Participatory Learning and Action is a family of approaches, methods, attitudes, behaviors and relationships, which enable and empower people to share, analyze and enhance their knowledge of their life and conditions, and to plan, act, monitor, evaluate and reflect.

1. Dr. Aparna Sen Chaudhary
20-02-2018 1

2. Content
• Participation
• Origin of Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)
• What is Participatory Learning and Action
• PLA Tools
• Examples of PLA
• Uses of PLA
• SWOT Analysis
• Articles on PLA
• References
20-02-2018 2

3. What is Participation?
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• The term “PARTICIPATION” holds different meanings
for different people.
• It can range from varying levels of involvement of
community from material contribution, to
organization, to empowerment.

4. Typology of Participation
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• Passive Participation
• Participation in Information Giving
• Consultation
• Material Incentives
• Functional participation
• Interactive participation
• Self-Mobilization

5. Origin of Participatory Learning and Action
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1970s-80s: Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) - consultation and
engagement of rural communities (Africa)
1980s-90s: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) – correcting
some limitations of RRA
1990s-00s: Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) –
applications for monitoring and evaluation

6. What is Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)
20-02-2018 6
• An approach comprising an ethos, principles and on
expanding collection of associated visual methods from
which structured tools and processes can be designed to
enable people to share and record aspects about their
own situations, conditions of life, knowledge,
perception, aspiration, preferences and develop plans
for ‘action’ in the future.

7. Principles of PLA
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i. A reversal of learning
ii. Learning rapidly and progressively
iii. Offsetting Bias
iv. Optimizing Trade-offs
v. Triangulating
vi. Self-critical awareness and responsibility

8. 10 PLA Ground Rules
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1. Give everyone the opportunity to participate
2. Respect what people say
3. Don’t dominate
4. Be on the same level as the participants
5. Don’t make assumptions
6. Don’t rush
7. ‘Hand over the pen’
8. Learn from mistake
9. Be flexible
10. Make it fun

9. Process
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I. Inclusive and Democratic
II. Relevant
III. Flexible
IV. Rapid and Low-Cost
V. Empowering

10. Foundations of PLA
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PLA
BEHAVIOUR & ATTITUDES
METHODS SHARING

11. Key Strategies for use of PLA
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STRATEGIES
TRIANGULATION
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
TEAM

12. Outcomes from PLA
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• Physical and technical data
• Demographic, health and socio-economic data
• Cultural and opinion data
• Spatial distribution
• Temporal distribution
• Structural Analysis

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PLA
PLA Relation
Method
Time Related
PLA Methods
Space Related
PLA Methods
• Social Map
• Resource Map
• Participatory
Modelling Map
• Mobility Map
• Service &
Opportunity Map
• Transect
• Participatory Census
Method
• Time Line
• Trend Analysis
• Historical transect
• Seasonal Diagram
• Daily Activity
Schedule
• Dream Map
• Cause & effect diagram
• Tail Diagram
• Preference Ranking
• Impact Diagram
• Network Diagram
• Process Map
• Venn Diagram
• Spider Diagram
• Body Mapping
Used during
Parliament
sessions

14. PLA Tools
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Can be grouped depending on which stage of process
A. Early stages
B. Analysis
C. Prioritization and action Planning

15. PLA Tools
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• MAPPING
• Scope: to obtain an overview of the resources
available with the community.
• Method: Individuals are asked to build a model of
their community
• Outcome: Various aspects for development can be
discussed
• Limitation: Needs experience; Time and cost
intensive; May not be representative.

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SOCIAL MAP
Source: DHAN Foundation

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RESOURCE MAP
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations

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MOBILITY MAP
Source: Mapping for Informed Decision Making and Strengthening Project M&E: Lessons and Challenges from the Experience of FHI 360 Nepal,2012

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SERVICE MAP

20. PLA Tools
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• TRANSECTS
• Scope: Presentation of the community resources, its problems,
and potential opportunities on single chart for future
intervention
• Method:
• Mark out a path on resource map covering major resources
enroute.
• Walk along route, observe and discuss during “triangulation”
session.
• Outcome: Detailed inventory of resources matched with specific
problems and potential opportunities for development.
• Limitations: Neither provide an insight into historical land nor
does it provide an insight into future visions for the land use.

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Source: Thomas S. What is Participatory Learning and Action (PLA): An introduction. 2002.
Available from: http://idp-key-resources.org/documents/0000/d04267/000.pdf

22. PLA Tools
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• PARTICIPATORY CENSUS METHOD
• Scope: Problems identifying by participating people.
• Method: Studying entire population
Local people play active role
• Outcome: Identify farmers information and design
responsive activities.
• Limitations: Time and Labor consuming

23. PLA Tools
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• TIMELINE
• Scope: facilitate discussion about changes that have occurred
over changes.
• Method: Involve older folks;
Open ended questions;
Major events
• Outcome: helps in understanding the community, its
background and circumstances which affected them.
• Limitations: Sensitive issues from past may rise.

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25. PLA Tools
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• TREND ANALYSIS
• Scope: Understand the changes in various fields over years
• Method: Ask individuals to draw changes in patterns
• Outcome: Changes indicate changes in Attitudes/actions
• Limitations: Provide little insight into the root cause of
variations.

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Source: Kumar J R. Role of public health systems in the present health scenario: Key challenges. Indian J Public Health 2013;57:133-7

27. PLA Tools
20-02-2018 27
• SEASONAL DIAGRAM
• Scope: Understand how season determine activities like
migration, disease, employment etc.
• Method: Ask to identify names of months with
reference to disease incidence, workload, migration etc.
• Outcome: Identify crisis periods needing help; when to
start new program/modify current program.
• Limitations: Facilitator may not acknowledge the locally
used calendars.

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Source: Prakash O, Singh DD, Mishra G, Prakash S, Singh A, Gupta S, Singh J, Khan DN, Jain P, Vishal A, Pandey MK, Jain A.
Observation on dengue cases from a virus diagnostic laboratory of a tertiary care hospital in North India. Indian J Med Res 2015;142, Suppl S1:7-11

29. PLA Tools
20-02-2018 29
• DAILY ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
• Scope: Understanding the workload and activities
• Method: Using different objects to represent different
activities
• Outcome: Charting workday for suitable time/day/place for
meeting, training
• Limitations: Issues of related to social norms can arise

30. PLA Tools
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• CAUSAL DIAGRAM
• Scope:
• To find the inter-links between events and trace the cumulative
results.
• Method:
• Identify most important problem
• List the causes/trace backwards
• Outcome: Use to find out result of a programme, interventions or
even a problem
• Limitations: Difficult to quantify the events.

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Source: Community participation consultant. Introduction to Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Training course handbook.2016.
Available from: http://3ps.org.uk/site/files/Download/PA%20Handbook2016.pdf.

32. PLA Tools
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• TAIL DIAGRAM
• Scope: Helps to prioritize the problem
• Method:
• Group discussion and writing of problem in paper
• Larger the size of paper more important the problem
• Outcome: Group discussion to solve the problem
• Limitations: Requires time and efforts to bring all relevant
stakeholders together in order to rank the preferences and
problems

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Source: Childreach India. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)- An overview for Practitioners.
Available from: http://childreachindia.org/sites/default/files/imce/Participatory%20Learning%20and%20Action%20(PLA)-Childreach%20India.pdf.

34. PLA Tools
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• PREFERENCE RANKING
• Scope: Understand rationale of various choices of community
• Method:
• Identify the reason of choice
• Individuals are asked to make the selection
• Outcome: Understand the reasoning behind the choice of a
specific variety and its importance to consider the community
participation
• Limitations: Requires time and efforts to bring all relevant
stakeholders together in order to rank the preferences and
problems

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Source: Childreach India. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)- An overview for Practitioners.
Available from: http://childreachindia.org/sites/default/files/imce/Participatory%20Learning%20and%20Action%20(PLA)-Childreach%20India.pdf.

36. PLA Tools
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• IMPACT RANKING
• Scope: Helps to judge between the difficulties of doing
something again the impact.
• Method:
• Identify the work
• Categorizing it as easy, medium, hard
• Outcome: Helpful in prioritizing the work
• Limitations: Priority can differ from facilitator to local
people

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Source: Community participation consultant. Introduction to Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Training course handbook.2016.
Available from: http://3ps.org.uk/site/files/Download/PA%20Handbook2016.pdf.

38. PLA Tools
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• VENN (CHAPPATI) DIAGRAM
• Scope: Which people/institution are important to community and
their level of interaction
• Method:
• List important person/institution
• Colored paper of different sizes (larger = Important)
• Place a dot in center and place circles around it
• Discuss correlation of the circles
• Outcome: Understand the importance of persons/institutions that
can be strengthened and intervention required.
• Limitations: Complex; Over/under representation

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Source: Appel K, Buckingham E, Jodoin K, Roth D. Participatory Learning and Action Toolkit: For application in BSR’s Global Programs. 2012.
Available from: https://herproject.org/downloads/curriculum-resources/herproject-pla-toolkit.pdf.

40. PLA Tools
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• SPIDER DIAGRAM
• Scope: Consider a central issue and to suggest different aspects
of that issue.
• Method:
• A main concept is laid out on a page and lines are used to
link ideas.
• More ideas branch out.
• Outcome: Used to analyze barriers to achieve the aspects and
ideas and consider solutions to the different issues.
• Limitations: Complex and become difficult to comprehend

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42. PLA Tools
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• BODY MAPPING
• Scope: Help to understand body parts & function.
• Method:
• Drawing of human body
• Label the body parts and discuss their functions
• Outcome: Discussion of key problems and treatment of
the same.
• Limitations: Can be a cultural taboo

43. 20-02-2018 43Source: Using Participatory Learning Action Techniques in Higher Education Vivienne Bozalek
University of the Western Cape vbozalek@uwc.ac.za CHEC Research T&L course 1

44. PLA Tools
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• FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION
• Scope: Allows the participants to talk with each other
under the guidance of a facilitator.
• Method:
• Homogenous group of 6-10 people
• Representative of the population
• Outcome: Discussion of key problems.
• Limitations: Difficult to control; can be biased

45. 20-02-2018 45Source: SPRING and digital green feasibility study India

46. Examples of PLA
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• PREFERENCE RANKING
(Location: Government School, Jasola Village, New Delhi)
Objective: Identification of problems, prioritizing them and finding solutions
Introductory session –
Addressing the objective of
PLA session
1.

47. Examples of PLA
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Students were asked to identify
the problems and all the
problems were written on the
board
2.
3.
Problems were prioritized
through group discussion and
10 most important problems
were identified

48. Examples of PLA
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Ten groups were formed and was
given 10 minutes to identify 3
most important problems as per
their own perception
4.
5. All groups voted one by one the
three most important problems

49. Examples of PLA
20-02-2018 49
Total number is counted under
each point and then ranking is
done
6.

50. Examples of PLA
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• TAIL RANKING
(Location: Government School, Sangam Vihar, New Delhi)
Objective: Identification of problems, prioritizing them and finding solutions

51. Examples of PLA
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52. Uses
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• Exploring a health problem or issue about which little is known
• Local perceptions of health and development priorities
• Relevant interventions strategies and target populations
• Investigating feasibility, acceptability and appropriateness of a
new health programmes
• Developing appropriate IEC activities and materials
• Identifying problems in on-going interventions
• Complementing quantitative data collected in routine monitoring
and evaluation
• Designing more valid survey instruments

53. SWOT Analysis
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• Strengths
i. Inclusive
ii. Empowers the community
iii. Reach out to all sectors of community
iv. Flexible and adaptable
v. Builds up capacity within the community
vi. Produce qualitative or quantitative information
• Weakness
i. Relies on volunteers
ii. Time consuming
iii. Lead to cynicism

54. SWOT Analysis
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• Opportunities
i. Exploration of health issues in the community
ii. Cost effective interventions can be applied
iii. Community friendly IEC activities
• Threats
i. Training to be provided to the volunteers
ii. Economic burden

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60. References
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• Appel K, Buckingham E, Jodoin K, Roth D. Participatory Learning and Action Toolkit: For application in BSR’s Global
Programs. 2012. Available from: https://herproject.org/downloads/curriculum-resources/herproject-pla-toolkit.pdf.
• Clarke K, Azad K, Kuddus A, Shaha S, Nahar T, Aumon BH. Impact of a Participatory Intervention with Women’s Groups on
Psychological Distress among Mothers in Rural Bangladesh: Secondary Analysis of a Cluster- Randomised Controlled
Trial.PLOS ONE.2014;9(10):e110697
• Childreach India. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA)- An overview for Practitioners. Available
from: http://childreachindia.org/sites/default/files/imce/Participatory%20Learning%20and%20Action%20(PLA)-
Childreach%20India.pdf.
• Community participation consultant. Introduction to Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Training course
handbook.2016. Available from: http://3ps.org.uk/site/files/Download/PA%20Handbook2016.pdf.
• ISOFI Toolkit: Tools for learning and action on gender and sexuality. Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc.
(CARE) and International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).2007. Available
from: http://www.care.org/sites/default/files/documents/MH-2008-ISOFI-Toolkit_2008.pdf.
• Kumar J R. Role of public health systems in the present health scenario: Key challenges. Indian J Public Health
2013;57:133-7.
• Prakash O, Singh DD, Mishra G, Prakash S, Singh A, Gupta S, Singh J, Khan DN, Jain P, Vishal A, Pandey MK, Jain A.
Observation on dengue cases from a virus diagnostic laboratory of a tertiary care hospital in North India. Indian J Med
Res.2015;142,Suppl S1:7-11

61. References
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• Prost A, Colbourn T, Seward N, Azad K, Coomarasamy A, Copas A. Women’s groups practising participatory learning
and action to improve maternal and newborn health in low-resource settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Lancet. 2013;381:1736-46.
• Sinha R, Bidgoli HH, Tripathy PK, Nair N, Gope R, Rath S etal. Economic evaluation of participatory learning and action
with women’s groups facilitated by Accredited Social Health Activists to improve birth outcomes in rural eastern
IndiaCost Eff Resour Alloc.2017;15:2.
• Thomas S. What is Participatory Learning and Action (PLA): An introduction. 2002. Available from: http://idp-key-
resources.org/documents/0000/d04267/000.pdf
• Toness A. Participatory Learning and Action- A Training and Reference Manual. 2002. Available
from: http://ilove.polma.us/participatory-learning-action.pdf.
• Tripathy P, Nair N, Sinha R, Rath S, Gope RK, Rath S, etal. Effect of participatory women’s groups facilitated by
Accredited Social Health Activists on birth outcomes in rural eastern India: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.
Lancet Glob Health.2016;4: e119–28.
• Tripathy P, Nair N, Barnett S, Mahapatra R, Borghi J, Rath S, etal. Effect of a participatory intervention with women’s
groups on birth outcomes and maternal depression in Jharkhand and Orissa, India: a cluster-randomised controlled
trial. Lancet 2010; 375: 1182–92.

62. THANK YOU
2/20/2018
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