Reversing the paradigm: quantification, participatory methods and pro-poor impact assessment

Recent debates about integrated impact assessment have tended to treat participatory approaches and methods as a fashionable frill added on to more ‘expert’ quantitative and qualitative investigation. This paper argues that, far from being an optional add‐on, participatory approaches, methods and behaviours are essential for the new agendas of pro‐poor development and ‘improving practice’. Recent evidence shows that participatory methods can generate accurate quantitative data as well as capturing local priorities, different experiences of poor people and potential for innovation in relation to causality and attribution. They can also be cost‐effective for focusing quantitative and qualitative investigation. The main challenge is ensuring that mainstreaming them does not compromise their role in giving poor women and men more voice in development priorities, policies and practice. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.