Sustaining Development Through Community Mobilization: a Case Study of Participatory Rural Appraisal in the Gambia

Publication year: 
1992

ActionAid, a British NGO, carried out PRAs in Dingiraay and Ndawen in The Gambia, with the aim of creating a "community action plan". This report describes the process in Dingiraay, from introducing the concept of PRA to the community through leaflets and opening ceremony to conducting the activities, analysing the data, deciding options and working out the final plan. PRA activities were introduced in "sets": spatial (village sketch map, transect), temporal (time line, trend line, seasonal calendar) and institutional (inventory and ranking). Methods, findings and organization are described and evaluated in detail, including participants' responses. The report shows how the community participated in analysing the data and planning development activities, and the tensions involved. The conclusion looks at "lessons learned", such as wealth ranking activities creating mistrust.

Interest groups: 
This highly readable report would be useful to NGO field workers planning to use PRA for community project planning. The detailed description of the PRA field training process would interest trainers of trainers and trainers
Pages: 
49 p.
Publisher
Clark University for International Development
Clark University Programme for International Development.
Worcester, Mass.
Holdings: 
IIED GE1, IDS
Publisher reference: 
Clark University for International Development

How to find this resource

Shelfmark in IDS Resource Centre
E : Gambia 176
Post date: 01/01/2000 - 00:00