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Chapter Six: Reporting and Disseminating Results
This chapter offers suggestions for writing and disseminating
situation analysis findings. Approaches and formats
for sharing the results are presented along with ways
to organize the reports, including techniques for combining
or for reporting separately qualitative and quantitative
findings. This chapter covers the critical elements
such as credibility factors, ethical norms in writing, and
choosing audiences and formats.
Strategies for writing and disseminating situation analysis
findings are interdependent. Determining how to write
requires first determining the purpose of the report(s) and
the intended audience. For example, is it writing to influence
community opinion leaders, to inform policymakers,
or to promote changes in services for HIV/AIDS-vulnerable
households, or a combination of these? Understanding
clearly the purpose of the report helps determine the primary
audiences and how best to reach them. Most likely
a situation analysis will involve writing and distributing
one complete technical report, several shorter reports, and
other documents in other formats. As noted in Chapter
One, this Guide recommends developing a dissemination
plan early in the situation analysis process because a clearly
mapped approach to sharing the situation analysis findings
makes it more likely that the findings will be
maximally received and lead to action.
I. Getting Ready to Write
Credibility Factors
The credibility of situation analysis findings depends on
communicating effectively with specific audiences. The
confidence that policymakers, advocates, NGO program
staff, and community members have in the findings will
be determined by both what is said and how it is said.
Three basic strategies are used to enhance the credibility
and communicability of situation analysis findings:
• Ensure the theme areas and results that are reported
matter to the intended readers (relevance)
• Understand the audiences’ needs (e.g., length, level
of complexity, and conventions about credibility)
and prepare reporting approaches accordingly
• Attend to the basics of good writing (clarity, accuracy,
logical development of ideas)
No matter who the audience is, the readers will consider
the text in light of their own needs and interests—both
personal and professional. To convince readers that the
findings have merit, there must be a balance between
challenging their assumptions and reiterating the familiar—in
terms of format, style, and content.
To most readers, the quality of the written presentation is
a direct reflection of the overall quality of the situation
analysis effort. To ensure a high-quality presentation, it
helps to answer the content-related questions presented
in the following text box. Addressing the issues inherent
in these questions will help convince readers that the
report is credible.
Effective written communication engages readers both
intellectually and emotionally. Writing can motivate
readers to change practices, to explore new avenues of
inquiry, to inform advocacy efforts, and to spur communities
and entire societies into action. The writer’s
responsibility is to make the situation analysis report as
accessible, credible, and engaging as possible. Do not be
afraid to share emotion in bringing the respondents’
insights to life for the readers (e.g., using case studies
or direct quotations). The report’s credibility and communicability
will determine to a large extent whether
readers will use the findings and whether the findings
will have an impact on policies and practices related to
the well-being of OVC.
Ethical Norms in Writing
The data collection tools in this Guide gather the sensitive
information shared by children, PLWHA, and caregivers
of OVC. There are four ethical norms or basic
principles that govern how things should be written
about people’s lives: (1) aim for balance and accuracy,
not neutrality, (2) ensure that no harm comes to participants,
(3) give public voice to findings by sharing the
participants’ own words, and (4) describe the context of
your interactions with participants and disclose your role.
Aim for balance and accuracy, not neutrality
When reporting analysis findings, present multiple sides
of any contentious aspects of the OVC issue; for example,
community care and institutional care. Aim to elicit
the knowledge, understandings, and insights of the
analysis participants and present their insights in context.
Ensure that no harm comes to participants
One must not only ensure that no harm comes to those
interviewed as a result of their participation in an analy-
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