Prevalence of Barriers to Change

Output

Outcome

% of target group members who [specify the barrier to practising the given behaviour]

This indicator measures the proportion of target group members who experience a specific barrier to practising a promoted behaviour. It helps programmes understand how widespread the barrier is and monitor whether its prevalence changes over time. When several barriers are assessed, the findings can help identify priorities for action.

Determine the indicator's value using the following methodology:

 

1) Define the exact behaviour (what should be done) and the target group (who should do it)

2) Use findings of conducted formative research or any other evidence to define a barrier to practicing the given behaviour whose prevalence you want to measure. Barriers can include:

• lacking resources, such as money, water, seeds or time

• disapproval of a family member

• limited confidence in the behaviour’s effectiveness

• lacking knowledge / skills

• perception that it is difficult to practice the behaviour

• perception that practicing the behaviour has negative consequences

It is very important that the barrier is defined based on evidence, not assumptions. Define clearly what qualifies a respondent as experiencing the barrier, so that it is measured consistently. Where relevant, specify a reference period. Assess each barrier separately rather than combining several different barriers into one indicator.

 

3) Prepare neutral question(s) with clear answer options that will assess whether a respondent faces the given barrier. You might be able to take advantage of the guidance provided on the IndiKit website, especially when measuring supportive attitudes, perceived approval, perceived ease of practice, or the behaviour’s perceived effectiveness. Pre-test the questions to ensure that respondents understand them as intended.

4) Conduct individual interviews with a representative sample of the target group members, using the question(s) defined in point 2. Include people for whom the promoted behaviour is relevant, regardless of whether they currently practise it. Do not exclude people simply because they lack the resources or access needed to practise the behaviour, as these may be the very barriers being measured. Where feasible, also assess whether respondents currently practise the behaviour. When measuring barriers based on personal experience, distinguish difficulties respondents have experienced from those they expect they might face.

 

5) To calculate the indicator’s value, divide the number of respondents who experience the given barrier by the total number of respondents. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Do not count missing answers as indicating that the respondent does not experience the barrier. Decide in advance how to treat "does not know" answers, depending on the barrier being measured. In case you measure several barriers, calculate a separate percentage for each.

This data can be disaggregated by gender, age group, and whether respondents currently practise the behaviour. Additional criteria might include by wealth category, location, or disability status.

1) People often face multiple barriers to practicing a given behaviour. Therefore, the methodology described above is particularly useful when assessing the prevalence of several barriers. This allows you to identify which barriers affect the most people and may be worth addressing through your project. Focusing on barriers that are experienced by more people might enable the project to achieve higher impact.

At the same time, keep in mind that the most common barriers are not necessarily those that most strongly prevent the behaviour. When deciding which barriers to address, consider not only their prevalence but also how strongly they likely affect the behaviour and whether the project can realistically address them.

2) This indicator is particularly useful for monitoring whether the barriers that a project aims to address are becoming less common. It helps fill a common MEAL gap between measuring immediate results (such as increased knowledge) and longer-term outcomes (such as the adoption of a promoted practice). By tracking changes in the prevalence of key barriers, projects can assess whether conditions for practising the behaviour are improving, even before changes in the behaviour itself become evident.

Where feasible, also measure whether respondents actually practise the promoted behaviour. Compare then how frequently each barrier is reported by people who practise the behaviour and those who do not. Both measures should be collected from the same respondents to allow such comparisons. A barrier reported more frequently by non-practitioners may deserve closer attention, although this does not prove that it causes non-adoption.

3) When measuring the same barrier at different times, use consistent questions, eligibility criteria and sampling methods to ensure the results are comparable. Where possible, collect data during comparable seasons and conditions, especially when barriers are influenced by resource availability, prices or access to services.

4) For information on identifying barriers to behaviour change, please refer to GIZ’s SBC Guide (see below). For guidance on methods that are frequently used to identify which barriers to change people experience (not their prevalence), visit this website.

Also consider using the following indicators:

• Perceived Ease of Practice (measures overall perceived difficulty in practising the behaviour)

• Perceived Self-Efficacy (assesses whether non-practitioners feel capable of adopting the behaviour)

• Perceived Approval (assesses whether influential people are perceived to support the behaviour)

• Intention to Adopt a Behaviour (helps assess motivation to adopt the behaviour alongside the barriers people face)

• Perceived Social Norms (helps assess social expectations that may discourage or encourage the behaviour)