Steps

Appreciative inquiry generally works through a series of phases: Discovery, Dreaming, Designing and Delivery. Following introductions, facilitators enter into opening exercises to help the participant(s) think positively and constructively. These may include a village walk or a discussion on personal strengths.

Discovery

Entering into dialogues, the facilitators and participant alike enter into the discovery phase. For this, facilitators ask a question that probed participant’s experiences of strength and power and achievement.

Such questions may be:

Personal:

• Describe an inspiring experience in you life where you felt very proud / satisfied, and where you actively contributed to your family or community.
• Tell a story about an exceptionally empowering experience in your life. What made it remarkable?
• Recount an event where you demonstrated remarkable leadership abilities. What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them?
• Tell a story about a time when you felt you overcame a significant challenge to achieve something remarkable. How did you feel?

Internally-looking as a group:

• Tell a story about a time when you were really excited to be part of the group.
• Tell a story about a time when you felt the group was really at its best; when energy and enthusiasm were particularly high.
• Tell a story about a time when an innovation—a new way of doing things—helped your group achieve something important.
• What happened specifically?
• Describe a time when your group exhibited excellent internal communication skills. What was happening? What was it like to be part of it?
• Describe an incident in which your group built strong linkages with another institution. What made the linkages remarkable
• Describe an instance in your group when you felt that someone was really well recognized for their contributions and accomplishments. What was the incident? What form did the recognition take? How did the person feel?
• Tell a story about a time when you really felt the support and encouragement of other group members?

Externally-looking for the community:

• Tell a story about a time when the group did something really remarkable for the rest of the community. How did the community respond?
• What is it that makes others in the community respect the group and its members. How did this respect come about?
• What is the most exciting community achievement you can recall? What role did the group or its members play?
• When you think of all of the achievements the community has made, which one has produced the most enduring benefits? What made it so sustainable?

Through this process, the facilitator actively listens, occasionally probing to:

• Discover the strengths, key success elements, and details surrounding the story,
• Learn participant feelings experienced during the story and in retelling it, and
• Discern the underlying values and factors underlying success.

Building from the discovery stage, the facilitator then asks the participant(s) to think about how these same conditions could be replicated in the future.

Dream

Finally, the facilitator asks the participant to envision their dreams and aspirations that they would like to see their own future, role and achievements based on the strengths and skills described in the first phase of the exercise.

Analysis

Following a number of inquiries, the research teams analyze each interview: key elements of success, descriptions of strength and power, aspirations and important themes. Teams then met to look across inquiries to understand how women and men viewed strengths and power, and to review how individuals’ aspirations for themselves compared.

 

Variation

Dream

To help participants envision their aspirations, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) suggested exercises in visualization, drawing and the articulation of key wishes for the future to serve as the basis of conversation.

Further, the IISD outlined two more steps in the process:

• Design: To work with participants to develop short and long-term goals and develop action plans as well as next steps based in their visions/aspirations for the future.
• Delivery: Support participants to mobilize resources, form new relationships, acquire new skills and implement action plans.