AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PROGRAM AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT (AGP-AMDe) PROJECT

Transcription

1 AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PROGRAM AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT (AGP-AMDe) PROJECT USAID TASK ORDER AID #663-TO BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (BCC) INTERVENTION EVALUATION REPORT January 2015 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Danya Africa.

2 AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PROGRAM AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT (AGP-AMDe) PROJECT USAID TASK ORDER AID #663-TO BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION (BCC) INTERVENTION EVALUATION REPORT DISCLAIMER The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT i

3 CONTENTS AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PROGRAM AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT (AGP-AMDE) PROJECT... I CONTENTS... II ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS... IV EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION PROJECT CONTEXT AND GOAL AGP-AMDe PROJECT BCC INTERVENTIONS THE BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGNS RATIONALE FOR EVALUATION OF BCC INTERVENTIONS AND CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS PROJECT AREA AND STUDY METHODOLOGY PROJECT AREA METHODOLOGY EVALUATION DESIGN SAMPLE FRAME, SAMPLE SIZE AND SELECTION DATA COLLECTION TOOLS EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND TRAINING FIELD DATA COLLECTION DATA PROCESSING AND QUALITY CONTROL STUDY LIMITATIONS USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT ii

4 3. FINDINGS RESPONDENTS DISTRIBUTIONS AND DEMOGRAPHICS LANGUAGE AND MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION CURRENT AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES RADIO AND MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGNS REACH OF BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGN MESSAGES REMEMBER, BELIEVE AND PRACTICES BEHAVIORS PROMOTED BY BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGNS IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES LEARNED FROM AGP-AMDe PROJECT KEY FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNED RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS REFERENCES APPENDIX 1: BCC CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE... 1 APPENDIX 2: BCC CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION FGD GUIDE APPENDIX 3: THE BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION TEAM USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT iii

5 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AGP AGP-AMDe ATA BA BCC CAADP CQI CSA DA FCU FGD FTC FtF GoE ICT IFDC M&E MoA PCs SMS SNNPR SNNPS SPSS USAID USG Agricultural Growth Program Agricultural Growth Program Agribusiness and Market Development Agricultural Transformation Agency Barrier Analysis Behavior Change Communication Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program Coffee Quality Institute Central Statistical Agency Development Agent Farmers Cooperative Union Focus Group Discussion Farmer Training Center Feed the Future Government of Ethiopia Information Communication Technology International Fertilizer Development Center Monitoring and Evaluation Ministry of Agriculture Primary Cooperatives Short Message Service Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region Southern Nations Nationalities and People s State Statistical Package for Social Sciences United States Agency for International Development United States Government USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT iv

6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Danya International, Inc. (Danya) conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of behavior change communication (BCC) campaigns implemented by the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) - Agribusiness and Market Development (AMDe) project in November/December The evaluation was conducted to document BCC s contribution, among other project interventions, and to address two AGP-AMDe indicators: Number of farmers and others who have applied new technologies or management practices as a result of the United States Government s (USG) assistance, and the number of beneficiaries supported by AGP- AMDe-assisted value chains. The evaluation was also to assess the quality of the BCC inputs campaigns that had been implemented by the project using different strategies from May August, The evaluation targeted farmers in Oromia; Amhara; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People s Region (SNNPR) and Tigray, the four regions where the AGP-AMDe project is implemented. Questionnaires were administered to 481 respondents who were sampled for individual household interviews. Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were also held, two from each of the four regions. This report outlines the evaluation methods, findings, recommendations and conclusions. The following represent the Findings highlights: 31.9% (or 1,827,350 farmers) were reached with at least one of the BCC inputs campaign messages 5.8% (or 332, 245 farmers) applied at least one of the improved farming practices that they attributed to exposure to the BCC campaigns. Use of improved seeds: 29.7% (or 1,701,326 farmers) were reached 17.3% (or 991,008 farmers) could remember the campaign messages 12.1% (or 693, 133 farmers) believed the messages 3.2% (or 183,307 farmers) practiced the behavior Use of fertilizers: 21.4% (or 1,225,872 farmers) were reached 12.5% (or 716,046 farmers) could remember the campaign messages 7.8% (or 446,813 farmers) believed the messages 2.4% (or 137,480 farmers) practiced the behavior USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 1

7 1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION 1.1 PROJECT CONTEXT AND GOAL AGP-AMDe is a flagship project under USAID s Feed the Future (FTF) Strategy for Ethiopia and is the United States Agency for International Development s (USAID) largest contribution to the Government of Ethiopia (GoE). AGP supports the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) framework by strengthening agricultural productivity and markets in the four high rainfall regions of Amhara, Oromiya, SNNPR and Tigray. The AGP-AMDe project uses a value-chain approach to increase the competitiveness of select agricultural products, enhance access to finance, and stimulate innovation and private-sector investment. Target export value chains are sesame, chickpeas, coffee and honey. Led by the prime ACDI/VOCA, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), John Mellor Associates, Crown Agents, Danya and Kimetrica collaborated to realize the following five strategic outcomes: 1. Value of exports of agricultural commodities increased by $148 million 2. New private-sector investment in the agriculture sector leveraged by $60 million 3. Access to $30 million in rural loans facilitated 4. 10,022 jobs created 5. 1,000,000 Smallholder Farmers benefited 1.2 AGP-AMDe PROJECT BCC INTERVENTIONS Danya is one of the implementing partners in the AGP-AMDe consortium, supporting BCC, information communication technology (ICT) and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the BCC activities. ACDI/VOCA, together with Danya, conducted a barrier analysis (BA) to understand obstacles to adoption of positive behaviors among AMDe project target population in the four project regions in October/ November From the BA findings, the behaviors that the AMDe project s BCC interventions selected and planned to address were: Farmers use of improved input technologies (seeds and fertilizers) Increased women s membership in cooperatives Improved farmer nutrition Danya developed a comprehensive BCC strategy based on the BA findings and has since been implementing the plan aimed at increasing behavior change and facilitating learning. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 2

8 The project s BCC interventions target farmers with positive behavior messages. The project uses multiple channels and formats to change behaviors, including: graphically enhanced print materials, radio, short message service (SMS) messages and participatory community events. 1.3 THE BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGNS The BCC inputs campaign being evaluated was the first in a series of campaigns planned by the project to enhance the uptake of good farming practices, thereby contributing to key FtF indicators for adoption of new technologies and one of the project s main goals: Number of beneficiaries supported by AGP-AMDe-assisted value chains. The inputs campaign was implemented over a 5-month period (April August 2014) in accordance with the planting seasons of maize, wheat, sesame and chickpea in the four regions. The planning selection of locations and message dissemination was done in collaboration with management of primary cooperatives (PCs) and Farmers Cooperative Unions (FCUs). The campaigns promoted the use of improved seed and fertilizer (or blended fertilizer where available) by farmers in the four value chains promoted by the project: wheat, maize, sesame and chickpea. Specifically, the project implemented the following: Distribution of posters, fliers and pocket guides promoting the benefits, distribution locations and appropriate applications of improved seeds and blended fertilizers in three local languages: Amharic, Oromiffa and Tigrinya. Facilitated the national broadcast of a radio program that provided descriptions and relevant explanations of inputs in Amharic. In collaboration with Agriculture Transformation Agency (ATA), AMDe sent mobile messages promoting inputs to farmers in Oromia. Oromiffa language uses Latin letters, which made it easier to pass on the messages. The numbers of the farmers were obtained from AMDe s database of Sell More for More trainees and ATA s database of the farmers mobile numbers by region. Amharic and Tigrigna alphabets are not compatible with mobile phones. Branded Godjos (tents) were set up at selected high-traffic rural markets and locations to disseminate print materials and hold one-to-one discussions with farmers. Cultural music events and dramas were organized with question-and-answer sessions in selected locations in Tigray, Oromia and Amhara. Participation in general assembly meetings, trainings and special events organized by FCUs and PCs. All the BCC inputs campaign messages targeting specific value chains were similar regardless of the medium or strategy of dissemination. Message development included rigorous pretesting of all the print materials for quality. The project got approval for the messages and translations in all three of the major languages from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) at the Federal level. The same documents/messages were also shared with the Regional Agricultural Bureaus to ensure buy-in and ownership before final dissemination to the community. Below are some samples of the BCC inputs promotion campaign print materials used: USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 3

9 Samples of BCC Inputs Campaign Print Materials The BCC inputs campaign materials were distributed through multiple stakeholders and events, including: PC and FCU offices/officials During music events During Godjo tent set-up sessions Displays at different marketplaces and shops within target communities Agriculture Bureau offices at Kebele/Woreda USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 4

10 1.4 RATIONALE FOR EVALUATION OF BCC INTERVENTIONS AND CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS The evaluation of the effectiveness of the BCC interventions is part of the project s BCC M&E strategy. The evaluation helps to identify the best ways in which project BCC interventions can achieve greater efficacy in the different geographical areas. In addition, rich data from the findings is useful for project review, design and other intervention areas, including training, etc. This evaluation of the BCC inputs campaign had the following objectives: 1. To measure the extent of the campaigns in terms of: Reach: The total number of people or households exposed, at least once, to a message or product from the BCC campaign Recall: Ability of beneficiaries to remember the campaign messages Belief: Whether the beneficiaries had faith or confidence in the campaign messages Practice: Self-reported adoption of the desired behavior promoted by the campaign message Verification of practice 2. Assess the BCC intervention s contribution to the following project indicators: : Number of farmers and others who have applied new technologies or management practices as a result of USG assistance AMDe-01: Number of beneficiaries supported by AGP-AMDe-assisted value chains 3. Learn areas of improvement in subsequent BCC campaigns to enhance adoption of promoted farming practices. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 5

11 2. PROJECT AREA AND STUDY METHODOLOGY Since 1995, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has been divided into 10 administrative regions based on ethnic lines. These regions are Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Benishangul, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples State (SNNPS), Gambella, Harar and Addis Ababa. Ethiopia covers 1,122,000 square kilometers with a population of about 90 million; 90% of the populations live in rural areas and depend mainly on agricultural products for survival, such as teff, wheat, maize, barley and sorghum. Administratively, Ethiopia is subdivided into Regions, Zones, Woredas and Kebeles, the smallest administrative unit similar to a ward, a neighborhood or a localized and delimited group of people. Each kebele consists of at least 500 families, or the equivalent of 3,500 to 4,000 persons. A keftanya, or representative, has a jurisdiction over 6 to 12 kebeles. 2.1 PROJECT AREA The AGP-AMDe project is implemented in 96 Woredas within four of Ethiopia s regions 1 : Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR and Tigray (Figure 1). Figure 1: Map of Ethiopia Showing Location of the Four Project Regions 1 Thirty-nine Woredas in Oromia, 26 in Amhara, 22 in SNNPR and 9 in Tigray USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 6

12 According to population projections by the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (CSA 2 ), in 2014 the population of the four regions, which was about 76,404,886, accounted for approximately 85.8% of the total Ethiopian national population (Demographics of Ethiopia, UN Estimates). The estimated population of the 96 Woredas was 10, 377,486, and FCU membership was 1,789,183 in 2014, about 7.6% of the total Woreda population (Table 1). Table 1: AGP-AMDe Project FCU and PC Membership, Woreda Coverage and Population Region # of FCUs # of PCs # of FCU 3 Members Total # of Woredas Covered # of AGP- AMDe Woredas Population of all Woredas Covered by FCUs AGP-AMDe 4 Woredas Population Amhara , ,405,261 3,347,202 Oromiya 17 1, , ,771,820 3,179,260 SNNPR , ,202,770 2,725,705 Tigray , ,125,319 1,125,319 TOTAL 50 2,334 1,789, ,505,170 10,377,486 The CSA population projections gives the proportion of children below the age of 0 14 to be about 41.5%, 55.2% for those years, while 3.3% represents the population 65 years or older. Therefore, based on the available data, the AGP-AMDe Woreda population proportion of 5,728,372 5 will be used as the denominator for calculating reach during the campaigns since the evaluation looks at the efficacy of the BCC campaigns relative to the entire eligible population in the target Woredas and not just FCU membership. 2.2 METHODOLOGY EVALUATION DESIGN The participating Woredas in groups 1 and 2 (E 1 and E 2) defined below were purposively selected before random selection of the final respondents. To ensure appropriate evaluation of the effectiveness of the BCC campaigns and to measure impact on follow-up evaluations, data was collected from three groups of respondents: 1. Experimental Group 1 (E 1): A group of farmers that had been exposed to the project intervention 6 and the BCC campaign 2. Experimental Group 2 (E 2): A group of farmers that had been exposed to the project intervention, but not to the BCC campaign 3. Control Group (C): A group of farmers that had not been exposed to the project interventions, or the BCC campaign From Regional Development Bureaus and FCU records 4 From CSA and AGP-AMDe project M&E records 5 This is the total population less 0-14 and >65 years 6 Project intervention is used in this context with reference to all other AGP-AMDe project activities besides BCC. The other project activities include: inputs distribution, development of market linkages, capacity building of umbrella organizations, increasing of storage capacity, facilitation of new loans and market diversifications through capacity building grants, among others. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 7

13 The evaluation design was quasi-experimental in which the randomly selected respondents were assigned to one of the three treatment conditions as follows: E 1: O 1 X 1 O 2 E 2: O 1 X 2 O 2 C: O 1 O 2 E 1 = Experimental Group 1 for farmers who have been exposed to the project interventions and the BCC campaign E 2 = Experimental Group 2 for farmers who have been exposed to the project intervention, but not to the BCC campaign C = A Control Group that has not been exposed to the project intervention or the BCC campaign O 1 = Observation 1/Baseline; O 2 = Observation 2/Follow-up X 1 = Project Intervention + the BCC campaign X 2 = Project intervention only SAMPLE FRAME, SAMPLE SIZE AND SELECTION The sample frame for E 1 consisted of a subset of the AGP-AMDe project s 96 Woredas that were exposed to BCC inputs campaigns. The E 2 sample frame consisted of a subset of the AGP-AMDe project s 96 Woredas that were not exposed to the BCC inputs campaigns 7. The E 2 Woredas were also purposively selected away from those exposed to the radio campaigns. However, for C, all households within the four regions that were not part of AGP, but had social and agro-ecological factors similar to E 1 and E 2, had equal chances of being sampled. The magnitude desired for detection of change (P2-P1) was based on findings from similar FtF projects in Tanzania and Zambia. In the Tanzania evaluation, the percent of respondents who believed BCC campaign messages from posters in the baseline (26%) vs. percent of respondents believing in the BCC messages from posters in the follow-up (43%) was used in the calculation of the sample size (Table 2). Therefore, taking care of attrition rates from the three groups to have at least 366 respondents in the final analysis led to a planned recruitment of 459 farmers; however, due to logistics and equity across the four regions, 480 respondents were recruited. 7 No print materials, no music events, no Godjo tents, no SMS USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 8

14 Table 2: Sample Size Estimation P P Power 0.80 Confidence Level 95% Sample Size E 1 = 122, E 2=122, C= 122. (The total number of FCU members needed for the final analysis was 122 in each group + an attrition rate of 20% was 153. [153 (153 x 20%) =153-31=122] = 459 Each of the 153 respondents for the E 1 and E 2 groups was randomly selected from the four participating regions: Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and SNNPR. The 153 respondents for C were also recruited from Woredas within the four regions that had no AGP presence. A multi-stage sample selection approach was used to select the sample. The first stage involved listing all 96 Woredas with AGP-AMDe presence in each of the four regions followed by listing all Woredas where BCC inputs campaigns had been conducted. This was finally followed by listing the remaining Woredas within the four regions. The next stage involved random selection of FCUs/PCs per the selected Woredas from where the final random selection of 20 or 40 households for interviews was made in the case of E 1 and E 2. In C, the final selection of the households for interviews was randomly done from a list of the non-agp Woredas in each of the regions and 20 or 40 households selected in consultation with Woreda or Kebele MoA officers or administrators. FGD respondents were sampled only from the Woredas where BCC campaigns had been implemented (E 1). A total of 8 FGDs were planned, 2 from each of the four regions. Each FGD was to be attended by 8 15 farmers, randomly selected from among the PC members within the selected Kebeles. To ensure free discussions a male only, female only and mixed FGDs were planned DATA COLLECTION TOOLS Two data collection tools, a questionnaire and an FGD guide were used. The questionnaire targeting individual farmers was developed and refined from the project s BCC intervention evaluation plan. The questionnaire had both open and close-ended questions on group membership, communication, current farming practices and radio and mobile ownership. Other questions were specific to the project s BCC inputs campaign focusing on awareness through seeing or hearing the messages, remembering the messages, belief and adoption or practicing the messages promoted by the campaign. An English version of the final questionnaire is included in Appendix 1 of this report. The FGD guide (Appendix 2) had some questions similar to the evaluation questionnaire for triangulation purposes; however, the focus of the other FGD questions was on the quality of the inputs campaign EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND TRAINING The Evaluation Team comprised 17 members, 12 of whom were data enumerators, 4 supervisors and 1 data entry officer (Appendix 3). These were non-project staff hired specifically for the assignment, most of whom had a lot of experience implementing similar tasks. Fluency in at least one of the three major languages spoken in the project regions, familiarity with prevailing culture, and education level were the other selection criteria besides experience. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 9

15 The team was taken through a 3.5-day (19 22 November, 2014) training from ACDI/VOCA offices in Addis Ababa prior to fieldwork. The topics/sessions covered during the training were: Introduction to the AGP-AMDe project Introductions to BCC and the project s inputs campaigns Objectives of the BCC evaluation training Survey techniques and approaches with focus on how to conduct interviews, Do s & Don ts and bias in data collection Review of data collection tools (questionnaire and FGD guide) Translation of the questionnaire into the three major languages Data collection role play Data collection pretest Fieldwork logistics, including the roles and responsibilities of the various survey team members and respondent sampling, among others. Questionnaire pretesting was conducted on the third day of the training in a farming community at the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Findings from the pretest, together with the role play, were used to improve on the questionnaire and fieldwork logistics FIELD DATA COLLECTION As per the design, the evaluation team was divided into four groups, each covering one project region and collecting household data from respondents in all three of the treatment conditions in a region. Each of the four teams had a supervisor, three enumerators and one driver. The teams departed from Addis Ababa to the regions on Sunday, 23 November 2014, with all except the Tigray team reaching their destinations on the same day and making appointments in readiness for field data collection the following day. Field data collection continued until 30 November 2014 for the Oromia team, which was the first to complete, and 2 December for the Tigray team, being the last to complete. The Danya M&E Advisor had the overall coordination of the fieldwork and communicated regularly with regional team supervisors and also travelled to the field and conducted discussions with regional team members on the questionnaire and FGD returns in the field as part of quality control. Besides having the overall responsibility for logistics and review of questionnaires on a daily basis, supervisors also made appointments and facilitated FGDs in their areas together with one of their enumerators as the other team members conducted household interviews DATA PROCESSING AND QUALITY CONTROL Questionnaires were initially reviewed for completeness on a daily basis by all the team supervisors before forwarding to the evaluation team coordinator for final verification. Any specific errors noted were shared with individual enumerators, while general errors were communicated to all members of the four teams through their supervisors. The evaluation coordinator also discussed all general and specific errors with all team members during his visits to the field. All completed questionnaires were finally reviewed by the evaluation coordinator, and open questions were closed before handing them over to the data entry officer who was based in Addis Ababa. Although data USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 10

16 entry was done in Excel, the final clean data set was exported into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22, for analysis. The more qualitative data collected through FGDs was analyzed through batching into themes and results used for further explanation and corroboration of the quantitative information from questionnaires. To protect the privacy of the respondents and the confidentiality of their information, the data was analyzed in aggregate form with no personal information entered into data files. The data files are stored in Danya s data storage system and password-protected. Access to the data is closely restricted. 2.3 STUDY LIMITATIONS The findings, conclusions and recommendations from this evaluation are dependent on the following limitations: Due to the mobile nature of the farmers within and across the Woredas, chances of contamination among the treatment groups (E 1 and E 2) were possible. The study was conducted more than 2 months after the end of the campaigns, potentially introducing a respondent recall bias, especially for the radio campaign. The distribution approaches used in the inputs campaigns (radio, Godjo tents, SMS, music events and print materials distributions) were either unevenly applied across the four regions or were conducted at different times, which may explain some of the regional differences. The adoption or learning of improved agricultural practices may not be solely attributed to specific BCC inputs campaigns alone but through a combination of interventions from Regional Governments, the AMDe project or other stakeholders. All statistics are based on self-reporting, which is normally dependent on the perception of a respondent on the evaluator/interviewer. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 11

17 % of Respondents in Age Category 3. FINDINGS 3.1 RESPONDENTS DISTRIBUTIONS AND DEMOGRAPHICS A total of 481 respondents were reached during the survey, drawn from four regions: Amhara (25.1%), Oromia (25.1%), SNNPS (24.9%) and Tigray (24.9%). The respondents were from 21 Kebeles, 17 Woredas and 11 Zones within the four regions (Table 3). Table 3: Percentage of Respondents Distribution by Woreda, Zone and Region District % Zone % Woreda % (N=481) Amhara 25.1% East Gojjam 12.6% Debbre Eliyas Enemay Mechakel 4.2% 4.2% 4.2% West Gojjam 12.5% Bure Quaryt 4.2% 8.3% Oromia 25.1% Arsi 4.2% Digalu Tijo 4.2% East Wollega 12.5% Digga Jimma Arjo 4.2% 8.3% North Shewa 4.2% Girar Jarso 4.2% West Shewa 4.2% Bako Tibe 4.2% SNNPR 24.9% Hallaba 8.3% Alaba Special 8.3% Gedio 8.3% Gedeb 8.3% Siltie 8.3% Mesrak Azernet Berbre Mirab Azernet 4.6% 3.7% Tigray 24.9% Central Tigray 8.3% Ahferom 8.3% West Tigray 16.6% Kafta Humera Tsegede 12.4% 4.2% TOTAL 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% The respondent population was made up of 79.5% males and 20.5% females. Among the respondents who accepted giving their ages (96.9%), the ages ranged from 18 to 80 years. When categorized, 92.3% of the respondents were in the productive age category (Figure 2). Figure 2: Respondents' Age Distribution Most of the respondents were married (94.2%), although 2.1% were single, 1.7% widowed, 1.5% divorced with less than 1% separated. In terms of education level, approximately two thirds (66.8%) of the respondents had attained some form of education, out of whom 50.3% had primary level, 11.9% secondary, while 2.1% had attained college/university-level education; 2.5% Age Categories in Years USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 12

18 of the respondents attended adult literacy classes. The remaining 33.2% of the respondents had not attained any level of education. A total of 83 people took part in the 8 FGDs: 38 males and 45 females. Out of the 8 FGDs, 3 were male only, 3 female only, while the remaining 2 conducted in the Oromia region were mixed. Table 4: Distribution of Occupation of the Respondents Occupation Percent (N=481) Crop production 98.8% Business/petty trade 1.0% Livestock keeping 0.2% The majority (98.8%) of the household study team was engaged in crop production as their main occupation, and a very small percentage was in livestock keeping or business (Table 4). On average, 85% of all the respondents were members of a farmer group, cooperative society or an association. Slightly more respondents in the areas targeted by the project were members of farmer groups compared to those in non-project-supported areas (Table 5). Table 5: Respondents Group, Cooperative Society of Association Membership Respondent Category Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns Percent Membership of Farmer Group/ Association ( N=481) Yes No 76.5% 23.5% 89.9% 10.1% 88.8% 11.2% AVERAGE 85.0% 15.0% Of all the farmers who were members of a farmer group or association, 14.6% had leadership roles in their groups, most of them (84.3%) being male. The project farmers who had been exposed to BCC campaigns (20.5%) had more group members in leadership within their groups compared with project farmers who did not receive BCC campaigns (15.2%) and farmers who had not been exposed to project activities and BCC (8.0%). This is probably because the project is designed to work with group members via PCs and FCUs. 3.2 LANGUAGE AND MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION Although Amharic is the main language of communication by most respondents (27.9%) across the four target regions, Afanoromo (25.2%) and Tigrinya (25.2%) followed closely as the communication language of choice in Oromia and Tigray regions, respectively. However, in SNNPR, Gediogna, Halabigna/Habesha and Siltegna were cited as the main languages for communication among the targeted study Woredas. Differences were noted in terms of media or preferred channels of communication in the four study regions (Table 6). Across the study area, radio (44.0%) and community meetings/cultural events (43.4%) are the two preferred communication channels. The others were mobile phone (6.7%) and television (5.2%). Other media USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 13

19 channels were cited by less than 1.0% of the respondents. However, community meetings/cultural events (52.0%) was reported to be the communication channel or media most effective in delivering agricultural practice messages. This was followed by radio (35.9%), TV (7.7%) and mobile phone (3.0%). Results from individual household interviews were corroborated by FGD findings. For example, during one of the FGD sessions in Girar Jarso Woreda, Oromia region, a respondent reported that The use of community meetings organized at the Kebele level and facilitated by Agricultural Extension Workers or DAs [Development Agents] is the best channel to deliver good agricultural practices messages to farmers. In Amanuel Woreda, Amhara region, FGD participants suggested a peer-to-peer approach during community meetings, such as the monthly religious rituals, YeMariam mahiber, a village-level association of community members to commemorate St. Mary s day monthly by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Table 6: Top Four Common Types of Communication Channels by Region Percentage who Preferred the Communication Channel (N=481) Region Community Meetings/ Radio Mobile Phone Television Cultural Events Amhara 91.8% 5.7% 0.8% 0.8% Oromia 39.2% 60% 0% 0% SNNPR 28.3% 71.7% 0% 0% Tigray 14.3% 38.7% 26.1% 20.2% AVERAGE 43.4% 44.0% 6.7% 5.2% They recommended the following channels to ensure that even the busy and illiterate women who cannot read printed materials will still be exposed to such messages (Table 7). Table 7: Top Four Common Channels for Delivering Agricultural Messages by Region Percentage who Preferred the Communication Channel (N=481) Region Community Meetings/ Cultural Events Radio Mobile Phone Television Amhara 89.3% 6.6% 0% 2.5% Oromia 74.2% 22.5% 0% 0.8% SNNPR 28.3% 70% 0% 1.7% Tigray 15.1% 44.5% 11.8% 26.1% TOTAL 52% 35.9% 3% 7.7% Although averages for the four regions have been presented, mobile phones and television were predominantly cited as media of choice for general communication or effective delivery of agricultural messages by respondents in the Tigray region. During an FGD at Maikadera Kebele, Tsegede Woreda of Tigray region, about half of the 10 participants reported that they own TVs and attribute the high ownership to availability of electricity. They reported that they prefer TV for delivery of good agricultural practices since seeing is believing, they concluded. 3.3 CURRENT AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES To establish the current status of agricultural practices in place in the study area, respondents were asked whether they were implementing any of the eight common practices, including the use of farm inputs USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 14

20 promoted by the AMDe project through BCC campaigns. Table 8 presents the proportion of farmers who were practicing the technologies by study category. The percentage of farmers already implementing some of the farming practices is relatively high, especially the farming practices promoted by the BCC campaigns, which had already been completed. When farmers who reported practicing any of the three farming technologies promoted by the project s BCC inputs campaign were asked for evidence, 63.6% who reported planting of improved seeds, 58.8% who reported use of fertilizer and 21.4% who reported use of blended fertilizer had some form of evidence. Types of evidence reported for verification of whether a technology was being implemented include: Availability of purchase receipts Availability of empty bags/packets or containers for the inputs Table 8: Proportion of Farmers Currently Implementing Certain Farming Practices by Study Category Percentage Currently Implementing Farming Practice by Study Category (N=481) Farming Practice Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns campaigns Early land preparation 74.1% 74.1% 75.7% Line planting 63.6% 61.4% 69.6% Planting improved seeds 63.6% 71.5% 80.7% Use of fertilizers 74.7% 76.6% 78.9% Use of blended fertilizer 12.3% 15.2% 45.3% Modern storage of produce 52.5% 54.1% 58.9% Joint/group crop marketing 38.2% 47.8% 55.8% Post-harvest handling 64.1% 61.4% 60.7% Availability of remains of seeds and fertilizer that had been used Registry records from the PC/FCU Third-party verification from neighbors and local agricultural bureaus who had seen them applies the inputs. 3.4 RADIO AND MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 15

21 % of Respondents who Own A Working Radio Ahferon Alaba Special Bako Tibe Bure Debbre Eliyas Digallo Tijo Digga Enemay Gedeb Girar Jarso Jimma Arjo Kaffta Humera Mesrak Azernet Mechakel Quryt Tsegede Mirab Azernet As presented in section 3.2, radio is one of the two most important medium for general communication or recommended for passing on good agricultural practice information in all four regions. Therefore, radio accessibility among the target communities is important. To address accessibility, respondents were asked whether they owned a functional radio at home or if they could access a radio or radio alternatives on a regular basis elsewhere. Findings % % 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% Figure 3: Radio Ownership by Woreda would form the basis for radio use in any BCC campaigns. About 65.5% of the population in the study area owned a radio. However, in terms of regions, radio ownership was highest in SNNPR (84.2%) and lowest in Amhara (45.1%). Oromia and Tigray had radio ownership coverage of 75.0% and 58.0%, respectively. Radio ownership by Woreda is presented in Figure 3. Among those not owning any working radio in their homes, 31% reported that they could access radio or an alternative source somewhere else on a regular basis. Neighboring homes and mobile phones were reported as alternative sources for radio access. Radio station preference varied by region. It is only the national Ethiopian radio station that had a listenership in all of the four regions, although only 17.3% of the respondents cited it as the radio station they listen to most. The list of the top radio stations preferred by region is presented in Table 9. Table 9: Radio Station Preference by Region Woreda Amhara Oromia SNNPS Tigray Region Radio Station in Order of Preference 1. Amhara Radio, 2. Ethiopian Radio 1. Oromia Radio, 2. Ethiopian Radio, 3. Fana Radio 1. Debub Radio, 2.Ethiopian Radio, 3. Fana Radio 1. Dimitse Woyane Radio, 2. Ethiopian Radio In most of the FGDs, 6: pm was reported to be the best time for listening to radio programs among the farmers. Language (27%) was reported as the dominant factor among the more than 10 factors used when making choices on radio station preference. The other factors cited across the study area include: Information about farming and development (16.7%) Coverage of local issues (10.4%) Clear transmission (7.9%) Being the only one accessible (5.6%) USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 16

22 Percent Reached Other factors, including perceived trust or truthfulness of programs aired, reliability of a radio station, broadcast of live soccer and ability to air technology-focused and savings/credit information programs, were also cited but by less than 1% of respondents. General agriculture or farming, news, music and development were cited as favorite programs in radio stations. Based on data from sample group respondents, mobile phone ownership was 69.2% across the study area. Of those who did not own functional mobile phones, 64.1% could access a phone to make calls or receive messages on a regular basis, mainly from relatives and neighbors. These mobile phone penetration figures are substantially higher than data for Ethiopia including Ethio Telcom figures, World Bank Doing Business Indicators and independent research, which put mobile phone penetration closer to 30% in 2013/2014. The notable discrepancy might be explained by several factors: 1.) Ethiopia s mobile phone penetration numbers are increasing rapidly. From , ownership went from 8% to 27% according to the World Bank. Thus, data collected in 2012/2013 may be substantially below current penetration figures, 2.) It is possible that a number of respondents equated access to to mobile phones with ownership or respondents answers were aspirational rather than accurate. 3.) The selected Woredas also include some high volume market areas where mobile phone ownership might be higher than the national average. 4.) Survey respondents were mostly men (84%), where men control finances and household assets and it is likely that respondents were more likely to have phones than would be the case if the respondent pool was evenly divided between men and women % 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% Figure 4: Percentages Reached with BCC Inputs Campaign Messages by Region 0.00% 27.10% 35.70% 31.30% 33.80% Amhara Oromia SNNPS Tigray Region 3.5 BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGNS The BCC inputs campaigns used three different approaches: print materials, radio and SMS. Print materials were further grouped into fliers, posters and pocket guides targeting the four value chains in the three main languages. The print materials were distributed directly to individual farmers, FCUs, PCs, government agriculture offices, cultural music events and community events where the Godjo was set up REACH OF BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGN MESSAGES To assess the reach of the BCC inputs campaigns in the target community, respondents were asked if they were aware of all or some of the specific campaigns that had been implemented by the project. When asked whether they had seen, heard or received messages on farming inputs from the AGP-AMDe project during the last farming season, from April September, 2014 period, 31.9% (or 1,827,350 farmers) reported to have been reached with the BCC inputs campaign messages. In terms of regions, Oromia (35.7%) had the highest number of respondents reached with the campaigns, while Amhara reported the lowest with 27.1% (Figure 4). Reach was measured in terms of those who reported to have seen print materials, received SMS or heard messages through radio. Tables 10 and 11 are a summary of percentages reached with messages for the two USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 17

23 inputs: improved seeds and fertilizer by region and study category. As would be expected, more respondents in the project sites that had been exposed to BCC campaigns were reached. However, Table 11 also shows that several farmers in the project areas that had not been exposed to BCC and even some in non-project areas were reached with some of the BCC inputs campaign messages. Table 10: Percent Reached with BCC Campaigns by Region BCC Inputs Campaign Respondents Reached (N=481) Amhara Oromia SNNPR Tigray Average Promotion of the use of improved seeds 22.1% 32.5% 30.8% 33.6% 29.7% Promotion of the use of fertilizer 10.3% 22.3% 24.7% 28.5% 21.4% More farmers were reached with BCC messages promoting the use of improved seeds compared to those reached with messages promoting the use of fertilizers. Although most of the respondents reached with the campaigns were in the project areas where the campaigns were conducted, some farmers were also reached in the other two study category areas since some of the approaches used in the BCC campaigns, including music events, radio and Godjo tents set up, had no clear-cut boundaries. Regarding specific BCC inputs campaigns, print materials messages on the use of improved seeds reached the highest number of respondents (29.7%) followed by print materials messages on using fertilizer (21.4%). SMS for promotion on the use of improved seeds reached the lowest population of 0.5% REMEMBER, BELIEVE AND PRACTICES BEHAVIORS PROMOTED BY BCC INPUTS CAMPAIGNS After the general reach questions, respondents were subsequently asked questions relating to: Remembering any of the messages Believing the messages Practicing the behaviors promoted by the messages Tables 11 and 12 presents data on the percentage reached (aware), believe and practicing by study area category for the use of improved seeds and use of fertilizer, respectively. Table 11: Percent Reached, Remember, Believe and Practice Use of Improved Seeds Messages Due to BCC by Study Category Study Category Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns Number Reached (N=481) Aware Remember Believe Practice 4.5% 3.1% 0.9% 0.7% 21.2% 15.7% 8.6% 2.9% 63.4% 33.1% 26.8% 6.0% AVERAGE 29.7% 17.3% 12.1% 3.2% USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 18

24 Table 12: Percent Reached, Remember, Believe and Practice Use of Fertilizer Messages Due to BCC by Study Category Study Category Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC campaigns Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns Percent on Promotion of Use of Fertilizer (N=481) Aware Remember Believe Practice 2.2% 1.7% % 7.8% 4.9% 2.8% 1.6% 54.2% 30.9% 19.5% 5.0% AVERAGE 21.4% 12.5% 7.8% 2.4% As indicated earlier, more farmers in the project area who were exposed to BCC campaigns for promotion of the two inputs were aware, could remember, believe and practiced the promoted behaviors compared to farmers in the other two study categories (Tables 11 and 12). From most of the FGDs, participants reported that they would believe and practice the messages promoted by the BCC campaigns. An FGD respondent in Woreie Kebele, Tsegede Woreda of Tigray Region reported that We will be able to follow the advice of the campaigns because we are so sure that the government and NGOs like VOCA always make an effort to improve the lives of farmers. According to another FGD respondent in Amora Kebele, Misrak Azernet Woreda of SNNPR, Whenever a farmer believes some message, he will follow the advice especially if he can see benefits or profits from his neighbors. About 5.4% of the respondents reported that they knew fellow farmers who did not follow advice from the inputs campaigns. The main reasons given for not following advice of the campaign messages include: Lack of clear understanding of the messages partly because some were not able to read They did not believe due to lack of examples Lack of money to buy the inputs so did not see the need Line planting is tedious According to an FGD respondent in Girar Jarso Woreda, Oromia region, some of the farmers who saw wheat seeds on posters doubted whether a combination of the improved seeds and fertilizer could yield the seeds they were seeing. Farmers attending an FGD in Girar Jarso Woreda reported that during the previous planting season, improved seeds were distributed to them through their FCU after the planting season was over, highlighting the need for knowledge of planting seasons of the various value chains in different parts of the country and timeliness for provision of farm inputs. However, they confirmed that the FCU was not associated with the AGP-AMDe project. Continuity and sustainability through support from DAs was reported to be crucial. FGD respondents in Maikadera Kebele, Tesgede Woreda of Tigray region reported that Although we can believe good agricultural practices promoted by the BCC inputs campaigns, we need sustainable support from our local development agents. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 19

25 Percent Reporting Source When asked to propose measures that should be taken to enable farmers to readily follow advice of such campaign messages, Increase of awareness through additional campaigns was cited by the highest number of respondents (9.5%). The other suggestions were: Pass the message to farmers through community meetings Use model farmers to encourage experience sharing to clearly show examples of the promoted technologies Use more pictures and bold writings, especially for those who cannot read well Conduct repeated training to farmers in groups Provide a timely supply of blended fertilizers and improved seeds Increase accessibility of the inputs Give credit for farm inputs Follow up by agricultural experts Follow government s 1 to 5 organized structures in the community Figure 5: Source of Improved Agriculture Practice Learned from BCC Campaigns 18.00% 16.00% 14.00% 12.00% 10.00% 8.00% 6.00% 4.00% 2.00% 0.00% 2.90% Radio 15.40% Print materials 1.20% SMS 8.50% Godjo tents BCC Message Source 6.70% Music events During an FGD at Digalu Tijo Woreda, Oromia region, it was reported that blended fertilizer distributed by the Galema FCU was not adequate. Further, the need for continuous training and demonstrations in farmer training centers (FTCs) was recommended by FGD participants in Tsegede Woreda of Tigray region. 3.6 IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES LEARNED FROM AGP- AMDe PROJECT Of the respondents across the study area, 17.9% reported to have learned some new skills or technologies on improved agricultural practices promoted by the project s BCC campaigns. Use of improved seeds, use of fertilizer or blended fertilizer and line planting are the three technologies reported to have been learned by most farmers. On average, 5.8% of the farmers reported to have used fertilizer/blended fertilizer or planted improved seeds based on the promotion by the BCC inputs campaign. The blended fertilizer production and distribution is an Ethiopian Government initiative that is being implemented in the four AGP regions. Beginning in mid-2014, the fertilizers were distributed in selected Woredas with BCC interventions aimed to create demand among farmers for this new technology. Print materials (15.4%) were the main source of the improved agricultural practices learned through the BCC campaigns (Figure 5). This was closely followed by Godjo tents, while SMS was cited by the lowest number of respondents. FCU/PC officials and community meetings were cited as other sources of learning where respondents were exposed to BCC campaign messages. Print materials were the only BCC inputs campaign USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 20

26 materials more widely distributed across the four regions. At least there were fliers, posters and pocket guides for all four of the value chains promoted by the BCC inputs campaigns. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 21

27 4. KEY FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNED Medium for dissemination of improved farming practice messages: Community meetings and radio are the two most important media for general communication and passing of improved agricultural practices followed by mobile phones and TV. However, inter-regional differences were noted; in Tigray, radio and television were the media of choice compared with Amhara and Oromia, where community meetings were preferred followed by radio. In the SNNPR, radio was cited as most important followed by community gatherings during which lead farmers and DAs would share information on improved agricultural practices. Local or regional radio stations are preferred mainly since they broadcast in local languages, which the farmers can associate with and are therefore able to share regional news. Understanding a language within the regions is crucial for BCC messaging using the regional radio stations. Sources of BCC inputs campaign materials: Community structures at the Kebele level were identified as appropriate in the implementation of BCC activities. The use of FCU and PC officials as the source of BCC materials was recommended by some respondents. According to an FGD participant in Girar Jarso Woreda, Oromia, I learnt about the promotion of improved wheat seeds when I found posters or wheat seeds and blended fertilizer posted in our FCU offices and we were given some of the posters to take home although we had gone for other businesses. It was further recommended that for better exposure, sites such as schools should be included for dissemination of BCC materials so that children can take messages to their parents and also promote exposure of the messages to children early in their lives. Sustainability of practices promoted by BCC campaigns: Several sustainability strategies were proposed, including: 1. Government involvement. Information and direction from the government is taken seriously by community members in Ethiopia. In Girar Jarso Woreda, Oromia region, it was recommended that the AGP-AMDe project should ensure that Agricultural Extension Workers and Woreda Administrators have details of the inputs promoted by the BCC campaigns: These are the people we shall go to for more information, reported one FGD respondent. However, they further reported that some of the Agriculture Extension Workers (or DAs) also need sensitization on the promoted practices. According to an FGD respondent, Some of the DAs do not believe some of the good agricultural practices they convey to the farmers, such as line planting, How will they convince farmers if they do not believe? he posed. The importance of government participation was further underscored during an FGD in Bure Woreda, Amhara region. A respondent reported that he was keen to adopt BCC inputs campaign messages since it was associated with the government he had an obligation to support whatever is promoted by the government. USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 22