1. Participatory Rural Appraisal
Critiques, Ethics and Tips

2. PRA is quick

3. PRA is easy

4. Anyone can do PRA

5. PRA is just a fancy method

6. PRA is not political

7. People involved in PRA are neutral

8. 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

9. 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?

10. 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

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

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

14. 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

15. Gender-disaggregated activity calendar for Mkushi District, Zambia

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

17. 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