Methodology training: Safer learning environments qualitative assessment toolkit

Group Submission Type: Pre-conference Workshop

Description of Session

Short Description: USAID ECCN has produced a Safer Learning Environments Qualitative Assessment Toolkit that aims to assist programmers in identifying and understanding the nature of specific risks to safety that exist in learning environments in which they operate. As backdrop, children and youth in crisis and conflict environments face specific and complex challenges related to schooling, in particular in terms of their ability to access a Safe Learning Environment (SLE). Without a clear vision of the learning environment, programs often do not achieve results, are unsustainable and most significantly, may exacerbate conflict and/or crisis possibly harming the individuals they seek to benefit. Different risks to safety require different interventions to respond, but often the nature of those specific risks (and what is already in place to try to overcome them – the assets) are not known to programmers. The SLE toolkit is designed to lead program implementers with little research training and/or experience (e.g. junior local M&E staff) through a systematic and rapid (4-6 week) four-step processthat assists in the prioritization of data collection and supports rapid analysis and reporting. While the qualitative toolkit is accessible and user-friendly and does not require formal in-person training, ECCN offers this workshop as an opportunity to gather together interested researchers and practitioners to learn in-person how to implement this assessment to help inform their projects and plans.

Proposal

Workshop Rationale:
Learning objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
a) Articulate the concept of safer-learning environments
b) Better understand and identify the four steps within the SLE Qualitative Assessment process (desk research, completion of scoring rubric, data collection, analysis and reporting).
c) Identify promising practices employed by organizations who piloted the toolkit in 2016 (in Somalia, El Salvador) and 2017 (in Jordan, Honduras, Lebanon, Philippines).
d) Consider a 'training of trainers' option for this toolkit that they can use in a wide variety of environments (including those that are not generally considered to be in crisis or conflict).
e) Strengthen skills related to identifying key literature and gaps, conducting focus group discussions, notetaking, utilizing a qualitative database for rapid analysis and report writing.

Organization and delivery plan:
This workshop will be based on a session provided in the USAID SLE Training, administered in December 2016 and will be directed largely at those who would consider themselves potential future team leaders for local field teams or who would potentially have a role to train team leaders (who would then train their local field teams). The workshop will be structured around the four stages of research so that participants can learn about the process and then see and hear about examples of 'good practice' based on previous uses of the toolkit (especially in the piloting process). Participants will also have an opportunity to take part in mock exercises of each stage, working in teams to produce quick 'products' from each stage (e.g. for Stage 1, identification of key literature and gaps on a chosen context; for Stage 2, completion of the scoring rubric and determination of which tools to use; for Stage 3, conducting mock focus group discussions and taking notes; for Stage 4, inputting data into the qualitative database and producing a quick report.
Duration and Size: 3-4 hours (includes mock FGDs), for 20-25 people
Equipment needed: Projector for computer screen; flip charts and markers; internet access, round tables for group work. Participants are encouraged to bring laptops.

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Workshops

Workshop Organizers

• Gwen K. Heaner, USAID Education in Crisis & Conflict Network

• Karla Giuliano Sarr, SIT Graduate Institute