Drda & Pra
Drda & Pra
Drda & Pra
By the early 1980’s, there was growing dissatisfaction among development experts
with both the reductionism of formal surveys, and the biases of typical field visits.
In 1983, Robert Chambers, a Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (UK),
used the term Rapid Rural Appraisal to describe techniques that could bring about
a 'reversal of learning'. Two years later, the first international conference to share
experiences relating to RRA was held in Thailand. This was followed by a rapid
growth in the development of methods that involved rural people in examining
their own problems, setting their own goals, and monitoring their own
achievements. By the mid 1990’s, the term RRA had been replaced by a number of
other terms including ‘Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)’ and ‘Participatory
Learning and Action’ (PLA).
Different practitioners would find different principles but most would agree to
include the following:
RRA PRA
Extractive in nature Learning with local people
It is easier to give advice than to take it. So one has to be cautious. Here is a personal list of some
practical tips
1. Do not lecture. Look, listen and learn.
2. Facilitate; do not dominate; do not interrupt or interfere; once a task is initiated, let people get on
with it; give them
time to think or discuss among themselves.
3. Embrace error. We all make mistakes, and do things badly sometimes. Never mind. Do not hide it.
Share it.
4. Try to obtain opinions from all groups.
5. Relax, do not rush.
6. Meet people when it suits them.
7. Use six helpers – what, why, who, how where, and when
Practical applications:
Since the early 1990s, PRA approaches and methods have evolved and spread with
astonishing speed. Originating mainly among non-government organisations
(NGOs) in East Africa and South Asia, they have since been adopted by
government departments, training institutes, aid agencies, and universities all over
the world. They are now being used in at least 100 countries, with PRA networks
existing in over 30. PRA has been applied in almost every domain of development
and community action, both urban and rural.
Examples include:
Natural resources management
Establishing land rights of indigenous people
Slum development
HIV/AIDS awareness and action
Anti-poverty programmes
Disaster management
Negotiation and conflict resolution
Adult literacy