PRA is intended to enable local communities to conduct their own analysis and to plan and take action. PRA involves project staff learning together with villagers about the village. The aim of PRA is to help strengthen the capacity of villagers to plan, make decisions, and to take action towards improving their own situation. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is considered one of the popular and effective approaches to gather information in rural areas. This approach was developed in early 1990s with considerable shift in paradigm from top-down to bottom-up approach, and from blueprint to the learning process. In fact, it is a shift from extractive survey questionnaires to experience sharing by local people. PRA is based on village experiences where communities effectively manage their natural resources. PRA is a methodology of learning rural life and their environment from the rural people. It requires researchers / field workers to act as facilitators to help local people conduct their own analysis, plan and take action accordingly. It is based on the principle that local people are creative and capable and can do their own investigations, analysis, and planning. The basic concept of PRA is to learn from rural people. Chambers (1992) has defined PRA as an approach and methods for learning about rural life and conditions from, with and by rural people. He further stated that PRA extends into analysis, planning and action. PRA closely involve villagers and local officials in the process.

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Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) recently renamed Participatory Learning for Action (PLA), is a methodological approach that is used to enable farmers to analyse their own situation and to develop a common perspective on natural resource management and agriculture at village level. PRA is an assessment and learning process that empowers farmers to create the information base they need for participatory planning and action. Outsiders contribute facilitation skills and external information and opinions. Many different tools have been developed for use in PRA.

PRA is used

• To ascertain needs
• To establish priorities for development activities
• Within the scope of feasibility studies
• During the implementation phase of projects
• Within the scope of monitoring and evaluation of projects
• For studies of specific topics
• For focusing formal surveys on essential aspects, and identifying conflicting group interests.

Tools of PRA

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Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) is a set of participatory and largely visual techniques for assessing group and community resources, identifying and prioritizing problems and appraising strategies for solving them. It is a research/planning methodology in which a local community (with or without the assistance of outsiders) studies an issue that concerns the population, prioritizes problems, evaluates options for solving the problem(s) and comes up with a Community Action Plan to address the concerns that have been raised.

PRA is particularly concerned that the multiple perspectives that exist in any community are represented in the analysis and that the community itself takes the lead in evaluating its situation and finding solutions. Outsiders may participate as facilitators or in providing technical information but they should not 'take charge' of the process.

PRA is used

To ascertain needs

To establish priorities for development activities

Within the scope of feasibility studies

During the implementation phase of projects

Within the scope of monitoring and evaluation of projects

For studies of specific topics

For focusing formal surveys on essential aspects, and identifying conflicting group interests.

The selection and use of training tools must match the training needs and type of training. The major challenges are:

a) sensitization to bring about attitudinal and behavioural change; and

b) using participatory techniques to build rapport, elicit support, information and participation of the people in their own development.

Importance of participatory techniques

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