Guidelines for conducting rapid participatory appraisals of community health needs in developing countries:...

The use of rapid participatory appraisal (RPA) methodology to assess community health needs in developing countries is widely supported. Despite this, there are few recently published practical guidelines or recommendations advising researchers on how best to plan, implement and communicate such an activity. Having recently conducted a successful RPA of community health and social needs in the traditional rural village of Tulikup, Bali, the authors discuss lessons to be learned and suggest practical guidelines for others wishing to conduct similar community focused RPAs.