HD.gov

• Home
• About
• Partners
• Opportunities
• Contribute

• Methods
• Tools
• Data
• Publications
• Case Studies
• Laws & Policies
• Issues & Topics

Submit Content (login required)

Rapid Rural Appraisal

Overview

A rapid rural appraisal (RRA also known as participatory rural appraisal PRA) is a "quick and dirty" broad-level assessment. RRAs are used to obtain a broad perspective of the community or group being studied, often at the cost of statistical accuracy. An RRA focuses mainly on those key informants most knowledgeable about an area and uses a variety of social science tools and methods, including secondary data analysis, observation, GIS, interviews, and case study research.

Credit: NOAA CSC Social Science Methods for Marine Protected Areas Managers

General Considerations

Application
An RRA's strength is its ability to generate an overall picture of the social interactions within a community. In a resource management area this technique can not only be used to obtain a "quick and dirty" picture of the community, but also to identify details such as who the stakeholders are and what influences their decision-making processes. Often RRAs can be used to pinpoint problem areas that might be addressed in more detail with more specialized tools.

Strengths and Limitations

• Costs less than social impact assessments or social assessments
• Can provide in-depth information quickly
• Allows exploration of new ideas and issues through flexible approach
• Quantifies social aspects related to site
• Requires minimal amount of use of researchers? time

Limitations

• Limited reliability and validity
• Credibility may be low with decision makers

Examples and Case Studies

Rapid Evaluation of Proposed Marine Conservation District in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Assessing the perceptions of user groups through content analysis and observation.

Expertise Needed
Conducting an RRA may require expert assistance for design, data collection, and analysis depending on the complexity and level of analysis desired. Some levels of a rapid rural appraisal may be completed with available staff.

Contact Information
Please email partner@hd.gov for a list of partners who have expertise in rapid rural appraisal.

Resources

Using Rapid Appraisal Methods
This general guide compiled by the U.S. Agency for International Development includes an overview of rapid appraisal, including advantages, limitations, and information on some of the more common methods used.

Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)
A summary of rapid appraisal. Includes the history of the method as well as both strengths and limitations.