SD5: CoBRA Assessment Team Training Guide Overall Objectives of CoBRA Assessment Team Training 1) Participants gain a good understanding of the CoBRA methodology and can explain and discuss the key issues with local communities; and 2) Participants have a good understanding of the three data collection tools and are able to elicit and record quality data for analysis. Training Duration Day 1 Classroom based Day 2 Classroom based Day 3 Field based Day 4 Classroom based Training should ideally be immediately followed by field work, and therefore Day 4 should complete with practical arrangements for field work and possibly travel to the first field site. Location of Training Classroom location should be away from participants normal working location. Training venue must have space for LCD presentations, accommodate plenary and break out group sessions and space to hang flip charts. Field locations should be reasonably close to training location to minimise travel times. Materials Required and Logistic Support The following materials and logistics support need to be procured/arranged in advance of commencement of field training. Essential items required for classroom sessions include: Overhead projector Flipchart and marker pens and tape/blu-tack Large map of assessment area List of sub-locations within each administrative area included in the assessment Copies of FGD and KII (resilient households) recording sheets A5 size cards or large sticky notes Set of CoBRA graphics with scoring notes on reverse - laminated Beans for scoring
For Field work: (Per Team) Vehicles and drivers for field work FGD participants identified and sensitised for the appropriate time, date and location Refreshments for team and participants (as agreed in CoBRA Assessment plan: see SD2) A5 size cards or large sticky notes Set of CoBRA graphics with scoring notes on reverse - laminated Beans for scoring This document is supplemented by: SD5a Training Presentation SD5b Emergency Airlift Exercise
Day One: Classroom Session Details Materials and Logistic support required (1) Introduction (15 mins) (2) Background to CoBRA (20 mins) (3) Questions and Discussion (10 mins) (4) Facilitator trainees introduction (5) Mapping shocks and disturbance s (30 mins) Introduction and welcome - ideally session opened by senior official. Objective: Participants understand context of CoBRA and specific objectives of this assessment Presentation on CoBRA outlining: What is CoBRA? What are we trying to find out? How can/will findings be used? Outline of training programme for next 4 days. Presentation will need to be modified to include specific objectives of this CoBRA Assessment (see SD5a Training Presentation) Respond to questions on above presentation and training in general Tea Break Objective: Trainer and participants get to know each other and feel comfortable Team Leader should introduce themselves with some background on their experience. Each participant is encouraged to introduce themselves and be explicit about their current role and specifically how much facilitation / community based experience or work they have undertaken (this can be done in pairs with one partner then introducing the other) Objective: Team gains understanding and consensus on shocks affecting target population. Trainer poses question to group Are we in normal or crisis year (or other status)? Clarify if this year is normal and when was the last crisis year (and why). In plenary, group should brainstorm on shocks experienced in the area use responses to complete following table. Shock Frequency Who Affected Copies of Training schedule for all participants Projector Power point presentation Flip chart for noting names and questions and issues etc throughout the day Flipchart to record responses Map of area / sheet listing sub-locations
Session Details Materials and Logistic support required (this may be geographic area or target group) (6) Defining resilience (1 hour) (7) Who is the community? (45 mins) Objective: To gain a common and shared understanding of the term resilience. Group work Put trainees into groups of 2 or 3 (possibly grouped by local languages spoken) and ask them to put down a brief definition of the term a resilient community. The aim is that the definition is simple and clear enough for their granny to understand. Consequently if they asked their granny to describe a resilient community after they had given her their definition she would be able to. The definition should be developed in the language(s) of the local communities and then written on flip charts in local language(s) and English and fed back to the group. Plenary Each team put up their definitions. These are reviewed with similarities and differences noted and the strongest elements of each used to develop a single definition that all understand in each language being used. This may involve consensus on how to translate using words available in the relevant local languages. Key issues; Avoiding verbs that are not normally used e.g. mitigate, adapt Giving examples to explain what hazards are and what coping looks like e.g. people who eat well all the time Explore the issue of being resilient even when there is no shock or hazard Objectives: The assessment team members clarify: Who should participate in FGDs? How should FGD participants be selected? How many FGDs should be done with different groups? Plenary Give a list of issues that may be important in selecting groups i.e. gender, age, livelihood, education levels, etc Group Work Flip charts and marker pens Flip chart and marker pens
Session Details Materials and Logistic support required Trainees put in groups and ask them to complete the following questions using a table on a flip chart: Who in the community should be FGDs? How to identify / select each type of group? What % of all FGDs should be with this group? (8) Listening Hearing and recording (1 hour) Feedback in plenary Use feedback to agree the composition of FGD participants required. Agree a protocol for the assessment team for selecting the various types of beneficiaries Lunch Objective: To facilitate discussion on good practices for effective facilitation, listening and hearing of focus group discussion. Exercise one: Stingy and generous listening. Trainees put in pairs and given subject to tell their partner about for 1 minute. The listener remains silent but must show as much interest and attention as possible. The second minute the roles are reversed and the listener listens as disinterestedly as possible, even walking away. Plenary discussion about how the two approaches made the talker feel. Exercise two: Emergency airlift (see SD5a Emergency Airlift Exercise). The purpose is to show how much a facilitator can influence a group on emotive issues. Split trainees into groups of four and identify a facilitator for each group. The facilitators are taken out of the room and given 5 minutes to read the leaflet before being asked to go back and share the leaflet with their team and facilitate the team s answer (not their answer). Before they return to their teams the trainer asks the facilitators for their choices. The teams discuss the challenge for 10 mins and feed back their decisions. The trainer puts these on the flip chart beside those of the team s facilitator. Similarities in decisions can spark interesting debate. Plenary discussion: Issues in facilitation talk through some of the following common challenges in facilitating group discussions and how participants have and do deal with them; Talker and non-talkers Influencing groups with own views and passions Listening and hearing
Session Details Materials and Logistic support required Exercise Three: Chinese Whispers quick exercise to illustrate the value of speaking simply. Put all trainees in a line. There are three statements to be passed along the line by each trainee whispering the statement to the next. The first 2 statements are technical, long, jargonistic sentences e.g. achieving resilience involves a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach that addresses vulnerability. The third statement is something simple like my livestock have no water. The statements are written on the flip chart stand one per page but hidden from the view of trainees. The person at the end of the line writes down what they hear and this is written underneath the original statement. Participants discuss how well different ways of explaining things translate. Tea break (9) Mapping interventio ns and change in the target location Wrap up (10-20 mins) Objective: Use facilitators local knowledge to map the services and interventions in the focus districts and split locations. Pre-training - A schedule of the assessment area is developed showing it split into sub-locations (e.g. kebeles) showing the estimated population of each. Participants are organised into groups, each covering several sub-locations. Participants should choose sub-locations where they have most detailed knowledge if possible. In plenary discuss the range of interventions and services it is possible to map. Add or take away from the standard list. Groups then complete the form and return them to the team leader. Some additional information may need to be identified from other sources. Facilitators with the necessary contacts should take responsibility for completing the sheets for the specific areas. Objective: To address questions and queries on any aspect of the days training Open discussion. There may have been issues raised during the day but others may emerge at this point. All issues raised should be noted on a flip chart and addressed immediately or for follow up in the morning. Intervention mapping sheets for all sublocations in the assessment area
Day Two Details Materials and Logistic support required (10) Recap and update on mobilisation (30 mins) (11) Introduction to field tools (15 mins) (12) FGD - Introducing CoBRA to communities (30 mins) (13) FGD Resilience statements (3 hours) Objectives: Recap on yesterday s sessions Discuss and agree locations for next day s field testing Plenary Address any issues / concerns raised yesterday and not addressed. Trainer to ask participants to list key learning points from yesterday. Group to suggest and identify test locations near to training venue. Group agrees how and who shall mobilize which groups of participants. Action points for individuals given accordingly. Note these people may have to be supported with transport to go and mobilise. Objective: Recap on the two tools to be used in collecting data Plenary presentation Re-show the slides from initial presentation that recap CoBRA assessment objectives and the specific outline of the FGD and KII. Objective: Trainees learn to facilitate CoBRA FGD using recording sheet Trainer distributes first 2 pages of FGD recording sheet and asks all participants to read and note any questions or queries. Trainer should address queries. Participants are then asked to work in pairs and to complete the initial sections using the characteristics and location of a community they know of in the assessment area. Objective: Resilience Statements - Learning to elicit, rank and score felt impact statements Step 1: Long List The trainer splits participants into teams of 4-5 and asks them to develop resilience statements for a community they know (i.e. one mentioned on their forms). Trainer supports teams in ensuring impact statements are positive statements not problems or wish lists. Each team reads out their statements that are then written on an A5 card and put on the floor. Other teams are likely to mention similar or repeated statements. This will create a single consolidated list of all statements. The trainer then puts a CoBRA graphic card on top of related statement. A final list of statements (each with graphic) is then lined up on the floor. Step 2: Ranking priority statements - The trainer then explains the ranking process to participants. Each Flip charts FGD Recording sheets one for each participant A5 cards Beans Graphic cards with scoring guidance notes on reverse
Day Two Details Materials and Logistic support required participant is given 6 beans and uses these to score what they consider to be their top three most important community resilience statements (3 beans for first, 2 beans for second and 1 bean for third). The statements are then placed in order of highest to lowest scoring. Statements that did not score any beans are removed. Step 3: Scoring statements In plenary all trainees complete the three scoring columns on the FGD recording sheet with advice from trainer. Each trainee asked to facilitate the scoring of at least one priority resilience statement. Facilitators encouraged to use scoring guidance notes on back of graphics. Tea and Lunch Breaks at appropriate times (14) FGD Resilient households and Interventions (1 hour) (15) KIIs with Resilient Households (1hour 30 mins) Objective: Participants can correctly complete FGD record sheet section on resilient households and interventions. Trainer hands out relevant pages of the FGD record sheet and trainees review. Group work In same groups as developed resilience statements participants complete the sheet for their focus community. Then groups complete interventions section as per form. Groups feedback a) characteristics of resilient households; and B) the 2 sets of top three interventions on a flip chart to rest of group. The trainer facilitates a discussion on how to improve or clarify the way characteristics are noted and discussion on how interventions are justified. Discuss how greater clarification can be achieved. Objective: Participants understand and are able to complete KII report format Trainer explains rationale and objectives for the KII, specifically how information builds on FGD questions on resilient households. In plenary the trainer asks for suggestions as to how appropriate key informants could be identified. The group agrees the possible options to be used. The trainer distributes KII recording sheets. In pairs The group is split into pairs. At least one person in each pair should be from the local area. One participant should interview the other using the recording sheet (in pairs with a non-local partner the FGD Record sheets, flip charts and market pens Resilient household KII Record Sheets
Day Two Details Materials and Logistic support required local person should be the interviewee). Interviewees should answer using their own or their household s route to resilience. Once the interview is complete the recording sheets are handed to the trainer who reviews for completeness and quality. Plenary Participants to bring up questions or difficulties. Trainer identifies strengths and weaknesses from completed forms and uses examples to explain how it could have been better completed. Focus on answers that could be further probed and explored. (16)Planning for Field testing (1 hour) Objective: A clear plan for day 3 field testing is established The trainer/ Team Leader should allocate assessment teams with one supervisor for every group of 4-6 facilitators. This should be displayed on flip chart or LCD. Each team of two facilitators should do one FGD and two KIIs. The supervisor should be present to support all FGDs. Therefore FGDs should be held in the same location or phased over the course of the day. Key issues to clarify: FGD locations Who is community contact person? All parties clear on location and time of FGD(s) i.e. who is going where, when? Field kits of recording sheets, graphics, cards, beans etc in place and sufficient for all FGDs/KIIs Vehicle driver, pick up and departure times Calculate and purchase the refreshments required for participants and teams Flip chart or LCD
CoBRA Assessment Team Training Guidance Day THREE Fieldwork Day 3 Field Work Testing Each Assessment team should undertake the following exercises. Focus Group Discussion (minimum one) with 15-20 participants FGD participants should be selected as part of the sensitisation process. Given the sensitisation process for the field testing day is likely to have been carried out before the classroom training began the composition of participants may not be completely in line with that identified by facilitator during classroom session (4) on communities. Each FGD is facilitated by 2 facilitators (and supported by an Assessment Supervisor). The facilitators should take it in turn to facilitate and record different sections of the FGD to get experience of both aspects. The supervisors role is to mentor and improve the skills of the facilitators rather than take over facilitation him/herself. The supervisor should be noting down facilitators performance during the FGD and highlighting specific examples where they did well or could have done something differently or better. The supervisor may have to step in to address technical problems e.g. difficulties in turning a felt impact statement into a question for scoring etc. At the end of the day, the supervisor (and trainer /Team Leader) should sit down with each pair of facilitators and go through their performance, address any issues or problems they want to raise and review the FGD record sheets. The supervisor must ensure what is on the record sheet fairly reflects what was said, is coherent, logical and well recorded, for data entry and analysis. Key informant interview with member of a resilient household (minimum one for each facilitator and supervisor) Resilient household key informants should be identified on the day by FGD participants or the assessment team in consultation with the local community. Each facilitator and the supervisor (wherever possible) should complete one KII. Where appropriate the Supervisor may sit through this interview to monitor their ability (although a one-to-one conversation may elicit better answers e.g. if informant and facilitator are both women). After the interview the supervisor can sit down with the facilitator and discuss how it went as well, review how well responses were recorded and whether any responses could have been further probed or explored. During the field work exercise the team should note any general problems or issues for wider discussion at the classroom de-brief the following day. All recording formats should be collected by Supervisors and submitted to the Team Leader / Trainer at the end of the day.
CoBRA Assessment Team Training Guidance Day FOUR Classroom Day 4 Classroom Session Details Materials and Logistic support required (17) Review and debrief of field work (2 hours) (18) Planning for Field work (90 mins) Objective: Address issues arising from field work Improve team performance Group work 15 mins Trainees are encouraged to sit in assessment team groupings. Each team is asked to consider yesterday s experience and highlight: what went well what they learned what didn t go well, questions or concerns Plenary: groups feedback verbally and points noted by trainer. The trainer then adds his/her views to those mentioned. The trainer then focuses session on questions and concerns and how these can be addressed / improved. Assessment teams composition may need to be reviewed Tea break Objective: Review and finalise field logistics plan The trainer presents the proposed sampling frame and draft field logistics plan for review and discussion. Whole group discusses and reviews. Overall plan broken down into individual logistics plan for each Assessment Team. Each team to complete details and checklist for their route. Particularly: Timing for travelling, community sensitisation and actual FGDs/KIIs Form of communication with Team leader Vehicles and accommodation Supplies and equipment required Float or funds required Team Leader supervision visits Session ends when overall plan is finalised and members of all teams are fully aware of their roles and activities to the end of the assessment. Flip chart FGD and KII recording formats from previous day SD7: Logistics plan