30 •
Networks and partnerships are extremely important: Networks and partnerships with other agencies are important in integrating and complementing efforts in order to maximize
benefits achieved with limited resources. Having a strong partnership with the LGUs, both at the local and provincial levels, helped in the Project’s efforts to strengthen CRM and in its
advocacy for PHE beyond the Project sites.
•
Investment in livelihood activities works: The livelihood activities introduced new ways to use and manage natural resources. It gave the beneficiaries skills to produce new products
andor move up the value chain. This empowered them to be more creative and productive.
•
Reciprocal agreements can be a win-win: when communities sign a commitment to undertake conservation actions in return for support for their livelihoods initiatives, both the
people and the environment stand to benefit.
The Final BALANCED-Philippines report submitted to USAIDPhilippines is in Annex 3
III. Research Findings
Value-added research
As outlined in BALANCED’s program statement, learning from practitioner experience was a core objective of the Project. Learning goals were to assess the value added of the PHE
approach, showcase “gold standard” PHE field projects, and demonstrate the impacts of integrated field activities. To this end, the team developed a research agenda for documenting the
benefits of the PHE approach. It included developing a design and methodology for carrying out the research using baseline independent quantitative and qualitative variables. The BALANCED
team identified the Philippines as the country to implement the research. It was selected because PHE had been implemented in the country for many years, but the benefits of the PHE approach
had not been adequately researched. Collaborating with local partners, the BALANCED team conducted field research in 52
integrated PHE and non-integrated sites in the Philippines to investigate what factors contributed most to obtaining benefits from the integrated PE approach. The field data was analyzed and the
preliminary data was vetted by the PHE Policy and Practice Group. The final analysis found that the level of participation was a key determinant of benefits. Other factors found significant in
determining the degree of benefits included type of nongovernmental organization activities, context factors inherent to a community e.g., population size and density and individual
characteristics of those who participated in the project. Behavior Monitoring in Tanzania and the Philippines
The Project used its Philippine and Tanzania field sites as “living laboratories” for learning. As such, URI-CRC collaborated with the in-country teams to conduct behavior monitoring baselines
and end-of project surveys. The surveys were designed based on previous behavioral monitoring methods and instruments developed by PFPI. The baseline and end-of project surveys considered
a cross-sectional design using quantitative methods and face-to-face interviews of sample respondents. In Tanzania, surveys were conducted in eight villages—six villages in the Pangani
District: Sange, Mikocheni, Mkwaja, and Bujuni in the Mkwaja Ward and Mkalamo and
31 Mbulizaga in the Mkalamo ward; and two villages in the Bagamoyo District: Saadani and
Matipwili. In the Philippines, data was derived from 21 baseline survey and 20 end of project survey randomly selected maintenance and new communities in the Danajon Bank and Verde
Island Passage. Survey data was triangulated with data from previous surveys conducted in the Philippines and
Tanzania and with qualitative information from other sources focus group discussions and key informant interviews with, for example, local government leaders. The survey instrument
questionnaire was translated into Tagalog and Swahili and pre-tested in the field by individuals with survey implementation experience. The instruments were finalized, based on pre-test
findings, and contained socio-demographic, health, coastal conservation, and integrated population-health-environment questions.
Baseline survey
The underlying research question for the baseline surveys was “what are the structural and dynamic parameters that influence biodiversity, health, and the socio-economic conditions
among people living in the study areas?” The aim was to establish a baseline that together with data collected in subsequent surveys could describe changes in dynamics over time and guide
adaptive management processes. Also included were questions on situational dynamics, perceptions, and behaviors related to reproductive health, poverty, food security, climate change
awareness, and coastal resources management—and to assess the integration across these factors. The baselines were analyzed and written up in research reports and peer reviewed journal
articles. The BALANCED Project prepared a comparison between the Philippine and Tanzania contexts. One interesting finding is that population density is a bigger issue in the Philippines
than in Tanzania. In the former, many live on small crowded islands with no space left for more people or dwellings. In Tanzania, most respondents did not feel overpopulation is a short term
threat to the environment—partly because there is plenty of grassland remaining that could be turned into agriculture although this is not truly accurate as the land is not fertile. This implies
that the argument of population pressure alone is not a good basis for promoting FP practice in Tanzania, whereas in the Philippines, people are likely to see that families with fewer children
benefit the overall community. In Tanzania, the stronger argument is messages explaining how family planning can reduce vulnerability to poverty, food insecurity and climate change impacts
at the household level. The project tailored its IEC interventions in the Philippines and Tanzania to these findings.
End of Project Surveys and Analyses
After conducting the end of project survey in the Philippines, the BALANCED team prepared a report that compared the surveys conducted in 2011 and 2013 to assess the results and impacts of
the Project activities. The analysis indicated that there had been positive changes in knowledge and behaviors over the approximately 18 months from the beginning of the Project until the
monitoring exercise was conducted. There were increases in all the indicators that measured the impacts of increasing access to and awareness and use of FPRH services and in all contextual
indicators, except for condition of the resources. This finding shows that PHE is a working strategy in the Philippines and that expansion and scale up would be worthwhile.
32 The positive changes in perceptions and knowledge and FPRH practice were greater for the new
sites than the maintenance sites. This indicates that the greatest changes may occur in the beginning of an initiative and that it is worthwhile to expand the PHE approach to work in new
sites. However, the findings also indicate that the Project is having a consistent effect of slowly increasing the scores on the Project goal indicators examined. Hence, increased efforts in both
maintenance and new sites will probably increase the speed and degree of these positive impacts.
Another narrower finding was that more attention needs to be given to informing and convincing elders of the positive benefits of FP in dealing with current problems concerning
population and the environment. The respect with which they are held in traditional Philippine society could be used to more effectively deliver the PHE message. If they do not understand or
disagree with the approach, they could have a negative impact on its implementation. Near the end of the Tanzania field activities in 2012, the project undertook a follow-up survey to
assess the changes in behaviors and attitudes that have come about as a result of the BALANCED Project interventions. Like the 2009 survey, the end-line survey assessed the status
of population, socio-economic, health, and environmental conditions in six project villages versus two control villages. Further analyses were conducted to examine whether significant
differences existed between project and non-project participants. Comparing the results from the 2009 and 2012 surveys shows that the population, socio-economic, health and environmental
conditions of those living around SANAPA have remained relatively stable between 2009 and 2012. Some positive trends described in more detail in the Tanzania section of this report were:
• There has been an increased awareness of the benefits of planning your family within the
SANAPA community. •
Trained CBDs provide commodities to 31 percent of all pill users and 21 percent of all condom users.
• Men have become more positive towards and involved in family planning.
• People living around SANAPA have become more aware of the linkages between
population and environment. •
People have become more empowered to participate in conservation activities. Based on the overall survey results, the BALANCED Project concludes that the PHE behavior
change communications activities have been effective in inspiring positive perception changes related to FP, biodiversity conservation, HIVAIDS and gender. Improving access to FP through
community-based distribution has also been helpful, because it brings services closer for current and prospective new users.
IV. Challenges and Lessons LearnedRecommendations
