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

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.


<<----BACK