Fieldwork Preparation

Preparation before going to the field is necessary in order to reduce the impact of disturbances or unpredictable events that eventuate during the research fieldwork. This does not mean that all disturbances can be avoided in the field, but at least, I could minimize them by preparing well. The preparations for fieldwork meant my field research did go easily and smoothly.

Preparation included a literature review of participation in development. Aside from books and journals I also used other secondary sources. According to Yin (2003, pp. 83-108), there are six sources of data and information to be collected in the case study research, these are: documents, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant-observation, and although not relevant in my research, physical artefacts. Yin (2003) states that the first principle the researcher should give attention to are that data should be collected from different sources.

Documents and archival records (the secondary sources) were sought from different stakeholders such as: the IFAD website, the FSA-MoA, the PIDRA project managers, and local government in East Java. These documents and archival records were largely in the form of monitoring and evaluation reports, baseline data, or the progress reports of the PIDRA project specifically related to the participation of target participants in the target area.

The purpose for using these secondary sources was not only to write a literature review but also to get to know the project and target areas. Through this, I gained a general picture about the situation in the target areas, culture, language and custom of the people in those areas and how to access these places. In order to understand more about the project and target areas, I also contacted people in the National Project Management Office in Jakarta and asked for initial data and information. I had conversations with the National Project Coordinator and asked for permission and a formal recommendation to go to the field. In this way, I could have access to the Provincial and District Project Management. Aside from permission, I also asked for recommendations on suitable target areas for my research. The recommendation from the National Project Coordinator of the target areas helped me to plan my

fieldwork in Indonesia. This selection of case study areas will be discussed further below.

In the process of preparing the research, I also decided what kind of approach I could use in my research. The research approach needed to be decided before leaving for the field because this provided guidelines on what methods would help me to answer the research questions. Furthermore, the approach adopted influences how ethical issues would be approached considered during the preparation period; this will be discussed in more detail later.

4.2.1 Research Approach

In this research, a qualitative research method was used in examining the likely sustainability of the PIDRA project in Indonesia. This method was used because of its utility in examining the participant’s daily life, knowledge, and practices (Flick, 2006; Brockington & Sullivan, 2003). This method allows the stories and interpretations of the participants towards the project to emerge as much as possible. Furthermore, qualitative methods can be used with people or places that are familiar to us as well as in situations somewhat removed, geographically and otherwise, from our own situations (Brockington & Sullivan, 2003, p.59).

In carrying out this research, a case study approach was adopted in order to answer the question of “what kind of participation promotes project sustainability?” As Ellet (2007) contends, a case study essay can be used to answer the research questions of what?, why?, and how?-in real life situations. Yin (2003, p.7) also adds that the case study approach is useful in examining contemporary events when “the relevant behaviours cannot be manipulated”. Given that the research question focuses on participation, I preferred to use the more participatory interactive methods of qualitative research where the participants are able to guide the research process, rather than the extractive methods such as used in structured questionnaires and surveys.

4.2.2 The Selection of the Case Study Areas

This research was conducted in Indonesia with the consideration that I originally come from this country, and thus, already know the language and the background to

the country. Limitations of time and cost narrowed down the research area to focus only in the East Java Province. East Java has been chosen as the case study area because the PIDRA Project in this province has been reported to have a range of sustainable and unsustainable self-help groups and services. This research was conducted over a period of approximately 5 weeks between April and May 2008. Initial contact was made in the first week with the FSA-MoA in Jakarta where the PIDRA project is administered, to get permission and access to the PIDRA management in the national, provincial, and district levels. Subsequently, contact with the National Project Coordinator was made in order to ask for their recommendation of the most suitable areas in East Java for the research based on the performance of participation and the likely sustainability of the project (measured according to the PIDRA/IFAD indicators of sustainability).

The areas that were firstly recommended by the National Project Coordinator in Jakarta were Pacitan and Ponorogo. The reason for this was because he felt that these areas represented examples of both the sustainable and unsustainable aspects of the PIDRA project. According to him, Pacitan has more SHGs which were exhibiting less-sustainable performance. Meanwhile, Ponorogo has been known as district with good performing SHGs. In the end I added another district, Trenggalek, because I knew a person who had access to the PIDRA Project in Trenggalek. The Project Coordinator in Jakarta allowed me to go to this place and mentioned that this district has better performance of sustainability compared to Ponorogo district. In the end, these three districts were chosen due to consideration of my own safety, due to political conflicts and natural disasters, and also to guarantee the continuation of the research in the future.

4.2.3 Ethical Issues

Ethical issue have been a central concern at all stages of my research before, during, and after the data collection process. Massey University as an institution requires independent research relating to human subjects to go through a formal human ethics procedure. The purpose of this requirement is to protect both the research participants and myself as the researcher from any harmful consequences caused by the research.

Aware of the importance of the ethical issues in my research, I followed a formal human ethics process. The initial screening questionnaire that I used showed that the likelihood of harm from my research was minimal and no more than was normally encountered in daily life. This meant that I followed a “low risk notification” process as it would cause no potential harm to the participants.

I was also subject to an internal ethics review process in the form of an in-house meeting with both of my supervisors. In the meeting, we reviewed the chosen research strategy and the ethical issues that I should be considered in doing my research, specifically during the data collection process. I found this discussion was useful for me because it prepared and reminded me how to conduct the research in an ethical manner. Subsequently, I submitted a Human Ethics Application for low risk notification and a comprehensive outline of research, accompanied by the Screening Questionnaire, to the Massey University Human Ethics Committee.

I was aware that the applied research methods could harm the safety, dignity, or privacy of participants of the study, as well as to me as the researcher. Hence, I sought proper permission from the Project Coordinator of the PIDRA in the capital city, provincial, and district levels before going to the field. The interviews with the government officials related to PIDRA were conducted during the period of waiting for this permission. The consent of the government was arranged before the interview by completing the consent form of Massey University. I sought oral consent from the villagers who are unable to provide written consent and recorded it on a tape, while for the villagers who are able to write and read their consent was sought by using the Massey University consent form.

The consent statements, whether in the written or oral style, notified participants of all the information relevant to their decision to participate. This included the information about the purpose of the interview and research, how the research would be conducted, the rights of participants to accept or refuse to participate in the research, to decline to answer any particular question, to withdraw any information that they have shared at any time after the interview or some point of time later in life, and to access the summary of the research findings after it is complete. Thus, by using the consent form at the beginning of the interviews the target participants could agree or decline their participation in the research.

In order for the participants to be comfortable in sharing their perception towards the project, the participants were allowed to use their own language. As I do not come from the research areas I used research assistants to interpret their language. Every time I came to the district I asked the Project Coordinator in the district to find me a person willing to accompany me and be my translator in the field. The purpose of the research assistant in the field was not only to help me to translate the language, but also to help me understand the culture and customs of the local people. Thus, I was able to avoid problems that could have affected the research and the safety of the participants in ethical manner.

During each interview, I tried to respect the privacy and confidentiality of the participants by ensuring anonymity and confidentiality of the information given. This also included the assurance that their participation would not influence their position in government, and neither will the information gathered identify them. I informed the participants that their involvement in the research was voluntary and that they had the right to freely decide their involvement in the exercise. As for the research assistants, they were obliged to sign an agreement of confidentiality in order to protect the confidentiality of the participants. This agreement of confidentiality is not only useful for protecting the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants, but also useful in protecting themselves from being asked by other villagers or stakeholders about information provided by participants.

In the research field, I am aware of the conflict of roles and interest that might happen between my role as an employee of the FSA-MoA and as a student doing independent research. In order to prevent this conflict, I explained to the PIDRA Project Coordinator at national, provincial, and district levels, about the purpose and significance of the study as well as my position in this study. By explaining my position in this study, I was able to easily get data and information that I needed from the government and project management. I also explained to the villagers who were participating in my research, that although I work with the government, this research will never influence their position in the project and their information will never be given to anybody. I also emphasised several times that the result findings is solely my view and this is not reflecting the view of the Agency or Massey University.