre) in South Auckland. Maree has used AI with locals of all ages and found AI to be a very powerful tool for transformation. She will share her experiences of using AI to discover the dreams of her neighbourhood and will talk about the projects that have eventuated as a result of the AI process.
Suzanne Grant joins Dave and Maree to share her research on Critical Appreciative Processes, a conceptual development that came out of her research on AI. In her work with Community Policing, Suzanne found that the main benefit of AI rests in the intent and philosophy informing it, rather than a strict application of the AI process. She will share her insights about the role of the researcher/practitioner in the AI process and will discuss the new approach Critical Appreciative Processes provides.
In this webinar you will learn:
- The components of the Appreciative Inquiry approach;
- How AI has been used to inspire community change;
- How AI assists communities to communicate their vision for their future, both within and outside their community;
- An introduction to Critical Appreciative Processes and the role of the practitioner in facilitating AI.
