The document discusses participatory rural appraisal (PRA), which is a methodology for collecting data in rural communities through participatory techniques. It was developed as an alternative to the top-down rapid rural appraisal approach. PRA emphasizes local community participation, empowerment, and mutual learning between outsiders and community members. The core features of PRA include voluntary involvement of local people, participation in decision making, and improving community well-being. Some commonly used PRA techniques described in the document include transect walks, social mapping, seasonal mapping, daily activity charts, Venn diagrams, problem prioritization, and group discussions.

1. PARTICIPATORY RURALAPPRAISAL
Dr.Chandrakumar D
1st yr Postgraduate
Dept. of Community Medicine
PSGIMSR
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3. House to House survey
How do you get data?
Source : census-national-population-register-data-to-be-ready-before-2024-general-elections-home-ministry
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4. Rural Development Tourism
How do you get data?
Source : https://www.ysdindia.org/
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5. Official Records
How do you get data?
Source : https://in.worldorgs.com/catalog/puducherry/government-office/block-development-office
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6. Government database / Website
How do you get data?
https://rural.nic.in/en https://agricoop.nic.in/en
https://www.panchayat.gov.in/
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9. 1 Definition & Origin
2 Components
3 Core Features
Objective
4 Principles
5 Methods
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10. It is a participatory method to
gather / collect information by
involvement of Rural / local
communities for identifying the
problems, needs, decision
making and implementation of
the development project, “for
the Rural community, by the
Rural community and with
the Rural Community”.
(Chambers 1994)
Definition
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11. People's are involved in the process decision making,
implementing the programme, sharing benefits and monitoring &
evaluating the pogramme.
The technique can be used in any situation, urban / rural,
with both literate / illiterate people.
To finding out of information about problems,
needs & potentials in a village.
Participatory
It is a
first stage
of project.
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12. Origin
• Coined by Robert Chambers in 1994.
• PRA has been evolved from RRA (Rapid Rural
Appraisal).
• The understanding of PRA came mostly from field
rather than academia.
• PRA mostly focuses on the empowerment of
people through participation.
Robert John Haylock Chambers
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13. Cont…
• It is considered one of the popular & effective approaches to gather information in rual
areas.
• It was developed with considerable shift in paradigm from “Top - Down to Bottom –
Up” approach, and blueprint to the learning process.
• It is based on the principle that local people are creative, capable and can do their own
investigations, analysis, and planning.
• It is a methodology of learning rural life & their environment form the people.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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14. Comparisons & Contrast between RRA & PRA
Chambers (1997)
RAPID RURALAPPRAISAL (RRA) PARTICIPATORY RURALAPPRAISAL (PRA)
Inform project design, gather baseline information,
monitor & evaluate
Purpose
Capacity building for improved decision making at
community level, situation analysis , planning, seeking
solutions to problems, monitoring and evaluation by
community
Multi-disciplinary team of project staff & specialists Team
Team composed of villagers, sometimes facilitated by
project staff person, that works with the larger community
Limited number of representative sites Sites Communities where project activities will take place
Discrete studies, usually lasting 5-7 days Time Period
Ongoing throughout the life of project. Usually begins with
training and initial situational analysis leading to
Community Action Plan
Less active participation; More "Top - Down"
Levels of
Participation
More active participation; More "Bottom - Up"
Assessment Used for Planning
Aid agencies, Universities Main Users NGOs, Government field Organization
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15. 1 People
2 Participation
3 Knowledge
4 Planning
5 Action
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16. Core features
•It is a voluntary involvement of people.
•The people who participate can influence and share control over development initiatives,
decision & resources.
•It is a process of involvement of people at different stages of the project or programme.
•The ultimate aim is to improve the well – being of the people who participate.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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17. Introduce
yourself
Be honest,
transparent, relate as
a person
They can do it
Have confidence in
people’s abilities
Ask them
Ask people their
realities, priorities
Precepts of PRA
Don't rush
Take time, be patient
Sit down & learn
Don’t dominate
Facilitate
Don’t lecture,
criticize or teach
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18. As a Villagers
•Mapping
•Diagramming
•Listing
•Sorting
•Sequencing
•Counting
•Estimating
•Scoring
•Ranking
•Linking
•Analyzing
•Planning
•Action programming
As a Facilitator
•Sit back
•Observe
•learn from them
What they do
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19. Principles of PRA
•Reversal of Learning : We learn from the villagers the situation & conditions.
•Learning rapidly & progressively within a short span of time.
•Do not get precise information – Ensure the data given is approximately correct & reliable.
 Cross check the data with others to ensure its validity.
 Ensure sequencing in your line of questioning.
 Do not interrupt unless to seek some clarification, more description or explanation
needed.
 Listen, Learn & Record – Use that information for planning.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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20. TEXT
Building Rapport
Key Informants :
Local panchayat functionaries, SHG leader,
School teachers, ASHA, Anganwadi workers,
Progressive farmers etc.
Methods
•Visit the village at least a day in advance & establish
rapport with the key informants there.
• Introducing yourself & seeking there co-operation &
support to participate in the PRA exercise.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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21. Transect walk
•Walk all the streets and farms if they are nearby.
•Observe during transect walk to have general
knowledge of topography of village.
•Like - What are all the settlements, Types of
houses, Source of water, Waste disposal, Toilet,
Drainage, Cattles, Types of crops grown,
activities of women's, Schools, AWC, Health
facilities any.
https://mitaliemakhani.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/kolli-hills-pra-tools/
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22. Social Mapping
•Get the villagers draw a social map of that village.
•Can collect demographic particulars like the
population, households etc.
•Infrastructure details – Road, Street lights, Water
source, OHT tanks, Schools, AWC, Heaalth facilities
etc.
•Any information can bring into the map.
•It is a excellent tool to collect a wealth of
information.
https://pjtsau.edu.in/daaattc-karimnagar-participatory-rural-appraisal-along-RAWEP-students-12-
02-2020.html
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23. Seasonal Map
•One of the popular PRA methods that has been
used for temporal analysis across annual cycles,
with months or season.
•With a seasonal diagram it is possible to identify
and analyse the livelihood pattern across the year.
•Seasonal diagram helps to identify heavy
workload periods, periods of relative ease, credit
crunch, diseases, food security etc.
Source : Methods of Community Participation by Shri Somesh Kumar
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24. Daily Activity Chart
•Daily Activity clock illustrates the different kinds
of activities carried out in a day.
•Time management by villagers.
•To know the relative workload of a different
groups.
•Period of relaxation, recreation, physical activity,
Personal care etc.
•Income generation, Productive work &
community work etc.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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25. •Visual depiction of key institutions, organisations and
their relationship with local community or other groups.
•The size of the circle indicates the degree of important
attached to an organisation by the community.
Big Circle – Most frequent.
Small Circle – Less frequent.
•Used to explore a variety of linkages.
Venn Diagram / Chappati Diagram
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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26. Force Field Analysis (FFA)
•Developed by Kurt Lewin
•Technique to visually identify and
analyse the forces affection a problem
situation so as to plan a positive
change.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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27. Problem Inventory
•Ask them about pressing problems.
•They may start listing a lot of problems.
•Let them write each problem in a card (one problem one card) – Observe, cross
check & probe.
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28. Prioritizing
•Prioritize their Identified Local
problems.
•Find any there are local solutions
able to think off where you need to
play the facilitator role.
•Ask them to their contributions to
address the problem in terms of
finance, time, availability of
resources etc.
Source : Museum, Dept of Community Medicine , PSG IMSR
Ref : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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29. NSL Card
•Ask them to prepare NSL card – to
prioritize.
•N - Now ( with in 6 months)
•S - Soon (with in one year)
•L - Later (within 3 years)
NSL CARD
S.NO
N - NOW
(6 Months)
S - SOON
(1 Year)
L - LATE
(3 Years)
http://nirdpr.org.in/
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30. Analyse and Group Discussion
•This is the large forum of the community where you can have as many as
possible, and let one of the local person announce about the discussions held &
the descision arrived at.
•Let everyone knows the discussions and if any one have different openion, it is
the local leaders to sort it out their. This makes clear for everyone.
•You can explain your position and in what way you are trying to resolve the
issue and your expectation of the participation in the plan, implementaation &
taking in-charge of sustaining the benefits.
Source : Participatory Rural Appraisal – Principles, Methods and Application by N.Narayanasmy
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31. Accuracy of PRA data
•PRA uses group discussion, chain of interviews, life histories, case studies &
direct observations.
•The data & information generated through PRA is mostly qualitative in nature.
•In PRA we do not aim at accuracy of data, rather we seek data is firsthand &
reliable.
•False, rumours, hearsay - Probe - use 5 helpers
-By asking What, Where, When, Why & How etc.
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32. Summary
•The basic concept of PRA is to learn from the rural people.
•It is based on the principle that people are creative, capable & do their own
research, analysis & planning.
•It brings a reliable data within a short span of time.
•PRA is a set of approach.
•PRA is a set of attitude & behaviour.
•The secret of success of PRA are - Decentralization & Empowerment.
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33. THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING
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