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Situational Study
PROPOSES
1. To assess the gravity of need for drinking water in terms of seasonal/year round scarcity; quantity available; time and distance (round trip) for collection of water.2. To explore and understand village cohesiveness and past experiences and records of group/cooperative efforts.
3. To assess the awareness and extent of involvement of the proposed beneficiaries in making a request for water scheme.
4. Rapid appraisal of health conditions of the villagers, in particular children, in terms of common diseases and appearance.
METHODOLOGY
Walk about observation cum survey; mini focus group discussions; informal talks with change agents living in the proposed areas.
CONTENT
1. information on the present water sources,• distance/time used collecting water
• quality of the water
• system(s)
• condition/operational status
• rough population coverage2. History and experience of community participation projects for water and other sector agencies
• their success and present condition
• what and how were the strategies, approaches adopted for community participation in the past projects?
• how successful or unsuccessful were these approaches and reasons for the same.3. Who was involved in the making of the request? How are they involved? Are the different areas/wards and social/ethnic groups involved in filling the request?
4. What are the common diseases in the Village? What is the prevalence/occurrence in an average family?
5. Previous water projects?
• Agency?
• Community participation activities?
• The experience of the villagers about the implementation?
• Present status of operation and maintenance?
• Who is responsible?
Feasibility study: Sociocultural, economic and, health
PURPOSES:
1. To assess the feasibility of the proposed scheme2. To establish sociocultural, economic, health and demographic data base
3. To record existing water usage practices and health and to enable appropriate sanitation related behaviour and HE programme, planning of the WS systems and sanitation.
4. To document rural social systems, community power structure and rural technology/technicians for planning the best suitable systems for management, operation or maintenance of the WS and sanitation systems.
5. To explore possible functional link with existing GO and NGOs activities
METHODOLOGY:
Basic socio-ethnographic methods will be used in the conduct of the above study. These methods permit detailed recording of the sociocultural context in which all kinds of rural behaviour and practices occur in order to better understand and interpret the behaviour and the expected outcome of the activities to be introduced. The basic socio-ethnographic methods used will be Focus Group discussion, observation, participant observation, informal discussions and use of secondary data.
DATA RECORDING METHODS:
Field diary, files, village map
DURATION:
2-3 weeks (To be done before the implementation begins).
PARTICIPANTS:
Training officers/overseers/women workers (if feasible)
Protocol
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Content |
Data Collection Technique |
Possible Source/s |
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A. DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS | ||
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Population Size Structure by age, sex, social (caste/ ethnicity) groups, household size and growth rate, where possible |
Secondary data |
Health post |
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Office records |
Village | |
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Development | ||
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Committee | ||
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Social Characteristics Type of household and settlement patterns(clustered or dispersed) by social groups/caste/ethnicity; educational level records |
Observation |
Village |
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Informal discussions by social groups |
key informats | |
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Office | ||
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Schools | ||
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Settlement patterns in relation to existing water sources (if possible, a rough map showing the settlement pattern, existing and potential water sources). Also common land in the community, where taps and wells could possibly be located. | ||
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Economic Characteristics | ||
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B. VILLAGE ECONOMY | ||
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Sources of livelihood |
Focus Group |
Village groups, |
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Discussions |
Village | |
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Which group do majority of people belong to? |
Appropriate groups, i.e. village leaders, villagers, men and women, various |
committees |
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Farmers by type (share cropping, farming their own land, renting hired labourers, etc) size of land holding |
change agents, villagers, extension workers | |
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Village craftsmen |
observation | |
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Seasonal work | ||
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Unemployment in the village | ||
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C. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS | ||
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Existing renewable natural resources |
observation, |
Village |
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forest (private/public) |
office |
Forest |
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Water (river, springs, artisan) tree plantation by the water sources, quality and type of land landslides and erosion |
documents |
office |
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D. HEALTH AND SANITATION BEHAVIOUR: Existing water sources and their use | ||
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Survey of existing sources |
Survey |
Village |
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and their yield measured |
observation & |
Villagers |
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and conditions described. |
Water testing |
villagers |
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Quality at present sources should be analyzed |
Focus group | |
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(Bacteriological tests) |
Discussions | |
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The following things should be studied during the feasibility study: | ||
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Existing water sources by use: | ||
• drinking water | ||
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• washing, bathing | ||
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• cattle watering | ||
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• their approximate yield, approximate number and distributions (geographical) of people using the source | ||
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• approximate quality of source | ||
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• average distance from the households using the source (time used collecting water) | ||
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• times of the day when most people use the source | ||
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• the condition of protective structure, if any | ||
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• ownership and responsibility for maintenance. History of the source, who built it and when? | ||
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Water use at household level | ||
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Water carried to home | ||
• cooking, drinking |
Focus group |
village, |
• washing, bathing (approx. |
Discussions, |
villagers |
• animal watering amounts) |
Observation, |
village |
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Participant health | ||
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Water used outside home |
Observation Workers | |
• washing, bathing |
Informal discussions | |
• animal watering |
Health Post with relevant person/s, office records | |
• industrial & handicraft use(building, brick making, etc.) | ||
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Who in the household usually collects water? | ||
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Health Behaviour | ||
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Understanding of the link between water and diseases. Do people understand? | ||
• polluted water at source | ||
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• connection of lack of sanitation and pollution | ||
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• spreading of diseases | ||
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• household hygiene | ||
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Sanitation situation in the village and defecation behaviour | ||
• approximate number and type of latrines in the village | ||
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• institutions, schools, health posts, tea shops: do they have latrines? | ||
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• different groups (rich/poor/iteral, etc.) and their defecation behaviour | ||
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• different influential individuals VHW, school teacher, Family Planning Worker, and their sanitation situation practices? | ||
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Cultural restrictions and practices | ||
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Special cultural restrictions/ beliefs/practices considering water use and defecation behaviour. In particular, are theresome restrictions preventing village use of latrines, etc. |
Focus group discussions, |
Villagers of all walks of life, i.e., men, women, rich, poor literate, illiterate, priests, imams, health care practitioners, knowledgeable Brahmins, etc. |
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Participant observation informal talks | ||
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Castes using the same water point? | ||
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Men/women working together? | ||
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Role and Status of Women | ||
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Local laws, regulations, beliefs, and practices regarding water sources | ||
• ownership of the sources | ||
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• common place for washing places etc. | ||
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Presence or absence of Village Health Care | ||
• practitioners, traditional birth attendants, influential villagers in regard to health problems and services, care, and advice | ||
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E. RURAL SOCIAL SYSTEMS | ||
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Leadership structure | ||
• formal influentials leaders |
informal talks |
villagers |
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villagers influence |
Participant observation | |
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Decision-making procedures | ||
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Where are the decisions made and discussed: | ||
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Meetings: | ||
Who participates? | ||
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How often are they held? | ||
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What is discussed? | ||
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Chairman? | ||
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Who initiates the meeting? | ||
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How are people informed about the meeting? (chowkidar/katuwal) | ||
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What area do they cover? | ||
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Indigenous organizations/institutions to regulate/manage village affairs i.e. social, cultural, economic, health and other social and political issues and problems (village chowkidar/katuwal, Guruwa, rural technicians and client patron relationships, etc.) | ||
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F. EXISTING SERVICES AND FACILITIES | ||
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What are the present services in the village: | ||
• school |
Observation |
village and villagers, change agents |
• health post/THCP |
Focus group discussion |
Village Development Committee |
• administrative buildings | ||
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• other projects of other sector agencies | ||
- agriculture | ||
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- immunization | ||
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- population control | ||
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Transportation and Communication | ||
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Income generation projects - SFDP, PCRW, NGOs | ||
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Villagers' Concepts of Health, Illness, and Safe Water | ||
1. Characteristics of a healthy person/child | ||
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2. Characteristics of illness | ||
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3. What makes one healthy/how to remain healthy? | ||
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4. What causes illness (fate, unhygienic practices, evil action, bad spirit, food ...) | ||
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5. Safe water is (appearance, taste, source, protection, container) | ||
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6. How to make water safe ... | ||
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Food Behaviour based on observation, interviews, and group discussion with villagers of all walks of life. | ||
1. Hot food | ||
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2. Healthy food | ||
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3. Cold food | ||
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4. Infant food, frequency, reasons | ||
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5. Children's food, frequency, reason | ||
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6. Pregnant women: | ||
a. Good food | ||
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b. Food avoided and why? | ||
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c. Food normally eaten | ||
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7. Lactating women: | ||
a. Good food | ||
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b. Food avoided and why? | ||
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c. Food normally eaten | ||