Data-Driven Peacebuilding
Conflict is complicated, and every conflict is different. What evidence can we use to design programs that are relevant and effective, locally owned and accepted, in each unique and fast-changing context? And how do we measure our impact on peace?
Concordis’ work in complex environments is built around a strong evidence-based approach. This requires both quantitative data and strong qualitative analysis – we need to understand what’s going on and we need to understand why, from experts in their own local context. This section will focus on the quantitative data work that Concordis collects, and how we use it to design programs, make decisions, and monitor and evaluate our impact.
In recent years there has been an increased emphasis on the use of quantitative methods and analysis across the humanitarian sector. Concordis has used data in all of our programs over the last 20 years and we continue to integrate data collection and quantitative analysis into our own work, which we use to design programs, make decisions, and monitor and evaluate our impact. We see this as essential in ensuring our activities are relevant to each unique context, that our work is owned by and accountable to the affected population, and that all impacts (whether positive or negative) are measured.
Our teams have conducted consultative surveys in all of our three current programs (Darfur, CAR, and Abyei). These involve interviewing participants in both one-on-one and focus group interviews. As part of this consultation process in Darfur, for example, we consulted a total of 3,751 participants, 2,689 with in-depth questionnaires, and 1,062 participants in 70 focus group discussions. For these surveys Concordis uses both full-time staff and specially recruited data collectors, including women, to speak with participants from a variety of demographics and backgrounds.
Inclusivity can be measured by age, gender, and ethnicity, but geographic inclusivity is also important, and the teams ensure they get out of the urban centres and into the villages and cattle corridors, to understand the context right where conflict is fought and felt.
One of the key variables that we monitor through the data we collect is “social cohesion” in a given area, which we seek to quantify through a variety of measurable proxies. These proxies include dependence on inter-community trade, willingness to attend social events, and the availability of and trust in inter-community conflict resolution methods. Between the type of questions we ask and the data collection methods we use to collect them, Concordis continues to develop a cohesive methodology for our programs and uses that data for a variety of purposes.
We use the data to help plan our activities. In Darfur, for example, Concordis was able to identify potential entry points for our team, both supporting existing people and processes and establishing new mechanisms as needed. Beyond just helping us plan our activities, this data also helped us make decisions as to which potential activities would be most critical in addressing community needs.
We also use the data to support monitoring and evaluation, establishing a baseline against which the impact of our work can be measured. In Abyei, for example, the team conducted a survey in the Amiet Peace Market, a locality that Concordis helped establish and had been working in for the last several years. The survey results demonstrated the impact of Concordis’ work, in that most local respondents trusted Concordis and the local institutions that Concordis supports, to manage conflicts arising. These positive results helped show the success of our program in the area, and they also helped identify potential areas for improvement.
The data that Concordis collects provides a lens to discover trends that would be harder to spot using just qualitative methods. For example, the survey the Abyei team conducted revealed that 75% of respondents felt safe doing business in the Concordis-support Amiet peace market. This is despite the fact that 76% of respondents said they didn’t feel safe in general or that they felt only “somewhat safe.” The trust residents put in the market, despite instability elsewhere, helped reveal the effectiveness of our work in Abyei and also highlighted the need to expand our work outside of the market.
We will continue to use data in all of our programs and continue to further develop how we use this tool as part of our broader work to help reduce complex conflict and continue a long history of delivering effective and sensitive programs where they’re needed most.