Table 2.

What Needs to be Adapted? Stakeholder Findings from Administration Step of ADAPT-ITT

Key Questions Asked	Perceptions from Key Stakeholders	Conclusions and Modifications needed
What are the challenges around saving, banking, starting a business, and creating a budget?	• People cannot save because of poverty. • People need a business to save. • People need capital (e.g., loans) to improve their households. • Villagers do not know how to make a budget.	Address myths that people cannot save into financial literacy sessions. Retain sessions on savings, budgeting, and debts.
Will couples be able to work together on saving money and starting a business?	• Men and women often do not communicate around household purchases; men “waste” money because they do not know household needs but sometimes women use the money for frivolous purchases. This causes conflict.	Learning how to create a household budget as a couple will resolve conflict from one member making decisions independently.
What are the beliefs around banks, mobile money, microfinance, and loans that we need to address?	• Banks are not trustworthy; money is taken out for fees that people do not understand. There is no point in saving with banks. • It is hard for the average person to open a bank account. • Banks are for wealthy people. • Village bank loans for businesses can help, but a husband could take the money and “spend it on concubines and beer”. • Mobile money banking makes money too accessible which could be used for alcohol versus depositing money in bank account.	Address banking myths in financial sessions. Involve bank representatives. Retain focus on formal banking approach.
Should we offer the matched incentive as a group-based match or couple-based match?	• Match should be based on what each couple can save, not the group: “everyone should reap what they sow”	Use couple-based (not group-based) matched incentive
How to ensure sobriety at sessions?	• If couples are informed about rules to attend sober, they will comply. • There could be penalties for coming drunk to sessions.	Establish ground rules around sobriety.
Should men and women be separated or stay as a couple?	• “There should be no secrets between husbands and wives” and thus they should attend sessions together. • Families should budget together so burden does not fall on women. • Couples should be educated together on alcohol and finances so that they are on the same page.	Do not separate men and women; retain focus on couples.
Will couples be open to learning communication skills?	• Arguments stem from couples not agreeing or respecting each other. • Counselling should be done with each couple one-on-one so couples’ privacy is respected and couples feel open to participate together.	Retain couples counseling on communication skills. Should be one-on-one with each couple, not in a group.
How can we ensure privacy and that people feel comfortable with participating?	• “HIV is no longer shameful as it was. There are worse diseases.” • People will feel free talking about alcohol in a group.	Group format for other sessions is acceptable.