Participatory Rural Appraisal Critiques, Ethics and Tips

PRA is quick

PRA is easy

Anyone can do PRA

PRA is just a fancy method

PRA is not political

People involved in PRA are neutral

PRA – Flags of Necessity? Experience of participation not always positive in terms of inclusiveness and ownership Composition of participants may not be representative Choice of technique may reflect Western cultural bias – in terms of skills and context Nature of the data collected reflects goals of researchers, rather than participants Failure to acknowledge controlling role of facilitators Lack of transparency in reporting techniques or findings PRA organisers are rarely locally based No quality assurance to ensure discussions are coercion free, or critique of community claims themselves PRA is under-theorised Tension between academic agendas and community agendas

Question of ethics Whose voices are being taken seriously? To whom does the data belong? Whose interests are being served? Whose indicators are most relevant for assessing development? Whose analysis is most relevant, reliable? Who needs the information? Who is most likely to be empowered in the process? How much community time should one demand? How much data should be removed for analysis from outside the community itself? How much should one unquestioningly accept the status quo of community responses?

Responses to critiques No methodology is value-free How reliable are alternative methods in addressing concerns of power, ownership etc? Range of methods/tools should be adapted to circumstance Local people’s knowledge is more useful than ‘official’ information Appropriate training of facilitators and piloting of methods should address the above concerns Analysis should be on-going, rather than short, one-off exercises

PRA is never neutral Myth of community Intra-group differences Sensitivity to gender

MEN'S MAP OF GBULON VILLAGE, SIERRA LEONE 1. Hospital 2. School 3. Well 4. Well 5. Well 6. Admin hall

WOMEN'S MAP of GBULON VILLAGE, SIERRA LEONE 1. Hospital 2. School 3. Football field 4. Well near football field 5. Well between school & hospital 6. Well in middle of town 7. Latrines near school field for children

Gender-disaggregated activity calendar for Mkushi District, Zambia

Men's Mobility Mapping - Nepal Women's Mobility Mapping - Nepal Men's Mobility Mapping - Nepal

Practical Tips Participation takes time! Meet people when it suits them Use a variety of techniques Don’t use technical words Do not lecture. Look, listen and learn Facilitate; do not dominate Try to obtain opinions from all groups Embrace error Relax, do not rush Be critical