Evaluating participatory rural appraisal: listening to village leaders in Kakuyuni location

This article concerns an attempt to develop a PRA approach to deal specifically with problems of resource management in marginal areas. The approach was evaluated in the field in a three day workshop attended by community leaders, extension officers and NGO staff. Discussions centres around two years of experience of PRA in Kakuyuni. Strengths and weaknesses of PRA are discussed. The main conclusions from the workshop are presented: these concern the implementation of the village resource management plan and the distribution of roles and responsibilities for implementation. The role of external assistance is discussed. Future areas of work, focusing on scaling up, sustaining enthusiasm, reaching underrepresented groups, traditional knowledge and building institutions, are discussed.