2300. PRA, PANDA, and the Politics of Participation
Invited abstract in session WA-41: Impact of AI on Soft OR, stream Soft OR and Problem Structuring Methods.
Wednesday, 8:30-10:00Room: Newlyn GR.01
Authors (first author is the speaker)
| 1. | Katharina Burger
|
| The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL |
Abstract
This presentation revisits Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Participatory Appraisal of Needs and Development of Action (PANDA), drawing from the work of Ann Taket and Leroy White (1993–2000). Their interventions in Soft OR were not just methodological innovations but deliberate challenges to the politics of expertise and the ethics of participation. Rejecting the notion of a neutral OR analyst, their work foregrounded local empowerment, ethical responsibility, and critical reflection on power. PANDA was never just an alternative method—it was a political stance on who gets to define problems, whose knowledge counts, and what participation truly means.
Revisiting PRA and PANDA today is urgent as AI-driven efficiency logics threaten to instrumentalise participation, stripping it of its ethical and political dimensions.
Keywords
- Soft OR
- Problem Structuring
Status: accepted
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