QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CHALLENGES IN ASSESSING RAINWATER HARVESTING IMPLEMENTATION FIDELITY FOR RELIABLE DATA

Abstract

Assessing local councils’ adherence to rainwater harvesting policy regulated in the by-laws is critical to the success of water conservation efforts. However, there are certain challenges that must be addressed in this assessment. This paper highlights the aforementioned challenges and provides recommendations for future research. The research used a qualitative approach, employing six distinct methods to obtain more robust and reliable data: (i) desk study, (ii) document review, (iii) interviews, (iv) observation, (v) self-analysis questions and (vi) focus group discussion. The success of the implementation-focused research was based on a defined direction of assessment, eligible participants and sites, suitable methods, access to reliable data, robust analysis and writing proficiency. This paper suggests that future search should focus on establishing relevant skills, building relationships with the participants, defining concepts and exploring alternative data sources. Assessing implementation fidelity was not easy because it necessitated substantial resources to draw meaningful conclusions about the extent to which the rainwater harvesting policy was delivered. Addressing qualitative research challenges in assessing rainwater harvesting implementation could enable researchers to suggest implementers on making more informed decisions in attaining Sustainable Development Goal 6.