What Are PRA Techniques, and How Do We Use Them?
Participatory tools that help communities express their knowledge, priorities, and solutions.
Introduction
In many rural and community settings, people possess a deep understanding of their own environment, challenges, and needs—but traditional research methods often fail to capture this valuable knowledge. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a set of simple, visual, and interactive tools that enable community members to share their knowledge and inform decision-making in meaningful ways.
PRA techniques are widely used in rural development, natural resource management, environmental planning, agriculture, and community-based projects. Their goal is simple: to put people at the centre of the process.
In this short guide, we explain what PRA is, why it matters, and how you can use key PRA tools in real-world projects.
What Is PRA?
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a community-engagement approach that uses hands-on, visual methods to help local people:
- Describe their situation
- Identify priorities and challenges
- Explore possible solutions
- Make decisions collectively
Instead of relying on outside experts to dictate actions, PRA encourages communities to share their own experiences and guide their own actions.
Why PRA Matters
PRA tools are powerful because they are:
✔ Visual
People can draw maps, timelines, and diagrams—no literacy required.
✔ Collaborative
Community members work together to analyze and discuss.
✔ Inclusive
Women, farmers, youth, elders, and marginalized groups are all welcome to participate.
✔ Fast and Flexible
Most PRA tools take only 30–60 minutes and can be adapted to any context.
✔ Action-oriented
Results help guide real decisions, not just academic reports.
Standard PRA Techniques and How to Use Them
Below are some of the most widely used PRA tools, along with simple instructions for easy follow-up.
1. Social Mapping
A visual map drawn by community members showing the layout of their village or neighbourhood.
Purpose
- Understand community structure
- Identify households, resources, services, and vulnerable areas
How to Do It
- Gather a small group (8–15 people).
- Ask them to draw their community on the ground or paper.
- Include houses, schools, fields, water sources, roads, etc.
- Use symbols, stones, leaves, or markers.
- Discuss what the map reveals—access to resources, safety concerns, etc.
Best For
Planning services, identifying vulnerable households, and disaster preparedness.
2. Transect Walk
Walking through the community with local people to observe conditions directly.
Purpose
- Understand land use, farming practices, water issues, or environmental challenges
- Identify problems and opportunities along the route
How to Do It
- Choose a route across different parts of the village or landscape.
- Walk with 4–6 community members.
- Stop at key points and ask questions.
- Note observations (soil, crops, infrastructure, hazards).
- Create a simple diagram afterward.
Best For
Environmental studies, agriculture, and natural resource management.
3. Seasonal Calendar
A chart showing how activities, problems, or resources change during the year.
Purpose
- Understand seasonal challenges like droughts, floods, labour demand, income cycles, or diseases.
How to Do It
- Draw a row for months or seasons.
- Add rows for topics (e.g., rainfall, diseases, income, migration).
- Ask community members to fill in patterns.
- Discuss overlap and risky periods.
Best For
Agriculture planning, climate adaptation, food security.
4. Problem Ranking / Priority Ranking
A simple voting or scoring method to identify the most critical local issues.
Purpose
- Helps communities decide what to work on first
- Encourages dialogue and consensus
How to Do It
- Ask participants to list key problems.
- Write each one on a card or paper.
- Compare problems pair by pair, letting people vote.
- Count the votes and rank them.
Best For
Project planning, resource allocation.
5. Daily Activity Clock
A visual 24-hour timeline showing how different groups spend their day.
Purpose
- Understand workload, gender roles, labour distribution
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency or reduce burden (especially for women)
How to Do It
- Draw a circle representing 24 hours.
- Ask participants to fill in their activities.
- Compare groups (e.g., men vs. women, adults vs. youth).
- Discuss imbalances or challenges.
Best For
Gender analysis, household labour studies.
Tips for Using PRA Effectively
✔ 1. Create a relaxed environment
Sit in a circle, use open space, and encourage free participation.
✔ 2. Let the community lead
Your job is to facilitate—not to control the outcome.
✔ 3. Use local materials
Sticks, stones, leaves, chalk, paper—simple tools work best.
✔ 4. Listen more than you talk
Encourage quiet participants to share their thoughts, and avoid dominating the discussion.
✔ 5. Validate the results
At the end, ask: “Is this correct? Did we miss anything?”
✔ 6. Combine tools
Maps, calendars, and rankings provide richer insights than using any one tool alone.
Conclusion
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques provide a flexible, community-driven approach to understanding local knowledge, priorities, and realities. Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, student, or community facilitator, PRA helps you build trust, gather meaningful insights, and support people in shaping solutions that reflect their lived experience.