Participatory Tools and Techniques: A Resource Kit for Participation and Social Assessment
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Date
1998
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Social Policy and Resettlement Division
Abstract
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) evolved from a series of qualitative multidisciplinary approaches to learning about local-level conditions and local peoples' perspectives, including Rapid Rural Appraisal and Agroecosystem Analysis. The pioneers of PRA development have been NGOs and agricultural research organizations, and in recent years the Bank and other donors have begun to adopt PRA-type methods in their work. The term itself is misleading because more and more PRA is being used not only in rural settings (a recent Bank study of urban violence in Jamaica used a range of PRA techniques), and not only for project appraisal. but throughout the project cycle, as well as for ESW (economic and sector work). Indeed, the term PRA is one of many labels for similar participatory assessment approaches, the methodologies of which overlap considerably.
Description
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a flexible, participatory method developed by NGOs and research bodies to understand local perspectives and conditions. It’s now used beyond rural areas and throughout project cycles—including urban development and economic studies. PRA emphasizes community involvement as partners in analysis using visual and inclusive techniques. Though qualitative and non-statistical, it ensures reliability through local team engagement, triangulation, and community validation.
Keywords
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), Rapid Rural Appraisal, Visual techniques, Economic and Sector Work, Local language teams
Citation
McCracken , Jennifer Rietbergen, Narayan, Deepa. (1999). Participatory Tools and Techniques: A Resource Kit for Participation and Social. Assessment.Social Policy and Resettlement Division.