PRA Roeland Kindt Outline Introduction Basic rules for

PRA Roeland Kindt

Outline • Introduction • Basic rules for surveys • What is PRA • PRA tools • Selection of respondents

Participatory Rural Appraisal • focus on local knowledge • information sharing and analysis (shared learning) • avoid miscommunication (questionnaires), include marginal groups, qualitative information

Basic rules for surveys • Hypothesis • Information for hypothesis testing • Systematic sampling and data collection • Secondary sources, cross-checking • Confirmation (statistical analysis) • Generation of new hypotheses

Participation Mode of participation Type of participation Co-opted Tokenism, manipulation, representatives are chosen, but no real input or power Co-operating Tasks are assigned, with incentives; outsiders decide agenda and direct the process Consulted Local opinions asked, outsiders analyze and decide on a course of action Collaborating Local people work together with outsiders to determine priorities. Responsibility remains with outsiders for directing the process Co-learning Local people and outsiders share their knowledge to create new understanding and work together to form action plans, with outsider facilitation Collective action Local people set their own agenda and mobilise to carry it out, in the absence of outside initiators and facilitators Outsider control Potential for sustaining local action and ownership

PRA principles • Participatory • Systems theory • Teamwork • Systematic practice, but flexible • Indigenous Knowledge • Semi-structured interviews (next page)

Semi-structured interviews • Open-ended, interactive and informal • Protocol • Probing • Successive iteration • Triangulation • Creative/optimal ignorance • Attitude

PRA tools / exercises • Facilitate communication and reflection • easy, fun, participation • visual • not technique-led • combine with SSI approach • sequence of large groups (participation) to key informants (gaps, sensitive topics)

Diagrams • generate ideas • sensitive topics • oral and visual • • cultures memory care for visual perception differences Image from IIRR. 1996. Recording and using indigenous knowledge.

Mapping • locations • relationships • legend, direction • historical maps Image from IIRR. 1996. Recording and using indigenous knowledge.

Transects • uni-dimensional map • section by section (systematic, much information) Image from IIRR. 1996. Recording and using indigenous knowledge.

Matrices • Various characteristics • for various items (comparisons) qualitative (preferences) or quantitative (proxies) information Image from IIRR. 1996. Recording and using indigenous knowledge.

Sorting and ranking • Direct (matrix, pile) • Ranking better than sorting for analysis • Pairwise or triadic comparisons: reveal inconsistencies, but longer (only for small numbers of items) – n! / g! (n-g!) with n: number of items, g: groups of comparison • n=5, g=2, 3: 10 comparisons needed • n=10, g=2: 45 comparisons needed • n=10, g=3: 120 comparisons needed

Selection of respondents • Description of population: (stratified) random selection • Key informants (specialists of specific topics): targeted selection Image from IIRR. 1996. Recording and using indigenous knowledge.