AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PROGRAM – AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT (AGP-AMDe) PROJECT USAID TASK ORDER AID #663-TO-11-00003 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.
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AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
PROGRAM – AGRIBUSINESS AND
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
(AGP-AMDe) PROJECT
USAID TASK ORDER AID #663-TO-11-00003
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.
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT i
AGRICULTURAL GROWTH
PROGRAM – AGRIBUSINESS AND
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
(AGP-AMDe) PROJECT
USAID TASK ORDER AID #663-TO-11-00003
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 ii
CONTENTS AGRICULTURAL GROWTH PROGRAM – AGRIBUSINESS AND MARKET
DEVELOPMENT (AGP-AMDE) PROJECT......................................................................... I
CONTENTS .................................................................................................................... II
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................................. IV
TOTAL 50 2,334 1,789,923 222 96 23,505,170 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 15–65 years, while 3.3% represents the population 65 years or older. Therefore, based on the
available data, the AGP-AMDe Woreda population proportion of 5,728,3725 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
2.2.1 EVALUATION DESIGN
The participating Woredas in groups 1 and 2 (E1 and E2) 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 (E1): A group of farmers that had been exposed to the project intervention6
and the BCC campaign
2. Experimental Group 2 (E2): 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
2 http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm 3 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 8
The evaluation design was quasi-experimental in which the randomly selected respondents were assigned to one of the three treatment conditions as follows:
The sample frame for E1 consisted of a subset of the AGP-AMDe project’s 96 Woredas that were exposed to
BCC inputs campaigns. The E2 sample frame consisted of a subset of the AGP-AMDe project’s 96 Woredas
that were not exposed to the BCC inputs campaigns7. The E2 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 E1 and E2, 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 9
Table 2: Sample Size Estimation
P1 0.26
P2 0.43
Power 0.80
Confidence Level 95%
Sample Size E1 = 122, E2=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 E1 and E2 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 E1 and E2. 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 (E1).
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.
2.2.3 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.
2.2.4 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 10
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.
2.2.5 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.
2.2.6 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 11
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 (E1 and E2) 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 12
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 18–60 productive
age category (Figure 2).
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%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
18-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-80
% o
f R
esp
on
de
nts
in A
ge C
ate
gory
Age Categories in Years
Figure 2: Respondents' Age Distribution
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 13
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
Percent Membership of Farmer Group/ Association ( N=481)
Yes No
Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns
76.5% 23.5%
Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC campaigns
89.9% 10.1%
Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns
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 14
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
Region
Percentage who Preferred the Communication Channel (N=481)
Community Meetings/ Cultural Events
Radio Mobile Phone Television
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
Region
Percentage who Preferred the Communication Channel (N=481)
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 15
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
Farming Practice
Percentage Currently Implementing Farming Practice by Study Category (N=481)
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
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 16
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
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
Region Radio Station in Order of Preference
Amhara 1. Amhara Radio, 2. Ethiopian Radio
Oromia 1. Oromia Radio, 2. Ethiopian Radio, 3. Fana Radio
SNNPS 1. Debub Radio, 2.Ethiopian Radio, 3. Fana Radio
Tigray 1. Dimitse Woyane Radio, 2. Ethiopian Radio
In most of the FGDs, 6:00–9.00 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%)
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
Ah
fero
n
Ala
ba
Spec
ial
Bak
o T
ibe
Bu
re
De
bb
re E
liyas
Dig
allo
Tijo
Dig
ga
Enem
ay
Ged
eb
Gir
ar J
arso
Jim
ma
Arj
o
Kaf
fta
Hu
mer
a
Me
srak
Aze
rne
t…
Me
chak
el
Qu
ryt
Tse
ged
e
Mir
ab A
zern
et
% o
f R
esp
on
de
nts
wh
o O
wn
A W
ork
ing
Rad
io
Woreda
Figure 3: Radio Ownership by Woreda
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 17
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 2010-2013, 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.
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.
3.5.1 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
27.10%
35.70%31.30% 33.80%
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
Amhara Oromia SNNPS Tigray
Pe
rce
nt
Re
ach
ed
Region
Figure 4: Percentages Reached with BCC Inputs Campaign Messages by Region
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 18
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%.
3.5.2 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 Number Reached (N=481)
Aware Remember Believe Practice
Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns
4.5% 3.1% 0.9% 0.7%
Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC campaigns
21.2% 15.7% 8.6% 2.9%
Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns
63.4% 33.1% 26.8% 6.0%
AVERAGE 29.7% 17.3% 12.1% 3.2%
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 19
Table 12: Percent Reached, Remember, Believe and Practice Use of Fertilizer Messages Due to BCC by Study Category
Study Category Percent on Promotion of Use of Fertilizer (N=481)
Aware Remember Believe Practice
Farmers who have not been exposed to project interventions and BCC campaigns
2.2% 1.7% 1.1 0.7%
Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions but not to BCC campaigns
7.8% 4.9% 2.8% 1.6%
Farmers who have been exposed to project interventions and to BCC campaigns
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 20
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
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
2.90%
15.40%
1.20%
8.50%
6.70%
0.00%
2.00%
4.00%
6.00%
8.00%
10.00%
12.00%
14.00%
16.00%
18.00%
Radio Printmaterials
SMS Godjotents
Musicevents
Perc
en
t R
ep
ort
ing
So
urc
e
BCC Message Source
Figure 5: Source of Improved Agriculture Practice Learned from BCC Campaigns
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 21
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 22
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 23
2. Use of lead farmers. The use of 1 to 5 farmer grouping structures was recommended by FGD
participants in Amora Kebele, Misrak Azernet Woreda and SNNPR. The structures, established by
the government in each Kebele, are premised on the fact that 1 lead farmer will support 5 other
farmers through sharing of improved agricultural practices and other development-related
information. The group recommended that BCC campaign awareness would be enhanced through
sensitization of lead farmers.
3. Integration of BCC campaigns with other activities. Some respondents reported that despite
receiving the useful BCC messages, they could not practice what they learned since the campaigns
were not accompanied with the distribution of improved seeds and blended fertilizers in their area.
“We need the inputs to enable us [to] practice what we have learned; otherwise, farmers will lose
trust in the messages,” reported an FGD respondent in Digga Woreda. Therefore, there is need for
closer collaboration with the FCUs and the MoA when planning for the BCC campaigns.
4. BCC campaign timing. Variation in planting season for the different value chains should be noted
while planning for the BCC campaigns. This could have led to complaints by some farmers in
Oromia and Amhara regions who reported that some campaign materials were brought long after the
activities promoted had been implemented.
5. Women’s involvement. Difficulty was encountered in including a sufficient number of women in
the study sample, especially the individual household interviews where just about 20% of the
respondents were women. In Amhara, it was reported that it was not possible to include a sufficient
number of women respondents since even some of the women who were approached for interview
declined because they felt that it was the responsibility of the male head of a household to respond to
such questions. The number of women who were group members and those in leadership positions
was low across the four regions. Probably this trend will change with the gender campaigns launched
by the AGP-AMDe project toward the end of 2014.
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 24
5. RECOMMENDATIONS AND
CONCLUSIONS
Involvement of government officials: There is need to train and build the capacity of Agriculture
Extension Workers (or DAs) on how to inform, educate and promote appropriate agricultural practices using
evidenced-based BCC approaches. This could be done by further involving them in the planning,
development and execution of the next inputs promotion campaign.
Intensity of BCC campaigns: A higher percentage of farmers reported that they would likely practice
behaviors if they were exposed to multiple BCC mediums. For BCC to be most effective, it is important to
ensure that as many households as possible are exposed to multiple campaign messages.
The recommended time for radio listening among the target households is 6:00–9:00 pm. Although the
timing for the BCC inputs campaign through the radio was done from 7:30–8:00 pm, the radio messaging was
done only twice through one station. Since radio is the second most important channel recommended for
dissemination of improved agricultural practices, the number of radio programs should be increased through
the three major regional radio stations and Ethiopian broadcasting cooperation station. The other BCC
campaign strategies, such as music events, Godjo tents, and SMS, should be applied evenly across the regions
to get better results and to enable any comparisons of the uptake of all or some of the strategies.
Adoption of improved agricultural practices through BCC campaigns is enhanced when:
Graphically enhanced print materials are supported by community meetings and radio to disseminate
messages.
Government is intensively involved at all levels (from Kebele to Woreda to region and finally to
federal), the DAs are actively involved in all stages of implementation and religious institutions are
involved to disseminate or validate messaging whenever possible. This is very challenging to
accomplish, but is worth the effort.
Local language is used.
Exposure to the BCC messages promoted happens in a timely manner before the seasonal farming
activity.
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT 25
REFERENCES
1. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Office of Population and Housing Census Commission Central
Statistical Authority, November 1998, Addis Ababa.
2. Roderick Grierson and Stuart Munro-Hay, The Ark of the Covenant, 2000, published by Phoenix, London,
UK, ISBN 0753810107.
3. Retrieved from http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm.
Introduce yourself and then state the purpose of your visit.
Verify that you are in the right household as per the sampling sheet (project sites).
Verify that you are about to interview the right respondent as per the sampling sheet (project sites).
Move to the next household (if not in the list) in case you miss the sampled respondent.
Ask for permission to start the interview.
SECTION 1: BASIC INFORMATION
Date _____________________ (dd/mm/yy) Questionnaire No. ___________________
Region ____________________ Zone ________ Woreda ___________________________
Kebele ____________________ FCU ________ PC ______________________________
Respondent Category (choose one):
1. Project Farmers who received BCC campaigns
2. Project Farmers who did NOT receive BCC campaigns
3. Farmers who have not been exposed to project activities and BCC
SECTION 2: DEMOGRAPHICS
1. Verify the sex of the respondent: A. Male B. Female
2. How old are you? ______________________________________ (age in years)
3. What is your marital status? (choose one)
A. Single B. Married C. Divorced D. Widowed E. Separated
4. What is the highest level of education you attained? (choose one)
A. Primary B. Secondary C. College/University D. None E. Others; specify: ________________________________________________________________
APPENDICES
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT APPENDIX 2
5. What is your main occupation? (probe and choose one) A. Crop production B. Livestock keeping C. Business/petty trade/trade D. Others; specify: ________________________________________________________________
6. Are you a member of any farmer group, cooperative or association?
A. Yes B. No __________________________________ Go to Q 9
7. If you are a member in any farmer group, cooperative or association, do you have a leadership role?
A. Yes B. No __________________________________ Go to Q9
8. If you have a leadership role, what is your position? (prompt and choose one) A. FCU Official B. PC Official C. Any other group member D. None
9. What is the main language of communication in this area (Kebele/Woreda?)(choose one) A. Amharic B. Tigrinya C. Afanoromo D. Others; specify: ________________________________________________________________
SECTION 3: GENERAL COMMUNICATION
10. Which is the most widely used type of communication channel/media by the community in this area? (choose one) A. Radio B. TV C. Mobile phone D. Community meetings/cultural events E. Coffee ceremonies F. Print materials (e.g., leaflets, brochures, fliers, posters, newspapers) G. Others; specify: ________________________________________________________________
11. Which communication channel do you believe is most effective for delivering messages on good
agricultural practices in this area? (choose one) A. Radio B. TV C. Mobile phone D. Community meetings/cultural events E. Coffee ceremonies F. Print materials like leaflets/brochures, fliers, posters, newspapers, etc. G. Others; specify: ________________________________________________________________
APPENDICES
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT APPENDIX 3
12. Do you practice any of the following in your farming? (prompt and select all applicable)
Farming Practice Currently Practice?
Yes No
Early land preparation
Early planting
Line planting
Planting of improved seeds
Use of fertilizers
Use of blended fertilizers
Weeding
Irrigation
Contour farming
Proper/modern storage
Joint/group crop marketing
Crop value addition
Post-harvest handling
13. Where did you learn the following farming practices? / Source of information (prompt)
Farming Practice Source of Information (only the one main source = organization, place, individual, etc.)
Planting of improved seeds
Use of fertilizer
Use of blended fertilizers
14. If practiced any in 12 above, ask to share/show evidence of undertaking the farming practices during the
last/current farming season.
Farming Practice
Evidence Shared/ Observed Type of Evidence
Yes No
Planting of improved seeds
Use of fertilizer
Use of blended fertilizer
SECTION 4: RADIO/MOBILE COMMUNICATION
15. Do you own a working radio in your home?
A. Yes __________________________________ Go to Q17
B. No
16. Do you have access to a working radio or radio alternative somewhere else on a regular basis?
A. Yes; please specify: _________________________________________________
B. No
APPENDICES
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT APPENDIX 4
17. Which radio station do you listen to most often? (list one)
34. Can you remember the AMDe-related messages from the radio?
A. Yes
B. No __________________________________ Go to Q40
APPENDICES
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT APPENDIX 8
35. What were the USAID AGP-AMDe project radio messages about? (tick all that apply)
A. Use of improved seeds
B. Appropriate use of blended fertilizers
C. Others; specify:
36. Did you believe the radio campaign messages on the:
Radio/Phone Campaign Yes No If No, Give Reasons
Use of improved seeds?
Appropriate use of blended fertilizers?
37. If you believed the messages, have you followed the advice of the campaign messages on?
Yes Explain Why No Explain Why
Use of improved seeds?
Appropriate use of blended fertilizers?
38. Do you know of any farmers who did not follow the advice of the radio messages? A. Yes B. No _________________________________ Go to Q40
39. What could be done to convince other farmers to follow the advice of the radio campaign messages? ________________________________________________________________________________
40. Have you ever received USAID AGP-AMDe project-related message(s) on SMS? A. Yes B. No _________________________________ Go to Q47
41. Can you remember the AMDe project SMS messages? A. Yes B. No _________________________________ Go to the end?
42. What were the AMDe SMS messages about? (select all that apply)
A. Use of improved seeds B. Appropriate use of blended fertilizers C. Others; specify: ________________________________________________________________
43. Did you believe the SMS campaign messages on?
SMS Campaign Yes No If No, Give Reasons
Use of improved seeds?
Appropriate use of blended fertilizers?
APPENDICES
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT APPENDIX 9
44. If you believed the messages, have you followed the advice of the SMS campaign messages on the?
Yes Explain Why No Explain Why
Use of improved seeds?
Appropriate use of blended fertilizers?
45. Do you know of farmers who do not follow the advice of the SMS campaign messages?
A. Yes
B. No _________________________________ Go to Q47
46. What could be done to convince other farmers to follow the advice of the SMS campaign messages?
Once the 8–15 respondents are assembled, preferably seated in a circular arrangement, introduce
yourselves clearly, being culturally sensitive.
Briefly explain the objective of the exercise and quickly build rapport with the team: The exercise
aims at assessing the effectiveness of BCC campaigns organized by the AGP-AMDe project in
promoting marketing and adoption of improved agricultural practices behavior.
Remind the respondents that:
They will remain anonymous, no personal information will be used, and no names will be taken.
All information provided will be treated with confidentiality.
The exercise is going on simultaneously in the other Woredas and Regions where the AGP-AMDe
project is implemented.
Request active participation by ALL; all participants’ answers will be critical.
The findings will help the project to support them better.
You will give them time to ask any questions at the end of the interview.
BASIC INFORMATION
Date _____________________ (dd/mm/yy) FGD No. __________________________ of
Facilitator _________________ Name of Note Taker _________________________________
Region _______________ Zone _______________ Woreda ________________________
Kebele ____________________
DEMOGRAPHICS
1. No. of males _________________ No. of females _________________ Total _________________
2. Age category _________________ Education level _________________ Marital status ____________
3. Main occupation _________________________________________
4. Main language of communication _____________________________________
GENERAL COMMUNICATION
5. Which type of communication channel/media is common in your area? _____________ 6. Which communication channel/media do you think is appropriate in delivering messages about good
agricultural practices in this village? ____________________________________ Why do you prefer this channel/media?___________________________________
PRINT MEDIA
7. Have you ever seen any of these materials before? (Show materials to the respondents one by one;
Probe for)
APPENDICES
USAID ETHIOPIA / AGP-AMDe PROJECT APPENDIX 11
Posters on the use of improved seeds for maize, wheat, chickpea or sesame?___________
Fliers on the use of improved seeds for maize, wheat, chickpea or sesame?__________
Pocket guides on the use of improved seeds for maize, wheat, chickpea or sesame?__________
Posters on the use of fertilizer/blended fertilizers on maize, wheat, chickpea or sesame?__________
Fliers on the use of fertilizer/blended fertilizer on maize, wheat, chickpea or sesame?__________
Pocket guides on the use of fertilizer/blended fertilizer on maize, wheat, chickpea or sesame?
__________
8. Where do you remember seeing the materials? __________________ (Probe for Godjo tents and music events)
9. What were the main messages of the materials? (List by material as in #8 above)
10. After seeing the materials, do you believe their messages? (List by material as in #8 above)
11. For those who believed (Yes), were you able to follow the advice(s) of the messages?
12. For those who did not believe (No), what could be done to make farmers follow the advice(s) of the
messages?
13. What did you do to try the advice(s) of the messages?
RADIO/SMS/MUSIC EVENT
14. How many of you have a working radio in your home? ______________________________________
15. How many of those who do not have radio at home access a working radio somewhere else on a regular