Coastal Services Center

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Rapid Rural Appraisal

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What Is Rapid Rural Appraisal?

A rapid rural appraisal (RRA also know 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.

MPA Application

An RRA's strength is its ability to generate an overall picture of the social interactions within a community. In an MPA this technique it 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.

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.

Advantages

• 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

Case Studies

Additional 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.