REIMAGINING RCCE…EVIDENCE & ACTION
Dhaara Webinar #3
DHAARA Webinar #3, the third in the series focused on evidence for action. The webinar on September 18, 2020 led to a rich exchange of ideas and brought focus on the criticality of speedy evidence in a pandemic scenario for evidence-based programming.
View the video proceedings of the webinar
Opening the webinar, Siddharth Shreshta, Chief, Communication for Development (C4D), UNICEF India, stressed the need for adapting and modifying methods of data collection and analysis during a pandemic such as COVID-19. With more than 30 studies and assessments conducted in the last six months, he highlighted the importance of putting assessments and researches to use; being cognisant of the limitations of online research methodologies; and need to focus on community feedback mechanisms and social accountability.
Archna Vyas, Country Deputy Director, Communications, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) emphasised the importance of quick generation of data and action using lessons learned from previous epidemics such as SARS and Ebola, while formulating risk communication strategies with flexibility and use of innovative ways. She reiterated the importance of documentation the learning of the efforts being made and models being developed locally to be better prepared in a future pandemic situation. She informed that BMGF along with 80 partners has formed a collaborative platform on research and evidence, named CORE Net, to exchange learning and weed out duplication in data collection on COVID-19.
In Panel 1: Evidence and implications on RCCE, Nizamuddin Ahmed, C4D Officer, UNICEF Rajasthan, presented on the importance of seeing how evidence can be used to formulate strategies, provide guidance to the communities and for advocacy, and the need for real time data generation, analysis of data and drafting and designing strategies that need to be a simultaneous and continuous process. The key essentials being taking into account social aspects, frequent and regular insights and community feedback.
The baton was then taken by Alka Malhotra, C4D Specialist, UNICEF who shared the key findings on what people believe and where they get information, which they trust. The findings were based on the WHO social listening study in urban high-density areas (July 2020), the UNICEF’s community based monitoring study (June 2020) and the UNICEF’s U Report India based survey was conducted in July 2020.
View the Presentation made by Panel 1
What followed in Panel 2: Reimagining research methods and communication was an interesting sharing on community based monitoring study by K D Maiti, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF and the WHO social listening study using iChat, Chat Bot by Dr Ritu Singh Chauhan, lead, the risk communication pillar of WHO India response to COVID-19. This session was moderated by Dr. Nicola Balvin, Research and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF. The discussion focused on how the data collection methods had to change in keeping with the pandemic situations. The presentations highlighted that while these methods did result in interesting findings, improving and building further on these methods in order to ensure robust sampling and reliable data.
Click here for more details
DHAARA Webinar #3, the third in the series focused on evidence for action. The webinar on September 18, 2020 led to a rich exchange of ideas and brought focus on the criticality of speedy evidence in a pandemic scenario for evidence-based programming.
View the video proceedings of the webinar
Opening the webinar, Siddharth Shreshta, Chief, Communication for Development (C4D), UNICEF India, stressed the need for adapting and modifying methods of data collection and analysis during a pandemic such as COVID-19. With more than 30 studies and assessments conducted in the last six months, he highlighted the importance of putting assessments and researches to use; being cognisant of the limitations of online research methodologies; and need to focus on community feedback mechanisms and social accountability.
Archna Vyas, Country Deputy Director, Communications, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) emphasised the importance of quick generation of data and action using lessons learned from previous epidemics such as SARS and Ebola, while formulating risk communication strategies with flexibility and use of innovative ways. She reiterated the importance of documentation the learning of the efforts being made and models being developed locally to be better prepared in a future pandemic situation. She informed that BMGF along with 80 partners has formed a collaborative platform on research and evidence, named CORE Net, to exchange learning and weed out duplication in data collection on COVID-19.
In Panel 1: Evidence and implications on RCCE, Nizamuddin Ahmed, C4D Officer, UNICEF Rajasthan, presented on the importance of seeing how evidence can be used to formulate strategies, provide guidance to the communities and for advocacy, and the need for real time data generation, analysis of data and drafting and designing strategies that need to be a simultaneous and continuous process. The key essentials being taking into account social aspects, frequent and regular insights and community feedback.
The baton was then taken by Alka Malhotra, C4D Specialist, UNICEF who shared the key findings on what people believe and where they get information, which they trust. The findings were based on the WHO social listening study in urban high-density areas (July 2020), the UNICEF’s community based monitoring study (June 2020) and the UNICEF’s U Report India based survey was conducted in July 2020.
View the Presentation made by Panel 1
What followed in Panel 2: Reimagining research methods and communication was an interesting sharing on community based monitoring study by K D Maiti, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF and the WHO social listening study using iChat, Chat Bot by Dr Ritu Singh Chauhan, lead, the risk communication pillar of WHO India response to COVID-19. This session was moderated by Dr. Nicola Balvin, Research and Evaluation Specialist, UNICEF. The discussion focused on how the data collection methods had to change in keeping with the pandemic situations. The presentations highlighted that while these methods did result in interesting findings, improving and building further on these methods in order to ensure robust sampling and reliable data.
Click here for more details