ATEC: Digital fast tracks behaviour change in Cambodia

An innovative social enterprise (ATEC* Biodigesters) is spearheading an efficient and powerful new approach to education, behaviour change and impact delivery using digital marketing.

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ATEC team

An innovative social enterprise

An innovative social enterprise (ATEC* Biodigesters) is spearheading an efficient and powerful new approach to education, behaviour change and impact delivery using digital marketing.

Chapters:
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ATEC: Digital fast tracks behaviour change in Cambodia

Watch the full webinar

In this webinar with ATEC* CEO Ben Jefferey's we share how digital can transform outreach, behaviour change and impact work in developing countries.

Read the full case study

Normally behaviour change in the development sector can take up to 2-4 months and 30-40 hours of staff time to change one individual's behaviour. But thanks to the rapid rise of access to internet and use of Facebook through mobile, ATEC* were able to use digital channels and call centres to drastically reduce time to change behaviour in 4-7 days, and 4 hrs of effort.

These new channels and approach is enabling development businesses to reach and support local communities in countries like Cambodia and Bangladesh with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

If you'd like the PDF report, download it here

The Issue

In 2020 we face global crises on many fronts, political, environmental, social, justice to name a few. As always the development sector, supported by governments and business, is making great progress, but it’s at its limits and it’s not enough.

Annually, trillions is spent on the development sector with millions of people are working hard to deliver aid, educate, change behaviour, however, the traditional approach is hard to scale. As many people on the front line will attest its grueling, unforgiving and tedious work. But it’s important work, so it must be done. But is there a more efficient way that leverages technology in a digital age?

The Situation

Typically, organisations get boots on the ground (so to speak), directly engaging with local communities to learn, engage, educate and ultimately change behaviour. Passionate locals are often engaged to visit local communities, hold group meetings, provide handouts, samples of products/services, follow-up with in home visits, taking months and often not getting a result.

ATEC* local sales rep visiting a farmer in Kompoung Speur in Cambodia to talk about the benefits of a biodigester to the household. This is the 3rd visit to this household. The first was a village group meet, the second was with the parents and this is with the son.

People in these communities are often working extremely hard, have little or no resources, working in multiple cities so time is in short supply.

Decision making and habits are often a communal affair, with 5-10 people in a family being involved, so everyone needs to get on board.

Opportunity

One resource that has become pervasive and enabling organisations and families alike to get things done is mobile internet. With cheap, powerful mobiles, access to 3G and Facebook or YouTube app, a new channel exists for them to learn, buy, community and develop.

It's pretty crazy that six of the world's seven billion people have mobile phones - but only 4.5 billion have a toilet, according to a U.N. report.

And in Cambodia fast speed internet penetration has rapidly grown in recent years. The number of mobile and internet users rose substantially during the first half of the year, with the number of active SIM cards in the country now comfortably outnumbering the population.

According to statistics released by the Telecommunications Regulator of Cambodia (TRC), in July 2019 number of active SIM cards in the country now comfortably outnumbering the population, reaching 20.8 million. Internet users – including both mobile internet and fixed internet – stand at 15.8 million, which equals about 98.5% of the population.

Solution

An upstart social enterprise has realised this opportunity, successfully transforming their outreach from field sales to capturing leads through Facebook advertising  on their website and converting sales via a call centre - leading to rapid growth, cost reduction, real-time visibility and ultimately engaging more communities to improve their lives.

The social enterprise, ATEC* Biodigesters, solve critical household issues of energy and farming by providing a low-cost, durable biodigester that provides families with free gas & organic fertiliser, enabling them to improve crop yields by 30%, save hundreds every year and invest in education for their kids or expanding their farm.

The biodigester turns green waste (cow/ pig feces, kitchen and garden waste) into biogas for cooking and organic fertilizers farmers can use in their crops.
ATEC* customers replace cooking with wood fire with a modern biogas stovetop and rice cooker. This saves them time and eliminates the severe negative effects of smoke inhalation. It also reduces forest degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution caused by smoke.

Digital Campaign

Early in 2019, Harvey worked with ATEC*  to launch the digital outreach program using Facebook, website and call centre. Within days the campaign generated more qualified enquiries than they could handle, over the following months the targeting, content, call scripts and team were optimised.

We experimented with 21 ads in 3 content themes, with 17 audiences and a detailed enquiry form to qualify enquiries. We could see which messages were working, optimising the channel weekly.
Facebook ads

The Results

For the first time, ATEC* were generating inbound enquiries, educating & building trust with online content, and closing sales over the phone in days, not months at 25% of the cost. Not only was it more effective but with a data-led strategy, the team were tracking performance of each audience, message, images, call scripts and conversions on a daily and weekly basis.

Within 4 days we identified 2 themes and 4 audiences that dramatically outperformed the rest, we created new, improved, versions and results continued to skyrocket. This process continued fortnightly.

What took a field salesperson days of customer visits, hours of driving around communities reduced to an average of 4 hours to sign each customer up.

ATEC* are using this to test and validate entry into new markets. In July 2019 Harvey ran tests for 2 days in Bangladesh to calculate response rates & cost per enquiries and quickly found there to be a greater demand helping validate and inform the market entry.

This initial trial with Facebook was just the beginning, we’ve been busy trialling chatbots, instant messaging, Youtube, search and the potential is much more significant.

Harvey visited the team in Cambodia in May 2019 and trialed Facebook Live direct from a customer's farm talking about the benefits of Biodigester that got 100x engagement average of Australian Facebook Live streams

The Potential

This new approach can support field sales & development teams to educate and change behaviour at 2-3X the speed and 30% of the cost. It provides managers and leaders with real-time insights on the entire funnel - enabling easy tracking of progress, avoiding wasting money and increasing rollout.

As a new tool in the arsenal of development and social enterprises, digital can turbo-charge their amazing work, improve the livelihoods of people around the world and improve efficiency of current investments being made.

Imagine if you increased the outcomes by 2-3X, or the way you could use the 30% savings out of $US Trillion each year.

Join us in a free webinar and Q&A with ATEC* CEO, Ben Jeffreys on 27th May, 4pm AEST as we discuss this topic further - sign up here.

Are you using digital, real-time data, Facebook targeting and call centres in your development org or social enterprise? Have you found differences across countries? Do other channels present a greater opportunity? Let us know!

Get in touch if you'd like to learn more, we are running Digital for Development Sector workshops. Find out more here and contact us at academy@weareharvey.com if you are interested.

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  • Maintain B Corp score from 134.1 with workers included
🟢
  • We officially re-certified in November 2023, and are pleased to report we achieved the same score (to the decimal point). Wild! We shared our experience of recertification here.
  • Share templates, documents, insight into business for good
🟠
  • We haven't done this publicly, but when people have asked, we have shared. And we're sharing a series of things as part of this impact report.
  • Maintain current ownership and governance
🟢
  • Harvey is 100% owned by the Smallchua Family Trust. Rebecca Smallchua is our sole Director.
  • Re-use, recycle and manage dangerous waste
🟢
  • We continue to implement our hazardous waste policy and are on a continuous learning and improvement journey.
  • We repair damaged hardware and minimise purchasing of new equipment.
  • Personally we're all Facebook Marketplace fans.
  • Be climate positive at work and at home
🟠
  • We don't track our CO2 emissions, rather we take a much more general and high emissions view. However, this year, we didn't donate to the environment (see above) so we can't say we countered our CO2.
  • Advocate for climate change / inspire sustainable living
🟢
  • We hosted a panel event on Zero Emissions Day in September 2023, along with our friends at Portable, where we interviewed industry experts on the opportunity to engage with community and work towards a more sustainable future. Recording here.
  • Donate 5% to the environment
🔴
  • We didn't make the donation this year as we're revisiting our impact giving model - more details here
  • Invest $20k in impact businesses plus $20k of pro bono time
🔴
  • We delivered some pro bono time but dropped the ball and had no official measurements in place.
  • We also did not invest $20k in impact businesses, and are reviewing this goal going forward. In the last 12 months, our three Impact Investments all lost their value (Whole Kids, Pronto Bottle & Kester Black). While it's not great, we accept this is part of ambitious investing, and each had their own challenges that they couldn't quite overcome.
  • Buy with intention from local and discriminated groups
🟢
  • We continue to be intentional about our suppliers as outlined in our policy and report the details in the Community chapter of our report.
  • Protest and boycott important issues (Australia Day, Melbourne Cup)
🟢
  • Yes and yes!
  • 9 day fortnights, with option for 4 day weeks
🟢
  • 80% work 9 day fortnights, 40% part-time hours, 10% standard working hours.
  • Improve and increase capability across team
🟢
  • Raising our emotional health levels through a leadership development program with Global Leadership Foundation.
  • Expanding output skills: Market research, Web design, content & copywriting, strategy & development and automation strategy.
  • Targeted and clear personal growth, if we are better our clients will be
🟢
  • A new process for 360 feedback, plus personal goal setting questionnaires that ask the big questions of where we want to go and how we'll get there. Also lots of accountability check-ins.

Client survey metrics

  • 3 / 5 value for money (1 - 'could charge less' and 5 - 'could charge more')
  • 8 / 10 likely to recommend
🟢
  • 3.4 / 5 value for money
  • 9.2 / 10 likely to recommend

No destructive clients. Revenue breakdown: 17% Good, 59% Great, 24% Amazing

🟠
  • No destructive clients.
  • Revenue breakdown: 17% Good, 59% Great, 24% Amazing (A little over on Good and under on Great, but on target for Amazing - which is most important, so we're happy with that)
  • All staff spend 80%+ of their time on clients
🔴
  • Spent 64% of our time on clients (under). Due to team changes (recruitment, onboarding and offboarding) and extra investment in training, personal development and community engagement (e.g. B Local), we did not hit this target. On reflection, we will think 80% is too ambitious and we'll be revising to 70% going forward.
  • Regular, honest check-ins about how we feel
🟢
  • Stand ups, development sessions, watercooler chats, impact updates and more.

$994k revenue (Up $211k on FY2223)

🔴
  • $833,588. Revenue was up 6% YoY. Midway through the year, we adjusted down our target to $879k as team growth / services shifted. The main reasons we didn't hit target were scope creep and overruns, both of which we're trying to manage better with process improvements.
  • Maintain B Corp score from 134.1 with workers included
🟢
  • We applied for our B Corp re-certification at the end of this financial year and are pleased to report we achieved the same score (to the decimal point). Wild!
  • Share templates, documents, insight into business for good
🟠
  • We haven't actively done this publicly, but when people have asked, we have shared. And we're sharing a series of things as part of this impact report.
  • Maintain current ownership and governance
🟢
  • Harvey is 100% owned by the Smallchua Family Trust and Rebecca Smallchua is our sole Director.
  • Re-use, recycle and manage dangerous waste
🟢
  • We continue to implement our hazardous waste policy and are on a continuous learning and improvement journey.
  • We repair damaged hardware and minimise purchasing of new equipment.
  • Personally we're all Facebook Marketplace fans.
  • Donate 5% to the environment
🔴
  • We fell short here, we didn't make the donation. More details here.
  • Advocate for climate change / inspire sustainable living
🟢
  • Be climate positive at work and at home
🟠
  • We don't track our CO2 emissions, rather we take a much more general and high emissions view. However, this year, we didn't donate to the environment (see above) so we can't say we countered our CO2.
  • Protest and boycott important issues (Australia Day, Melbourne Cup)
🟢
  • Have a RAP, engaged stakeholders and implemented more change
🔴
  • Due to competing priorities and limited time (no lack in desire) we de-prioritised our Reconciliation Action Plan as we want to do it meaningfully and have the capacity to follow through. However, we took a few first steps outlined here.
  • Buy with intention from local and discriminated groups
🟢
  • We continue to be intentional about our suppliers as outlined in our policy and report the details in the Community chapter of our report. We took it one step further this year with a public call to pledge to audit suppliers in this campaign www.supplier-impact.com
  • Invest $20k in impact businesses plus $20k of 100% pro bono time
🟠
  • We delivered some pro bono time but dropped the ball and had no official measurements in place. We also did not invest $20k in impact businesses because of the reduced revenue with Becky on maternity leave.
  • Sarah personally donated her photography equipment valued at around $7,500 to empower a content and brand producer in the Solomon Islands.
  • 9 day fortnights, with option for 4 day weeks
🟠
  • 40% work 9 day fortnights, 40% part-time hours, 20% standard working hours.
  • Improve and increase capability across team
🟢
  • Elevated our tool nerd level. See here.
  • Expanding output skills: Market research, Web design, strategy & development, video editing, and automation strategy.
  • Targeted and clear personal growth, if we are better our clients will be
🟢
  • Lots of on-the-tools growth, structured learning through weekly Lunch 'n Learns and Intro to Programming at RMIT.

No destructive clients. Revenue breakdown: 15% Good, 60% Great, 25% Amazing (Here's what the classifications mean)

🟢
  • No destructive clients.
  • Revenue breakdown: 10% Good, 66% Great, 25% Amazing
  • All staff spend 70%+ of their time on clients
🟢
  • Spent 71% of our time on clients (over by only 76 hours).

Client survey metrics

  • 3 /5 value for money
  • 8 / 10 likely to recommend
🟢
  • 3.4 / 5 value for money
  • 8.8 / 10 likely to recommend

Maintain current revenue

🟠
  • Revenue down 16% YoY
  • Regular, honest check-ins about how we feel
🟢
  • Stand ups, development sessions, watercooler chats, impact updates and more.
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22 Bricks
ABCH
ATEC
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No items found.
22 Bricks
ABCH
ATEC
Abundant Water
Anantaya Jewellery
B Lab ANZ
BZE
Bank Australia
CPSN
Certification O
Chaulk
Client Fabric
Clockwork Films
Common Ground
Compass Studio
Cyclion
Dog & Bone
Envirotecture
Evee
Farm My School
Fellten
Gewürzhaus
Global Leadership Foundation
Goodtel
Green Collar
Hagens Organics
Hey Doodle
Jasper Coffee
Jaunt
KOSI
KingPump
LVLY
Lee Christison
Lumen
MIIROKO
MK Local Foods
Marnie Hawson
Merry People
Nexa Advisory
No Lights No Lycra
North West Guadalcanal Association (NWGA)
OBG
One Small Step
Parliament of Victoria
Peninsula Hot Springs
Pixii
Portable
Possible
Prisma Legal
ReCo
Shadowboxer
Strongim Bisnis
Studio Schools Australia
Thankyou
The Next Economy
The Salvage Yard
The Sociable Weaver
Time
WIRE
Whole Kids
iDE

No items found.
No items found.
22 Bricks
ABCH
ATEC
Abundant Water
Anantaya Jewellery
B Lab ANZ
BZE
Bank Australia
CPSN
Certification O
Chaulk
Client Fabric
Clockwork Films
Common Ground
Compass Studio
Cyclion
Dog & Bone
Envirotecture
Evee
Farm My School
Fellten
Gewürzhaus
Global Leadership Foundation
Goodtel
Green Collar
Hagens Organics
Hey Doodle
Jasper Coffee
Jaunt
KOSI
KingPump
LVLY
Lee Christison
Lumen
MIIROKO
MK Local Foods
Marnie Hawson
Merry People
Nexa Advisory
No Lights No Lycra
North West Guadalcanal Association (NWGA)
OBG
One Small Step
Parliament of Victoria
Peninsula Hot Springs
Pixii
Portable
Possible
Prisma Legal
ReCo
Shadowboxer
Strongim Bisnis
Studio Schools Australia
Thankyou
The Next Economy
The Salvage Yard
The Sociable Weaver
Time
WIRE
Whole Kids
iDE
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