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Manual offers guidelines for using rapid appraisal methods to gather information on tenure and natural resource management. It translates the concepts elaborated in Community Forestry Note 5, rapid appraisal of tree and land tenure. The author defines rapid appraisal as "a family of methodologies designed to encourage the participation of local communities in the collection and use of information to improve their livelihood. The methods which have been used in all parts of the world, put a premium on the usefulness of research as well as the rapidity with which results are obtained." The method developed divides resources into three broad categories - holdings, commons and reserves - and helps to structure information gathered to gain an understanding how villages and households approach tree and forest resource management in each category. To be effective, this method must not only provide information quickly but also ensure that it is used. That is, agencies must be prepared to adapt their programs and activities in response to what they have learned about local realities. Chapter 1 of this manual gives a brief introduction to tenure and rapid appraisal. Preparations needed to carry out a tenure study are discussed in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 suggests practical techniques that have proved useful in gathering information in the field. Chapter 4 presents methods that may be helpful in organizing and analyzing the information collected as well as writing the report. The final chapter discusses issues that may come up in using the information that has been gathered and notes some of the common problems that may arise.[author]
