Adoption of Promoted Adaptation Measures

The indicator measures the extent to which the target group members correctly use the desired climate change adaptation measures (such as using drought-tolerant crops, construction of retention ditches, participating in early warning systems, using crop insurance, adopting rainwater harvesting systems, etc.). It is a key indicator of climate change adaptation interventions.

Determine the indicator's value by using the following methodology:

1) Make a list of the promoted adaptation measures.

2) For each measure, specify what exactly it means to ‘correctly use the measure’: what exactly needs to be done, how, with what materials, for what purpose, etc. For example, in the context of your project, ‘intercropping’ might mean ‘combined sowing of the maize and haricot beans in rows with 40cm spacing to increase the content of soil nutrients and maize yields’. At the same time, avoid using unnecessarily narrow definitions of the promoted measures, as each measure needs to be adapted to the local context.

3) For each measure, design interview questions that will help you determine 1) whether the respondent has used the measure and 2) if so, whether the measure was used correctly. Ensure that all questions are specific enough without leading the respondent to a particular answer. For example, instead of asking directly: “During the last season, have you used intercropping?”, you can ask: “There are different measures that farmers can take to ensure that the soil in which they grow maize has enough nutrients and they get a good yield. Can you please tell me what all the measures were that you took during the last year when growing maize?” Instruct the enumerator to keep probing: “What else did you do to ensure that the soil has enough nutrients and your maize grows well?” If the respondent mentions intercropping, assess whether it was done correctly by asking, for example: “Can you please explain to me how exactly you used this measure?”

4) If you are assessing the usage of several adaptation measures, decide how many measures a respondent needs to use in order to be considered ‘correctly using the promoted adaptation measures’ (e.g. whether it is sufficient that she uses at least one measure correctly or whether s/he needs to use, for example, at least 2 out of 3 promoted measures correctly).

5) Conduct interviews with a representative sample of the target group members, assessing:

   - whether the given measure is relevant to them (e.g. it does not make sense to ask a farmer who did not grow maize whether s/he used intercropping of maize with beans)

   - if so, whether s/he used the measure

   - if so, whether s/he used the measure correctly

6) To calculate the indicator’s value:

   - count the number of people for whom the promoted measures are relevant and who use them correctly

   - divide this number by the total number of people for whom the measures are relevant

   - multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage

Disaggregate the data by gender, age group, location, and other criteria relevant to the context and focus of your intervention.

1) It is recommended that you ask respondents who do not use the promoted measures why they do not use them (i.e. what is discouraging or preventing them from their use). Equally useful can be learning why people practice some of the measures, as understanding the key ‘motivators’ can help you with their further promotion.

2) Ensure that the enumerators have a good technical understanding of the promoted measures; otherwise they will not be able to conclude whether a respondent has used the measure correctly or not.

3) Even if a respondent (e.g. a farmer) used the promoted measure, s/he might have done so to a limited extent only (e.g. on a small portion of her/his land only). Therefore, consider also assessing the extent to which the measures were applied – for example, on how many hectares of land.