Participatory Methodologies of Research and Survey in Third World Rural Development.

The first part of this MSc dissertation discusses participatory and action-research approaches. The second and third parts discuss the various efforts of integrating farmers into agricultural research, and their implications for varying degrees of participation and the usefulness of the research outcomes. The fourth part deals with participatory appraisal and participatory learning approaches. It tackles the question of whether PRA will be distorted and abused by powerful institutions. A fifth part looks at gender planning methodology, and presents a framework of gender analysis, adult education, consultation and group formation to incorporate strategic gender needs into the development process. The dissertation identifies a difficulty of participatory processes to be sustained beyond initial needs assessments, due to donorÆs and governmentsÆ demands, organisational cultures of implementing agencies, and lack of good training. It argues that participatory processes can only be sustained in the presence of functioning grassroots organisations and their connecting networks at higher levels.