QUICK LINKS
T8a: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Welfare Issues
T8b: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Health Service Providers
T8c: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Diseases
This PLA tool can support identification of community priorities related to a variety of topics, and you are encouraged to adapt the tool as needed to address topics relevant to your project.
Step-by-step guidance for conducting this activity is provided related to the following three topics:
- T8a: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Welfare Issues
- T8b: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Health Service Providers
- T8c: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Diseases
T8a: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Welfare Issues
This tool uses a matrix to make direct comparisons between issues, such as beating, over-loading, poor feeding practices, etc. It is used to prioritize welfare issues for taking action, which can be a useful next step after participatory welfare needs assessment (See T22 Animal Welfare Transect Walk) has been carried out. This tool is similar to T9 Matrix Ranking and Scoring in that it prioritizes issues important to communities, however does so in a quicker and simpler way, without explicitly including criteria participants use when prioritizing issues. However, reasons for particular preferences can still emerge during discussions as participants decide on their priorities. As such, this tool may be used instead of, or before a more in-depth matrix ranking and scoring activity.
| Tool purpose: | Time needed: |
| • To support animal owning communities in identifying the animal welfare issues they feel are the biggest priorities to address | 1.5-2 hours |
| Materials needed: | |
| Coloured powder, chalk, stick, tree leaves, coloured cards; chart paper and markets, or other locally available materials to represent identified criteria. |
Keyword Search Tags
Project Phase:
Planning Phase
Approaches for Working With Communities:
Community Development Approach, Community Engagement Approach
Project Support:
Participatory Learning and Action Tools, Needs Assessment, Gender Analysis
Specific Topics:
Animal Welfare, Feelings, and Needs
Pair-wise ranking and scoring of animal welfare issues
T8A Pairwise ranking and scoring of animal welfare issues in Faisalabad, Pakistan
A group of animal owners in a Brick kiln community in Faisalabad, Pakistan, ranked animal welfare issues identified in their locality according to the level of prioritization. The identified lack of available shade/shelter, inadequate provision of water, inadequate provision of mixed feed, overloading, beating and lack of timely treatment. Inadequate provision of water (score 5) and inadequate provision of mixed feed (score 4) were seen as the first and second important animal welfare issues, respectively. Participants agreed to discuss ways to address these priority issues in their next group meeting.
| Pair-wise ranking and scoring of animal welfare issues | |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Start by explaining the purpose of the exercise. Ask one or two community helpers to create a matrix on the ground or chart paper. Have a minimum of six (6) rows and columns, with room to add more should the community identify more than five animal welfare issues. Have one of the community helpers draw a line from the top left diagonal corner to the bottom right diagonal corner. Cross out the boxes below the diagonal line to avoid duplication. At the same time, ask the community to identify animal welfare issues that are common in the area. Have another community helper record them on cards. Use representative names, symbols, abbreviations, or locally available materials to depict the issues, such as different tree leaves. Make two sets of symbols for each identified issue. Place one set of names/symbols in the first column, from top to bottom. Then place the second set of names/symbols in the top row, from left to right. Please note: It is the facilitator’s job to help the community reduce the number of animal welfare issues to a maximum of six to eight (6-8) that are most common to the community should they come up with a long list. Please note: Ensure that you have multiple copies of the symbols to prepare for the prioritisation. |
| Step 2 | One by one, compare each name/symbol in the columns with each symbol in the rows. Encourage participants to discuss which animal welfare issues they would prioritise over the other and ask why. Have the community members place the preferred name/symbol in the relevant box in the matrix. Please note: Coming to an agreement on the priority animal welfare issues may cause some debate amongst participants. These discussions are important as they generate understanding of the rationale underlying participant’s prioritisation of issues. As a facilitator, allow and encourage this discussion without inserting your ideas. Ask the community helper to record the reasons for their prioritisation. |
| Step 3 | Count the number of times each option appears in the matrix. Add them up and record totals at the bottom of the matrix using seeds, pebbles, or numbers (scoring). Then make a list of the options with the most prioritised animal welfare issue ranked first. Once complete, consider using the following questions to generate a discussion about the results: • Does everyone agree on the prioritised issues? • What is the impact of the prioritised issues on animal-owning households? (e.g. livelihoods) • What can be done to improve the prioritised animal welfare issues? • Who needs to do what? • What opportunities exist for participants to address the priority animal welfare issues and/or improve their current animal husbandry and management practices? |
| Step 4 | Summarize the results of the activity and have the community helper add any actions and activities to the community action plan. Agree on a date and time for the next session. The matrix should be left with the community. Make a copy or take a photograph for your reference for future discussions and further action planning. Add a copy to your project action tracker. |
Facilitator’s notes: Pair-wise ranking & scoring of animal welfare issues
- If the number of items to be compared is too large, this exercise can become boring for participants. In this case, help participants to reduce the list by focusing on a smaller number of prioritised items.
- Make sure the animal welfare issues are very clear and precise. For example, if the community identifies water, clarify whether the issue of water is about water provision, water access/availability, water distance, etc.
- The discussions that people have about why they choose one option over another are just as important as the result. It is important to allow these discussions to happen. Take notes on the criteria participants use to decide on their priorities.
- Some diseases and conditions may be identified as a major animal welfare issue in the community, such as colic. These may also be included in the issues list.
- This activity might identify potential influencers. Consider involving them in to future sessions to help strengthen the identified opportunities for change.
Next steps
- Use understandings gained about what motivates animal-owning communities to inform the design of projects and/or strategies
- Priority issues agreed by the group for further exploration and/or action may be revisited during community action planning and included in relevant sections of the community action plan (e.g. issues and action sections)
- T26 Animal Welfare Cause and Effect Analysis to identify and promote understanding of the root causes of priority animal welfare issues and related implications for people and animals
T8b: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Health Service Providers
This tool uses a matrix to make direct comparisons between animal diseases common to a community. It is used to prioritize animal diseases to address, which can be a useful next step after participatory welfare needs assessment (See T22 Animal Welfare Transect Walk) has been carried out. This tool is similar toT9 Matrix Ranking and Scoring in that it prioritizes diseases important to communities, however does so in a quicker and simpler way, without explicitly including criteria participants use when prioritizing issues. However, reasons for particular preferences can still emerge during discussions as participants decide on their priorities. As such, this tool may be used instead of, or before a more in-depth matrix ranking and scoring activity.
| Tool purpose: | Time needed: |
| • To support animal owning communities in identifying and prioritizing animal diseases to address. | 2 hours |
| Materials needed: | |
| Coloured powder, chalk, stick, tree leaves, coloured cards; chart paper and markets, or other locally available materials to represent identified criteria |
Keyword Search Tags
Project Phase:
Initiation Phase, Implementation Phase
Approaches for Working With Communities:
Community Development Approach, Community Engagement Approach, Societal Outreach and Campaigns Approach
Behavioural Drivers (COM-B):
Behaviour Change Diagnosis and Planning
Project Support:
Participatory Learning and Action Tools, Needs Assessment, Gender Analysis
Pair-wise ranking and scoring of animal diseases
The matrix below compares common diseases in working animals and identifies which of them are perceived to be the biggest problem by the community. This activity helps people to understand the common diseases in their community and local area and can be used to inform the T26 Animal Welfare Cause and Effect Analysis.
T8B Pairwise scoring and ranking of animal diseases
A group of animal owners identified, compared and ranked six diseases, using tree leaves as symbols for respiratory problems, surra (trypanosomiasis – biting flies), worm infestation, ectoparasites, wounds and tetanus. This showed that tetanus was seen by the group to be the biggest welfare problem, followed by surra. Though worm infestation was initially identified as one of the most important diseases, it was found to be less important than other diseases during pair-wise comparisons. This tool was used to inform action planning and followed up with a T15 Cost-Benefit Analysis. The community decided to take up community-led vaccination of their animals against tetanus.
| Pair-wise ranking and scoring of animal diseases | |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Start by explaining that the purpose of the exercise. Ask one or two community helpers to create a matrix on the ground using coloured powder, chalk, or a stick or on chart paper using markers. Have a minimum of six (6) rows and columns, with room to add more should the community identify more than five diseases. Have one of the community helpers draw a line from the top left diagonal corner to the bottom right diagonal corner. Cross out the boxes below the diagonal line to avoid duplication (see Figure T8b). At the same time, start by asking the community to identify diseases that are commonly found in the area. Have another community helper record them on cards. Use representative names, symbols, abbreviations, or locally available materials to depict the diseases, such as different tree leaves. Make two sets of symbols for each identified disease. Place one set of names/symbols in the first column, from top to bottom. Then place the second set of names/symbols in the top row, from left to right. Please note: Depending on the context, the participants may call refer to the diseases by local names and identify them by sign, symptom, effect and/or seasonality. The facilitator should have a good basic knowledge of diseases in the area to identify them. Please note: It is the facilitator’s job to help the community reduce the number of diseases to a maximum of eight (8) should they come up with a long list. |
| Step 2 | One by one, compare each name/symbol in the columns with each symbol in the rows. Encourage participants to discuss which disease they would prioritise over the other and ask why. If a second facilitator is available, have him/her record the reasons for their prioritisation. If one is not available, remember to later record the reasons after the session. Please note: Coming to an agreement on the priority diseases may cause some debate amongst participants. These discussions are important as they generate understanding of the rationale underlying participant’s prioritisation of diseases. As a facilitator, allow and encourage this discussion without inserting your ideas. Have the community members place the preferred name/symbol in the relevant box on the matrix |
| Step 3 | Count the number of times each option appears in the matrix. Add them up and record totals at the bottom of the matrix using seeds, pebbles, or numbers (scoring). Then make a list of the options with the most prioritised disease ranked first. Once complete, consider using the following questions to generate a discussion about the results: • Does everyone agree on the prioritised diseases? • What is the impact of the prioritised diseases on animal-owning households? (e.g. livelihoods) • If they have not been identified through the activity, ask what are current disease prevention and treatment practices? • What can be done to prevent the prioritised diseases? |
| Step 4 | Summarize the results of the activity and have the community helper add any actions and activities to the community action plan. Agree on a date and time for the next session. The matrix should be left with the community. Make a copy or take a photograph for your reference for future discussions and further action planning. Add a copy to your project action tracker. |
Facilitator’s notes: Pair-wise ranking
- If the number of diseases to be compared is too long, this exercise can be boring. In this case, help participants to reduce the list of by focusing on a smaller number of prioritised diseases.
- The discussions that people have about why they choose one option over another are just as important as the result. It is important to allow these discussions to happen. Take notes on the criteria participants use to decide on their priorities.
- Participants may not know the scientific names of diseases and will have local names for them. The facilitator should have basic knowledge of animal diseases when participants come up with signs, symptoms, effects and seasonality in order to identify them.
Next Steps
- Use understandings gained about what motivates animal owning communities’ to inform the design of projects and/or strategies
- Priority diseases agreed by the group for further exploration and/or action may be revisited during community action planning and/or included in relevant sections of the community action plan (e.g. issues and action sections)
- T26 Animal Welfare Cause and Effect Analysis to understand the root causes of priority animal diseases and related implications for people and animals
T8c: Pairwise Ranking and Scoring of Animal Diseases
This activity uses a matrix to make direct comparisons between resource and service providers. This tool is similar to matrix ranking and scoring (T9), as it prioritizes animal related resources and service providers important to communities, however does so in a quick and simple way, without including criteria participants use when prioritizing. However, reasons for their particular preferences can emerge during discussions between participants when priorities are debated.
| Tool purpose: | Time needed: |
| • To support animal owning communities in identifying and prioritizing the local resource and service providers important to their animals’ welfare • To identify types of resource and service providers the project can engage to support animal welfare improvements • To generate peer-peer discussion and learning about the importance of different animal-related resources and services to their animals’ welfare in a process of self-sensitization towards understanding animal welfare needs | 1.5-2 hours |
| Materials needed: | |
| Coloured powder, chalk, stick, tree leaves, coloured cards or other locally available materials to represent diseases, items and service providers |
Keyword Search Tags
Project Phase:
Planning Phase
Approaches for Working With Communities:
Community Development Approach, Community Engagement Approach
Project Support:
Participatory Learning and Action Tools, Needs Assessment
Specific Topics:
Animal Health and Services
Pair-wise ranking and scoring of animal-related resource & service providers
Pair-wise ranking and scoring may be used to analyze several aspects of resource and service providers, such as the importance of each on the welfare of animals, ranking of the quality, cost or availability of different providers (for example the veterinarians, animal health workers, feed, fodder and equipment sellers, etc.) or ranking several providers of the same service, such as the animal health workers in one locality.
T8c Pairwise ranking of resources and service providers in Halaba, Ethiopia
A group of animal owners scored and ranked animal-related resource and service providers in Halaba, Ethiopia, according to who they found most important for the welfare of their animal. They started by identifying the animal-related resource and service providers, including the farrier, the animal health service provider, the saddle maker, the shelter provider, the harness maker and the feed seller. The shelter provider, with whom they rent shelter space, was seen as the most important, as their animals are at risk at being attacked by hyenas at night. The shelter is important for preventing injury or death of animals. The second most priority animal-related service provider was the feed seller, as there is not enough available land and grass for grazing during the year since the area is highly prone to drought.
| Pair-wise ranking and scoring of animal-related resource and service providers | |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Start by explaining that the purpose of the exercise. Ask one or two community helpers to create a matrix on the ground using coloured powder, chalk, or a stick or on chart paper using markers. Have a minimum of six (6) rows and columns, with room to add more should the community identify more than five criteria. Have one of the community helpers draw a line from the top left diagonal corner to the bottom right diagonal corner. Cross out the boxes below the diagonal line to avoid duplication (see Figure T8C). At the same time, start by asking the community to identify the animal-related resource and service providers that are important for animals’ welfare. Have another community helper record them on cards or post-it notes. Use representative symbols, abbreviations, or locally available materials to depict the resource and service providers, such as different tree leaves. Make two sets of symbols for each identified resource and service provider. Place one set of symbols in the first column, from top to bottom. Then place the second set of symbols in the top row, from left to right. Please note: It is the facilitator’s job to help the community reduce the number of resource and service providers to a maximum of eight (8) should they come up with a long list. Please note: Ensure that you have multiple copies of the symbols to prepare for the prioritisation. |
| Step 2 | One by one, compare each symbol in the columns with each symbol in the rows. Encourage participants to discuss which resource or service provider they would prioritise over the other and ask why. If a second facilitator is available, have him/her record the reasons for their prioritisation. If one is not available, remember to later record the reasons after the session. Please note: Coming to an agreement on the priority resource and service providers may cause some debate amongst participants. These discussions are important as they generate understanding of the rationale underlying participant’s prioritisation of resource and service providers. As a facilitator, allow and encourage this discussion without inserting your ideas. Have the community members place the preferred symbol in the relevant box on the matrix. |
| Step 3 | Count the number of times each option appears in the matrix. Add them up and record totals at the bottom of the matrix using seeds, pebbles, or numbers (scoring). Then make a list of the options with the most-preferred option ranked first. Once complete, consider using the following questions to generate a discussion about the results: • Does everyone agree on the prioritised resource and service providers? • Are you satisfied with the available resource and service provision? Summarize the results of the activity and agree a time to schedule a follow-up session to undertake next steps as relevant to the context. |
| Step 4 | The matrix should be left with the community. Make a copy or take a photograph for your reference for future discussions and action planning. Add a copy to your project action tracker. |
Facilitator’s notes: Pair-wise ranking
- If the number of items being compared is too long, this exercise can be boring for participants. In this case, assist participants in reducing the list by focusing on a smaller number of prioritised service providers.
- The discussions that people have about why they choose one option over another are just as important as the result. It is important to allow these discussions to happen. Consider asking a second facilitator to join you in order to capture the information that comes from the discussion or document them yourself after your community visit.
- Depending on the context, , consider carrying out this activity separately between men and women or different groups of people in the project’s planning phase (e.g. owners, users, carers) and compare the results. Differences in the roles people play in animals’ lives and/or how they depend on their animals can influence how people prioritise choices. Discuss any differences in their responses and reasons for those differences.
- This activity might identify potential local service provider influencers. Consider involving them in to future sessions to help strengthen the identified opportunities for change.
Next Steps
- T9 Matrix Ranking and Scoring to deeply analyze the resource and service providers based on selected criteria to understand the barriers
- T15 Cost-Benefit Analysis to explore the risks and opportunities of using one service or resource provider over another
- T26 Animal Welfare Cause and Effect Analysis to understand the root causes of priority resource and service provider issues and related implications for people and animals