Participatory Needs and Opportunity Analysis

1. Participatory Needs and Opportunity Analysis V. Balasubramanian & M. A. Bell IRRI, Los Baños, DAPO Box 7777, Manila, Philippines

2. Farmer Adoption Criteria Why are technologies adopted by farmers?

3. Farmer Adoption Criteria • Relative advantage: profitability, less labor need & drudgery, more social prestige, higher satisfaction • Compatibility: with present farming systems & activities, farmers’ needs & demands, and local culture • Complexity: easy to understand and use/apply • Triability: easy to experiment by farmers • Observability: farmers can easily see pros and cons

4. Why do Farmers not Adopt? • Mismatch between recommended technologies and farmers’ needs and circumstances • Poor relevance of research in relation to farmers’ constraints & problems • Lack of farmers’ awareness of new technologies • Lack of farmers’ confidence on new technologies • Poor understanding of farmers’ technology adoption constraints • Poor incentives for change in current practices

5. P-NOA: Advantages Why a Needs and opportunity analysis? • NOA is a powerful tool to effectively work with farmers on their problems & solutions, • NOA improves the relevance of research and technology delivery to farmers’ needs, It improves stakeholder buy-in of the research-delivery process, • It increases the probability of farmer adoption of technologies, and • It helps enhance the livelihood of the stakeholders.

6. P-NOA: Limitations • If it becomes a routine, it looses its meaning • Women’s participation is often limited • Difficult to get representative farmers from various groups/levels • Sometimes, influential farmers dominate the discussion

7. P-NOA: Findings • Farmers’ needs not always in line with government priorities/policies • Research technologies do not meet farmers’ needs • Farmers are spoon-fed (want free support, subsidy, high prices, etc.) • Farmers have difficulty in envisioning their own context and solutions to their problems

8. P-NOA: Why • First step to understand farmers’ circumstances, needs, constraints, problems and opportunities • Helps to jointly identify appropriate solutions and/or technology options for farmers’ problems • Helps in FP - technology development, evaluation and dissemination • Helps reorient research on actual field problems • Enhances researcher/extension staff/farmer interaction and linkage • Increases the confidence of research and extension staff in working with farmers

9. NOA: Major Components • Secondary data collection: to enrich the planning process & to ensure the relevance of the project; • Transect walk: to learn first-hand about the FS, farmers’ resource use & flow patterns, field activities, etc.; • Consultation I: to identify and prioritize problems, and to explore the causes of priority problems; • Consultation II: to jointly develop farmer-acceptable interventions to identified problems & opportunities; • Verification: Verification of information, problems, solutions, etc. with farmers; and • Partnership: Joint development of an action plan and assignment of responsibility among stakeholders.

10. P-NOA: Steps Involved • Site selection(well in advance of the field survey) • Collection of secondary databy local team • Planningfor NOA • NOA field activities: Transect walk • Site/domain characterizationand mapping • Stakeholder analysis • Problem identification and prioritization • Problem-cause analysis: Problem tree • Developing & matching solutionswith farmers • Next steps: Research/evaluation/delivery issues • Reportof findings`

11. Site Selection: Considerations • Representative: Most representative area • Access: Fairly good access & communication • Avoiding clutter: Avoid areas with too many projects • Willing collaborators: Interested/willing collaborators, local champions for promoting your project • Impact potential: High potential for making impact • Transfer potential: Potential to serve as ‘Lighthouse’ site or training ground for expansion • Management potential: Good irrigation/drainage facilities (Head & middle, not tail end of canal irrig.) • Political considerations: Prepared to adjust to political compulsions

12. Rice Area and Production in the Study Site

13. Farm Size in the Study Site (Village)

14. Other Site Characteristics • Rural infrastructure: roads, markets, school, etc. • Physical resources: RF, soil type, irrigation, etc. • Institutional linkages in the village • Socioeconomic factors: Family, labor, market, inputs, income, credit, farmer knowledge, etc. • Livestock: farm animals & feed sources • Rice cropping systems/patterns • Rice production practices • Major constraints and problems

15. Planning for NOA • Prepare the NOA team (multidisciplinary) • Explain and complete the rice crop mgt. sheets with local res/ext staff (Res/Ext. staff perception of local farming scenario) • Prepare the host community for field survey • Organize the logistics including supplies

16. Preparing the NOA Team • Identify the local partners who will act as project drivers/local champions (local res., ext., NGO, PO staff or farmer leaders) • Form a multidisciplinary team & use the interdisciplinary approach • Identify a PRA-trained local person as facilitator • Explain the purpose, objectives, & methodology of NOA to all • Make sure that participants forget their official status and interact with farmers on equal footing

17. Completing Crop Mgt. Survey Sheets • Discuss and complete the crop mgt. survey sheets (RCMSS) with local res/ext staff • This will provide local res/ext staff’s perception of local farming scenario before NOA • Later during transect walk, use the CMSS as a guide to identify farmers’ knowledge, practices, field problems & opportunities • This will provide res/ext staff’s perceptions of farmers’ circumstances after NOA

18. Preparing the Host Community • Let the local community know the purpose and objectives of your visit to their village • Specify well in advance the time and duration of your field activities involving local farmers • Check whether the field-visit dates are convenient for them • Make sure that there are no cultural, political, economic or fieldwork events that will conflict with your field visit and NOA activities

19. Logistics for NOA - 1 • Transportation: vehicles & fuel • Accommodation at or near the site for NOA team • Food and clean water for all participants • Supplies: charts, papers, pens, tapes, pins, etc for visualization activities • Small note books to note down field observations • Copies of field survey sheets • Visuals: Electronic visuals for sites with electricity and non-electronic visuals (pictures, posters, etc.) for sites with no power

20. Logistics for NOA - 2 • Meeting with village & farmer leaders one day before the field activity to explain the purpose • Get a base map of the site, if available • Let the village leaders select a meeting place (school, village hall, extension meeting room, etc) • Let the local staff & village leaders organize the farmers for NOA activities • Make sure that selected farmers represent various groups including women farmers

21. First NOA Meeting • NOA schedule: Discuss the plan of field activities, and roles & responsibilities of team members • Institutional groups: Identify institutional groups represented in the NOA team • Filling CMSS: Request each group to fill up the CMSS for their respective study sites • CMSS info for NOA site: Discuss and consolidate the CMSS information for local NOA site • Before NOA: This will form the res./ext. staff perception of local farming scenario before NOA

22. Preparation for Field Activities • Meet and introduce the NOA team to local farmers and other stakeholders • Explain the purpose/methodology of NOA to farmers and request their participation • Form 3-4 groups of 6-8 members each for transect walk and field survey • Identify one local facilitator for each group • Give a copy of CMSS for each group

23. Building Trust with Farmers • Be friendly and treat farmers on equal footing to establish rapport and build trust with them • Keep an open mind to learn from farmers & others • Talk less, listen more to what farmers have to say • Do not pass judgement on farmers’ opinions • Probe and pursue, but do not argue on issues that you wish to learn more about • Be conversational & share your ideas, but do not push your own agenda at any time

24. NOA: Transect Walk • Let each group take different sections of the site for field survey • Walk slowly & observe and note down crop status, field problems, practices, etc. • Look for and note down relevant LK systems and/or innovative farmer practices • Discuss with farmers in fields and others in their work places to collect the required information • Use the CMSS as a guide to get farmers’ practices, perceptions, problems, knowledge, etc.

25. Site/Domain Characterization • Let the local staff & farmers divide into small groups of 5-6 each to discuss and analyze the field observations • Use the base map to delineate major sub-areas or domains based on soil types, CS, water use, or labor availability, etc. • Draw rainfall distribution & cropping patterns • Note down time trends of crop yields, climate changes, population growth, labor migration, etc.

26. Delineation of Domains

27. Stakeholder Analysis • Stakeholders: List all the stakeholders (institutions, service providers, etc.) in relation to farming in the study area • Importance: Assess their relative influence and contributions to farming & related activities • Stakeholder linkage: Map the linkages of various stakeholders with farmers of the study area • Partners: This will help in the identification of suitable partners for project implementation

28. Indirect Linkage Direct/Close Linkage Village Library Rice Miller Local Artisans Commercial Bank Water Seller Money lenders Rural Banks Cooperatives Veterinary center Extension Agencies Village Head Public works Dept. Laborer FARMERS OF VANDAYARIRUPPU Contract Services Rice Traders/TNCSC procurement centers Self-help groups-TANWA and NGOs Mass Media Repair Service centers Input Producers Farmers’ Association University/ Research Institute TNAU, SWMRI, IRRI,COL-HAM Inputs Agencies/ Dealers Health Center Mobile Soil Test Lab District Administrative and Village AdministrativeOfficer Educational Institutions Rural Industry Figure 1. Institutional and stakeholder linkages in relation to farming in Vandayariruppu village, Tamil Nadu, India (2001)

29. Problem Identification & Prioritization-1 • Let the local facilitator facilitate the discussion with farmers & other stakeholders as a single, large group (plenary) • Let the farmers enumerate their problems one by one and arrive at a consensus on all problems (technical, infrastructure, economic, policy) • Let the farmers choose 5 priority problems and keep this list as farmer-perceived priorities

30. Problem Identification & Prioritization-2 • Make a ranking matrix of all problems and assign scores using certain criteria (Table) and farmers’ consensus • Sum up the scores for all problems and rank them based on total scores (or range of total scores if they are close to each other) • Compare the farmer-perceived and systematically ranked priorities and reconcile them with farmers to arrive at 5 sets of priority problems

31. Criteria for Prioritizing Problems

32. Synthesis of First Day Activities • Let each member express their experiences in relation to their expectations • Synthesize the additional information on farming of the study area to get the local group perception after NOA field activities • Plan for the next day activities, taking care to enhance farmers’ interest and participation • Identify knowledge gaps and consider what would be the incentives for farmers to change

33. Problem-Cause Analysis(Problem Tree) • Helps to examine the causes and effects of problems and to identify the root causes • A problem may have several causes including links with other problems • Discuss & identify all causes for priority problems and use cue cards to record them in a sequence. • Classify them as intermediate and root causes based on consensus of all stakeholders • Address the root causes to tackle the problems

34. List of Intermediate & Root Causes

36. Developing Solutions with Farmers • Discuss in a large group to develop and record solutions, using cue cards • First invite farmer-suggested solutions to identified problems • Then, let researchers provide technology options to the same set of problems • Discuss with all stakeholders and select a set of farmer-acceptable solutions for further analysis

37. Selection of Options

38. Matching Solutions with Farmers’ Needs and Circumstances • Types of solutions: 1. Ready for dissemination, 2. Need on-farm validation, 3. Research gaps, & 4. Policy-related issues • Carefully match proposed solutions with farmers’ circumstances and needs. Very critical. • Use farmer adoption criteria to choose solutions for further action

39. Farmer Adoption Criteria for Selecting Solutions

40. Report of Findings: Outline • Introduction • Site selection and characterization • Probable domains & their characteristics • Stakeholder analysis • Priority problems as validated by farmers • Problem-cause analysis (problem tree) • Developing & matching solutions with farmers • Selected solutions: four types of options • Next steps: Action plan for project implementation

41. Four Types of Options:Next Steps? • Options ready for expansion or dissemination • Options requiring on-farm validation • Research gaps (problems requiring further research) • Options/solutions requiring institutional and/or policy intervention

42. For Options Ready for Delivery • Identify domains where the technology fits in well • Develop the criteria and a simple protocol for farmer-testing of delivery options • Design testing procedure, e.g. demos by key farmers • Identify and train local partners to work with farmers on technology testing & data collection • Organize Farmers’ Day and Farm Walk to exchange opinions & to collect feedback • Distil information in simple language & package it to attract farmers’ attention • Identify partners and develop mass media strategies for dissemination

43. For On-Farm Validation of Technology Options • Develop simple OFT designs to validate options • Joint mgt: Research/extension staff and farmers jointly manage the on-farm trials • Decide on data & develop data collection sheets • Identify and train local partners to work with farmers on validation and data collection • Organize Farmers’ Day & Farm Walk to exchange opinions and to collect feedback • Develop delivery strategies for successful options

44. Establishment of Baseline for Monitoring Progress • Identify key variables to establish baseline data in relation to chosen technology(ies) • Develop simple guidelines to collect data • Conduct individual farmer-survey to collect data • Establish a simple and common database for data entry, processing, and management • Train local partners in data collection and database management • Analyze the data and establish the baseline info.

45. Research Gaps • Convey research gaps or researchable issues to researchers

46. Policy Related Issues/ Constraints • Convey policy-related issues and constraints to decision-makers in the govt. for favorable action. • Work with decision makers on how to address farm policy issues and problems to improve farmers’ livelihood. • If possible, organize farmers to interact and/or communicate with decision makers to discuss and resolve their policy-related issues. • Work with decision makers to create a favorable environment for enhanced technology adoption.

48. Action Plan • Fixing clear goals and objectives • Developing a list of do-able, time-bound activities • Identifying who does what and fixing responsibility • Developing milestones for monitoring progress and impact • Budgeting (who will pay for what) and provision of funds for implementation

49. NOA Facilitator: Characteristics • A people-oriented person • Ingenious, patient, and convincing communicator • Has capacity to elicit best out of people and situations • Conversant with local language, culture and customs • Has capacity to solve conflicts and develop consensus

50. Participants’ Impression about NOA: 1 • Exposes the res. & ext. staff to the holistic view of the farming and the real-world situation, in which farmers live and work. • Traces all stakeholders and institutions that influence farmers and farming in the study area. • Facilitates direct interaction with farmers and other stakeholders. • Is an interactive learning for all participants including farmers.