Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative inquiry is a method and approach toinquiry that seeks to understand what is best abouta program, organization, or system, to create a betterfuture. The underlying assumptions of appreciativeinquiry suggest that what we focus on becomes ourreality, that there are multiple realities and values thatneed to be acknowledged and included, that the veryact of asking questions influences our thinking andbehavior, and that people will have more enthusiasmand motivation to change if they see possibilities andopportunities for the future. Appreciative inquiry is based on five principles:

1.
Knowledge about an organization and the destinyof that organization are interwoven.
2.
Inquiry and change are not separate but are simultaneous. Inquiry is intervention.
3.
The most important resources we have for generatingconstructive organizational change or improvementare our collective imagination and our discourse about the future.
[Page 19] 4.
Human organizations are unfinished books. Anorganization's story is continually being written by thepeople within the organization, as well as by thoseoutside who interact with it.
5.
Momentum for change requires large amounts ofboth positive affect and social bonding—things suchas hope, inspiration, and sheer joy in creating withone another.

Appreciative inquiry is often implemented as a “summit” that lasts from 2 to 5 days and includes 20 to 2500people. During their time together, participants engagein a four-stage process of discovery, dream, design, anddestiny, during which they respond to a series of questions that seek to uncover what is working well, whatthey want more of, and how the ideal might become reality. Appreciative inquiry questions might include, “Asyou reflect on your experience with the program, whatwas a high point?” “When did you feel most successfulin terms of your contributions to the project?” “What arethe most outstanding moments or stories from this organization's past that make you most proud to be a memberof this organization?” “What are the things that give lifeto the organization when it is most alive, most effective, most in tune with the overarching vision?”

Appreciative inquiry and participatory, collaborative, and learning-oriented approaches to evaluationshare several similarities. For the most part, they arecatalysts for change; emphasize the importance of dialogue and, through questioning, seek to identify values, beliefs, and assumptions throughout the process;are based on the social construction of reality; stressthe importance of stakeholder involvement; embrace asystems orientation; and reflect an action orientationand the use of results.

Appreciative inquiry is being used to evaluate awide variety of programs and services around theworld. While some evaluators use appreciative inquiryas an overarching framework (as with utilization-focused or empowerment frameworks), others are adoptingappreciative inquiry principles to construct interviewprotocols and procedures. Using appreciative inquiryfor evaluation may be particularly useful (a) for framing and implementing developmental and formativeevaluations, (b) as a method to focus an evaluationstudy, (c) as an interviewing technique, and (d) as ameans to increase an organization's commitment toengaging in evaluation work.