In order to help me analyse the data collected, I have adopted a “Thematic Analytical” (TA) method. Using this method, I have analysed the data I collected in three phases. In the first phase of my research trip to Ethiopia in April-June 2013, I have collected and analysed data
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from the African Union, the Ethiopian Government and the Ethiopian Research Organisation offices.
The second phase was analysing the data I gathered from Ethiopia in April-July 2014. The data I have examined was gathered from the Ethiopian Federal, Regional, Zone, Woreda and Kebele offices. I have also analysed the ground level data collected from two selected village participants. Household interviews, focus groups and in-depth interviews including key- informant interview data have been analysed after returning back to the UK in August 2014. The 3rd stage of my data analysis process included putting all my data findings and information
together from 2013-2014. I had to put together the African Union and the Ethiopian Government policy level information; and also data I have gathered from the Ethiopian Research Organisations and the Ethiopian Federal, Regional, Zone, Woreda and Kebele level policy process interviews. Moreover, the ground level data I have gathered from the 60 households, 12 focus group discussions, 20 in-depth interviews and 10 key informants had to also be put together with the rest of the data to make sense out of it all; and address the thesis aim, objectives and research questions. To help me with the data analysis process, I have used thematic analysis method.
One of the main reasons for selecting and using thematic analysis method for my analysis is according to Guest (2012), TA is one of the most common forms of analysis in qualitative research. Braun et al. also stated that thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analysing and interpreting themses in qualitative research. Moreover, this method highlights pinpointing, examining and recording themes within data (Braun and Clarke 2006). According Guest (2012), themes are patterns across data sets that are significant to the report of a phenomenon; and they are related to a specific research question. Like other qualitative methods, thematic analysis assists the gathering of knowledge of the meaning made of the experience under researched by the groups studied; and presents the necessary foundation for establishing suitable models of human behaviour, thinking and feeling (Joffe 2012).
Braun and Clarke (2006) added that one of the benefits and advantages of thematic analysis is its flexibility. This method provides a theoretical freedom and it is a very important research tool. Moreover, thematic analytical method can potentially provide a detailed, rich and complex research data (Braun and Clarke 2006). On the other hand, the disadvantage is that its flexibility makes it difficult to concentrate on what aspect of the data to focus (Guest 2012). However,
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the end result of a thematic analysis should highlight the most significant, relevant and important group of meanings present in the dataset (Daly et al. 1997).
I have found using thematic analysis was a suitable method among other methods for analysing my data for this PhD thesis work. For instance, I have considered in using grounded theory analytical method. However, according to Bryant and Charmaz (2007), grounded theory analytical method unlike TA method does not give standard rules to follow for the identification of categories. However, the simplicity and the flexibility of TA method gave me the opportunity to go through my interview information freely and assesses each theme according to my interview questions. Moreover, the fact that this method is widely used in qualitative research field, I have found it to be a reliable way of analysing my qualitative data effectively. In this thesis, I have analysed my data in the following way.
First, I have separated the African Union, the Ethiopian Government and the Research Organisations data and took the time to transcribe them all separately on to paper and then typed them all in to a computer. Some of the information was recorded on tape recorder and some were on paper. Therefore, putting them all in a written paper format was the first stage. I also had to translate most of the information from Amharic (Ethiopian official language) to English. This was time consuming; because most of the interviews were in Amharic. When translating, I had to be extra careful in not to lose the context of the original information given by the participants in the study. Even though I have tried my best to translate the interviews word-by-word; it was still very difficult to get it 100 per cent right and I have struggled to some extent.
The next step was Coding the interview information. According to Boyatzis (1998), coding is the main process for developing themes within the raw data by recognising important moments in the data and encoding it prior to interpretation. After separating the office level data, household interviews, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews including key- informant interview data, I coded the most relevant and important answers and discussions. This was based on my interview questions and repeatedly mentioned themes using different colours as a coding system.
I had to go through each interview information and highlight the most relevant and important answers I have got from the participants. For instance, what I have considered important were that themes that have been mentioned or raised by most of the participants and in many occasions. For example, when analysing data from the office level policy based interviews,
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themes that came up often were such as “policy flows from top-down”, “adopting technologies
would help increase food security” and “the priority is to feed people at least three times a day” .
At the ground level, themes that I have found significant and important were for instance, what the farmers have mentioned many times as issues in their areas related to the policies in place. These are for instance, the cost of the technologies farmers were using; such as “the cost of
fertiliser is too high” theme came up many times and has been mentioned by many farmers
when I was transcribing my data from a village level interview.
When analysing all these data, I have found it difficult; as it was time consuming to get the exact context of the information. This was because firstly most of the original answers were in
Amharic; and secondly the fact that I have collected data from different sectors such as from
people speaking political languages from the African Union and the Ethiopian Federal office; to individuals from a farming community to social researchers from Addis Ababa University; it was difficult to bring all this in to a one aligned argument and thesis.
The African Union and the Ethiopian Government policy politics and the Ethiopian Research Organisations data analysis could be found in chapter five. Policy effectiveness according to the farmer’s perspective analysis is found in chapter six. Chapter seven analysis the relationship between sustainable food security, human well-being and human development concept in the two selected villages in Ethiopia.
3.11 Conclusions
Designing my research questions, conducting and collecting the data in the field to be able to address the thesis aim, objectives and research questions has been very challenging but an interesting journey and also rewarding. It was a very difficult task to undertake a qualitative, especially a sensitive topic, which I have found this study to be while in the field. Moreover, getting the most out of the information I have gathered and address my research questions was a huge task I had to overcome with support from my two supervisors.
Researching policy, sustainable food security and well-being issues in Ethiopia is a huge topic that needs to be explored in wider and deeper context. I have only taken a small part and did the best I could to gather as much information as possible with the time and resources I had available and produce a rich PhD thesis that could possibly lead to further study in Ethiopia. I therefore would like to acknowledge all the people that took part in this study at all levels. All
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the information that is used in this PhD is the information I have given consent from the participants and also form my own direct observation and experience. I would also like to acknowledge my supervisors for the close support they have given me in the entire research method process.
The next chapter, chapter four discusses the African Union and the Ethiopian Government policy making and high level policy implementation process. This chapter also discusses the Ethiopian Research Organisations role in the policy making and implementation process related to food security in the country, as well as the organisations management system in conducting research that is relevant to the people related to food security.
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Chapter 4. The African Union and the Ethiopian
Government Food Security Policy and Implementation
Process
4.1 Introduction
In this chapter, I discuss the African Union and the Ethiopian Government food security policy making process and the high level implementation process; from the African Union to the country level. I state the food security policies that are already in place at the AU and the Ethiopian Government level to be able to solve the food insecurity issue at a continental and national level. The role and the involvement of the Ethiopian Research Organisations in the food security policy making and implementation process and their management system has also been discussed in this chapter of the thesis.
The purpose of this chapter is only to outline the policies in place and the implementation process from the interviews I had undertaken with the African Union and the Ethiopian Government policy officials. The information was also gathered from the government official websites and policy papers from their offices. Critical analysis of the policies in place is discussed in chapter five. Section 4.2 discusses the African Union food security policy and its