Programs should have an evidence-based theory for the extent of behavior change necessary to achieve intended outcomes and be implemented in a way likely to foster that change. One notable success of CBRLM is that it resulted in substantial adoption of key practices, many of which were sustained two years after the program ended. However, these new practices did not translate into the material outcomes anticipated in the program’s theory of change. The evaluation measured the nature and intensity of behavior change and found imperfect adoption, including a lack of coordination across farmers in a community, and individual farmers failing to implement all key behaviors, or to implement them throughout the day, throughout the year, or rigorously enough. The evaluation noted that the three-year implementation period may have been too ambitious for this kind of program, and the number and geographic distribution of participating communities made it difficult for facilitators to spend significant time in each one. Perhaps individual or community compliance would have been higher with more intensive implementation, though it is also possible that CBRLM methods were not suitable to bring about the desired changes in this environment or timeframe. Future programs should be aware of such complexities and be clear and realistic about (i) the type of behavior change sought; (ii) the quality of evidence supporting that behavior change; (iii) why the behaviors should be appropriate for the context; (iv) how the program might need to adapt given cultural or ecological variation; and (v) the duration or intensity of assistance required to bring about the targeted change.
Lesson Learned