Currently, there is a lack of methods and tools available on the market that help project developers to link what is important to beneficiaries—traditional approaches tend to focus on short-term project output, do not reliably and accurately predict what is important or are infeasible due to time and financial constraints. We use this method as other needs assessment tools were deemed insufficient to recognise UPVs. Therefore we use The UPV method as it avoids the shortcomings identified by Hirmer (2017).

What is the UPV Approach?

The UPV approach, consisting of a game and mapping tool (‘UPV wheel’), provides a structured and visual process to identify and map what is important to project beneficiaries. Project beneficiaries often cannot articulate and prioritise what they value and project developers can unwittingly influence beneficiary responses, leading to poorly conceived project designs.

The UPV approach addresses these weaknesses with simple visual tools and indirect probing to uncover what beneficiaries value most. Traditional social data, such as current infrastructure levels, can then be augmented by the factors (UPV) captured. This delivers a more rounded picture of community needs, values and wants, creating a foundation for better inventions at all stages of the project life cycle.