Rapid appraisal: benefiting from the experiences and perspectives of livestock breeders

Rapid appraisal (RA) methodologies aim to provide a quick, systematic and cost-effective picture of livestock conditions and veterinary problems, particularly in agropastoral communities. The paper outlines the main steps in carrying out RA for livestock development, from the preliminary identification of problems to presenting the results. It concludes that RA methodologies can be a useful complement to, although not substitute for, standard investigation techniques.