Giving Voice: A Practical Guide to the Implementation of Oral Testimony Projects

This manual from Panos serves those seeking advice and information on implementing community-based oral testimony projects in the development context. Drawing on several years' fieldwork with grassroots and community-based organisations, this publication covers all aspects of such projects - from the initial planning to reviewing and evaluating the process and the products.

Designed to help those with little or no previous experience of such work, it includes ideas for running a training workshop. Throughout the manual there are checklists, summaries of key points, and ideas for discussion that have been designed to be used or adapted as handouts for interviewers, and/or during a training workshop.

The manual is divided into the following chapters:

1. Introduction - What is oral testimony
2. Developing the project - Aims and objectives; the role of project coordinator; Selecting interviewers and narrators; Local knowledge; Planning the fieldwork; Ethical issues and interview relationships
3. Running a workshop - Workshop sessions and sample timetable
4. Preparing for the interview - Equipment; Types of interview; Topics for a life story; Ways to elicit information; Preparing questions; Types of questions; Questions to elicit meaning
5. The interview - Collecting material; Attitudes; Before, during and after the interview; Summaries
6. Checking progress - Midway review meeting; Interview content; Interview technique
7. Transcription and translation
8. Working with the testimonies - Information outputs and activities
9. Monitoring and evaluation

Contact otp@panos.org.uk to request a free PDF copy.