Conducting a Participatory Situation Analysis of.pdf - Global HIV ...

The answers to questions will then lead to recommendations
on how to use the data to address the needs of
OVC. Some data may suggest minimal or no changes to
existing OVC policies and programs. Other data may
direct the Advisory Team to make specific recommendations
about how to improve the situation of vulnerable
Report Tables
An example table and descriptions of the most
important items to be provided in a data table
are presented below.
TABLE [Table Number] [Title]
Freq. Percent Cuml.
-------------+-------------------------------------------------
[Code] | n % %
[Code] | n % %
[Code] | n % %
[Code] | n % 100.0%
-------------+-------------------------------------------------
Total | 100.0%
Note that the table is numbered and titled.The
title gives direction about the information to be
gained from the data in each table.“Freq” is the
frequency or the number of times each of the
codes occurred in the population. Percent is the
percentage of the entire population surveyed for
each code or variable characteristic.“Cuml” is the
cumulative percentage of all the codes and the
proportion represented by each code.The mean
is given when it is important to know the average
of continuous responses (e.g., ages, number of
hours a caregiver spends earning an income,
number of people in a household).The range of
these responses can be assessed by looking at the
minimum and maximum values.
children. Chapter Seven provides concrete examples of
how data can be used in efforts for OVC. Examples
include improving logistics (e.g., food supply), improving
access (e.g., reducing school fees for OVC and extending
VCT services to meet the needs of young people), making
structural changes (e.g., community schools, daycare centers,
or counseling centers), or improving a community’s
ability to respond to the needs of OVC.
Preparing Summary and Recommendations
From a practical point of view the summary and recommendations
section is perhaps the most important part of
the situation analysis report because it is a synthesis by
the Advisory Team of all the information gathered, and it
is often the first and/or only section of the report that a
large segment of the audience is likely to read. It is also
important because the analysis findings will likely lay the
groundwork for planning and mobilizing action, and it
provides an opportunity to clearly explain the relevance of
the analysis and how its findings can guide future decisions
regarding efforts for OVC. The summary and recommendations
section must be concise and as specific as
the findings permit, as well as sensitive to the political
context, indicating who should do what, where, when,
and how. It must clearly indicate which recommendations
are based on the findings of the analysis as opposed to
those that arose by other means, such as expert opinion or
consensus of the Advisory Team. Before publishing the
report, key stakeholders should be consulted to ensure the
recommendations are appropriate, feasible, and practical
given the available resources of the target groups (e.g.,
NGO programs and government ministries).
The summary and recommendations section should be
short and easy to read. A bullet list format can help make
it easier to read. Avoid broad statements of what should
be done (but will not) and long wish lists.
Recommendations may specify strategies for action, call
for priority attention to certain geographic areas, and rec-
78
Guidelines and Tools