Presentation on PRA & PLA Process

This Presentation was shared with the Group of Gandhi Fellows in a defined location for understanding the concept of PRA/PLA by another Fellow.

1. PRESENTATION ONPRESENTATION ON
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF PRA/PLA CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF PRA/PLA
TOPIC: TOPIC:


PRESENTED BY:PRESENTED BY:
GULZAR HUSSAIN GULZAR HUSSAIN

PIRAMAL FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION LEADERSHIP PIRAMAL FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION LEADERSHIP

2. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
DEFINITIONS OF PRA/PLADEFINITIONS OF PRA/PLA
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRA/PLAHISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PRA/PLA
CONCEPT OF PRA/PLACONCEPT OF PRA/PLA
PRINCIPLES OF PRA/PLAPRINCIPLES OF PRA/PLA
TOOLS OF PRA/PLATOOLS OF PRA/PLA
USE OF PRA/PLAUSE OF PRA/PLA
BENEFITS OF PRA/PLABENEFITS OF PRA/PLA
DANGERS AND LIMITATIONS OF PRA/PLADANGERS AND LIMITATIONS OF PRA/PLA
CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION
INGREDIENTSINGREDIENTS

3. Participatory techniques emphasize on the Participatory techniques emphasize on the
importance of involving people i.e., people importance of involving people i.e., people
participation for the betterment of society participation for the betterment of society
through their involvement in implementation, through their involvement in implementation,
execution, monitoring and evaluation of execution, monitoring and evaluation of
various developmental programs set by the various developmental programs set by the
government.government.
INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

4. PRA (Participatory rural appraisal)PRA (Participatory rural appraisal)
It is a methodology to involve rural community It is a methodology to involve rural community
by interacting with them and understanding by interacting with them and understanding
them along with their locality.them along with their locality.
PLA (Participatory learning and action)PLA (Participatory learning and action)
PLA is a one of the recent terminology in the PLA is a one of the recent terminology in the
field of participatory technique . It is a field of participatory technique . It is a
learning from community , collection of data learning from community , collection of data
and carrying actions.and carrying actions.
DEFINITIONS OF PRA/PLA:DEFINITIONS OF PRA/PLA:

5. Farming system research (FSR)Farming system research (FSR)
Objective of FSR was to further research in the field of farming
system, analyse problem and plan research.
Rapid rural appraisal (RRA)Rapid rural appraisal (RRA)
BEGAN IN THE LATE 1970s
(Rapid collection of data by outsiders to achieve a more
comprehensive understanding of the complexity of rural societies)
HISTORY OF RRA/PRA/PLA HISTORY OF RRA/PRA/PLA
DEVELOPMENT IN 1960sDEVELOPMENT IN 1960s

6. Rapid rural appraisal (RRA)Rapid rural appraisal (RRA)
Participatory rural appraisal (PRA)Participatory rural appraisal (PRA)

(Development of tools that helped farmers to collect, (Development of tools that helped farmers to collect,
analyze, and present their own data and information)analyze, and present their own data and information)
Participatory learning and action (PLA)Participatory learning and action (PLA)
(Participation should not only be limited to rural (Participation should not only be limited to rural
appraisals and the approach has learning for action appraisals and the approach has learning for action
as its basic essence)as its basic essence)
DEVELOPED IN1980sDEVELOPED IN1980s

7. A PRA/PLA field exercise is not only for information A PRA/PLA field exercise is not only for information
and idea generation, but it is about analysis and and idea generation, but it is about analysis and
learning by local people. learning by local people.
It is about building a process of participation, of It is about building a process of participation, of
discussion, communication, and conflict resolution. discussion, communication, and conflict resolution.
The outsider’s role is that of a catalyst, a facilitator, The outsider’s role is that of a catalyst, a facilitator,
and convenor of that process within a community and convenor of that process within a community
RRA/PRA/PLA therefore basically aims at a process RRA/PRA/PLA therefore basically aims at a process
that empowers local people to change their own that empowers local people to change their own
conditions and situations. It is intended to enable conditions and situations. It is intended to enable
them to conduct their own analysis to plan and to them to conduct their own analysis to plan and to
take action.take action.
CONCEPT OF PRA/PLACONCEPT OF PRA/PLA

8. PRINCIPLES OF PRA/PLAPRINCIPLES OF PRA/PLA
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATIONCOMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
INTERDICIPLINARY TEAMINTERDICIPLINARY TEAM
FLEXIBILITYFLEXIBILITY
OPTIMAL IGNORANCEOPTIMAL IGNORANCE
TRIANGULATIONTRIANGULATION

9. TOOLS OF PRA/PLATOOLS OF PRA/PLA
SOCIAL MAPPING (Resource & Threat)SOCIAL MAPPING (Resource & Threat)
TRANSECT WALKTRANSECT WALK
TREND ANALYSISTREND ANALYSIS
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE CHARTS (INCOME AND EXPENDITURE CHARTS ( Wealth Ranking)Wealth Ranking)
CHAPATI DIAGRAMCHAPATI DIAGRAM
SEASONALITY DIAGRAMSEASONALITY DIAGRAM

10. ROADS & ROADS &
LANESLANES
REGIST. REGIST.
DOCTORSDOCTORS
BANKBANK
AANGANWAAANGANWA
DIDI
PANCHYAT PANCHYAT
GHARGHAR
SHGSHG
CHAPPATI DIAGRAMCHAPPATI DIAGRAM
COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY
POLICIESPOLICIES
AWARENESSAWARENESS
RATION RATION
SHOPSSHOPS
GOVT.GOVT.
SCHOOL SCHOOL
FUNCTIONINGFUNCTIONING

11. General analysis of a specific topic, General analysis of a specific topic,
question, or problem;question, or problem;
Needs assessment;Needs assessment;
Identification and establishment of priorities Identification and establishment of priorities
for development or research activities;for development or research activities;
Monitoring and evaluation of development or Monitoring and evaluation of development or
research activities; andresearch activities; and
Identification of conflicting interests between Identification of conflicting interests between
groups.groups.
PRA/PLA CAN BE USED FOR:PRA/PLA CAN BE USED FOR:

12. BENEFITS OF PRA METHODSBENEFITS OF PRA METHODS
Empowerment of the local peopleEmpowerment of the local people
Securing active involvement of the communitySecuring active involvement of the community
Creating a culture of open learning with each Creating a culture of open learning with each
other and with community membersother and with community members
Setting research prioritiesSetting research priorities
Setting participatory extension programSetting participatory extension program
Policy reviewPolicy review

13. Difficulty in getting exact informationDifficulty in getting exact information
Difficulty in finding the right questions to askDifficulty in finding the right questions to ask
Not enough time to spend in the villageNot enough time to spend in the village
Danger of ‘rural development tourism’Danger of ‘rural development tourism’
Difficulty in finding the right interdisciplinary teamDifficulty in finding the right interdisciplinary team
Lack of experience of team members, Lack of experience of team members,
particularly lack of skills in the field of particularly lack of skills in the field of
communication, facilitation, and conflict communication, facilitation, and conflict
negotiationnegotiation
Team members do not show the right attitude, Team members do not show the right attitude,
fail to listen, and lack respectfail to listen, and lack respect
DANGERS AND LIMITATIONS OF DANGERS AND LIMITATIONS OF
PRA/PLAPRA/PLA

14. Overlooking opinions and demands of women, Overlooking opinions and demands of women,
particularly by male team membersparticularly by male team members
Lack of institutional support and an open learning Lack of institutional support and an open learning
environment within organizations (centers, departments)environment within organizations (centers, departments)
PRA becoming a fashionable label to satisfy public, PRA becoming a fashionable label to satisfy public,
institutional, or donor expectations for ‘participatory’ institutional, or donor expectations for ‘participatory’
approachesapproaches
Villagers are occupied with farm workVillagers are occupied with farm work
Villagers give unrealistic answers to receive more Villagers give unrealistic answers to receive more
support (sometimes be the village headman)support (sometimes be the village headman)
Actors involved in PRA research for action activities are Actors involved in PRA research for action activities are
not neutralnot neutral
DANGERS AND LIMITATIONS OF DANGERS AND LIMITATIONS OF
PRA/PLAPRA/PLA

15. SOURCESSOURCES
Books:Books:
 Mukherji, NeelaMukherji, Neela
Participatory Rural Appraisal: Methodology & Participatory Rural Appraisal: Methodology &
ApplicationsApplications
Good, W. and Hatt, PGood, W. and Hatt, P
Methods in Social ResearchMethods in Social Research
Das, D.K. LalDas, D.K. Lal
Practice of Social Research: Social Work Practice of Social Research: Social Work
Perspective.Perspective.

16. PRA/PLA Is effective because it PRA/PLA Is effective because it
seeks to understand the survival seeks to understand the survival
strategy of the community, appraise strategy of the community, appraise
it and show ways to enhance the it and show ways to enhance the
capability of that effort to ensure capability of that effort to ensure
sustainability.sustainability.