The results of formal research and rapid appraisal may be directly applied to the planning processes through VIPP methods. The feature of one idea per card is ideal for expressing and grouping research findings and then matching those findings with solutions through group interaction. In qualitative research especially, it is a good way to group key findings and discuss their significance.

VIPP itself may be used as an instrument of action research. Through VIPP, the research team tries to identify the perceptions of people affected by a development issue in order to jointly design interventions or strategies to influence policy. VIPP methods not only facilitate a better understanding of reality, they also constitute a way to establish cooperative development actions. If development planners only rely on the results of a study by specialists without the direct involvement of those affected, the design and implementation of the project will likely remain divorced from the actual capacity of the intended beneficiaries to initiate and carry out change.

In such a situation, the VIPP facilitator becomes a researcher, planner and implementer of development activities. Therefore, it is useful to have people who can facilitate VIPP processes in each research or project team. It would be difficult to rely entirely on external support in this case. That is, the implementation team must understand the conditions of research and the method involved in analysis. With VIPP, each team achieves more knowledge and a dialogic relationship with local people, which enables them to establish joint development actions.