SenseMaker approach Ghana

BEYOND THE STATISTICS ABOUT WATER WATER SERVICE DELIVERY IN GHANA: SENSEMAKER ® APPROACH

BEYOND THE STATISTICS ABOUT WATER SERVICE DELIVERY IN GHANA: SenseMaker ® APPROACH Presented By: Esinu Abbey (IT Coordinator, CWSA) & Prosper Dzansi (Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Expert)

Irene Guijt, Learning by Design Dave Snowden, Cognitive Edge Acknowledgement

Outline Part 1: The SenseMaker Approach Part 2: Application of SenseMaker

SenseMaker….. What is it?
A software suite developed by Cognitive Edge to help find patterns among stories
A tool for capturing story based data
An Evaluation tool

SenseMaker Suite Attempt to Hear What Really Matters to People

Examples of applications
Liverpool Museum of Slavery
culture of violence – Latin America
grassroots initiatives - East Africa
girls’ empowerment – Rwanda, Ethiopia
agricultural value chains - cotton, tea, banana
water service delivery - Ghana, Uganda
youth leadership - global

Why use SenseMaker?
Dynamic contexts need adaptive programme
Respond to emerging needs
Understand diversity of perspectives
Focus on values and people’s experiences , with quantification
Not stand alone approach
Build in other evaluation frameworks

What using SenseMaker involves
An approach to making sense of different fragments of information about a complex change process or about a dynamic context
Lots of different ‘stories’ from many sources : water users, water professionals, policy documents, videos, photographs
Together they build a rich and diverse picture of what is happening
Looking at patterns that are emerging can help plan next step s (rather than the individual stories……the paterns direct us to find out what a cluster of pple are saying …helps in forming themes)
SenseMaker ® is the software to help find patterns among the stories
But people need to make sense of it and decide on action

Essence

From question to action Prompting question  patterns Act on signals Story capture Self -signification Visualize patterns (theme, org, time, geo) Make sense

Methodology in Practice - GlobalGiving start

Asking what?
Goals, values, behaviours
Non-negotiables
seek surprise & confirm known

Tell us about a time when a person or an organization tried to change something in your community.

Stage 1 Analysis – Sensemaker (& Excel, SSP, SNA, text analysis)

Stage 2 Analysis – People

Ghana Group Discussions per Theme
Look at the patterns, reflect on your own experiences and read the related stories.
Discuss:
What messages are emerging from the patterns?
Which patterns are odd? And what might explain those patterns?
Which patterns do you recognise?
What do the patterns suggest might be areas and issues that require attention? New issues needing investment, some not worthwhile, etc.

Library of lived experiences Visualizing shifting story patterns Dissemination to official aid sector Actionable – client, constituent voice Rolling baselines Useful for organizations – facilitate decision-making Information challenges existing frameworks Cross-organizational thinking Stories for evidence-based policy changes Framing the impact for/to donors Peer-to-peer knowledge management After 18 months

Wider Sharing, eg geomapping

Last thoughts
See- Attend- Act
It’s not just getting material in front of people
Statistical links (especially self-discovered) create attention
Linked “objectivised anecdotes” provide explanatory power and lead to action
Measure success without pre-defining (no pre defined mined set like logg frames…open mind)
measures of success change over time
allowing learning through tolerated failure (do and learn from mistakes made)
contextual adjustment
Evidence-based policy
tests of coherence empower ‘people’ to use statistics
potential for whole of population engagement
complexity/narratives alternatives to “Delphi” to allow real time distributed consultation

Part 2

BEYOND THE STATISTICS ABOUT WATER SERVICE DELIVERY IN GHANA: SENSE MAKER APPLICATION IN TRIPLE-S

PRESENTATION OUTLINE 1.Background of Triple-S 2. Why use SenseMaker in Triple-S 3. Methodology for story collection 4. Analysis 5. Results 6. Next steps

BACKGROUND TO TRIPLE-S
Triple-S: a six year research project 2009 – 2014
Managed by IRC in collaboration with partners and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Seeks to tackle log-term challenges of sustainable water supply by contributing to shift from “infrastructure perspective” to service delivery approach for rural water sector through:
Action research in Ghana, Uganda (& Burkina Faso)
Working with government and sector stakeholders
Research, documentation and dissemination
International partnerships and advocacy

WHY USE SENSE MAKER FOR TRIPLE S ?
Respond to emerging needs – flexible funding for new ideas.
Diversity of perspectives - especially users and professionals.
Getting beyond statistics about water points and policy intentions to people’s lived experiences in the water sector.
Monitor water users satisfaction of the services they are receiving .

SERVING A LARGER LEARNING PURPOSE
Triple-S identified Narratives as a means of monitoring and evaluation.
Learning in Triple-S takes place in two areas (Narratives).
Narrative 1: tells the story about sector change towards sustainability ( changes in discourse, new ideas emerging, changing practices and policies )
Narrative 2 tells the story of the process to enable this change.
Use of statistical methods and stories in these narratives
Learning is geared towards improving our performance;

METHODOLOGY OF STORY COLLECTION
Who tells stories?
1. Two main categories of stakeholders;
Users at water facility level: Akatsi, East Gonja, & Sunyani West District Assemblies
Water Professionals: Government & NGO staff at Central & Decentralized level
2. Actual stories collected: 1, 256, water users 842, water professionals 414
3. Pilot stage =300

Who collects stories?
Recruited and trained 22 story collectors
young unemployed graduates or national service personnel,
teachers,
assembly men ,
environmental health officers,
community development officers and
Social welfare officers

Methods for Story Collection
User stories were collected through interviews :
Story collectors where deployed to all area councils in each pilot District to ensure spread of stories & representativeness .
Water Professionals stories were collected through:
- interviews( in offices of water professionals and sector events
- an e-based collector website

Incentives
Lunch and transport allowances were provided to story collectors
Feedback ( sharing and discussion of results to motivate people to share stories)

LESSONS/CONSIDERATIONS
Things that work well
Both water users and professionals were willing to share stories
The use of the word ‘story’ prompted respondents to share long narratives and sometimes fairytales or fiction’
Things that did not work well
The use of the collector website did not work well as practitioners saw no motivation to respond
Practitioners preferred speaking out their experiences rather than writing them.

DATA ENTRY & ANALYSIS
1. Data entry outsourced
2. Two levels of analysis are planned:
Preliminary analysis on demographics, & key highlights and trends observed by Triple- S
Sharing the Results with Stakeholders at National Learning Alliance Platform for them to:
Make sense of the trends observed,
Identify messages that emerging from the patterns?
New issues needing investment, some not worthwhile

B. Results

What do we need to know?
Water Users
How do people think of their water supply (quality, reliability, quantity etc)?
How do water users perceive water professionals?
How do people know their rights and responsibilities to water use
What are the views of water users/people on who should pay for water?
Water Professionals?
What are the implementation challenges associated with sustainable provision of new water facilities?
What success story of non technical /infrastructure can the sector build on?
Where are we seeing stagnation and where are we seeing good
Is there harmonization and alignment being done positive and negative?

HOW DO USERS THINK OF THEIR WATER SUPPLY?

Water Users How do water users see water professionals 500 stories 59.4% n =842 stories Their own goals People in need Their organization The water providers directly involved in are mainly focused on …

Water Users How do people know their rights and responsibilities to water use Play no role Help make decisions Know who to talk to n =813 stories 287 stories 35.3%

Water Users How do people know their rights and responsibilities to water use Responsibility for water supply Rights to water use Knowledge about maintaining water supply n =855 stories 334 stories 39.1% My story is about people ’ s...

Water Users What are the views of water users on who should pay for water Government or aid organization Water user Local water provider n =815 stories 267 stories 32.8% In your story, who should pay if the water system breaks?

Water Professionals What are the implementation challenges associated with sustainable provision of new water facilities? Challenge Solution Problem n =414 stories 102 stories 24.6%

Water Professionals What are the implementation challenges associated with sustainable provision of new water facilities? Policy Implementation Financing n =414 stories 78 stories 18.8%
The story has to do with … .

Water Professionals What are the implementation challenges associated with sustainable provision of new water facilities? . New Infrastructure Post construction General sector Support n =414 stories 70 stories 16.9% Your story is about … .

Water Professionals
Context of the story and the emotions associated.

Water Professionals What success story of non technical /infrastructure can the sector build on? .
How do you feel about your story?

WHERE ARE WE SEEING STAGNATION AND WHERE ARE WE SEEING GOOD PROGRESS . Story relates to policies and practices about... ?

WHERE ARE WE SEEING STAGNATION AND WHERE ARE WE SEEING GOOD PROGRESS . The same as always The same things but in a better way Fundamentally different things 118 stories 28.5% n =414 stories The story is about a situation in which organizations/ people do.?

IS THERE HARMONIZATION AND ALIGNMENT BEING DONE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE The story is about a situation in which organizations/ people do? Work independently Fully align their approaches Coordinate their activities n =414 stories 69 stories 16.7% In your story, organisations...

NEXT STEPS
In the Next Steps …
Sharing and discussing outputs from story analysis in review & coordination platforms at:
- District
Regional
- National level
Setting up an institutionalized system of data collection
Anchor sense maker activities into M&E system of CWSA and the sector

Thank you

Group Discussions per Theme
Look at the patterns, reflect on your own experiences and read the related stories.
Discuss:
What messages are emerging from the patterns?
Which patterns are odd? And what might explain those patterns?
Which patterns do you recognise?
What do the patterns suggest might be areas and issues that require attention? New issues needing investment, some not worthwhile, etc.

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SenseMaker approach Ghana

by IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre on Feb 08, 2012

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SenseMaker approach Ghana — Presentation Transcript