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A cluster randomized trial of video-mediated agricultural extension services in Ethiopia

Last registered on March 31, 2019

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
A cluster randomized trial of video-mediated agricultural extension services in Ethiopia
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0003724
Initial registration date
March 28, 2019

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
March 31, 2019, 11:14 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
International Food Policy Research Institute

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
International Food Policy Research Institute
PI Affiliation
International Food Policy Research Institute; University of Bordeaux
PI Affiliation
International Food Policy Research Institute

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2017-06-01
End date
2019-12-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This study assesses the effects of video-mediated agricultural extension provision on both farmers and extension agents in Ethiopia. The study evaluates a public extension program that integrates informational video screening with extension service provision to improve farmers’ knowledge about specific crop management technologies and practices, and to accelerate the adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices. Specifically, the study focuses on a program piloted by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), regional bureaus of agriculture, and Digital Green, a social enterprise, in the country’s four most agriculturally important regional states.

Our study investigates three main questions. First, to what extent does video-mediated extension lead to increased farmer adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices by smallholder farmers? Second, is extension targeted at both spouses of the household more effective than when targeted at the (typically male) household head only? Third, does video-mediated extension lead to improvements in extension agent motivation, effort, and performance?

The study uses a randomized controlled trial to explore the impact of video-mediated extension on the production of three crops (teff, wheat, maize) with three technologies (row planting, lower seeding rate, and fertilizer top dressing) that have been prioritized by the Government of Ethiopia. We use a three-arm stratified cluster randomized design, with stratification at the level of the district (woreda) and clusters at the level of the village cluster (kebele), which is also the primary level at which agricultural extension is organized in Ethiopia. Within each woreda, kebeles were randomly allocated to one of three groups: (T0), a control group in which the Government of Ethiopia’s conventional extension approach is targeted at the (typically male) household head; (T1), a treatment group (denoted “Regular DG”) in which Digital Green’s standard video-mediated approach is targeted at the (typically male) household head; and (T2), a treatment group (denoted “DG + spouse”) in which Digital Green’s standard video-mediated approach is targeted at both the household head and his spouse. In each group, the same suite of agricultural technologies and practices was promoted. The design allows us to compare how farmers respond to the same information regarding improved technologies and practices when the information is disseminated through the standard extension approach versus when the approach is supported by video mediation.

Data for this study are drawn from a series of surveys conducted among farmers and extension agents participating in the study. A random sample of more than 890 extension agents participating in one of the three treatment arms were surveyed with the rollout (i.e., at baseline) during the 2017 meher (rainy) season in May-June 2017. This was followed by a survey of more than 2,400 randomly selected households assigned to one of the three treatment arms after the initial (year 1) rollout in early 2018, following the meher season harvest, as well as a follow-up survey of same extension agents. A subsequent round of household and DA surveys are scheduled for early 2019, following the year 2 rollout of the implementation. Data on household, farm, kebele, and extension agent characteristics were collected in this initial series of surveys and will continue to be collected in subsequent surveys. Data are also collected on key outcome variables, including access to extension services, knowledge about the focal technologies, uptake and adoption of these technologies, and changes in productivity and marketing.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Abate, Gashaw et al. 2019. "A cluster randomized trial of video-mediated agricultural extension services in Ethiopia." AEA RCT Registry. March 31. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.3724-2.0
Former Citation
Abate, Gashaw et al. 2019. "A cluster randomized trial of video-mediated agricultural extension services in Ethiopia." AEA RCT Registry. March 31. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/3724/history/195639
Sponsors & Partners

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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study assesses the effects of video-mediated agricultural extension provision on both small-scale farmers and extension agents in Ethiopia. The study evaluates a public extension program that integrates informational video screening with extension service provision to improve farmers’ knowledge about specific crop management technologies and practices, and to accelerate the adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices. The study specifically focuses on a program first piloted in 2014 by the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the regional bureaus of agriculture, and Digital Green, a social enterprise, in the country’s four most agriculturally important regional states. The program--deemed a candidate for scaling up following the pilot--was expanded to 68 woredas (districts) in 2016. We use the program's scaling-up phase to measure the impact of the video-mediated extension approach.

The video-mediated extension program is comprised of three interlinked components: (1) bringing farmers together in small development groups, (2) conducting videos screening with development groups that are facilitated by extension agents (referred to as "development agents" or DAs in Ethiopia), and (3) verifying the uptake of the crop management technologies and practices in the field. In this approach, Digital Green works with partners—woreda extension staff such as subject matter specialists and local NGOs where appropriate—to produce short videos featuring local farmers speaking in local languages about the subject technologies and practices. These videos were screened using USB-charged PICO projectors by local DAs assigned to the kebele. Videos are screened with development groups (or several development groups if necessary) in a manner designed to facilitate learning and discussion. Specifically, DAs screen the videos several times during the meeting, and pause the videos at certain intervals to entertain questions or provide additional details. DAs augment their facilitation with input from model farmers belonging to the development group(s) present at the screening. These screening sessions are conducted several times during the season in a manner that synchronized the video content with the crop calendar and farm activities.

Our evaluation investigates three main questions related to this program. First, to what extent does video-mediated extension lead to increased farmer adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices by smallholder farmers? Second, is extension targeted at both spouses of the household more effective than when targeted at the (typically male) household head only? Third, does video-mediated extension lead to improvements in extension agent motivation, effort, and performance?

We approach these questions with a randomized controlled trial that explores the impact of video-mediated extension on the production of three crops (teff, wheat, maize) with three technologies (row planting, lower seeding rate, and fertilizer top dressing) that have been prioritized by the Government of Ethiopia. We use a three-arm stratified cluster randomized design, with stratification at the level of the woreda and clusters at the level of the village cluster (kebele), which is also the primary level at which agricultural extension is organized in Ethiopia. Within each woreda, kebeles were randomly allocated to one of three groups: (T0), a control group in which the Government of Ethiopia’s conventional extension approach is targeted at the (typically male) household head; (T1), a treatment group (denoted “Regular DG”) in which Digital Green’s standard video-mediated approach is targeted at the (typically male) household head; and (T2), a treatment group (denoted “DG + spouse”) in which Digital Green’s standard video-mediated approach is targeted at both the household head and his spouse. In each group, the same suite of agricultural technologies and practices was promoted. The design allows us to compare how farmers respond to the same information regarding improved technologies and practices when the information is disseminated through the standard extension approach versus when the approach is supported by video mediation.

The trial was initially rolled out in 350 kebeles during the 2017 meher (rainy) season in May-June 2017, with 118 kebeles assigned as controls, 115 assigned to T1, and 117 assigned to T2. Data were collected as follows. First, a total of 896 extension agents (referred to as “development agents” (DAs) in Ethiopia) working in these kebeles were surveyed with the rollout (i.e., at baseline). Second, a total of 2,422 households were then surveyed after the initial (year 1) rollout in early 2018, following the meher season harvest. Third, the same DAs were visited in early 2018 for a follow-up survey. A subsequent round of household and DA surveys is scheduled for early 2019, following the year 2 rollout of the implementation. Data on household, farm, kebele, and extension agent characteristics were collected in this initial series of surveys and will continue to be collected in subsequent surveys. Data are also collected on key outcome variables, including access to extension services, knowledge about the focal technologies, uptake and adoption of these technologies, and changes in productivity and marketing.
Intervention Start Date
2017-06-01
Intervention End Date
2019-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Access to extension via development agents
Changes in knowledge of improved agricultural technologies (row planting, lower seeding rate, and urea side dressing for teff, wheat, and maize)
Changes in the adoption of the subject technologies and practices (row planting, lower seeding rate, and urea side dressing for teff, wheat, and maize)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Farmers’ knowledge is measured using scores on a knowledge tests made up of 17, 16, and 16 questions related to teff, wheat, and maize, respectively.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Changes in area under cultivation for teff, wheat, and maize
Changes in input use for teff, wheat, and maize
Changes in yield for teff, wheat, and maize
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Farmers' yields will be measured based on self-reported output quantities and landholding sizes, and will be compared against yields using landholding sizes mapped by the survey team using GPS devices

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In this study, we employ a three-arm stratified cluster randomized design. Stratification occurs at the level of the district (woreda) and clusters are defined at the level of the village cluster (kebele), which is the primary level at which agricultural extension is organized in Ethiopia. Within each woreda, kebeles were randomly allocated to one of three groups: (T0), a control group in which the Government of Ethiopia’s conventional extension approach is targeted at the (typically male) household head; (T1), a treatment group (denoted “Regular DG”) in which Digital Green’s standard video-mediated approach is targeted at the (typically male) household head; and (T2), a treatment group (denoted “DG + spouse”) in which Digital Green’s standard video-mediated approach is targeted at both the household head and his spouse. In each group, the same suite of agricultural technologies and practices was promoted. The design allows us to compare how farmers respond to the same information regarding improved technologies and practices when the information is disseminated through the standard extension approach versus when the approach is supported by video mediation.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization was done in the office by a computer
Randomization Unit
Kebele (village cluster, which is the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia)
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
348 kebeles (village clusters)
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,436 households (7 households per cluster)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Planned sample size and number of clusters by treatment arm:
812 households in 116 kebeles for the control group (T0)
812 households in 116 kebeles for the “Regular DG” treatment arm (T1)
812 households in 116 kebeles for the “DG + Spouse” treatment arm (T2)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
The minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering) are as follows: 9 percentage point increase in adoption of row planting 7 percentage point increase adoption of lower seeding rate 12 percentage point increase in urea application
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Institutional Review Board, International Food Policy Research Institute (IRB #00007490; FWA #00005121)
IRB Approval Date
2017-05-30
IRB Approval Number
EPTD-18-1157

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
October 31, 2019, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
October 31, 2019, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
Unit of randomization: kebeles (village clusters)
Year 1: Full sample: 347 kebeles, 2,422 households
Year 2: Full sample: 342 kebeles, 2,345 households
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
Year 1: Full sample: 347 kebeles (village clusters), 2,422 households
Year 2: Full sample: 342 kebeles, 2,345 households
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
Year 1 Treatment Group 1: 115 kebeles, 798 households Treatment Group 2: 116 kebeles, 812 households Control Group: 116 kebeles, 812 households Year 2 Treatment Group 1: 112 kebeles, 764 households Treatment Group 2: 115 kebeles, 789 households Control: 115 kebeles, 792 households
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
Yes

Program Files

Program Files
No
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Abstract
Despite enthusiasm around applications of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to smallholder agriculture in many lower-income countries, there are still many questions on the effectiveness of ICT-based approaches. This study assesses the impacts of video-mediated agricultural extension service provision on farmers’ adoption of improved agricultural technologies and practices in Ethiopia using data from a two-year randomized experiment. Our results show that the video-mediated extension approach significantly increases uptake of recommended technologies and practices by improving extension access and farmer knowledge. Specifically, we find that video-mediated extension reaches a wider audience than the government’s conventional extension approach and leads to higher levels of farmer understanding and uptake of the subject technologies in those locations randomly assigned to the program. While our results also point to greater extension access and greater knowledge among female spouses in locations where both male and female spouses were targeted by the program, we do not find clear evidence that a more inclusive approach translates into higher uptake of the subject technologies. Finally, we find that the video-mediated approach becomes less costly as the scale of operation increases.
Citation
Abate, G.T., Bernard, T., Makhija, S. and Spielman, D.J., 2023. Accelerating technical change through ICT: Evidence from a video-mediated extension experiment in Ethiopia. World Development, 161, p.106089.

Reports & Other Materials

Description
Project note/report
Citation
Abate, G.T., Bernard, T., Makhija, S., and Spielman, D.J. 2021. Accelerating technical change through ICTs: Evidence from a video-mediated extension experiment in Ethiopia. IFPRI Project Note December 2021. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
Description
Project note/report
Citation
Makhija, S., Spielman, D.J., Abate, G.T., and Bernard, T. 2019. Opportunities and challenges in field data validation and corroboration: Matching household survey data with project monitoring data in Ethiopia. Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
Description
Working paper
Citation
Abate, G.T., T. Bernard, S. Makhija, and D.J. Spielman. 2019. Accelerating Technical Change through Video-mediated Agricultural Extension: Evidence from Ethiopia. IFPRI Discussion Paper 01851. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
Description
Project note/report
Citation
Bernard, T., Makhija, S., Spielman, D.J., and Abate, G.T. 2019. The (marginal) cost of technology adoption: A cost-effectiveness analysis of Digital Green’s video-mediated agricultural extension approach in Ethiopia. Project Note. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.
Description
Project note/report
Citation
Bernard, T., Makhija, S., Orkin, K., Taffesse, A.S., and Spielman, D.J. 2016. Video-based agricultural extension: Analysis of a pilot project in Ethiopia. Project Note. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute.