STAGE 2. Analysing feasibility

What steps should be completed?

Step 1: Assess population availability

INFORMATION ON POPULATION EXPECTATIONS OF THE INTERVENTION

The population’s expectations of the proposed intervention can be examined to explore how to assess the potential action strategies you are planning to incorporate into the project. For example: 

• The intervention’s approach, methodology and actions.
• The intensity of the intervention (e.g., the number of sessions or meetings).
• The most appropriate schedules and locations for the implementation.
• The most appropriate types of media, materials or resources to transmit information (if the intervention is expected to include this aspect).
• The best way to reach the population.
• The characteristics of the potential intervention agents or intermediary population that are important to the target population.

When analysing population expectations of the intervention, it is advisable to take into account the different interests of:

• The target population. You may wish to find out about their tastes and interests, how they find information, what worries them about drug use in the population, etc.
• The intermediary population. It may be useful to understand what degree of acceptance they have in the target population, how they access that population, etc.
• The other people involved (stakeholders). It could be useful to know what they think of the proposed intervention and whether they think it is acceptable or not, etc.

Interventions should not simply be planned and carried out for people, but with people. This is because every project needs to be culturally and practically relevant, and this relevance can be achieved by incorporating the population’s opinions in the design.