This document discusses the strengths and weaknesses of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approaches. Some key strengths are that PRA allows local people to identify genuine development priorities, which can increase motivation of local development workers and mobilize community resources. However, some weaknesses are that the identified development plans may not be feasible for participating agencies, local interests could capture benefits, and PRA is dependent on the skills of facilitators. Overall, the benefits of participation are only realized if development agencies can accommodate implications and support participating institutions.

1. MZUMBE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE
NAME: JUMNNE A. SETONGA
REG NUMBER: 15040131/T.14
COURSE: BSc.EPP II
TASK: INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
SUBJECT: ECONOMIC POLICY AND PLANNING
SUBJECT CODE: ECO 214
QUESTION.
State some of the main strengths and weakness of the Participatory Approaches to
planning.

2. Participatory Rural Appraisal(PRA) This evolved from rapid rural appraisal as 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 studies an issue that concerns the population,
prioritize problems and come up with a community Action plan to address the concerns that have
been raised.
The strengths and weakness of Participatory rural appraisal/approaches can be explained as
under;
Identification for genuine priorities for target group. Participatory rural appraisal allows
local people to present their own priorities for development and get them incorporated into
development plans, where aquaculture is defined as a priority during the course of a PRA
,planners can be more secure that this responds to a real need among local people ,whether that
be for increased income, better fish supply or more intensive water use and management.
Motivation and mobilization of local development workers. Participation in PRA by local
development workers, whether from NGO’s ,government or other agencies can greatly increase
the motivation and level of mobilization in support of the project or program for which it is part.
Mobilization of the community resources. Greater commitment from the community can also
men greater mobilization of community resources for development and less reliance on outside
inputs. This can take the form of labor input, savings or time devoted to management functions.
Though of the strengths explained where this is not the case, many of the following weakness
can come into play;-
Proposal of the development plans which participating agencies cannot respond to. This is
the risk that the development priorities which communities identify during the course of a PRA
may be ones which participating agencies simply cannot respond to adequately in the local
technical sense thus again raising expectation only to disappoint them.
Risk of ‘capture’ of activities by local interests. By devolving decision making responsibility
to communities and leaving the identification and planning of activities to them, there is also a
real risk that particular elements in communities, the more educated, the wealthiest, those with
authority may find it easier to capture the activity and monopolize its benefits.
PRA is very dependent on the skills of the people carrying it out. The PRA is dependent upon
the skills of the people whose carry out that research or planning approaches by considering as
having the right combination of experience and view point on them.
Generally ,The benefits from participations can only be realized where the full implications of
participation for the development agencies which have been taken into account are accomodated
and the institutions involved are willing to support.

3. REFERENCES
The Group Promoter’s Resources Book .A Practical guide to building rural self-help groups,
FAO(1995,1997)
FAO Participation; Participatory Rural Appraisal.