Experimental Design
Treatments: The RCT includes 4 experimental arms: (1) technical training treatment (2) leadership training treatment (3) joint monitoring treatment and (4) control group.
1. Technical Training Treatment: The technical training will be structured as follows. First, participants will be trained in the design, layout and preparation of eyebrow basins, with emphasis on slope suitability and water retention capacity. Second, the training will cover the layout and preparation of micro basin including contour alignment and spacing guidelines. Third, trench preparation techniques will be given, focusing on appropriate depth, width, and with necessary related experts’ orientation. Fourth, detailed instruction will be provided on plantation pit sizing and preparation. Finally, the training will address post plant management practices, such as watering schedules, weeding strategies, and gap filling, aimed at improving plant survival rates and overall site sustainability. Participants will get hands-on technical training on demonstration sites. The training is designed to reflect existing technical gaps and align with nationally recommended watershed management standards (Community Based Participatory Watershed Development Standards). Demonstrations and practical exercises will be conducted outdoors. These sessions will cover the step-by-step preparation of the three technologies eyebrow basins, micro-basins, and trenches and their post-plant management, demonstration (successful implementations). The finalized training will be given to the chairperson and three members of the soil and water conservation committee of watershed user groups (WUGs) in the designated treatment villages. Further, awareness regarding the importance of watershed management generally and its importance in relation to climate-related challenges will be included in the training. The training will be conducted at central Farmer Training Centres (FTCs) over a two-day period. The training approach will be participatory, preparing practical demonstration, involving group discussions, practical exercises around FTC, and presentations using the prepared modules and images.
2. Leadership Training Treatment: In this treatment, we will strengthen the capacity of WUG executive committee members by focusing on six core components essential to effective and sustainable governance: leadership, planning and goal setting, inspirational leadership, participatory decision making, accountability and transparency. The training will be delivered using participatory and interactive methods such as role-playing exercise, scenario-based activities, and group discussions facilitated by experts in governance and natural resource management. The training will take place over the period of two days and will be delivered to four key members of each WUG executive committee, namely the chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and finance to ensure that core leadership positions are equipped with the necessary skills and tools.
3. Joint Monitoring Treatment (Joint Monitoring + Reward): In this treatment, we will motivate watershed user groups (WUGs) to actively implement their established goals by strengthening both their leadership, governance and implementation of sustainable biophysical watershed management practices. We will invite to a start-up meeting in which WUGs chairperson, and two active members will be introduced to the program. In addition to the three group representatives, we will invite the district NaRM experts to participate in the meeting. Group representatives will be informed to arrange a meeting, after returning to their group, and introduce the program to group members. A joint monitoring structure will be established, comprising two active WUG members and one district-level Natural Resource Management (NaRM) expert.
A detailed monitoring checklist will be developed to assess the performance of watershed user groups and their governance. This checklist will include performance measurement criteria covering both technical aspects, including the implementation and quality of watershed management practices, and governance aspects including leadership effectiveness, transparency, and accountability within the groups. The reward will be given by comparing biophysical watershed management accomplishment of the group at the endline against their respective baseline performance (achievements from previous years) allowing for a fair and evidence-based assessment of progress and effort.
Monitoring teams will use a checklist to carry out objective evaluations of watershed management activities and governance practices. These assessments will inform the selection of high performing watershed user groups, but the reward decision will be made by a separate zonal and district level rewards committee composed of senior NaRM officials and district level technical committee. This committee will review monitoring results to identify the top three performing WUGs based on transparent, predefined criteria reflecting implementations of biophysical watershed management accomplishment, membership participation and compare it with baseline performance. The reward includes material support and public recognition (e.g., certificates).
4. Control group (business-as-usual): The control group will continue with the current practices of watershed management without exposure to any additional treatments.