Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
were not included. In addition, indicators were categorized based on the scale at
which they could be measured or interpreted.
In the initial suite of indicators, validity, feasibility, and parsimony were assessed
qualitatively. The time- and holarchical scales were based on the target timescales
and holarchical levels on the entire health and sustainability assessment. Ease of
interpretation was assessed by listing all the likely outcomes for a particular variable
(if discrete) or a range (if continuous) and stating what the conclusions would be for
each likely outcome or extreme in a range. If the conclusions were equivocal, then an
indicator was considered unsatisfactory in terms of interpretation.
6.2.3
i
n D i C A t of r
m
e A s u r e m e n t s
6.2.3.1
community-driven Indicators
Measurement of community-driven indicators was community based and in the form
of participatory monitoring and evaluation. This was based on the assumption that
such an assessment provided stakeholders with information crucial for the successful
management of the agroecosystem. In each of the six intensive villages, indicators
were divided into 8-10 sets (each with four to six indicators). Groups of 8-10 commu-
nity members were then formed, and each was assigned a set of indicators to measure
(guthima). The village agroecosystem health committee was assigned the coordi-
nating role. Regular (twice-a-week) group meetings were scheduled for a period of
1 month for this purpose. A village participatory workshop was held at the end of this
period; analyses of the information gathered were conducted at these workshops.
6.2.3.2
Researcher-Proposed Indicators
An initial empirical assessment was made using the initial suite of indicators. Indica-
tors were categorized based on the methods (questionnaire, laboratory tests of sam-
ples, participatory methods) to be used for its measurement and the scale at which it
would be measured (village or land-use units). For indicators to be measured using
a questionnaire, a relational database was created using Microsoft Access. Indica-
tors to be measured using a questionnaire were entered in a table that was linked to
a set of tables that contained the questions, their choices (if structured), and the data
categorized by level. The questionnaire was generated from the tables using filters
and sorting procedures to prevent duplication of questions and information and to
provide a logical flow. Three teams of two people each (from the research team)
were trained on the questionnaire and its objectives to enable them to administer the
questionnaire. The questionnaire was pretested on a random sample of farms (four
in each village) and changes made based on the recommendations of the teams and
the interviewees.
For measurement at the land-use level, 20 land-use units were selected from
each of the six study sites. The units were selected at random from a list of all the
land-use units in the village. Owners were contacted for permission to participate in
the study. Dates and times for the interviews were set based on the availability of the
interviewees. The allocation of interviewees to each of the three teams of interview-
ers was randomized. For land-use-level indicators that required laboratory testing,
Search WWH ::
Custom Search