Using qualitative and mixed
methods in livelihood
systems profiling
Fabio Pittaluga
FAO Fisheries Department
Structure of presentation
PART ONE: Overview
The “zero-in” approach
 Applications in different contexts
 Tools used flexibly to respond to client’s needs

PART TWO: Tools for LS profiling

Two methodological elements:
– Ranked sets sampling methodology
– Methods to conduct focus groups discussions
PART ONE
Zero-in approach
Direction of research
MACRO
For ex: country
MESO
For ex: department
MICRO
For ex: household
Livelihoods of artisanal fishing communities
in Ivory Coast and Ghana
1
Secondary literature review
2
Focus group at district level defined poverty and poverty
groups within fishing communities
3
Surveyed sample of households/individuals
depending on fishing as primary activity
4
Construction of multidimensional poverty indicator on
the basis of local definitions of poverty
Ghana
The scaleable attributes module (Likert scales)
12 Livelihoods-based macro variables
Access to
resources
Infrastructure
Coping
mechanisms
Vulnerability
Institutions
Health
Financial
assets
Education
Social capital
Food
security
Employment
State of
Natural resources
Ghana
Each macro variable composed of MANY statements
Example
Statement
1
2
3
Fish catches over the past
5 years have
Substantially
decreased
Somewhat
decreased
Remained
stable
4
Slightly
increased
Maximum possible score = 5
5
Increased
considerably
Ghana
Total
Vulnerability
State of resources
Social capital
Institutions
Infrastructures
Health
Food security
Lake Volta,
Financial Asset
communities
of
Employment
fishing
Education
and
Coping mechanism
Poverty
Access to resources and asset
Ghana
5.00
4.50
4.00
3.50
3.00
2.50
2.00
1. 5 0
1. 0 0
0.50
0.00
BANGLADESH
1
Review of secondary literature and data
2
Mail survey with 105 NGOs
3
19 coastal zone district workshops
4
7 case studies
STRUCTURE OF THE WORKSHOP
a
List vulnerability factors
by livelihood group
b
Respondents select
5 most important
c
Rank according
to frequency
d
Info on spatial
and temporal
distribution, and coping
NOAKHALI
1.
4.
5.
Lack of safe drinking water /
arsenic
Cyclone / tidal bore
Drainage congestion / water
logging
Landholding problems
Labor market shortages
ARTISANAL
FISHERS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Cyclone/tidal bore
Deterioration of fish resources
Lack of communication facilities
Lack of cash
Lack of fishing equipment
RURAL WAGE
LABORERS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Labor market shortages
Low wage rate
Seasonal-labor market shortages
Lack of cash
Cyclone / tidal bore
URBAN WAGE
LABORERS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Labor market shortages
Low wage rate
Cyclone / tidal bore
Lack of sanitation facilities
Lack of skills
SMALL
FARMERS
District
2.
3.
Vote proportion
of people affected
in each group
Proportion of population of small scale farmers affected by vulnerability factors (%)
Noakhali
100
Hardly any
90
80
Few
70
%
60
Half
50
40
Many
30
20
Nearly all
10
0
Lack of safe
Cyclone / tidal
drinking water /
bore
Arsenic
Drainage
congestion /
Waterlogging
Landholding
problems
Labor market
shortages
NOAKHALI District
TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF VULNERABILITY FACTORS FOR
Small-scale farmers
SMALL FARMERS
Lack of safe drinking water / arsenic
Cyclone / tidal bore
Drainage congestion / waterlogging
Land holding problems
Lack of employment opportunities
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
CRITICAL PERIOD
PART TWO
Ranked sets sampling method:
an example from the Gambia

Poverty map existed but info not
disaggregated at village level

Two-tier approach to sampling:
– Primary units (village)
– Secondary units (households)

Ranked sets method used to sample
primary units
SELECTING 20 REPRESENTATIVE VILLAGES IN 4 DIVISIONS
Division
Kanifing
Western Division
Lower River Division
North Bank Division
TOTALS
Total villages
2
25
28
43
98
% to be sampled
2
25.5
28.6
43.9
Number of
villages to be
sampled
0.4 = 1
5.1 = 5
5.72 = 5
8.78 = 9
20
RANKING FISHING VILLAGES BY PERCEPTION OF POVERTY CONDITION
Fishing villages of Lower River Division
Jali
Keneba
Tankularr
Joli
Kemoto
Burong
Dumbuto
Tenda Ba
Juroff
Kolior
Jassobo
Masembe
Gennier
Kiaf
Jiffin
Toniata Ba
Soma
Pakalending
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
1 = poorest
5 = richest
……………………………………………………………………….
….. Same procedure for all Divisions
EXTRACTING A RANKED SET
60
50
40
30
20
Gunjur
Tanji
Sanyand
Brufut
Kartong
Bato Kunku
Pirang
Bintang
Faraba
Mandinary
Kololi
Bwiam
Brefet
Kafuta
Kalagi
Bullok
Kembuje
Bondali
Bonto
Sibanor
Ndemban
Sintet
0
Jiffarong
10
Kayaborr
19
20
22
22
24
25
26
27
28
28
28
29
29
31
32
33
34
34
38
40
50
50
53
61
62
Arangalen
Arangalen
Kayaborr
Jiffarong
Sintet
Ndemban
Sibanor
Bonto
Bondali
Kembuje
Bullok
Kalagi
Kafuta
Brefet
Bwiam
Kololi
Mandinary
Faraba
Bintang
Pirang
Bato Kunku
Kartong
Brufut
Sanyand
Tanji
Gunjur
Focus group discussions


Discuss particular set of topics
Understand processes, causality, etc.
Insights about WHY people feel
in a given manner with
respect to an issue

Focus Group settings

Homogenous group

10-15 people

Set of specific issues to deal with

No more than 2 to 2.5 hours
Conducting a FG discussion

Whenever possible do it in a team

Select a facilitator
– Follow structure but responsive to direction of
narrative flow
– Follow up on unforeseen issues emerging from
FG
– Synthesize info in visually clear manner (as
opposed to simply writing on a flip-chart…)

Others write information
Questions to ask

Broad, non-conducive, open-ended
questions

Then zero-in on specific aspects

Tackle sensitive issues indirectly
 This will tell you whether it’s ok to ask them or
not…
Recording information from FG

Write up all the information

Keep questions you may want to ask for a later
time

Observe dynamics of the group

While you write, keep a column for your
observations and questions.