Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)

Empowering Communities through Local Knowledge and Action

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a community-driven approach to rural development that shifts decision-making power from external experts to local residents. PRA employs participatory tools to help communities assess needs, identify challenges, and create solutions that reflect their own priorities and knowledge.

• Community-led decision-making — Transferring control from external experts to local residents
• Participatory methods — Using mapping, diagramming, ranking, and visual tools accessible to all
• Indigenous knowledge integration — Valuing local expertise and traditional wisdom
• Cross-sector application — Effective in agriculture, natural resource management, health, education, and governance
• Inclusive engagement — Ensuring marginalized voices including women and youth are heard
• Sustainable solutions — Developing interventions with community ownership and commitment
• Collaborative learning — Building shared understanding through group activities and reflection
• Action-oriented processes — Moving beyond assessment to community-led implementation

This approach fosters active community involvement by creating spaces where all members can contribute meaningfully to development initiatives. By emphasizing the "handing over of the stick," PRA ensures solutions are both contextually appropriate and sustainable because they emerge from and are owned by the communities themselves.