Participatory appraisal, FGD and resource mapping

Participatory appraisal (Participatory Rural Appraisal, PRA, or Participatory Learning and Action) is an approach in which local people themselves collect, analyse and present information about their own conditions, problems and resources, with outsiders acting only as facilitators. It uses simple visual tools (maps, diagrams, ranking) so that even non-literate people can take part, and it leads to plans that the community owns.

Principles: people's participation, learning from the community, flexibility, triangulation (checking from many sources), "handing over the stick" to the people, and focusing on the poor and women.

Common tools: social and resource mapping, transect walk, seasonal calendar, time line, wealth ranking, Venn (chapati) diagram, matrix ranking, FGD, key informant interview.

Focus group discussion (FGD)

An FGD is a planned discussion among a small, similar group of people (about 6–12, e.g. women water users or landless farmers) on one topic, led by a facilitator using a checklist of questions.

• Steps:
  1. Decide the objective and prepare a checklist.
  2. Select participants with similar background so all can speak freely.
  3. Choose a comfortable place and time; explain purpose.
  4. Facilitator guides discussion (1–2 hours), encourages quiet members; a note-taker records.
  5. Summarise main points and confirm them with the group.
• Uses: finding needs, priorities, reasons behind problems, opinions about a project.
• Strengths: quick, cheap, rich qualitative information, people build on each other's ideas.
• Weaknesses: dominant members, not statistically representative, needs skilled facilitator.

Resources mapping

Resource mapping is a PRA tool in which villagers draw their area on the ground or paper showing natural and physical resources: forests, rivers, springs, farmland, pasture, roads, schools, health posts and hazard areas.

• Steps: gather a mixed group → draw boundary and landmarks → add resources with symbols or local materials → discuss use, access, ownership and problems → copy on paper → verify by transect walk.
• Uses: shows what resources exist and who controls them, finds problems (e.g. drying springs), identifies potential (e.g. site for micro-hydro) and forms the base for village planning.

  [Community forest]   ~~~ Khola ~~~
        |                   |
  [Grazing land]     [Irrigated khet]
        \                 /
         [Settlement]--(School)
              |
          (Spring)--(Health post)