FRAMEWORK

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is both a research design and method (Baum, MacDougall, & Smith, 2006). It requires all involved to share their experience of the problem and contribute their knowledge and expertise to change it for the better. This iterative cycle of reflection-action-reflection provides participants a holistic understanding of the situation in order to contribute individual and collective action toward desired outcomes.

The iterative reflection and use of data to inform actions embedded within Participatory Action Research closely aligns with the practices of Hikaloi, Nalu, and Kilo. These practices have sustained communities, established resilience, and endowed abundance in Hawaiʻi for centuries. Used together, they cultivate an ability to ʻauamo kuleana - engage in citizenship and relationship with the system/context to lead and contribute toward a different outcome. 

3 LEVELS OF REFLECTION

Hikaloi/Hikaloiloi - the consistent practice of self-reflection that supports personal growth and improvement towards excellence. Personal reflection allows us to make meaning of our observations and experiences. Vibrant Hawai‘i also employs the actions of hikaloi at the end of any project at the close of every quarter with a formal After Action Review or “Mo Bettah Next Time” process. This encourages open and honest discussion, focuses on outcomes and results, and sustains methods that work.

Nalu - the observation, reflection, and recognition of the desired learning outcome. It is further defined in this way: to ponder, meditate, reflect, and speculate.  The word nalu in the Hawaiian language also means wave. Just as a surfer intently observes waves in order to survive, knowledge or meaning-making must also include keen observations of the world around us. I ka nānā nō a ʻike. By observing, one learns. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #1186 (Pukuʻi,1983).

Kilo - the acute, sustained observation and examination of a place, individuals, or systems, with a focus on gaining an understanding of the reciprocal relationships. Kilo encompasses all the repeated actions of nalu above and takes these data points one step further to string together a holistic view of the topic/information. The observations are shared and discussed to gain knowledge and insights that enable approaches to problem-solving, stewardship, and systemic change. 

COMMUNITY-DRIVEN DESIGN

In 2018, informed by the Aloha United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report (United Way, 2018), a Small and Mighty (SAM) group of Hawaiʻi Island community change leaders came together with a common why, a belief that increasing wealth and wellbeing on Hawai‘i requires ʻauamo kuleana, or the active agency to create collective impact. 

For the first half of 2019, the SAM group practiced kilo by participating in networking groups focused on social determinants of health, building relationships with community leaders, and learning about the unique missions and capacities that each of their organizations held. Kilo provided an opportunity to understand what factors might inhibit or improve those priority objectives, and gain nuanced information about communities and organizations. 

In the summer of 2019, the SAM group held a series of 5 regional forums facilitated by the Vibrant Hawaiʻi Community Lead in Hilo, Kona, Waimea, Puna, and Kaʻū. The objective outcome was to understand where stakeholders positioned their desired futurity. The SAM group aimed to have equal representation of diverse community roles with participation from individuals whose kuleana is primarily based in business, philanthropy, government, education, social services, faith communities, and community-based organizations. 

BASELINE DATA

At each forum, participants broke into small groups and were asked to draw their vision of a vibrant Hawaiʻi and share the stories behind their drawing. Each idea was written on a half sheet of paper and forum participants grouped similar ideas together in a waterfall. Each waterfall was given a title and participants scored the current state of each waterfall on a 4-point scale (1= Terrible; 2= Bad; 3= Good; 4= Vibrant). These activities are grounded in the work of Dr. Barbara Holtmann (2011). 

An average score for each waterfall was calculated, and each waterfall from the four regions was analyzed and categorized by the Vibrant Hawaiʻi Leadership Council - a group of representatives from each forum. Through consensus, a final list of vibrant Hawaiʻi Indicators emerged.