Participatory Needs and Presentation Title Goes Here Opportunity

Participatory Needs and Presentation Title Goes Here Opportunity Analysis …presentation subtitle. Your Name Goes Here Position, etc. V. Balasubramanian & M. A. Bell IRRI, Los Baños, DAPO Box 7777, Manila, Philippines

Farmer Adoption Criteria Why are technologies adopted by farmers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

P-NOA: Steps Involved • • • Site selection (well in advance of the field survey) Collection of secondary data by local team Planning for NOA field activities: Transect walk Site/domain characterization and mapping Stakeholder analysis Problem identification and prioritization Problem-cause analysis: Problem tree Developing & matching solutions with farmers Next steps: Research/evaluation/delivery issues Report of findings`

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

Rice Area and Production in the Study Site

Farm Size in the Study Site (Village)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Delineation of Domains

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

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

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

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

Criteria for Prioritizing Problems

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

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

List of Intermediate & Root Causes

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

Selection of Options

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

Farmer Adoption Criteria for Selecting Solutions

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

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

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

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

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

Research Gaps • Convey research gaps or researchable issues to researchers

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

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

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

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

Participants’ Impression about NOA: 2 • Facilitates good feedback and suggestions from farmers on various issues. • Is an user-based approach to tackle farmers’ problems and provides better clue to develop an action plan. • Enhances the awareness of all concerned on problem – solution relationship and shows linkages of various issues and problems.

Participants’ Impression about NOA: 3 • Helps farmers develop a common understanding of problems, causes, potentials in the study area. • Gives scientists more ideas for planning research on actual field problems (higher relevance of research). • Helps researchers develop a common understanding of complex, multidisciplinary problems that confront farmers. • Helps research managers to identify multi-disciplinary projects based on field problems.

Participants’ Impression about NOA: 4 • Creates awareness among farmers about new and/or existing technologies that could solve their problems. • Facilitates the transfer of technologies. • Provides a better understanding of farmer adoption constraints of new technologies. • Helps in the clarification and/or removal of certain myths or mis-beliefs in farming.

Participants’ Impression about NOA: 5 • Helps develop a joint action plan for follow-up • Helps fix responsibility for each stakeholder in the implementation of the jointly agreed action plan. • Develops a better linkage between providers and users as well as with other stakeholders. • Increases the confidence of research and extension staff in effectively interacting and/or working with farmers.

Participants’ Impression about NOA: 6 • Increases farmers’ confidence on and respect to scientists & extension staff who they view as genuine helpers. • Enhances administrators’ and policy makers’ recognition of field-oriented staff. • Facilitates a joint action on policy-related issues by the institutions concerned. • Develops a lighthouse site for training on successful strategies and technologies.

NOA Training Folder: Contents • • A copy of NOA paper Flip charts/Transparencies/Slides of NOA presentation A copy of model NOA report A set of field survey sheets A set of Tables for use in problem & solution analysis Examples of resource maps, cropping patterns, etc. Examples of stakeholder and problem tree diagrams An information sheet on how to facilitate interactive discussion with farmers, using cue cards • List of logistics and supplies • A model program & budget for a 2 -day NOA