1. Participatory Rural
Appraisal

2. What is Participatory Rural Appraisal?
an intensive, systematic but semi-structured learning experience carried out in a community by a multi-disciplinary team
participatory approaches and methods that emphasize local knowledge

3. an approach for shared learning between local people and outsiders where knowledge of local people is valued as equally important as scientific expertise
facilitates information sharing, analysis, and action among stakeholders

4. a learning process – both for the people in the community and for the development workers
an evolving concept – continues to be refined as more experiences and lessons from the field are learned

5. Uses of PRA
feasibility studies
needs assessment
identifying priorities for development
activities
- project or program evaluations
- general analysis of specific topic,
question, or problem

6. Purpose of PRA
To gain an understanding of the complexities of a topic (not gather a highly accurate statistics on a list of variables)
To obtain a differentiated understanding of attitudes, beliefs and behaviors towards an issue/topic

7. To facilitate dialogue and exchange of information between community and development workers
To promote shared analysis of the community’s situation, their needs, priorities and constraints

8. To encourage active participation of the community in identifying, monitoring and evaluating alternative options to address problems
To build the community’s capability in preparing action plans relevant to their needs and existing resources

9. Key Principles of PRA
Participation - local people's input into PRA activities is essential to its value; encourage them to do the task
Teamwork - a well-balanced team will represent the diversity of socioeconomic, cultural, gender, and generational perspectives

10. Flexibility - combination of techniques will be determined by such variables as:
size and skill mix of the PRA team
time and resources available
topic and location of the work
Optimal ignorance - PRA work intends to gather just enough information; approach with open mind; put aside personal biases and prejudices

11. Triangulation - a form of cross-checking; check reliability of information from at least three sources using different methods
- composition of the team (multidisciplinary, insiders/outsiders, men/women)
- sources of information (events/processes, people, place)
- mix of tools and techniques (diagrams, interviews/discussions, observations)

12. PRA requires:
Participation
Respect for community members
Interest in what they know,say,show or do
Patience, not rushing nor interrupting
Listening, not lecturing
Humility
Methods that empower to express, share, enhance and analyze people’s knowledge

13. PRA vs. Formal Research Methods
short time
long time
low cost
high cost
flexible
fixed
High participation
Low participation
On-the-spot analysis
Analysis in the office
Little statistical analysis
Heavy stat analysis

14. PRA vs. Formal Research Methods
Semi-structured interviews & GDs
Formal questionnaires
Opportunity sample
Random sample
Multi-disciplinary team
Enumerators
Non-hierarchical
Hierarchical
Best for learning and understanding rural people’s opinions, behaviors & attitudes
Best for gathering representative, quantitative data & statistical analysis

15. Some PRA Tools
Secondary data review
Semi-structured interviewing
Focus group discussions
Priority matrix
Mapping and modeling
Seasonal and historical diagramming
Venn/Institutional diagram

16. Some PRA Tools (cont.)
Problem ranking
Pie charts
Village walk or transect – diagram of main land use zones (soil, land use, crops, etc)
Resource Flow Diagram
Time Line – chronological description of important events in the past
Etc.

17. Sequence of Tools/Techniques
PRA tools can be combined in a number of different ways
Clarify objectives
Decide what information is needed
Match the appropriate tools
Plan a logical sequencing of the tools

18. Objectives Suggested PRA Tools Initial Phase Second Phase Third Phase
to get an overview of the general bio-physical and social conditions in the locality
to understand the community’s past experiences
Village walk
Base Map
Social Map
Village transect
Timeline
Second Phase
to get specific information on people’s livelihood systems
to have a deeper understanding of activities in the community
Seasonal calendar
Resource flow
Venn diagram
Trend analysis
Problem cause diagram
Problem ranking
Third Phase
to identify development priorities of villagers
Possible solution
ranking
Final Phase
to evaluate jointly and formulate action plans
SWOT analysis
TOWS matrix

19. Thank you