Village Problem Identification (VPI) using Participatory Rural Approach -PRA

Abstract

Problem identification is one of the stages in problem- solving process. Alfred W. W. Schoennauer (1981) stated that problem finding requires a resource audit. Participatory Rural Appraisal refers to rural villagers participate for identifying their village- level problems with respect to resources and facilities they have in their village. Researcher raises research question as ?What problems are faced by villagers of Aalim Senai of Oluvil??. Objectives are to determine problems of villagers of Aalim Senai (Oluvil) and to prioritize the problems faced by villagers. Researcher selected 21 household units as PSU. Husbands and wives of these 21 household units have been taken as Secondary Sampling Units (SSU) using systematic sampling technique. Primary data are obtained via enumerator- administered questionnaire. Data are presented and analyzed using Excell and SPSS. All husbands prioritized water, menace of animal, transport, capital, other problem, marketing, production and electricity as their problem. All wives prioritized menace of animal, water, transport, marketing, capital, production, electricity and other as their problem. Value of Spearman?s rank correlation coefficient (rs) is 0.6072. This refers to there is a substantial positive association between the problems of husbands and wives with respect to problems identified in Aalim Senai of Oluvil. The test statistics indicated that there is no relationship between problems preferred by males and those of females in Aalim Senai of Oluvil. Water, transportation, menace of animal and marketing are mostly important to villagers of Aalim senai of Oluvil. Electricity, capital, production and other problems are most important to them. Divisional Secretariat, other Governmental organizations and Non ? Governmental Organizations -NGOs- have to take initiatives and steps to implement solutions for the identified problems above in this village.