RURAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE - Rapid Rural Appraisal Method



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Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) is a powerful methodology for rural development research. RRA techniques require the researchers to talk extensively and informally with rural people and to observe local conditions, while also making use of secondary information such as administrative records and maps. RRA is used to obtain information in a timely, cost-effective, accurate and insightful manner as a basis for development planning and action.

In RRA interviews, farmer interviewees are
not respondents to a questionnaire, but active participants in a semi-structured interview. RDI researchers use a checklist of issues as a basis for questions, not necessarily addressing all questions in each interview and sometimes departing from the basic questions to pursue interesting, unexpected, or new information.

The RDI field researchers randomly select interviewees, typically visiting one household at each stop. Researchers take extra measures to avoid the company of local officials in order to maximize the candidness of interviewees. Typical interviews last from one to two hours.

Compared with questionnaire surveys, RRA interviews enable the collection of more detailed information on the issues that are of greatest importance to the individual interviewee, and of greatest interest to the interviewers.