Rajput
Professor, Directorate of Extension Education
Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology, Udaipur
PRA is :
Process of Involvement with rural people for indigenous Knowledge Building Exercise. or Way of
Learning from & with Villagers to investigate, analyze and evaluate constraints & Opportunities, Need
Assessment & Priorities in area of agriculture, social & economic development programmes
addressed to village development .
PRA believes :
Participation
Empowerment
Sense of Responsibility
Need of PRA :
Sustained Change
To develop self critical analysis and direct contact with local leaders and community
To empower both farmers and farm women to analyze problems and to plan accordingly for
their solutions.
PRA IS A METHODOLOGY
FOR INTERACTING
WITH VILLAGERS
UNDERSTANDING
THEM
1
LEARNING
FROM THEM
PRA MEANS
Evoking Their
Participation
Collecting Data
PRA IN PRACTICE
Methods
Approach Depend on
Attitude and Behaviour of
outsiders & needed good
rapport
Sharing
INCLUDES
Participation of outsiders
Respect for Villagers
Patient
No rushing
Not interrupting
Method that Empower Villages, to Express & Analyse
their Knowledge
PRACTICAL UTILITY :
EXPLORATORY - OUTSIDER LEARN ABOUT A. Natural Resources
B. Socio - Economic
C. Resources
Enterprise Status
Topography & Agro-ecological System
Live Stock Status
Farm Implements
Population
Facility
Studies
DIY
Build up personal rapport with villagers
Identify villagers who are willing to share their experience
Show full interest and enthusiasm
Select suitable place
Set the climate for discussion
During :
Listen carefully
Show empathy
Be patient
Intense and careful observation is most important
Try to understand villagers way of reasoning
Do not interrupt, suggest or prescribe
Be polite, gentle
Try to adjust with villagers convenience
Do not lecture
Respect villagers as human beings
Try to follow existing social customs i.e. remove shoes at door step before entering the house
Listen carefully
Show empathy
Be patient
Intense and careful observation is most important
Try to understand villagers way of reasoning
Do not interrupt, suggest or prescribe
Be polite, gentle
Try to adjust with villagers convenience
Do not lecture
Respect villagers as human beings
Try to follow existing social customs i.e. remove shoes at door step before entering the house
Participate whole heartedly
Lead toward sensitive and important issues using open end questions
Asking too many questions at a time should be avoided
Take detail note of the discussion
Individuals trying to dominate the discussion should be prevented carefully
Change of topic should be smooth
Avoid gatekeepers carefully
Involve persons who are not participating
Separate discussion be organize for women group
PARTICIPATORY MAPPING :
Maps can be prepared by using colour powder, stones, small sticks, leaves, plants or any other local
materials available in the village itself.
Purpose :
To get an impression of the social and physical layout of village as perceived by villagers
themselves.
To get an impression of natural resources, environment of the village as perceived by villages.
To understand Globally the social structure of the village, who live where, which facilities,
where thy are located.
A . TYPES OF MAPPING
Social Map - Showing Following Information
Location and number of houses
Distribution of Caste
Population - Male, Female, Children
Small, Marginal and Landless Families
Live stock per Household
B . Village Resource Map
This Involves Land Use Pattern
Size of Different land use units (Forest, Crops, Fallow, etc.)
Natural Resources (Rivers, Nalas, Khad, etc.)
Orchard, Pastures Land, etc.
Location of Soil Erosion
Irrigation facilities (Tanks, Wells, etc.)
Mapping on Ground :
Advantages :
It is quick and easy
It is visible to several people
It can contain a lot of information on population, health, land use, soil type, etc.
It can be altered or corrected easily
It can be developed further if required
It can be expended as usually the space (ground) is unlimited
It can generate a good deal of discussion
It is highly Participate.
Disadvantages :
It can not be carried away unless it is copied on paper or photographed
SUGGESTION FOR DOING PARTICIPANT MAPPING :
Before :
Discuss about land use, type of land, soil erosion area, crop land, homestead land, etc.
Arrange the Material in advance (coloured powder, seed, colour chalk, etc.)
During :
Facilitators may even leave the site for few time after initiate the work.
If you find some villagers very eager to participate yet feel hesitate, go to them and encourage
them.
After preparing map allow other group who stand around to see and change/ addition
Triangulate Information
After :
Transect walk :
It a kind of Exploratory walk which is undertaken by the team along with the villagers to observe and
find minute details and the differences of a particular area.
Purpose:
To get an idea about farming practices, cropping pattern, the physical layout (existing or
planned) of irrigation facilities etc.
Used as support for mapping, joining of different areas into ecological zones, land use
mapping, productivity zoning.
MATRIX RANKING Villagers preferences and attitude towards a particular topic of interest is
revealed to us by this techniques. It helps us to understand farmer's priorities in crop varieties,
vegetables, tree species, livestock categories, irrigation methods etc
Purpose :
Ratna
BK-79
Kuhshboo
Kamod
Yield
Fragrance
Tolerance to pest
Storing qualities
III
II
III
EXAMPLE
Time Line :
Time Line Refers to a calendar of Historical events from as far back as one can remember up
to the present, in the life of person, community, village and area.
Such a calendar of historical events are used to discuss both significant events and identify
major changes.
Purpose :
To find out the sequence o Historical events/ changes that occurred in the villages. And their
impact on the Social & Agro-ecological base.
Monitoring the impact of these identified changes.
Understanding past events
Provide reference points for trend/ change analysis.
During :
Ask the villagers to make a list of all institutions including Govt. Non-Govt. and village
organization functioning in the area.
Ash the villagers to choose the larger disc for an important and smaller for less important
institutions and ask the name of institution
Ask the villagers to place paper disc on the ground denoting their village and than ask to place
other disces around villagers disc distance will denote intensity of involvement of that
organization with the village.
Make sure that all the villagers get a chance to express their views.
10
11