Participatory rural appraisal handbook : conducting PRAs in Kenya

The methodology of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) assumes: popular participation is a fundamental ingredient in project planning; locally maintained technology, as well as sustainable economic, political, and ecological systems are fundamental to reverse Africa"s decline; and truly sustainable initiatives will incorporate approaches that local communities themselves can manage and control. The handbook serves as an introduction to the rationale and methodology of PRA. PRA techniques have already been used to mobilize community action and development assistance in Kenya"s Machakos, Nyeri, Taita Taveta, and Siaya districts. Though the book uses examples from Kenya, PRA is applicable to other cultural, socioeconomic, and ecological settings in sub-Saharan Africa and throughout the world. (Author abstract, from PN-ABN-356)