Participatory Methods

Participatory SWOT Analysis

Participatory SWOT Analysis is a collaborative tool designed to identify and analyze the Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Threats of a situation, project, or community from diverse perspectives. This method encourages group reflection, prioritizes strategies, and creates an action plan based on real-world contexts.

Preparation

  1. Define the focus: Identify the objective of the SWOT analysis (e.g., evaluate a project, diagnose a community situation).
  2. Prepare materials: Provide large sheets of paper, markers, sticky notes, or digital tools to document ideas.
  3. Select participants: Gather a diverse group to offer unique perspectives.
  4. Design a matrix: Draw or create a four-quadrant matrix: Strengths, Opportunities, Weaknesses, and Threats.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Introduction to SWOT
    • Explain the purpose of the analysis and how each category contributes to a comprehensive view.
    • Define the terms:
      • Strengths: Internal aspects that create an advantage.
      • Weaknesses: Internal factors that hinder success.
      • Opportunities: External factors that can be leveraged.
      • Threats: External risks that could have a negative impact.
  2. Initial brainstorming
    • Divide the group into small teams, assigning each a quadrant.
    • Ask each team to reflect on their quadrant and write ideas on sticky notes or in a list.
  3. Filling the matrix
    • Gather each team’s ideas and complete the overall matrix (on a board, large paper, or digital tool).
    • Facilitate a dialogue to clarify and prioritize the most relevant ideas in each quadrant.
  4. Interconnection of categories
    • Collectively reflect on the relationships between categories:
      • How can strengths mitigate threats?
      • How can opportunities be leveraged using strengths?
      • What weaknesses need to be addressed to take advantage of opportunities?
  5. Strategy definition
    • Encourage the group to propose concrete actions based on the analysis.
    • Example: Develop a plan to enhance specific strengths or mitigate particular weaknesses.
  6. Closing and follow-up
    • Summarize the key conclusions and prioritize the proposed strategies.
    • Establish an action plan with responsibilities and deadlines.
Recommendations
  • Clarity in categories: Ensure everyone understands the differences between the SWOT areas.
  • Active participation: Encourage all participants to share ideas, especially in more challenging categories like threats.
  • Prioritization: Allocate time to identify the most relevant ideas in each quadrant.
  • Documentation: Record the final matrix and proposed strategies for future reference.
Inspiration
Materials
  • Large paper or whiteboards
  • Colored markers
  • Sticky notes for individual ideas
Online platforms
Purpose
The purpose of Participatory SWOT Analysis is to leverage collective perspectives to identify key aspects of a situation, prioritize opportunities and risks, and design collaborative strategies that promote success or continuous improvement. This approach encourages active participation and the co-creation of solutions.
Type of activity
Participatory EvaluationParticipatory InteractionParticipatory Planning
Level of participation
Collaboration, Shared decision-making, Knowledge generation
Target audience
Educators, Facilitators, Community leaders, NGOs and social collectives, Business teams, Government
Fields of application
Education and training, Community development, Organizational and business management, Innovation and design, Citizen and social participation
Estimated duration
From 60 to 120 minutes, depending on the group size and the depth of the analysis.
Ideal number of participants
From 8 to 25 participants, to ensure a diversity of perspectives and a manageable discussion.
Topics related to this activity
Causes and EffectsCollaborative DiagnosisCollaborative ToolCollective DiagnosisCollective LearningKnowledge GenerationParticipatory AnalysisParticipatory DiagnosisProblem SolvingRisk IdentificationStrategic PlanningVisual CommunicationVisual CreationVisual DiagnosisVisual DocumentationVisual Methodology
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