Rapid Rural Appraisal

Rapid rural appraisal (RRA) is a repertoire of informal techniques used to collect and analyze data about [Page 358]local situations and people. The findings are shared with the community and usually result in community actions or changes. Developed in the 1970s and 1980s to counter problems associated with outsiders conducting inquiries in developing economies, the approach draws on various inquiry methods, including some from anthropology.

To help ensure that findings are valid, RRA relies upon triangulation: cross-checking information by talking to different stakeholders, using different methods (interviews, diagrams, and observations), and having a multidisciplinary team (men and women, insiders and outsiders).

Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) evolved from RRA. PRA emphasizes local knowledge and enables local people to make their own appraisal of a situation. RRA and PRA share common methodology, but PRA researchers help local participants to conduct their own research. PRA is often used by development organizations in lower income countries to catalyze community-driven action. Originally developed for use in rural areas, modified versions of RRA and PRA have begun to be used in developed economies, with the emphasis on multidisciplinary teams and semistructured interviews.