Beyond activity monitoring: assessing behavioural change and impact
While the data management system mainly tracks project activities (plastic collection, awareness campaigns, production, etc.), it is also valuable to collect data beyond these activities. Engaging with target communities helps assess behavioural changes, measure impacts qualitatively, and gather feedback.
How the Flipflopi did it...
Surveys to measure change and impact
Over the past three years, Flipflopi has conducted several Google Forms surveys to gather insights from:
- Employees
- Informal waste collectors
- Students trained through the project
These surveys follow a Before/After approach, using past data to compare situations before and after involvement with Flipflopi.
Examples of Surveys Conducted
- Employee wellbeing survey (2022 & 2024)
- Baseline survey (end of 2022): Assessed how working with Flipflopi had affected employees’ living conditions.
- Follow-up survey (Nov 2024): Tracked further changes over time, including employee views on working conditions and any concerns.
- Socio-economic survey of waste collectors (Oct–Nov 2023)
- Involved 164 waste collectors from the plastic buy-back programme.
- Measured the impact on their wellbeing, finances, and environment.
- Identified both positive and negative effects of participating in plastic collection.
Using visual evidence for data collection
Data isn’t just about numbers or survey responses – it can also include photos to document changes.
How the Flipflopi did it...
Informal Dumpsite and Waste Management Survey (Nov 2022 & Nov 2024)
- Mapped informal dumpsites and waste management facilities in Lamu Island.
- Showed visible changes over time – some improvements, but also ongoing challenges.
- Provided photo evidence of these changes (see Figure 6 for an example of a positive shift).
Why this matters
- Surveys help measure real impact beyond numbers, showing how lives and environments change over time.
- Photo evidence strengthens findings, making it easier to communicate progress to stakeholders.
- Ongoing assessments help identify what’s working and where further improvements are needed.
Kanu Milimani in November 2022
Kanu Milimani in November 2024
Photo evidence of the evolution of an informal dumpsite in Lamu Town
How the Flipflopi did it...
Tracking local authorities’ involvement
The November 2024 follow-up survey revealed greater engagement from local authorities in waste management. This was evident in the construction of three basic waste disposal sites for households to centralise their waste (see image below).
This development provides a way to measure Project Outcome 2 from the Theory of Change.
✔ Local authorities actively participate in community waste management.
Monitoring these changes helps assess whether authorities are taking concrete steps to support better waste management practices.
Photo evidence of a new waste management infrastructure in Lamu Town (November 2024)
