Towards better understanding the empowerment process and its effect on sustainable farm management in Bududa district, Eastern Uganda

Submitted by laurie.vanreemst on
    Organizational Context
    Name
    Laurie van Reemst
    Chairgroup
    Plant Production Systems
    Graduate school
    PE&RC
    Start date of project
    Abstract

    Environmental degradation leads to declining agricultural productivity, and decreasing food security in the highlands of rural Uganda. Projects trying to halt this problem together with farmers often focus on fast implementation of isolated practices rather than on long-term integrated outcomes. Research suggests environmental problems should be halted through promoting farmer’s own motivations, choices, and actions based on self-determination and agency. Both self-determination and agency are key aspects of the process of empowerment. Approaches that include the facilitation of empowerment in efforts to restore farms and landscapes, have a high potential for sustainable change. One example is the Integrated Farm Planning (PIP) approach which is currently implemented in Eastern Uganda. Yet, the effect of and mechanism behind the facilitation of empowerment, on sustainable farm management and livelihoods is not well known. This research aims to better understand the process of empowering farmers’ households and the effect of this process on sustainable farm management.

    Who's collecting the data

    I am responsible for collecting and managing the data used in my research, in consultation with my supervisors. At the end of the PhD project my data will be made available online (anonymized), at least for my supervisors to access and in the PPS data portal, or else stated on the groups data management plan.

    Who's analysing the data

    I am, together with help of students where necessary, for agreement in interpretation of qualitative data. 

    Location short term storage

    All data will be stored on my local harddisk in a folder called PhD.

    Within this PhD folder, I'll create per chapter the folders: DataPapers and Methodologies and scripts, Administration, Conferences and Miscellaneous. The Data folder has two sub-folders called: Raw and Processed.

    Folder contents:

    • Data - Raw sub-folder: Contains all raw data and meta-data (a description of your data).
    • Data - Processed sub-folder: Contains all processed data.
    • Papers folder: Text of a chapter / paper.  
    • Methodologies and Scripts folder: Contains all questionnaires, interviews and scripts used.
    Backup procedure

    The complete content of my local Thesis folder will be stored on my YoDa-drive. 

    During periods I'm abroad, I'll backup the complete content of my local Thesis folder to a Dropbox or MS-Onedrive Thesis folder and share the contents with my supervisor(s). 

    Research data with value for long term storage

    Every half a year data is stored in YoDa, which allows also for the PPS group data manager to access the data produced within my PhD, even when I have left.

    How to access data once you leave?

    Every half a year data is stored in YoDa, which allows also for the PPS group data manager to access the data produced within my PhD, even when I have left.