Methodology

Faces, Voices and Places supports the most vulnerable communities in the Americas through a participatory methodology. The initiative's methodology helps define priorities, coordinate actions and implement interventions to overcome community-identified challenges that keep these vulnerable communities from achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The methodology comprises five steps:

1. Community Selection & Initial Diagnosis: Communities are selected by ministries of health in collaboration with PAHO/WHO representatives, among others. Participating communities are selected based on their levels of poverty and vulnerability in health. As part of this process, an initial diagnosis takes place and a baseline is developed.
2. Participatory Diagnostics: Based on the results of the situation analysis and the process of community organization, a community participatory diagnosis takes place using the Action Research Methodology, confirming the construction of the baseline/
3. Defining Key Interventions: Commissions are created for each of the MDGs, in which community members, supported by experts, work to define, plan and implement key interventions.
4. Monitoring & Follow-Up: Monitoring instruments are created to evaluate progress and the impact of interventions and to support follow-up.
5. Dissemination: Through this process there will be periodic updates on the initiative's progress and on opportunities and remaining challenges to achieving the MDGs at the local, national, subregional and regional levels.