Pra tools

Time Related PRA Tools

1. Time Related Methods Rijan Upadhyay BCD IIIrd Year

2. Contents Daily Activities Schedule Dream Map Genealogy Map Historical Transect Time-line Trend Analysis

3. 1. Daily Activities Schedule It is a popular PRA method used to explore the activities of an individual, group or community, on a daily basis. It depicts various activities that individuals or groups are involved in, along with the duration of those activities. The basis of temporal analysis is hours or periods of the day.

4. Application Enhance an understanding of who does what, when and for how long. Increase general sensitization. Finalise timings of intervention.

5. Methods/Process Explain the objectives of the exercise to the participants. Try to keep the group homogenous and relatively small.  Initiate a discussion about the activities that they perform in a normal day. Ask them to list the tasks or activities they perform from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed.  Ask them to either write or preferably depict the activities by using visuals or symbols, and ask them to organize the activities in such a way that it indicates the duration of the activities.  Discuss the emerging details with the participants. The key points for discussion may include: which activities they enjoy, how they feel when they utilize that time, etc . 

6. Methods/Process ( Contd …) Keep a record of the proceedings and make a note of the points that emerge during the discussions.  Copy the diagram on a piece of paper with details of the participants, facilitators, locality, and date.  Thank the participants for their time and cooperation.  Triangulate the output generated and also the outcomes of the discussion of the daily activity schedule. You can also observe the individuals or the group and verify whether the output depicts reality. 

7. Advantages and Limitations Useful means to gender sensitize a community. The separate daily activity schedules of men and women create a basis for comparison, and allows community members to discuss workload allocation. This helps to create awareness about gender roles and clarify reasons for gender-based divisions of labour and control over resources.  Placing a person’s schedule in such a format does run the risk of routinising people’s daily lives. Although, on some level, daily activities schedules do reveal constructive patterns in the daily lives of a community.

8. Daily Activity Clocks (example of seasonal daily activities of men and women in Dzinavene , Chivi District, Zimbabwe) - Women - Summer Wet Season

9. It is used to understand the aspirations of local people. What distinguishes a dream map from other types of maps is that it is an exercise where community members speculates about the future. Not only does it reveal what changes people would like to see in their lives and community, but the exercise may also uncover potential solutions to obstacles facing the community. 2. Dream Map

10. Applications Understanding the dreams, aspirations, and perspectives of the local people.  Planning interventions in relation to areas where people desire change.  Monitoring the progress a community has made against the standards or goals set by the community members themselves. 

11. Methods/Process Explain the purpose of the exercise to the participants and ask them to draw a map depicting the present situation.  Once the first map is completed, ask the participants to visually illustrate their aspirations for the community.  Once the dream map is made, showcase the two maps and initiate a discussion among the participants. Ask them to list indicators against which the realization of their dream can be monitored.  Listen carefully to the ensuing discussion, and take note of important points. Copy the maps with all the relevant details. Thank the participants for their time and active involvement.

12. Advantages and Limitations It provides valuable insights into the present circumstances of a community, the aspirations of the people, and possible ways of improving the situation. The process of articulating their aspirations is a good motivator for many, as they can easily visualize what they are aiming for and find ways of achieving their dream. Thus, if well-facilitated, dream maps can significantly improve the quality of people's planning. At times, it may be difficult to keep participants grounded in reality as they share their aspirations. It is quite easy to start fantasizing, and may also unnecessarily raise the expectations of community members. In addition, lack of commitment in following up on the outcomes of the dream map may further complicate the situation.

13. 3. Genealogy Map Genealogies provide a map of local communities in kinship (relationship) terms. Also known as 'Family Tree Mapping’ as a series of steps carried out in-order to map out an individual's ancestors' big life events using historic maps and software tools.

14. Applications Map out the ancestors' big life events like births, deaths, marriages, immigration and any other important life events. Use of old maps to solve place problems in genealogy research. If the ancestors seemed to have disappeared. Sometimes they might not have migrated to another place but something else has changed like The City or The country boundary, Street name or their addresses. We'll be able to track down through the census, City directory, tax or other records available.

15. Gather information for your family tree by doing some research. E.g. Gather Photos, old documents, family heirlooms. Decide how far to go back. In other words how many generations you want to include in your family tree. Decide what information you want to add, like Birth certificates, Hometown, Career, Marriage certificates, Death certificates etc. Find a family tree template and any application that can be used to add the data to create the family tree. Methods/Process

16. ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES PRINT MAPS The 'whole' map can be seen and easier to be used Originality of the map helps to gather a more accurate set of information Can be difficult to handle cause of the size and condition Can be hard to locate collections because of inadequate cataloging Perhaps less accessible due to private collections, loss of documents etc..

17. Special Remarks We can use genealogy map digitally as a research analysis tool and make a virtual tour of ours family history through google earth.

18. 4. Historical Transect a visual representation of the time-based dimension of people's reality  It provides a clear picture of the evolution of a number of different factors over time.

19. Applications This tool has been commonly used to explore the changes in the availability of natural resources over a period of time. It also reveals potential causes behind the fluctuations in such resources. Once these factors are established, discussions can focus on preparing the communities for periods of such change. 

20. Methods/Process Invite a group of local people who are interested in natural resources and who are also familiar with the history of the community to participate in a discussion.  Explain the purpose of the exercise to the participants . Identify the aspects that you would like to study from a historical perspective and also identify the time landmarks that you would like to use. Encourage the participants to use symbols or visuals to depict the landmark years. Draw a grid on the floor and place the cards marked with the important factors that you would like to investigate horizontally and the time period cards vertically.

21. Methods/Process ( Contd …) Encourage a discussion among the participants on the historical transect. Remember that the output is not the final product. The subsequent discussion and analysis are critical aspects of the process.  Copy the diagram on a sheet of paper with all details. Thank the participants for their time and involvement.   Triangulate the output with other members of the community.

22. Advantages and Limitations Historical Transects provide a clear picture of the evolution of a number of different factors over time. Local people usually find the process easy to follow and the use of visuals and symbols to represent these events generates a great deal of interest. However, some facilitators find the exercise difficult to manage, particularly in communities with a strong oral tradition.

23. 5. Timeline It provides an ideal opportunity to capture the chronology of events in an individual or community’s history. As opposed to being a chronicled history, the Time Line represents important moments as perceived and recalled by the people involved. This tool can serve as an effective connection builder, since people are generally willing to recall and share important moments from their past.

24. Application To learn form the community what they consider to be important past events To understand from the community the historical perspective on current issues To generate discussions on changes with respect to issues you are interested in, e.g., education, health, food security, gender relations, economic conditions, etc. To develop a relationship with the villagers, the past of the village is good non-threatening and enjoyable starting point

25. Methods/Process Identify some elderly persons Explain to them the purpose of the exercise Ask them for more such events that they would like to add Add years to the left side of the list of events Initiate a discussion Interview the time line Note down the major events You can focus on those aspects that are your area of interest Copy the details on to paper

26. Advantages and Limitations PRA exercise that prioritizes the participation of the elderly, and emphasizes the contributions that they have to make.  The exercise may become quite challenging if participants cannot recall when events took place. It is also important to keep the discussions focused, and to beware of deviations and tangents from the topics of conversation.

27. 6. Trend Analysis A trend analysis captures changes and trends related to certain variables over different spans of time. Such an exercise investigates the trends in crop yield, livestock population, rainfall, etc. and provides meaningful insights into the dynamics of change within a community.   A 'before and after' type of analysis that identifies the changes that have taken place across certain time milestones.

28. Applications Understand how the community perceives changes that have occurred over time.  Explore problems that have become more pressing in the village and why.  Discuss development interventions that have taken place in the past, and analyze the changes they have triggered.  Create the appropriate environment for people to find solutions and plan for the future.

29. Methods/Process Select a group Initiate a discussion on the present situation Also facilitate the selection of time landmarks across Ask participants to make the matrix on the ground Also find out new aspects Ask to explain the diagram Facilitate the discussion further to arrive at the aspects of trend analysis. Take up one of the aspects, ask the participants to depict the situation Interview the diagram Copy the diagram Thank the participants Triangulate the diagram

30. Advantages and Limitations The discussion during the exercise, often uncovers the causes behind change that has occurred, along with solutions of how to improve the present situation.  Trend analysis is not very suitable in the initial stages of the PRA work as it can be too complex to manage without having a good understanding of local people's reality. At times, it is important to be aware of people’s tendency to glorify the past, which can lead to false analyses.

31. Source: http://unnat.iitd.ac.in/images/NewPdf/PRAmethods.pdf http://samgar2007.blogspot.com/2010/08/participatory-rural-appraisal-tools-and.html