Training Course in RRA Field Research Methods for Analysis of the Mongolian Herding Economy

Abstract

"RRA methods were conceived a decade or so ago in response to the perception of formal surveys as time consuming and data-hungry, often producing results too late to have an impact that justifies their high cost. More recently, RRA methods are being developed not only to provide cost-effective and timely results, but also as research tools that give us better insights into the ways people living in marginal environments make their livelihoods.

"The ways people earn a living in marginal or risky environments like Mongolia's, are usually complex and diverse. Rural people make a living doing a number of different things, not just one job. They may do different activities at different times of year. Women may have different productive activities from men. All these differences are important to understand how the rural economy as a whole works, and to identify particular problems and possible solutions to those problems."