4. LESSONS FROM THE PROCESS
The following lessons were learnt for the organisation of future
PRA workshops in Pakistan.
4.1 Preworkshop preparations and selection of participants
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Only those participants who are likely to make use of
the methodology should be invited.
People attending the workshop should be asked to send an advanced
list of their expectations. The participants should also be informed
in advance that they would be required to stay for the whole duration
of the workshop. The workshop requires intensive and continuous
follow up and rigour. Those who cannot stay for its entire duration
should be politely advised not to attend the PRA workshop. This
is important for sustaining the PRA process and maintaining group
cohesion. This workshop was disturbed by the sudden departure
of a number of participants which led to discontinuity in group
work and distracted trainers. The difference between a field based
planning workshop and lecture oriented workshop should be made
clear to the participants from the outset.
Overall however, there was an excellent selection of participants.
Many were interested, knowledgeable and committed professionals
working in the NGO sector or in Government. All the key Government
Departments dealing with forestry, wildlife and wetland management
were represented throughout the PRA workshop. Moreover, government
staff who participated in the workshop presently occupy influential
positions in their respective departments.
The pre-appraisal dialogues were not always well carried
out. Uneven attention
was given to the villages during the pre-appraisal,- one of the
villages was not visited at all prior to the PRA (Ugali). The
importance of advanced organisation and obtaining the villagers'
prior informed consent before carrying out a PRA quickly became
evident to workshop participants.
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