The Flourishing Community Index (FCI) is a new methodology developed by Cordaid to assess community development priorities through both qualitative and quantitative data collected directly from local community members. The FCI aims to capture community needs and perspectives independently of specific projects or organizations in order to inform planning, service delivery, and impact measurement over time. An initial pilot of the FCI in two Burundian communities found that community members were willing to share their stories and perspectives via the data collection app. The mixed qualitative and quantitative data provided insightful information on both negative issues and positive changes in the communities from the members' own views. Cordaid plans to continue using and expanding the FCI to generate more community-level data to guide programming and

1. Flourishing
Community Index
Capturing the voices of local community members
about their needs and perceptions
Introduction
Cordaid developed an innovative new methodology for the
objective and inclusive assessment of the development
priorities of local communities. The Flourishing Community
Index (FCI):
▪ Captures the needs and aspirations of communities
independently of specific projects, development actors or donors.
▪ Technologies make it possible to collect, aggregate and share
information at a large scale; local communities get a global
voice.
▪ Cordaid uses the FCI for Programming, Lobby Advocacy, and as
a tool for Impact Monitoring.
Objective
The objective of the Flourishing Community Index (FCI) is to assess
the needs and perspectives of local community members, as input
for community plans, service delivery and other programs, as well
as for impact measurement by measuring changes over time. Since
the FCI is not related to specific interventions or actors, it provides
independent and authentic insights in to how people perceive
their living conditions and social relations.
Results of the pilot phase
The FCI has been tested in two communities in Burundi.
Findings
▪ People are very willing to share their stories, and find it easy to signify their
stories, also with the triads (see below).
▪ Surveyors can be trained in half a day, since it is very easy for them to apply
the FCI Sensemaker ® app.
▪ The quantitative data are instantly available.
▪ The stories are audiofiles of 3 minutes on average and need to be translated.
This can be done within one or two weeks.
▪ The combination of the stories and the quantitative data gives detailed and
insightful information on the most important negative issues, but also about
positive changes.
▪ The operational costs are between 3-5k per community (200 stories).
Some examples of the data generated with the FCI
These data are based on stories collected from 138 respondents
(65 men; 73 women) from a community in Burundi.
Lessons learned and next steps
Lessons learned
▪ Based on the pilot some of the questions will be deleted or reformulated.
▪ The process of analyzing the data is important. Different approaches have to
be developed for the sensemaking by different users of the data.
▪ We also learned that it is important to include all relevant stakeholders from
an early phase to enhance ownership and use of the data.
Next steps
▪ Cordaid aims to use the FCI together with relevant stakeholders to assess the
most important issues and priorities for programs and Lobby and Advocacy work.
▪ At the same time we want to expand this approach to as many local
communities as possible, supported by donors or other stakeholders.
▪ This will make it possible to generate data about needs and perspectives of
local communities, and about the changes over time.
Context
The FCI has been developed by Cordaid (NGO) to fill the gap
between more rigorous impact measurements (such as
Randomized Control Trials) that do not provide information on the
‘why’ question, and the qualitative methods like storytelling
and focus groups that provide anecdotal, qualitative information
that cannot be generalized. The methods in use for impact
measurement generally focus on specific interventions or specific
actors, and do not measure changes outside of the scope of the
intervention, unexpected changes, or changes that are more
difficult to measure, such as trust and perception of safety.
positive
Most important issues in the community
Stories told by the community members
reflect the most important issues and themes
experienced in the community (in positive
and negative sense). Based on multiple choice
questions, with predetermined themes.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People also have the option to indicate ‘others’
for the theme of their story, with an open field to
fill in the subject of their story. This graph
reflects the issues mentioned here, both for the
positive and the negative stories.
Method
▪ Information is gathered among a representative selection
of community members (at least 200 per community), by
surveyors, making use of an app (Sensemaker®).
▪ People are asked to share a story of an experience or event that
is an illustration of how it is to live in their community, followed
by questions, so that people can signify their own story.
▪ Qualitative information (stories) and quantitative information
are integrated, and the data is instantly available.
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ContaCT Rens Rutten Manager FCI | Rens.rutten@cordaid.nl | + 31(0)70 3136297
Factors that affect the issue
So called ‘triads’ are used, whereby people
position their story on a field between three
possible answers. Each dot on the triad
represents a story. This triad presents the
answers to the question: what are the factors
that affect safety in your community?
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