Melanie Tan Uy
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Zero On-the-Ground Problem during the Philippine Fieldwork of International Partners (2023)

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The client, Finthropology, wanted to conduct a two-week field research in the Philippines. They wanted to know which location best fits the needs of the following: a vegetable farming community near the capital, Manila; recruiting digital and non-digital savvy farmers; finding a local guide/interviewer and translator. I added value by insisting on pre-fieldwork, early coordination, and training of our local researcher. My pre-planning work ensured that our client was able to fly in, conduct the research, and fly out without expected problems.
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Outline

Ongoing, what can I read now?

The analysis is underway. You can read more about how this project fits into the larger Southeast Asian experience here.

The Client

I have had a long relationship with the Managing Director at Finthropology as their on-demand UX Researcher and occasional Research Manager.
  • They work in both large internationally-funded academic and industry projects
  • They focus on qualitative approaches to money and economic behaviour across economic classes, ethnic and gender groups, particularly women, in multiple locations

Overview

 

Problem

The client wanted to investigate in the broadest terms the following:
  • The current state of Philippine agritech, agricultural markets, and farmer supply chains
  • The money and credit behaviour and decision-making of male and female farmers in their personal and farming activities
The idea is that once sufficient information is collected during the early part of the fieldwork, more focused questions on critical issues can be explored.

Project Summary

This project is primarily a discovery and generative research with a cross-cultural comparison approach to other similar markets in the region.
This is the first project initiated in the Philippines.

Research Impact

  • Local stakeholders: Our local partner and community leaders will be able to craft behaviour interventions and programmes suited to the different types of personas in their community
  • International stakeholders: These findings will help Finthropology’s partner, ACIAR, the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research redirect its funding and identify critical and urgent research topics
  • Research Process: Pre-fieldwork of at least a month is essential to identify and anticipate all roadblocks and talk with key stakeholders prior to the visit

Timeline

  • May-June 2023. I was the primary lead for the pre-fieldwork preparation, desk research, recruitment, and training of the local partner.
  • July - September 2023. I was the research support during the two weeks of fieldwork and post-fieldwork transcription and data cleaning activities
  • October - November 2023. I will provide support and review for the subsequent drafts and final presentation

Role and Responsibilities

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I fought for funding for a pre-fieldwork budget as an essential requirement to ensure problem-free fieldwork. The zero problem on the field speaks for itself.
I am a contract research coordinator and research support personnel for this project.
  • Recruited, hired, and trained the local researcher and guide
  • Emotional and training support during fieldwork
  • Coordinated logistics and access issues with local government units and local stakeholders
  • Formulated and translated questionnaires and interview guides
  • Transcribed 10 interviews

Team Composition

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I worked on both ends of the research chain: international research leads and local researchers and community leaders.
Overall Project Management
  • Managing Director, Finthropology - research proposal, preliminary research
  • Melanie - day-to-day internal team operations
Field Research
  • One local researcher
  • Two international research leaders
Research Analysis
  • Three international researchers
Final Report and Presentation
  • Senior Designer - report and presentation deck
  • Two Senior Researchers
 

Deliverables and Project Artefacts

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There will be a presentation to the local farming community. A longer deck and final report will be publicly accessible online.
Local Stakeholders
  • Simplified and fully detailed project presentations
  • Final report submission
Internal
  • Transcriptions with cultural commentaries
  • Remote meeting notes translated into English
  • Introductory letter templates in English and Filipino
  • Optional: training materials
 

Project Learnings

 
  • Make sure to include a budget for pre-fieldwork and insist on one to ensure a problem-free experience
  • Hire for enthusiasm and street smarts ahead of actual degree
  • We selected the next best location which was ultimately the top choice for travel, weather, and access.
 
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