Safe
Water System Manual
ANNEX
G:
FORMATIVE RESEARCH
Formative
research is the basis for an effective strategy for behavior change. Collecting
background data for a safe water system project is described in section 1.0. Additional
formative research is described in section 7.1.
This
annex summarizes some major points about formative research and provides some
example focus group discussion guides:
·
Sample focus group discussion questions about water treatment and storage (used
by CARE Kenya Nyanza Healthy Water Project)
· Sample focus group discussion
guide for brand name, logo, and slogan development (used by CARE Kenya Nyanza
Healthy Water Project)
ABOUT
FORMATIVE RESEARCH
Plan
of Formative Research
·
Identify risk practices
· Select practices for intervention
·
Select target populations (e.g., mothers of young children, school age students,
opinion leaders)
· Determine most effective and relevant messages for
target populations (e.g., for mothers-"good mothers provide safe water for
kids"; for students-"help kill microbes that cause illness.")
·
Determine channels of communication (e.g., radio messages, street theatre, discussions
in schools, health centers, markets)
· Design and field test communication
and other behavior change strategies and materials
Formative
Research Methods
Site
study
Topic:
characterize each sector of town/region
Information sources: meet with leaders,
women's groups, health personnel
Focus
groups
Topics:
water sources, causes of diarrhea, diarrhea treatment and prevention, health priorities
of community, hygienic practices/excreta disposal, child feeding, access to health
education, animals in compound
Information sources: Women's groups, opinion
leaders, educators, health personnel (traditional vs. modern), community organization
Evaluation
of health status
Information
sources: Epidemiologic data - local government, health centers/posts, special
studies of causes of diarrhea, case control/cohort studies
Structured
observation
Topics:
water sources, water treatment practices, water storage practices, human waste
disposal
Information sources: Households
Structured
interviews
Topics:
water handling, hygienic practices, methods of communication
Information sources:
Health workers, mothers
Knowledge,
attitudes, practices, beliefs (KAPB) study
Quantitative study of KAPB re: water
handling, diarrhea prevention, communication sources
Information
sources: Households
HINTS:
Cross check data for consistency.
Need political commitment at all levels
for project to work.
Formative research team should include outsiders trained
in public health, social sciences, and insiders who know community.
Sample Focus Group Discussion Questions
(Used by CARE Kenya Nyanza Healthy
Water Project)
1.
Introductions and statement of purpose of the meeting
Name,
occupation, education level, marital status, family size
2.
What are your main service needs in your village?
What
are the major health problems in your village?
3.
What do you understand by safe drinking water?
What
do you think makes water unsafe for drinking? (at source and at home)
What
can you do to make the water safe?
Once
boiling is mentioned
4. How many of you boil drinking water?
What
fuel do you use?
How
long do you take to collect the fuel?
How
much does the fuel cost you if bought?
How
long do you take to light the fire?
How
long does the water take to boil?
How
long does the water take to cool?
On
average how much water do you boil per day?
What
do you like about boiling?
What
do you dislike about boiling?
If
chemicals are mentioned
5. How did you hear about these chemicals?
Which
chemicals are these?
How
are they used?
Have you
ever tried them?
What
do you like about chemical treatment of drinking water?
What
do you dislike about chemical treatment of drinking water?
6.
What are the qualities of a safe water storage vessel?
Show
clay pot (20 liters estimated volume)
7. How many of you use clay pots to store
drinking water?
Can water
in clay pots be contaminated?
How?
How
do you clean the clay pots?
After
how long?
How much does
it cost?
How long does
it last?
What do you
like about storing drinking water in a clay pot?
What
do you dislike about storing drinking water in a clay pot?
Show
common plastic container
8. How many of you use this to store drinking water?
Can
water in this container be contaminated?
How?
How
do you clean this container?
How
much does it cost?
How
long does it last?
What
do you like about storing water in this container?
What
do you dislike about storing water in this container?
Show
specialized container
9. What do you think about this container?
What
special features does it have? (Different from the other two)
Can
water in this container be contaminated?
How?
How
would you clean this container?
How
much do you think it might cost?
How
can you make water cool in such a container?
What
do you like / dislike about storing water in this container?
Are
you willing to buy such a container if it is in the market?
What
is the maximum amount of money you can pay for the container if you were to buy
it?
Comparison
of the three containers
10. Out of these 3 containers, which one do you prefer
for water storage and why?
Decision-making
11.
Who decides on which water storage container to buy for the household?
Why
is he/she the one who makes the decision?
Who
decides on the general household expenditure?
EXPECTED
DURATION OF INTERVIEW: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES
Sample Focus Group Discussion Guide for Brand Name, Logo, and Slogan Development
(Used by CARE Kenya Nyanza Healthy Water Project)
1.
Introduction of respondents and moderator
Purpose
of discussion.
2.
If a safe chemical for water treatment was available to you and supposing you
were to buy, where would you expect to buy it?
Why?
How
much would you pay for it at the most if you were to buy the chemical to last
you one month?
Where
do you expect the chemical to have been produced? (Local, Nairobi or Imported)
3.
Brand Name
Read out suggested names.
What
do you think about that name?
What
do you associate the name with?
Does
it arouse negative feelings or positive feelings?
Why?
Pronounce
it.
Which one do you
prefer for a safe water treatment chemical? (No.1, 2, & 3)
Why?
4.
Logo
Show different logo drawings
What
do you think is the meaning of this symbol?
What
do you associate with it?
Does
it arouse negative feelings or positive feelings to you?
Why?
Which
one do you prefer for a safe water storage chemical? (No. 1, 2, & 3)
Why?
5.
Slogan
Read different slogans
What
do you understand by the following statement?
Does
it remind you of any good or bad thing?
Which
is that?
Which one do
you recommend for a safe water treatment chemical? (No. 1, 2, & 3)
Why?
6.
Colour
Which colour do
you associate with clean drinking water?
Show
different colours
Which
of these colours do you associate with clean water?
Which
one would you prefer for a safe water treatment chemical?
7.
Unsealed & sealed bottles
Which
of these two capping systems do you prefer for a safe water treatment chemical?
Why?
