CONSULTANCY REPORT: DESIGNING
THE KAFA'A DOER / NON-DOER SURVEY
September 2005
This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for
International Development. It was prepared by the Academy for Educational Development.
CONSULTANCY REPORT: DESIGNING THE
KAFA'A DOER / NON-DOER SURVEYIN
JORDAN VALLEY AND AMMAN-ZARQA
BASIN HIGHLANDS IN JORDAN
DISCLAIMER
The author's views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the
United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
Education and Information Program for Irrigation Water Use Efficiency
Knowledge and Action Fostering Advances in Agriculture (KAFA’A)
Project Number 273-C-00-03-00022
Consultancy Report: Doer/Non-Doer Survey
Background Information
One of the primary goals of the USAID-funded KAFA’A project is to promote new attitudes and
behavioral patterns for farm water management among Jordanian farmers in the Jordan Valley
and Amman Zarqa Basin. Despite heavy investment in the irrigation infrastructure, the majority
of Jordanian farmers do not manage water efficiently. Identifying Jordanian farmers’ concerns
and the limitations for change from their viewpoint is vital for the identification of solutions that
would result in behaviors compliant with water conservation.
For this reason, the KAFA’A project designed and implemented a “doer-non doer” survey to
better understand the current mindset and identify the key factors to target for behavior change.
Based on the results of the doer-non doer survey, a social marketing strategy is proposed to
increase the farmer’s awareness regarding better use of water in irrigation through the effective
maintenance of their irrigation systems and the adoption of simple devices like watermarks, to
complement their own experience in monitoring soil moisture and in deciding when and how
much to irrigate. In addition, the social marketing strategy will seek farmers’ knowledge and
compliance with international quality standards, and their willingness to try new less water
demanding cash crops.
The methodology that sustains this process is as follows:
Baseline
Investigation
-Provides information
about current irrigation
and crop management
and its results.
Decision about
practices to be
changed and
those to be
transferred for
improving
irrigation and
crop
management
Doer-non
doer study
-Establishes the reasons
farmers apply or not
the new or improved
agricultural practices
Formulation of a
social marketing
strategy for
transferring
selected practices
The KAFA’A project did a baseline investigation and found different practices in the irrigation
and crop management that need to be substantially improved for achieving the goal of better
irrigation management in the Jordan Valley. Based on the findings of the baseline investigation,
the consultancy for the formulation of a social marketing strategy for KAFA’A project was
divided into two stages. From March 26 to April 15, 2005, the consultant designed the doer-non
doer study, including the definition of objectives, selection of sample population, and
questionnaire design.
In the second stage from June 10 to 30, the consultant reviewed the survey report provided by the
subcontracted implementing firm, analyzed the results, and recommended an appropriate social
marketing strategy to reach the desired behavioral changes based on the survey findings. The
final products of the first and second stages of the consultancy were the survey questionnaire and
the social marketing-communication strategy, respectively.
Methodology and activities from March 26 to April 15, 2005
Upon his arrival to the country, the consultant met with KAFA’A Chief of Party and technical
staff to plan a schedule for the consultancy and its milestones. Three main milestones were
defined, corresponding roughly to the three weeks of the consultancy:
•
•
•
First week: analysis of information from the project, both in the office and in the field, to
better understand its goals and to help to define the practices to be selected for the study.
Second week: formulation of the objectives of the study, selection of the sample and first
drafts of the questionnaire and observation guide discussed and corrected. Draft the
SOW of the local survey implementing firm defined to allow preparation of the final
subcontract.
Third week: pretest of the questionnaire with technical and field staff, translate it to
Arabic, and pretest with farmers, as well as training interviewers from the local
implementing firm.
During his first week in Jordan, the consultant reviewed the technical information from the
baseline investigation and visited the field to better understand the Project’s goals and activities
in irrigation. Because a doer-non doer study should be done around behaviors or practices
already selected, and the samples of doer and non doer should be previously identified, the
consultant helped the team to define those practices and define how farmers are applying them or
not in the irrigation of their crops. Practices were largely discussed and analyzed by the project’s
technical team, and visits to the field provided information to formulate some hypotheses about
their application by farmers.
The consultant defined the objectives of the study, based on the final practices selected by the
project’s technical team, and formulated the different sections of the questionnaire for each of
those practices. Different drafts of the questionnaire were pre-tested several times with both,
technicians and farmers, until a final version was translated into Arabic. This final version was
pre-tested again with technicians and farmers in focus groups and, after being refined, was used
to train the interviewers from the local implementing firm.
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The consultant, with the contributions of the project’s technical team, formulated an observation
guide, as an instrument to complement and contrast the information from the interviews. The
team decided to do the study in the central area of the Jordan Valley, and the size of the sample
for the study was also decided accordingly. The farms to be visited were randomly selected
using a computer program with the list of all the farms in the area.
A final questionnaire and observation guide for the doer-non doer study was designed, approved
technically and pre-tested with farmers. Interviewers from the local implementation firm were
trained on how to apply both instruments in the field.
As a method for transferring to the technical team the skills for future design of this kind of
study, the consultant followed the process in close coordination with the project personnel,
especially with the Senior Irrigation Engineer, Dr. German Sabillón, and the Social Marketing
Specialist, Tareq Abdalla. Pre-testing sessions and focus groups were leaded by KAFA’A
extension agents, after some advice from the consultant about how to proceed. This allowed
them to learn how to pre-test questionnaires or educational materials in the future using focus
groups. The team would be perfectly able to follow all the steps of the process by themselves in
the future.
Specific activities carried out during his first visit
Week 1:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Analysis of KAFA’A project reports, review and discussion on the findings of the
baseline assessment.
Field trip to the Jordan Valley, to exchange information with the extension agents and to
visit several farms and meet farmers to become aware of their farming practices.
Collection of information about the technical issues involved in irrigation process and
cropping systems in Jordan Valley. Analysis of the potential “best practices” being
promoted by KAFA’A project in Jordan Valley.
Discussions about the requirements for a doer/non doer study and preparation of a
primary plan for developing the process.
Primary definition of practices to be investigated in the doer/non doer study, to focus the
process.
Discussions about the future social marketing strategy and its general areas of awareness,
knowledge and behavior for each “best practice”.
Introductory meeting with project’s CTO in USAID.
Week 2:
•
•
Prioritization of the subjects to be researched in the doer/non doer study, and its main
variables.
Formulation of the objectives and hypotheses for the different areas of the study:
irrigation management and cropping system, in terms of what farmers are currently doing
and what they should do according to project’s objectives of improving efficiency in
water use.
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•
•
•
•
Definition of the study sample, both geographically and quantitative.
Design and revision of the first draft of the questionnaire.
Analysis and discussion of five successive drafts of the questionnaire.
First draft of the scope of work for the implementing company of the study.
Week 3:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
First meeting with the implementing company to present the type of doers/non doers
research, the type of questionnaire, timing etc.
Pre-test of the final draft of the questionnaire with extension agents.
Modifications to the questionnaire according to their suggestions.
Pre-test of the final draft of the questionnaire with farmers in the field.
Analysis of the pre-test and modifications to the final draft, in content and meaning of the
questions and in coding for future processing.
Work with the translator of the final draft of the questionnaire to be translated into
Arabic.
Preparation of the observation guides and focus groups.
Work with translator for final translation of the guides into Arabic.
Focus group with farmers for a final pre-test of the questions in Arabic.
Training of the interviewers of the implementing agency
Discussions about the future data entry and processing for future analysis.
Draft of a consultancy report corresponding to the first stage.
Methodology and activities for the period from June10 to July 1, 2005
As during his first visit, upon returning to Jordan, the consultant planned a schedule and
milestones of the consultancy with the Chief of Party and the KAFA’A technical team. Four
main milestones were defined, as follows:
•
•
•
•
Analysis of information and data from the study, based on the report provided by
Interdisciplinary Research Consultants (IdRC), the local implementing firm
subcontracted by KAFA’A to apply the questionnaire and the observation guide; final
definition of behaviors and practices to be promoted through the social marketing
strategy.
Determination of the appropriate methodology and activities for the social marketing
strategy, including formulation of objectives for selected practices, definition of the
audiences, selection of the integrated channels to be used in the strategy, and preparation
of a corresponding budget.
Discussions of the proposed social marketing strategy to analyze the applicability of its
recommendations.
Preparation of the first draft of a KAFA'A Social Marketing Strategy Plan
In order to transfer to the local team the skills for future implementation of the strategy, the
consultant worked closely with the KAFA'A Social Marketing Specialist, and many discussions
were held with the KAFA'A technical staff to assure that the proposed plan was realistic.
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Pre-testing sessions with KAFA’A extension agents were very useful for presenting and
analyzing several ideas and creative approaches, in order to test their applicability and how
farmers would respond to them. Pre-testing ideas and focuses allow to propose only what can
really be done and what can better be received by the target audiences and counterpart
participant institutions.
Specific activities carried out during the second visit
Week 4:
•
•
•
•
•
Analysis of IdRC study report, review and discussion on the findings of the doer-non
doer study.
Desegregation of the results from different practices by doer and non doer.
Definition of the first set of practices to be promoted through the social marketing
strategy.
Final definition of the specific practices to be promoted through the strategy.
Definition of the general areas of the social marketing strategy.
Week 5:
•
•
•
•
Formulation of the strategy objectives, target audiences and their characteristics;
formulation of the messages and selection of the integrated communication approach to
be used.
Analysis and discussion with extension agents of the focus, messages and activities
planned for the strategy
Consecutive drafts and modifications, based on the results of the analysis and
discussions.
Research of the costs of different communication channels, for future formulation of the
budget.
Week 6:
•
•
•
•
Writing of the final draft of the document
Pre-test of the final draft of the document with extension agents.
Modifications to the final draft accordingly, and incorporation of the suggestions of the
extension agents.
Final document of the social marketing strategy and corresponding budget.
Persons contacted
During the first visit, the consultant worked very closely with KAFA'A staff, including the COP,
Senior Irrigation Engineer, Social Marketing Specialist, component leader for extension, and
with all the KAFA'A extension agents. All steps in designing the doer/non doer survey
instrument and testing the questionnaire were done with their full participation. The consultant
also visited the office of JVA in the Jordan Valley to learn how the water distribution system
works in the Valley, and was introduced to different JVA technicians and officers. The
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consultant also toured several farms and met with a number of farmers (around 24 in total) to
better understand the irrigation and crop management in the Valley and later to pretest the
questionnaire.
Several planning meetings were held with the Managing Director of IdRC to discuss the TOR for
the implementation of the study, and to analyze logistical issues. A group of 18 interviewers of
IdRC were trained by the consultant on the meaning of the different questions and on the
techniques for approaching the farmers and performing the interviews and the observation
guides. The consultant also met with the USAID CTO at the beginning of the consultancy to
present a general overview of the objectives and plan for the doer/non doer survey.
During his second visit to Jordan, the consultant worked closely with the Senior Irrigation
Engineer to analyze the findings of the survey presented by IdRC. In particular, the consultant
worked closely with the KAFA'A Social Marketing Specialist of the project in brainstorming
subsequent courses of action the subsequent. He also met frequently with the KAFA'A extension
agents to discuss the phases and proposed follow-up activities.
Final products
First visit:
- A plan for the doer/non doer study with objectives, sample, and methodology.
- A questionnaire and an observation guide for collecting the information in the
field.
- A group of interviewers of IdRC trained
Second visit:
- A consultancy report
- A proposal for a social marketing strategy, based on the results of the doer/non
doer study.
Next steps
A final document containing a summary of the results of the doer/non doer study will be edited
by the COP of KAFAA and presented to USAID/Jordan for their comments. In order to make
the presentation more interesting, a Power Point presentation will be prepared by the COP and
the social marketing specialist of the project with the support and assistance of the consultant and
other members of the AED/Center for Environmental Strategies.
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U.S. Agency for International Development
Office of Water Resources and Environment
American Embassy, Abdoun
Amman 11118, Jordan
Tel: (962) 6-591-0101
Fax: (962) 6-592-0143
www.usaid.gov