Rapid Rural Appraisal Field Training and research Exercise. Including an assessment of the impact of a BRAC deep tubewell Group

Describes a short exercise designed to explore the potential uses of RRA/PRA for Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee [BRAC]. Divided into two major sections, the first is a general introduction to some of the most commonly used RRA/PRA techniques, while the second presents the findings of an attempt to use RRA methods to evaluate the performance of a BRAC-supported village deep tube-well group. Section one is based around a summary chart of the range of techniques "currently [in 1991] employed by RRA/PRA practitioners". Notes on each of these techniques expand on this chart and provide some useful advice and information on the application and procedure characterising each technique. The case study, described in section 2, was carried out by a team of 6 BRAC staff (none of whom had previously performed RRA) and facilitated by Mick Howes from the IDS. Two and a half days were spent on preliminary orientation and a further two and a half days in the field. Although a complete evaluation study of the performance of the village deep tube well group was not carried out during this period, a "number of potentially significant insights were generated" and the potential for RRA/PRA in operational and research work (including evaluation) within BRAC was emphasised.