Tips for Conducting and Documenting Field Studies

I. Why Conduct a Field Study?

A field study captures an innovative program element, approach or trend and analyzes the surrounding process,
conditions and results. Field studies provide depth of insight into what a program is pioneering, and may investigate
an occurrence that is beyond the scope of the original proposal. An in depth investigation of one aspect of a
program allows the agency to learn from the particular conditions, environment, processes, challenges and/or
successes that contributed to an interesting outcome in order to inform similar existing or future programs.
Therefore, concise and relevant presentation and promotion of field study findings and recommendations is critically
important to their consideration and adoption within the agency and industry. Field studies ask how and why a
particular incident or trend occurred and investigate the many factors that influenced the process and outcome. It
should be noted that Field studies are not limited to investigating successes, field studies are also valuable to
understand why/ how a certain challenge or condition may have impeded an expected outcome. The Mercy Corps
“Program Learning Documents” in the digital library will help you determine if a field study is the best means and
product for your needs and intended audience.

Field studies should be considered when:

☑ A noteworthy trend, occurrence or result stands out as significantly impacting program implementation
and/or outcomes;
☑ The trend, occurrence or result has the potential to augment or hinder the outcomes of similar programs or
stakeholders; and
☑ Better understanding and documentation of the trend, occurrence or result could potentially contribute to
improved implementation strategies and program impact.

This document is designed to help Mercy Corps staff and partners plan, conduct and document field studies1. While
the suggestions are presented in a loose sequence, it is expected that activities will overlap and will not necessarily
be exclusive of one another. Researchers should plan for and conduct their study on a schedule that is flexible to
their particular situation.

II. Planning & Communication

There is no substitute for careful planning, but effective communication is equally important. Preparation takes
time. Active preparation should begin at least two months before research is scheduled to commence.

☑ Learning initiatives should be field driven​ to ensure ownership and commitment to both the process and
the results of the study. Field staff is encouraged to take the lead on researching and documenting lessons
learned and impact. However, if the process is being coordinated by HQ staff, the in-country team,
technical support people, Director of Program Operations, Country Director and other interested parties
must be involved from the start in designing the study and clarify roles and responsibilities of each early
on.2 Limit the potential for defensive instincts by involving the implementation team in the design of the
study and stressing the learning objectives of field studies.

1
These Tips are primarily directed toward field study researchers that are external to the target program, as external teams face
the additional challenges of engaging the implementation team(s) and building an understanding of the program and its operating
context (both issues discussed in this document). However, internally driven field studies are encouraged and many of the tips
are also useful for internal researchers. It is expected that researchers will utilize and/or modify their approach based on the
particular context, study content and experience of the team members.
2
The New Initiatives Team at headquarters provides assistance to all field studies and leadership to a few. “​Criteria for
Requesting New Initiatives Support for Learning Documentation​” can be found on the digital library.
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 ☑ Define one or no more than three​ ​focused research questions​ that you want addressed by the study.
Ensure that all major study stakeholders are in agreement with the research question(s). Deciding the
specific focus of the study can take time and you will want to dig deep! The first question(s) identified may
only scratch the surface of what you want to get to. Start early and allow time for adequate discussion
among stakeholders in country and with others by phone.
☑ Read existing materials and scan the internet​ to find sources of available literature, field studies and
evaluations that may be relevant to understanding and interpreting the information you will gather. For
both field staff and HQ staff reviewing the program documents (proposal, reports) will ensure that you have
a clear understanding of the program before you begin field research. HQ participants who are not directly
implementing the program should begin a reading list of available background materials to gain an
understanding of the program, the context, the geography (get a map!) and similar programs with shared
experiences3. Take notes!
☑ Develop a timeline​ (with persons responsible for completing each task) for the planning stages leading up
to the Study, and make sure that it is clearly communicated to all people working on the study.
☑ Get country management and other relevant staff on board with the study​ and its needs before you
begin research in order to maximize your field time. Measure and mitigate against competing priorities,
your own and those of other Study participants. Ensure adequate field support for administrative tasks, to
organize and manage logistics, enter and analyze data, translate important documents and tools, etc. Agree
upon how support will be provided, by whom and for how long.

III. The Scope of Work

Allow yourself adequate time to develop a clear and focused Scope of Work (SOW) for the study. Your research
question and SOW will guide everything you do, so be sure that they are clear, focused and accepted by all key
stakeholders. The SOW is both a planning guide for the field study contributors and a communication tool for
ensuring all stakeholders understand the why, who, what, where, when and how of the field study. Effective field
study SOWs are very similar to those required for evaluations. The key difference is that a field study is specifically
focused on investigation of a particular program element, approach or trend. Mercy Corps’ ​Design, Monitoring and
Evaluation Guidebook​ provides some useful tips for preparing evaluation SOWs, and “Mercy Corps’ Evaluation
Scope of Work Template”, available on the Digital Library, can also help to guide the preparation of a field study
SOW.

At a minimum, the SOW should include:

☑ The Field Study ​research question(s)​ to be investigated;

☑ A brief ​description of the project​ and factors that contributed to the decided focus of the study;
☑ A descriptive list of existing ​information sources. ​Include the types of information expected from each
source and confirm these expectations with the field team prior to commencing research;
☑ The ​methodology​ that will be used to conduct the study and the informants that will be consulted. Your
information will be richer if you talk to a broad range of people. Include the type of information you will
collect, qualitative, quantitative, or perhaps a mix of both. You may also want to build in time to visit
similar projects being implemented by other agencies, as appropriate;
☑ The ​roles and responsibilities​ of each research team member;
☑ A ​timeline​, consider travel constraints, such as road conditions, distance between research sites and
whether holidays or weekends will interfere with your field visits. The timeline should include preparation,
analysis AND data collection days as well as due dates for deliverables and follow up action. Include time
for debriefing with the project and/or headquarters team and for writing the study document. Carve out

3
Before making the claim that a Mercy Corps program or approach is “innovative”, be sure to do your homework and develop an
understanding of what similar programs are doing.
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 protected time for writing, as it is too easy to delay writing while you catch up on other duties, thus loosing
the “freshness” of the experience.
☑ Material, budgetary and logistical considerations​, including transportation, equipment needs and
translation/interpretation provisions. It is a good idea to spend some time up front with translators
explaining difficult terms and field study objectives;
☑ A ​plan for discussing findings and preliminary recommendations​ with country management and other
stakeholders;
☑ A clear explanation of the intended audience (see section VII.A.) and ​expected deliverables​, including
structure, language(s) and size of report(s). To the extent possible, expectations for the final report(s)
should be decided and agreed upon before research commences.

A template for a field study SOW is included as Appendix A.

IV. How to Get the Information You Need

☑ Brainstorm the ​areas of inquiry and sub-questions​ that you will need to explore in order to answer your
field study research question(s).
☑ Determine who the key stakeholder categories of the program are​. Common stakeholder groups
include project managers, project implementation staff, colleague or partner NGOs and CBOs, local
government, program participants, community members, program donors, material or labor suppliers,
cooperatives and other parties affected by project activities. This will form your pool from which to choose
informants.
☑ Determine what information each stakeholder can provide.​ It can be useful at this point to develop a
matrix, to pair lines of inquiry and/or sub-questions with informants. A matrix will allow you to see where
your information will come from for each area of inquiry as well as how data can be triangulated by
requesting the same information of multiple informants. A sample matrix is included in Appendix B.
☑ Develop ​question guides​ to structure interviews and focus groups. This is particularly important when
teams of researchers will be gathering information from different sites, or when surveys will be conducted
with one or more categories of informants. As you form your questions and data collection plan, consider
how you will manage and analyze the data you collect. Test these guides with staff and at least one
research site and adjust the guides as needed. Take care to ensure vocabulary used in the questions is
meaningful and appropriate to informant populations and translations maintain consistent meaning. Be
flexible and open to information that you might not have anticipated.
☑ Select who will gather information from each type of stakeholder.​ Check that you understand the
biases and influences that the interviewers bring to data collection and balance these with other factors such
as time, human and financial resources, and the potential importance that interviewers understand the
program and/or local context. Discuss potential biases and influences with the interviewers, whether
internal or external, and identify means for minimizing the impact of these on the data. Interviewers might
be selected from among the program team, recruited from other in-country programs or organizations, or
contracted from an external organization, educational institution, or research firm.
☑ If your field study requires site visits, you will need to carefully ​plan your time​ to cover a sufficient
sample of sites without compromising the depth of interviews or your ability to talk with a range of
informants at each site. Take care to understand travel times and distances between sites. Know which and
how many people you will need to talk to at each site. During your test of question guides, note the
duration of each interview, transect walk, or other data collection method to better understand how much
time you will need at each site. Build flexibility into your schedule to accommodate unanticipated events
or leads. Ensure adequate time for daily and end of study processing and analysis of results.
☑ There are a number of considerations for ​selecting study sites​. While logistical considerations are most
definitely a factor, you will want to include sites that represent all of the important differences. Variables
might include: time since the intervention took place or began, urban vs. rural, successful vs. unsuccessful,

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 geographical differences, existence or non-existence of additional development interventions, ethnic or
cultural differences, variant household incomes, etc. Ensure that you seek out key stakeholders who are not
the “usual suspects”. This might mean making a concerted effort to include villages which are more
difficult to reach, or ensuring that you elicit input from informal, as well as formal, leaders.

V. Who To Involve

While you will certainly require support and information from the field team, you may also choose to recruit
additional field staff to contribute to research, analysis and the formulation of recommendations. All direct
participants in the study must be able to dedicate all their time throughout the duration of the study. While it is
sometimes difficult for staff to make time to participate in a field study, the more that Mercy Corps staff, particularly
project staff, can be directly involved in research, analysis and documentation, the more we’ll learn as an agency.
There are a number of important considerations in determining the make up of your study team. Below are some
pros and cons to increasing the size of your study team.

Advantages of Larger Study Teams:

➢ Field studies can be excellent opportunities for staff to look at their programs differently, which will have
the direct result of improving programs.
➢ Staff members may improve their evaluation skills if properly coached.
➢ Larger teams enable the Study to reach more sites and more informants.
➢ A more diverse representation of gender, ethnicity and language may increase access and the ability to
increase the comfort and openness of stakeholders by pairing them with interviewers sharing similar traits.
➢ A broader section of persons directly implementing the program can help identify and resolve gaps where
crucial pieces of information are missing and add credibility to study results.

Disadvantage of Larger Study Teams:

➢ Direct involvement of staff in field studies is very time intensive and the process must be well managed. If
directly involved, staff needs to be trained, taken step by step through the process and given feedback
regularly.
➢ There are additional costs for time, meeting facilities and transportation.
➢ A skilled leader/trainer is required to coach and guide the team.
➢ Coordination and compilation of findings and analysis also gains complexity with additional researchers.
With larger teams, it is even more important that findings are shared and analyzed regularly, preferably
each day.
➢ Study team members must be able to fully dedicate their time to the field study. In-country staff must
understand that this could directly impact the implementation of other on-going programs.

The study process takes a large commitment from the participants. Choosing the appropriate staff to contribute to
the study should be done carefully. Those staff who have the most commitment to the program and/or focus of the
field study, who will be leaders in the design and implementation of future programs, and who have the skills to
participate in a meaningful way should be chosen.

VI. Making Use of Your Data

Unpredictable or unanticipated findings can be the most revealing information you gather during a field study. This
is why it is important to explore beyond the structured questions on your data collection instruments. Some
quantitative data will help you to understand the scope of your findings, identify trends and present the same in a
convincing format. Qualitative information is equally important for deepening your understanding and uncovering
hidden program results and influences. In some cases, you may want to use qualitative methods to gather individual
stories and quotations to ground your findings and help the reader to relate to your report. Mercy Corps’

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headquarters based New Initiatives Team (Design, Monitoring and Evaluation & Organizational Learning Support
Desk) can help you determine the best system for managing and analyzing your data.

➢ Unless you have the luxury of time and dedicated database writers, ​keep your data management system
simple​. Develop an Excel spreadsheet or database to enter and analyze your data. If you have the skills,
pivot tables can be a useful way to visualize your quantitative results.
➢ Because field studies are exploratory in nature, ​analysis should be an ongoing process​. Results and
experiences should be shared frequently with the entire team, daily if possible. Ongoing discussion of
findings will help important influences to surface and aid the team to adapt research approaches to explore
interesting bits of information. Team meetings during data collection should include sharing and
discussing data and experiences, identifying strategies for improving the depth of information being
gathered, and seizing opportunities to adjust and improve the data collection instruments, informant pool or
research approach in response to preliminary findings.
➢ Final analysis​ should ideally include both an interpretation of the findings from ongoing analysis of
qualitative information and quantitative analysis of hard data. Even if focus groups or interviews are the
main tools used for data collection, qualitative information can be presented in a semi-quantitative format.
An example might simply be providing numbers of focus groups where an issue was raised. For example
four of the seven focus groups reported that they do not have an elected leader.

VII. Organizing Your Field Study Document

A. Choosing the Audience

The final document(s) should be written with the intended audience in mind. Mercy Corps field studies are intended
as organizational learning documents. However, in many cases field studies can serve multiple purposes to initiate
dialogue and share learning with colleagues in international development, to support advocacy with donors and
policy makers, or to promote Mercy Corps’ approaches with potential donors who appreciate documents that drill
deeper into Mercy Corps program approaches and impact than standard public relations pieces. Be aware of the
different audiences and make sure that the document and findings are not diffused by having too many audiences.

➢ Keep your document​ ​short and focused​ for better readership.

➢ If your document is intended for use beyond development professionals, ​beware of using too much jargon
that might confuse or put people off.

B. The Executive Summary

It is important to have a clear and concise executive summary that gives readers the essential contents of your
document in two or three pages, previews the main points enabling readers to build a mental framework for
organizing and understanding the detailed information, and helps readers determine the key results and
recommendations. Make sure your executive summary and results clearly answer the research question(s) posed in
the Scope of Work. Many of your readers may ONLY read the Executive Summary, so make sure yours includes
the most important messages from the study.

C. Other Key Elements

☑ Table of Contents;
☑ Foreword, those in existing field studies may serve as useful guides;
☑ Photo acknowledgements for any photos you use on your cover and in your report;
☑ The following copyright language: “(c) ‘​year​’ Mercy Corps. All rights reserved.”
☑ List of acronyms and/or definition of terms;

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 ☑ A description of the overall program, its context and its relationship within Mercy Corps’ strategy and
history in the region or programming sector, emphasizing elements relevant to the study questions and
findings. A timeline of noteworthy events and Mercy Corps’ involvement may be useful in some cases.
Keep this brief so as not to detract from the study results. If more information is required, you may want to
include it in an annex;
☑ The methodology used for collecting and analyzing data, including the scope and limitations of these
techniques and any assumptions contained in the study;
☑ The key findings of the study;
☑ Recommendations for existing or future program improvement (these should be directly tied to the key
findings);
☑ A conclusion;
☑ A bibliography; and
☑ Appendices that help the reader to understand the context of the study, the methodology and the findings.
Useful appendices might include question guides or surveys used in conducting the study, a map and/or
matrix showing data collection and project sites, raw data from the study, additional information on the
operating context or project documents such as a log-frame or organizational chart.

VIII. Finalizing and Reviewing

All Mercy Corps field studies are the property of Mercy Corps and are an important means for presenting our
programs and values to the development community. Therefore,​ all field studies must be thoroughly reviewed
prior to publication. ​The New Initiatives Team reviews all field studies and can help you to identify the
appropriate review channels for your study’s content and audience prior to publication. Field studies intended for
broad external publication must be reviewed by at least one member of the senior management team and Mercy
Corps’ President.

Mercy Corps currently has ​two formats for document publication​. The glossy format (used in Maluku Case
Study: Integrating Relief, Recovery and Civil Society Principles in a Conflict-Affected Environment, Ferghana
Valley Field Study: Reducing the Potential for Conflict Through Community Mobilization and Georgia Field Study:
Understanding the Legacy of Community Mobilization) provides professional quality representation for wide use
with the public, donors and policy makers. A simpler spiral bound format (such as that used in Jakarta Field Study:
Built to Last: A Sustainability Study of Food-for-Work Infrastructure Projects 1999-2004 and Guatemala Field
Study: A Study of Lessons Learned Promoting Peaceful Solutions to Land Conflict in Alta Verapaz) is less
expensive to publish and is sufficient for internal use and limited sharing with interested development colleagues.
Mercy Corps’ New Initiatives Team can help you to identify the format that is most appropriate for your study as
well as provide you with a template that promotes consistency with other agency field studies.

The data collection and planning tools from your study can help future field study efforts to be more organized and
more focused. ​New Initiatives maintains a library of field study tools and resource​s. Provide them with copies
of your field study tools, so that they can be added to the Digital Library as field study reference materials and/or
templates.

IX. Getting the Word Out

Your study has been thoroughly reviewed and printed. It looks great, but WAIT, you’re not done! In Section VII.A.
you chose your intended audience. Now, how are you going to make sure your findings and recommendations make
it to the people they are intended for?

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Field studies, like any learning document, require a good deal of promotion to be used and read. To increase
readership internally, you might:
➢ Prepare a presentation for Mercy Corps staff, and share it with as many offices as is reasonable and
appropriate. Highlight the process and the key findings.
➢ Encourage your colleagues to promote the study with country teams. You may also want to target country
teams with similar programs for individual attention in your promotion and distribution efforts.
➢ Send a copy to the Digital Library and prepare a brief announcement for The Globe.
➢ Have a reference to the field study added to the Grant Tracker.

Similarly, some field studies allow us to contribute to or even lead discussions within the development community.
If you have something important to say, don’t let it get lost in a “read later” pile. To get the word out externally:
➢ Seek appropriate opportunities at workshops or conferences to present your findings and distribute the
document to colleagues.
➢ If no appropriate conferences are planned, discuss the appropriateness of hosting a brown bag presentation
or other meeting to highlight your study.
➢ Hold specific briefing/event with donors. This should be done with most field studies, especially if we are
using the field study to promote or pre-position ourselves in some way. Be aggressive and target both
existing and potential new donors.
➢ Prepare a distribution list of organizations and development professionals that would find your study
relevant to their work.
➢ Prepare a cover letter highlighting the relevance of the study and have it signed by Mercy Corps’ President
to be distributed with the study document.
➢ Add your study to the “Resources Page” of Mercy Corps’ external website.
➢ Encourage in-country management staff to carry hard copies for distribution after meetings with donors or
other development agencies.

X. Additional Resources

A. Determining the appropriate documentation strategy for your purpose and audience:
“Mercy Corps Program Learning Documents”,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/Mercy%20Corps%20Learning%20Documents.doc

B. Accessing significant support for your field study idea:

“Criteria for Requesting New Initiatives Support for Learning Documentation”,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/Criteria%20for%20NI%20assistance%20for%20learning%20documents
%20123103.doc

C. Planning for your study and developing your SOW:

Mercy Corps Design, Monitoring & Evaluation Guidebook, March 2003
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/DM-E%20FINAL%20Guidebook%203final.pdf

Evaluation Scope of Work Template, October 2005, Digital Library

D. Engaging staff in the process:

Aubel, Judi. Participatory Program Evaluation Manual: Involving Program Stakeholders in the Evaluation
Process. Child Survival Technical Support Project and Catholic Relief Services
http://www.childsurvival.com/features/bookmarks/pemanual.cfm. December 1999​.

E. Mercy Corps field studies:

Ferghana Valley Field Study: Reducing the Potential for Conflict through Community Mobilization, May 2003,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/CentralAsia.pdf

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 Georgia Field Study: Understanding the Legacy of Community Mobilization, July 2004,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/GeorgiaFieldStudy.pdf

Guatemala Field Study: A Study of Lessons Learned Promoting Peaceful Solutions to Land Conflict in Alta
Verapaz, Guatemala, October 2004,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/Guatemala%20Land%20Conflict%20Final%20March.pdf

Jakarta Field Study: Built to Last: A Sustainability Study of Food-for-Work Infrastructure Projects 1999-2004,
January 2005,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/Indonesia%20Sustainability%20Study%20-%20FINAL2.pdf

Kosovo Field Study: Long-Term Impacts of Community Mobilization in Kosovo under the Healthy
Communities Initiative (HCI) by Victoria Gellis, August 2004,
https://mcdl.mercycorps.org/gsdl/docs/Healthy%20Communities%20Initiative%20Report%20Gellis.pdf

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APPENDIX A – Field Study Scope of Work Template

I. Purpose and Key Question(s) of Study

Define one or no more than three focused research questions that you want addressed by the study. Ensure that all
major study stakeholders are in agreement with the research question(s). Deciding the specific focus of the study
can take time and you will want to dig deep! The first question(s) identified may only scratch the surface of what
you want to get to. Start early and allow time for adequate discussion among stakeholders in country and with
others by phone.

II. Background

A brief description of the project and factors that contributed to the decided focus of the study.

III. Other Sources of Information

A descriptive list of existing information sources, including program documents, country background, maps and
other relevant studies and papers.

IV. Methodology & Team Composition

The methodology should include the approach to gathering information as well as a description of how communities
and/or individuals will be chosen for participation in the study. This section should also include the names of
people on the survey team and each person’s roles and responsibilities. Specify how any secondary objectives of the
study process, such as capacity building of staff participants in data collection and analysis, will be achieved.

V. Deliverables

Specify expectations for the study document and its dissemination, including audience, page limitations and format.
Deliverables may also include Power Point presentations, country or program specific recommendations,
work-plans and/or presentations of findings with staff and other key stakeholders.

VI. Schedule

A timeline for planning, conducting, documenting and following up on the field study, consider travel constraints,
such as road conditions, distance between research sites and whether holidays or weekends will interfere with your
field visits. The timeline should include preparation, analysis AND data collection days as well as due dates for
deliverables. Be sure to include time for review of preliminary findings, discussion and feedback with in-country
management and other relevant staff. Finally, the schedule should include the timeline for internal review,
publication and distribution of the final product, including anticipated external and/or HQ presentations. Include
persons responsible for each task.

VII. Budget

Material, budgetary and logistical considerations, including international and in country travel and transportation
and translation/interpretation provisions.

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 APPENDIX B – Sample Informant Targeting Matrix (from the Georgia Field Study:
Understanding the Legacy of Community Mobilization, July 2004)

Key Questions Supplementary Questions/Information Data Source Methodology

1 What do we (as MC) expect Important to understand our expectations ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups4
from the communities after we vis-à-vis performance. ▪ Managers ▪ workshop with
leave? ▪ Proposal donors & partners
(amendments?) ▪ document review
2 What are the factors that Looks at what we provide during program ▪ Staff ▪ workshop
empower a community? implementation ▪ Community
3 What do communities value What was the purpose of the program? (to ▪ Community groups ▪ focus groups
about our program after the communities) ▪ Community ▪ interviews
end of it (process vs. skills vs. (Use ranking scale to see where the priority Members
resources)? is.)
Anecdotally see whether this has changed
since we stopped working there.
4 How were the communities How have things changed in the community ▪ Baseline ▪ focus groups
before MC interventions? over the past four years (prompt with 7 documents/reports ▪ document review
factors from Kate’s study if necessary)? ▪ Community groups
▪ Communities
▪ Staff
5 How are communities after What is happening now? ▪ Community groups ▪ focus groups
our interventions? ▪ Communities ▪ transect walks
▪ Staff ▪ problem ranking
6 Who drives post program What have you done related to the program ▪ Community groups ▪ focus groups
activities (community groups, since the program ended in your ▪ Communities ▪ reports
NGOs, and government?) community? ▪ Government
How did you do it?
Who was involved?
Who led the process?
7 What happens when MC stops What types of projects continue? ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups
going into the communities? How do you see the link between them and ▪ Community groups ▪ interviews
Are people continuing projects the program? ▪ Community
and are they done in a way Where do you get the resources for ▪ Government
that emphasizes the additional projects?
participation? Is community How have communities changed processes
dialogue still included? Is since the end of the program?
behavior change still included. How often does MC maintain contact with
Continued transparency? these communities? How? Why?
Sustainability? Describe how the infrastructure projects
continue to be maintained and who plays a
role and how it is funded?
Were there any new relationships developed
through the program – are they still
maintained?
8 What has happened to the Do they still continue to exist either ▪ Community groups ▪
community groups since we formally or informally? ▪ Staff
left? What role do they play? ▪ Communities
Has this changed? ▪ Government

4
Focus groups. These will be semi structured interviews used to work with the groups to help provide the information to the
questions in this text.
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 Do the tools and the skills still exist within
the community – can they go and get at the
information.

9 Are there common ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups

characteristics between ▪ Community groups ▪ workshops &
empowered communities? interviews with staff
and government
▪ observation
10 Why do communities stay What are the success factors for the ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups
empowered5? community/program? ▪ community groups ▪ workshops &
▪ Government interviews with staff
▪ Partner and government.
organization

11 What does it take to keep
communities empowered?
What inputs during the mobilization ▪ Community groups ▪ focus groups
program have enabled you to continue to be ▪ Government ▪ workshops &
active/have prevented you from being more ▪ Staff interviews with staff
active? and government.
What additional support could have been
provided during the program to enable you
to continue to be active after the end of the
program?

12 Have we taken a different Has there been any difference in approach ▪ Staff ▪ Workshop &
approach in different sub in the different areas we have worked – ▪ Expatriate interviews
regions? either due to staffing, managers.
political/economic/social or geographical
reasons?
13 How did the program build Describe the startup process when the ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups
relationships with the program first started working in your ▪ Community groups
communities? communities.

14 How were issues and problems When were there differences of opinion ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups
addressed during program between MC and the communities? What ▪ Community groups
implementation? were they most often about? How were they
resolved?
15 How did we exit the What was the process for ending our work ▪ Staff ▪ focus groups
communities? with a community? ▪ Community groups ▪ reports
Were you expecting us to leave? (to the ▪ Communities ▪ interviews
community)

5
For the purpose of this document we have used ‘empowered’ as the descriptive term for how we hope communities will be as
this seems to be the most common terminology for the program – other programs use mobilized and/or engaged. At the start of
the study we will have a formal definition of this term.
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