This document discusses the tools and techniques of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). PRA is an approach that aims to empower local people through participation. It involves using various visual and interactive methods to share information, enhance understanding, analyze problems, and plan and take action. Some key PRA tools discussed are social mapping, resource mapping, seasonal calendars, timelines, matrix ranking, and focus group discussions. The document outlines the principles and goals of PRA, as well as guidelines for effectively applying its tools and techniques in a participatory manner.

1. Fundamental of Extension Methods:
Tools and Techniques of PRA
B.S.Meena

2. Extension Methods
“What a man hears, he may doubt.
What he sees he may possible doubt.
But what he does himself he cannot doubt.”
Seaman Knapp

3. Extension Methods
• Program based on the needs of
people
• Plan of Work, Plan of Action
• Implementation
• Evaluation

4. Extension Methods by Nature of Contact
• Individual Contact
– Farm or Home Visit
– Office Visit
– Telephone Calls
– Personal Correspondence
– Result Demonstrations

5. Extension Methods
by Nature of Contact
• Group Contact
– Meetings, Workshops and Short
Courses
– Method Demonstrations
– Leader Training
– Tours and Field Days
– Organized Clubs
– Camps
– Teleconferences

6. Extension Methods by Nature of Contact
• Mass Contact
– News Stories and Personal Columns
– Radio and Television
– Newsletters
– Publications
– Exhibits
– Interactive and Computer-aided
instruction
– Telephone Message Services
– Web Sites
– Satellite and Internet Conferences

7. Extension Methods by Form of
Communication
• Written
– Bulletins, Fact Sheets, Publications,
Newsletters, News Articles, and
Personal Letters
• Spoken
– Meetings, Farm and Home Visits, Office
Visits, Calls, Radio
• Visual
– Demonstrations, Exhibits, Slides,
Videos, Television, Web Pages

8. Extension Methods by Function
• Information Delivery
– Meetings, newsletters, bulletins,
correspondence
• Skill Building
– Workshops, demonstrations, role-
playing
• Problem Solving, knowledge
applying
– Synthesis of information and skills to
solve real world problems of farms,
families and communities

9. Advantages of Individual Contacts
• Individualized instruction
• First hand knowledge of local problems
• Climate of readiness for learning
• May be a quick and easy way to give information
• Immediate feedback
• Builds confidence in agent as a source of help
• Can be used to contact hard to reach

10. Disadvantages of Individual Contacts
• High cost per contact
• Limits the total number of contacts
• Requires good time management
• Time for follow-up
• Public perceptions if replies are not
timely
• May not reach priority audiences
• Responses may not be well planned

11. Advantages of Group Contacts
• Low cost per participant
• Can reach large audiences
• Adaptable to different learning styles
• Experiential learning, group learning
process
• Use of demonstration methods
• Programs can be repeated with one
preparation
• Recognizes need for social contact

12. Disadvantages of Group Contacts
 Requires high level of organization, equipment, resources
 Requires showmanship and skills at public speaking
 Ability to use variety of teaching techniques
 Limits meetings to locations appropriate to groups
 Programs must be presented when a group can attend
 Instruction must be planned for diversity of audience
needs and interests

13. Advantages of Mass Contacts
 Reaches large audience
 Reaches those who might not attend meeting
 Can be very timely, reaches audience quickly
 Builds recognition and reputation of Extension
 Adaptable to variety of topics and audiences
 Used at learner’s convenience
 Can build a sustainable audience

14. Disadvantages of Mass Contacts
• May be more expensive
• Requires constant revision to stay
current
• Limited interaction or feedback
• May create poor image if not well done
• Radio and TV at convenience of station
• May require extensive production time
• Competes with “entertainment”
programs

15. Newest Delivery Methods
• Web Sites
• Interactive Video Conferences
• Interactive Web Conferences
• Other New Methods
• Pros and Cons

16. Week Six Discussion Questions
• Identify at least six “Extension Teaching Methods”
• Determine if the method is designed for: individual contact, group
contact or mass contact. I prefer that your methods cut across
more than one group.
• For each of the six methods, describe the strengths and
weaknesses of each method and be prepared to share in class
discussion.
• Think about which methods are more cost effective and which are
higher in teaching and learning effectiveness
• Think about what methods may be emerging and what methods
may be decreasing in popularity.
• Please base this weeks study on more than the reading
assignments. Think about your own program observations and
what you know of different teaching methods in Extension.

17. Audience Guidelines Individuals
• Treat clients as equals rather than as persons of lower
rank
• Listen and guide interaction through open-ended
questions
• Be empathic rather than neutral, self-centred or
judgmental
• Discuss problems descriptively rather than evaluatively
• Make sure advice is appropriate for the individual
• Be able to demonstrate nutrition behaviour(s)
recommended
• Help people find individual solutions to their nutrition-
related problems

18. Groups
• Acknowledge group members and their individual
experiences
• Tolerate silence
• Halt side conversations
• Help the groups stay on the topic
• Guide and encourage involvement without
intimidation
• Know when and how to resume control
• Discourage unpleasant or dominant interactions
• Balance speaking with listening and asking questions

19. • Extension work requires numerous
methods and teaching tools.
• Each has its place, and they supplement
one another.
• Together they provide the stimulus for
interest, desire, action, and achievement.
Extension Teaching Methods

20. Tools and techniques of
Participatory Rural Appraisal
(PRA)

21. PRA: Introduction and Definition
• PRA : Participatory Rural Appraisal
• Components:
– People
– Knowledge
– Participation
– Planning
– Action
• It is a combination of different approaches to
– Share
– Enhance
– Analyze
– Plan
– Act
For the betterment of the rural people with their participation
• The secrets behind the success of PRA are
– Decentralization
– Empowerment

22. PRA: Origin
• PRA has been evolved from RRA (Rapid Rural Appraisal)
• In mid 80’s the necessity of participation in rural development
became evident and the term PRA was born
• The understanding of PRA came mostly from field rather than
academia
• PRA mostly focuses on the empowerment of people through
participation
• The sustainability rate of PRA is high due to the participation of
the local people
• The sense of ownership and belongingness helps to the success
of PRA

23. Principles shared by PRA
• Reversal of learning
– To learn of the local people
• Learning rapidly and progressively
– Exploration, flexible methods, adaptable
• Offsetting bias
– To be receptive rather than preconceived ideas
• Optimizing tradeoffs
– Understanding the usefulness of information
• Triangulating
– Crosschecking and approximation

24. • Empowerment
– The authority to local people through decentralization and
confidence building
• Self critical awareness
– Mistakes are lessons to learn and to do better next time
• Personal responsibility
– The belongingness and ownership to the participants
• Sharing
– To discuss and argue about ideas in open forum with all
stakeholders

25. What it is?
 Participatory research is not an alternative research
method, but an approach that can be applied to any
methodology – survey, experimental, qualitative
(Lilja and Bellon 2008).
 “PRA methods, as they are often called, are visual
and tangible and usually performed by small groups
of people”. (Chambers 2007)
 PRA comprised of different research tools to
facilitate local people in
 Analyzing information
 Practicing critical self-awareness
 Taking responsibility
 Sharing their knowledge of life and conditions to plan and
to act.

26. Definition
• As it has diverse application and has
been changing rapidly any effort to
define it might be folly and ‘unhelpful’.
• “ An approach and methods for learning
about rural life and conditions from, with
and by rural people”. (Chambers 1994)

27. WHY PRA:
PRA is a means to people’s participation
• To understand the social aspects of the village
• To develop common understanding on the
village conditions and natural resource
situation
• To learn the criteria of farmers which
influence their decision making process

28. • To select appropriate technology available to
encounter a problem (i.e. exotic or indigenous
technologies)
• To observe the facts directly on the field, to
discuss problems and solutions with farmers
• To encourage resource poor and women to
share their grievances
• To identify and prioritize the needs

29. Principle Components of PRA
Source: Chambers 2007.

30. Adopted from Chambers 2007

31. PRECAUTIONS IN THE USE OF
PRA TOOLS
• A tool (any tool) is only as good as its user.
Much on the validity of PRA outputs depends on
its users creativity, integrity and the situational
appropriateness of the method selected
• The user must clearly distinguish between
perceptions, opinions and hearsay in analysis
and planning
• The selection of informants has to be done with
care. Every body does not know everything
neither does every body hold a view on all
subjects

32. • The views expressed by a few members cannot
be taken as a general view held by all
• Cross-verification of data is a necessary part of a
complete PRA exercise
• Documentation poses several difficulties due to
the wealth of information generated and the
need to keep track of both process and output in
ways understandable to all parties involved.
• PRA exercises may raise the expectations of
participants, therefore, have to be carefully
initiated with proper explanations.

33. Important tools of PRA
Basic Information
General Transect
Agro-ecological map
Social map
Resource map
Seasonal calendar and analysis
Gender disaggregated activities
Time line
Time trend

34. Technology map
Matrix ranking
Consequence diagram
Bio-resource flow
Wealth ranking
Venn diagram
Mobility map
Indigenous traditional knowledge
Problem Identification Technique
Problem tree and solution tree

35. • Number of families living in the village and
their population data
• No.of farm families
• Economic status
• Educational status
• Infrastructure facilities like roads, electricity,
transport, storage and other public amenities
• Interdependence of families on each other
Informal/local leaders
SOCIAL MAPPING

36. Natural Resources Map
• Land types (class 1 to 8 )
• Land use patterns, area and percentage
• Cropping pattern and main crops
• Ridges and valleys, erosion / extent of land
degradation
• Irrigation sources
• Waterbodies
• Forest area
• Type of trees in the forest
• Existing farming systems

37. TRANSECT WALK
Transect walk taken along with farmers
helps to observe the facts directly on the field.

38. The Land utilization pattern, the soil gradient,
percentage of slope, the amount of soil erosion,
water erosion and other problems associated
with soil and water and opportunities to mend
them and the potentialities to further develop
the resources can be understood by farmers and
the PRA practitioners.
Problems associated with input management
pests, practices, low productivity can be
observed and analyzed.

39. SEASONALITY DIAGRAM:
Seasonal Variations in amount of rainfall,
availability of residual moisture, fodder,
employment opportunities, migration pattern,
expenditure pattern, income flows and
availability of minor forest products can be
understood by making seasonal diagrams.

40. TIMELINE EXERCISE
Over a period of time what changes are
taking place in the status of land, water, vegetation
and their effect on Socio-Economic pattern of the
villagers can be known by using this technique.
Trends in the amount of top soil and their losses
Trends in land utilization pattern
Soil cover
Amount of rainfall
Water retention capacity of the soil
Water bodies, their size and location

41.  Vegetation
 Usage of timber
 Transport facilities
 Migration pattern
 Influence of outside forces
 Cattle production
 Changes in predominant occupations

42. Matrix Ranking:
Preferences for various items and factors influencing
and contributing for decision making process can be
understood through this technique
 Selection of crop in a particular piece of land
 Variety preference of a crop
 Watershed treatment works
 Trees ranking for social forestry in common lands
 Trees ranking for horticultural crops either in
private or common lands
 Seeds, fertilizers, pesticides brands
 Markets
 Agricultural credit
 Agro-processing facilities

43. Focussed Group Discussions (FGD):
FGDs help in understanding an issue
thoroughly those who are either positively or
negatively affected by an action / work in the
village.

44. VENN DIAGRAM
Helps us to understand the network of
relationships of various institutions working for
the village.

45. The information and understanding developed by
using these PRA techniques has to be consolidated
for use in planning. PRA can be used as a tool to
bring about participation of villagers in the
planning process.

46. Bibliography
• Lilja , Nina and Mauricio Bellon ; Some common questions about
participatory research: a review of the literature, Development in Practice,
Volume 18, Numbers 4–5, August 2008.
• Chambers, Robert; The Origins and Practice of Participatory Rural
Appraisal. World Development, Volume 22, No 7, pp 953-969, 1994.
• Chambers, Robert; From PRA to PLA and Pluralism: Practice and Theory,
Working Paper 286, IDS, 2007.
• Cornwall, Andrea; Towards participatory practice: participatory rural
appraisal (PRA) and the participatory process in De Koning, Korrie and
Martin Marion (1996). Participatory Research in Health: Issues and
Experiences. Zen Books Ltd., London.