The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) works with village communities in Gujarat State, India. This paper describes how village analysts are trained in participatory appraisal and planning. Details are given on how the training programmes are designed at the village level, with defined stages in the training process. Training leads to a "local cadre of village analysts... who can take up the responsibility of initiating the development process". The constraints of such a process are highlighted. The case is argued for "investing more in training village analysts and trainers as opposed to the development of a body of external professionals who continue to dominate the decision-making process".
This article describes a three day workshop on PRA conducted by the NGO SPEECH in Tamil Nadu, based in a village where SPEECH was working. The main purpose of the PRA was to discuss the rehabilitation of an irrigation tank network, while introducing the concepts of PRA to the participants. Several techniques were taught and practised: timelines, participatory mapping, modelling, seasonal calendars. One of the group activities documented was the construction of a matrix of six trees according to eight criteria, illustration included. There was initial resistance to the discussion of trees in gardens, but apparently good discussion on the growth and suitability of different trees both near homesteads and on communal lands, along the bunds and on wastelands. The general concensus at the end of the workshop was positive, in terms of the use of PRA in daily planning activities.
This article describes in broad terms lessons learned by the Hope International Development Agency (HIDA) Social Forestry Program in Andrah Pradesh. PRA has been useful for several reasons; encouraging village participation, understanding connections between problems encountered in the villages, and ensuring the involvement of women and their inclusion in forestry projects. HIDA has used a film produced by MYRADA project and developed a slide presentation for use in community discussions.