Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

iii ‘Key Informant’ interviews

The key informants in this case are children. If the participants feel that the previous two

activities are too time-consuming or too indirect, they may choose to talk directly with children

to learn about their situations and their needs. They may use the Assessment Summary Sheet

on page 35 as a guide. In this case, the mobiliser should coach the participants on sensitive

questioning techniques so as not to probe too deeply into issues that the child is not ready to

address.

(Home visitors will later be trained in appropriate psychosocial support to children, and ways

of talking to children about sensitive issues.)

Assessment summary

Following these supplementary activities, the group should reconvene and review each of the

previously-identified topic or needs. On large pieces of flipchart paper (one for each topic) they

should summarise their observations in terms of Healthcare, Education, Child Safety and Protection,

Psychosocial Support, Birth Registration and any other category they have identified, based on the

information they gathered through talking to the children. This information would have been recorded

on the Assessment Summary Sheets they filled in for each activity.

At this point, the participants should have a good picture of the most pressing needs faced by

OVC in the community, and the current situation with respect to those needs.

Activity 4: Current response

The Current Response Matrix(see Mobiliser Reference 2on page 36) should be copied onto one or

more large pieces of flipchart paper, with enough space to record each organisation and each key

individual. Each representative should fill in his or her name or the name of his or her organisation,

and indicate area(s) of response. You may choose to include categories of response beyond those

identified in the initial listing of OVC needs. The Matrixprovides a simple visual picture of current

activities and gaps in response in the community.

Explain to the participants that you will be holding a second community stakeholders’ meeting (see

Step 3) in which all those interested in organising a community response to the OVC situation are

welcome to attend. Explain that participation is entirely voluntary, but that all stakeholders are

welcome. In the second stakeholders’ meeting, you will be discussing possible community care

structures that the stakeholders can choose to form and coming up with a plan for the way forward.

Set a date, time and venue for the second meeting in consultation with stakeholders.

(^32) Unit 1, Module 2 Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children