TARSC has used participatory and community based research methods to explore the research issues brought to us by community and public sector organisations. We work with organisations to design, build skills in and implement community based research using a range of methods. We aim for scientific quality, innovation and relevance to communities and to public services in our research work. We aim to demystify research as a tool for building and using knowledge.
Community based research training: building skills at community level
Community Monitoring work at TARSC draws on experience and methods from UN and public sector sentinel surveillance programmes, and the monitoring of nutrition and food security by civil society. The current Community Monitoring Programme at TARSC is commissioned and guided by six membership based civil society groups and aims to monitor social and economic progress at community level. The programme supports with evidence the efforts by state and civil society to improve conditions at community level.
The Community Monitoring Programme compiles information at least quarterly from community monitors in about 250 sentinel sites in all districts of Zimbabwe.
The information covers key indicators of social and economic progress identified by monitors, by participating organizations, and by feedback from national institutions. The system is subjected to scientific and peer review and reported nationally. It has many features of other participatory approaches in systematising, organizing and presenting the experience of ordinary people.
The quarterly survey reports are available on the website.
Latest Community Monitoring publications
Quarterly Community Assessment of the Socio-economic Situation in Zimbabwe: Health and Education
(April 2013)
Types of work: Community monitoring
Areas of work: Community and Public health
Country: Zimbabwe
URL: CMP HE March 2013.pdf
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View all Community monitoring publications.
Participatory Action Research
Participatory action research has been the cornerstone of much of our work. Drawing on our experiences and skills in the use of participatory methodologies, we have worked with community based organizations and social groups to bring their knowledge and abilities into research and into development of programme and training materials. Our participatory research has covered areas such as prevention of child sexual abuse, adolescent health, occupational health, community health, food security, HIV and AIDS and community participation in local government health systems. TARSC supports organisations to design, implement and report on participatory research studies.
Strengthening Community Health Systems for HIV Treatment, Support and Care. From 2010 the Training and Research Support Centre has been involved in an internal programme supported by the EU/ACP termed ‘Cobasys’ aimed at empowering communities to support antiretroviral delivery programmes for people living with HIV infection in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania, in collaboration with partners in Italy, United Kingdom, Finland and Belgium. TARSC supported partners to use participatory methods to identify community perceptions and experiences of health system responses to AIDS, and the social, service and other facilitators and barriers to access, as a way of building an understanding of what sort of community and health systems interaction will better support vulnerable groups. Reports of the participatory assessments are available on the TARSC and Cobasys website.
Community photography Since 2005, coordinated by Training and Research Support Centre and Ifakara Health Institute, institutions in EQUINET organisations working at community level have carried out participatory action research studies in nine countries in east and southern Africa, exploring different aspects of community interactions with health systems. In 2008, we went further and used photography as a tool for visual literacy and to support reflection and action, and trained community members in photography skills. These country teams and examples of their work are presented in a book of community photography on the TARSC website.
Latest Participatory Action Research Publications
Who are we to care? Exploring the relationship between participation, knowledge and power in health systems
(April 2013)
Types of work: Participatory Action Research, Policy analysis
Areas of work: Community and Public health
Country: Zimbabwe
URL: Issue paper participation Kaim April2013.pdf
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View all Participatory Action Research publications.