Rapid Assessment
Process RAP
James Beebe
Gonzaga University
2002
RAP
RAP is intensive, team-based
ethnographic inquiry using
triangulation and iterative data
analysis and additional data collection
to quickly develop a preliminary
understanding of a situation from the
insider’s perspective.
Triangulation
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http://www.okstate.edu/ag/agedcm4h/academic/aged598
0a/5980/newpage21.htm
Denzin (1978) has identified several types of
triangulation. One type involves the convergence of
multiple data sources. Another type is methodological
triangulation, which involves the convergence of data
from multiple data collection sources. A third
triangulation procedure is investigator triangulation, in
which multiple researchers are involved in an
investigation. Related to investigator triangulation is
researcher-participant corroboration, which has also
been referred to as cross-examination.
RAP cannot be done by
one person.
RAP can be used to
•
make preliminary decisions about
interventions or changes
• make decisions about additional
research.
• RAP can also be used for
monitoring and evaluation.
Usually RAP should NOT be used
for estimating numbers or percents.
Results can be produced in
•
as few as four day,
• but usually requires several
weeks.
The RAP team should seek out
•
•
•
•
the poorer,
less articulate,
more upset, and
those least like the members
of the RAP team.
Stories NOT Answers
The goal is to get the
insiders to tell their stories
and NOT answer the
questions of the outsiders.
Teamwork
The success of RAP
depends upon the quality of
the teamwork.
Intensive teamwork
Intensive teamwork for both
the data collection and
analysis is an alternative to
prolonged fieldwork.
Intensive teamwork
Intensive teamwork helps
produce a preliminary
understanding of a situation
from the insider’s perspective.
Team interaction
•
•
Team interaction is necessary
for rapid triangulation in data
collection.
Team interaction is necessary
for understanding the insiders’
categories and definitions.
Team interaction
•
•
The RAP team should be
together most of the time.
All team members should be
involved in data collection and
data analysis, including the
preparation of the report.
Team interviewing
RAP uses group discussion
involving the entire team and
the local participants (team
interviewing),
NOT sequential interviewing
by individual members of the
team.
Insiders
•
•
Teams should be composed of a mix of
insiders and outsiders.
At least one team member of the RAP
team should be an insider.
After the rest of the RAP team leaves, the
insider continues to be called upon to
clarify results, resolve pending issues, and
help organize local responses.
Cultural differences and
diversity
•
•
Sensitivity to cultural
differences is essential.
Team diversity improves
cultural sensitivity and helps
establish credibility with local
communities.
Flexibility
•
•
•
Flexibility is critical for using RAP in a wide
variety of situations.
Some specific techniques have proven to
be especially effective, but they are not the
only techniques that can be used.
Relaxed, semi-structured interviewing that
provides respondents with time to think is
often effective in eliciting stories.
Audio recording of interviews
•
•
Usually interviews should be
tape-recorded.
Tape recorders should be
expected to fail.
RAP Sheet
•
•
A “RAP Sheet” should be used
to document what was done.
A RAP Sheet allows the
reader of a RAP report to
judge the quality of the work.
Successful RAP
•
•
•
Members of the RAP team need to
recognize:
They don’t know enough to ask questions,
They don’t know enough to provide the
answers, but
They do know enough to want to empower
others to solve their own problems.
Iterative Analysis and
Additional Data Collection
Time is divided between
• blocks used for collecting information
and
• blocks when the team does data
analysis and considers changes in
the next round of data collection.
Iterative Analysis and
Additional Data Collection
Team interaction before each
new cycle of data collection is
very important.
Analysis
•
•
•
Analysis begins with the first round of
data collection.
Analysis involves:
Coding the data,
Displaying relationships in the data,
and
Drawing conclusions.
Coding
Coding involves dividing what
participants have said into
thought units and applying a
few labels to selected units.
Some techniques for
understanding data
•
•
•
•
•
Identifying patterns and themes
Seeking plausibility
Clustering
Metaphor making, and
Counting
Member checking
Sharing conclusions before
they are final with the people
who have provided the
information is a critical part of
the iterative analysis process.
RAP is an idea whose time
has come.
?
Only if it not oversold and only if it
is implemented rigorously.