Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI)–Lessons in extension and outreach: A case of Wajir County

Abstract

In recent years, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), with many partners, has pursued a substantial research for development program to design, develop and implement market-mediated, index-based insurance products that protect livestock keepers in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) from drought-related asset losses. From the first pilot in 2010, adoption of Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) has taken place in Isiolo, Marsabit and Wajir in northern Kenya and in Borena zone in Ethiopia (Mude et al. 2010). IBLI has further expanded its operations to Mandera and Garissa in northern Kenya. This study aimed to map information flows across Wajir, understand where and when pastoralists aggregate and identify the most cost-effective and efficient mechanisms of communicating IBLI to pastoralists. The qualitative study was carried out in May 2014. Twenty-nine key informant interviews and 11 focus group discussions (FGDs) were carried out, disaggregated across gender. Since the study assessed insights from the field, a content analysis was used to classify information under emerging themes based on study objectives. Content analysis is effective in qualitative market studies such as these, as the ‘counts’ of the textual elements provide a means for identifying, organizing, indexing and retrieving data. It provides a method of obtaining ‘access’ to the words of the text or transcribed accounts offered by the respondents (Glassner and Loughlin, 1987). Using this method gave the investigators an understanding of the issues surrounding IBLI and the possible way of addressing them