NGO Staff Research Articles

User preferences for an mHealth app to support HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among men who have sex with men in Malaysia.

Recent estimates report a high incidence and prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Malaysia. Mobile apps are a promising and cost-effective intervention modality to reach stigmatized and hard-to-reach populations to link them to HIV prevention services (e.g., HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP). This study assessed attitudes and preferences toward the format, content, and features of a mobile app designed to increase HIV testing and PrEP uptake among Malaysian MSM. We conducted six online focus groups between August and September 2021 with 20 MSM and 16 stakeholders (e.g., doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and NGO staff) to query. Transcripts were analyzed in Dedoose software to identify thematic content. Key themes in terms of app functions related to stylistic preferences (e.g., design, user interface), engagement strategies (e.g., reward systems, reminders), recommendations for new functions (e.g., enhanced communication options via chat, discussion forum), cost of services (e.g., PrEP), and legal considerations concerning certain features (e.g., telehealth, patient identification), minimizing privacy and confidentiality risks. Our data suggest that a tailored HIV prevention app would be acceptable among MSM in Malaysia. The findings further provide detailed recommendations for successfully developing a mobile app to improve access to HIV prevention services (e.g., HIV testing, PrEP) for optimal use among MSM in Malaysia.

Impact of Benevolence Trust on Knowledge Transfer

The impact of benevolence-based trust on knowledge transfer is understudied in Bangladesh's NGO sector, which is home to more NGOs than any other nation in the world (with a comparable geographic size). The study aims to examine the effects of benevolence-based trust, a significant component of trust antecedent, on knowledge transfer between NGO staff and their beneficiaries in Bangladesh's NGO sector. Semi-structured interviews with a total of 54 NGO personnel were conducted using multi-staged and purposeful sampling procedures. Content analysis is used to process Critical Incidents (CIs) collected from semi-structured interviews. Findings imply that knowledge transfer to beneficiaries is influenced by the benevolence- trust of NGO staff. The results may be useful for beneficiaries and NGO workers in expanding knowledge transfer activities. Given that the experiment was conducted in a specific country, such as Bangladesh, it could be challenging to generalize the results. Similar studies may be conducted in the future in a different setting or country.

‘Mostly women's issues’ – Gender differences in community responses to a large-scale NGO programme to prevent violence against women in urban India

Despite striking gender differences in men's and women's engagement in past prevention programmes to stop violence against women (VAW), few empirical studies have determined why such gender differences arise. We did a grounded theory study of a large-scale NGO programme in informal settlements in Mumbai, India, aiming to analyse how gender affects participation in community action to address VAW. We did 27 focus group discussions and 31 semi-structured interviews with 77 women and 36 men, as well as with 9 NGO staff. We supplemented qualitative data with quantitative monitoring data on referrals to NGO counselling centres. We found that male participants in the NGO programme not only reported violence to the NGO at lower rates but took less intensive action to support survivors. When they did engage, they more often defended perpetrators or asked survivors to accommodate them than female participants. These differences could be explained by a greater (1) affective response to VAW (2) perceived stake in addressing VAW (3) sense of empowerment from taking action, and (4) perceived NGO support for self among women compared to men. Differences were evident even between male and female participants who had taken part in NGO activities for years. We theorise that these differences ultimately stem from men and women's structurally different position in a gender unequal society. Our findings identify key motivational barriers to address to improve the effectiveness of programmes to prevent VAW. Given the greater barriers to men's community action compared to women's community action, it may be useful to recognize the value of prevention programmes with differing levels of male engagement, including women-only programmes and programmes in which male community participants play a secondary role and are not expected to be as active as female participants.

“The police came in white protective suits and with batons, it was pure disaster” – a multi-stakeholder perspective on infection control in reception centers for asylum seekers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges, particularly for vulnerable populations residing in confined settings such as refugee shelters: Physical distancing measures were challenging to implement in shelters due to shared rooms or communal use of kitchens and sanitary facilities, which increased the risk of infections. Meanwhile, individuals’ capabilities for individual protection strategies were severely impaired by the structure of the shelters. Consequently, shelters had the duty to develop and implement strategies for the prevention and handling of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of refugees, NGO employees, and shelter directors regarding COVID-19-related measures in German refugee shelters. The study aimed to identify challenges and conflicts arising from implemented measures, as well as expectations for improved support during the pandemic.MethodsSemi-structured and narrative interviews were conducted with 6 refugees, 6 facility managers, 12 NGO staff, and 2 social service agency staff from February to August 2022. Qualitative content analysis was employed to analyze the data, identifying overarching themes and codes.ResultsThe study uncovered challenges and conflicts resulting from pandemic measures, particularly mass quarantine orders, within refugee shelters. Lack of transparency and ineffective communication worsened tensions, with refugees feeling distressed and anxious. The quarantine experience had a negative impact on refugees’ mental health, which was exacerbated by limited social interaction and leisure-time activities. Shelter managers encountered administrative challenges when implementing measures due to facility constraints and limited resources, while NGO employees encountered obstacles in providing immediate assistance due to legal regulations and a lack of cooperation from shelter managers.ConclusionsThe study highlights that shelters are problematic institutions from a public health perspective. It shows the importance of implementing customized pandemic interventions in refugee shelters that take account of the diverse needs and experiences of both refugee and staff. To achieve this, we recommend to establish an ethics committee and involve various stakeholders in decision-making processes. Additionally, enhancing information dissemination to promote transparency and public understanding of measures is crucial. These insights can help develop comprehensive and effective pandemic plans for refugee shelters, ensuring better preparedness for future public health crises.

Navigating Qualitative Data Collection Challenges: Fieldwork Insights and Recommendations for Research with Development Project Beneficiaries

In development and migration studies, understanding the impact of policies and development interventions is one of the major research priorities. However, when carrying out research with beneficiaries of development projects in Africa, there are numerous challenges that - if not carefully considered - will jeopardize data quality. Even though there are some methodological articles and reflections on monitoring & evaluation and on quantitative research with beneficiaries of development projects, not much has been written on the specific challenges that qualitative data collection faces in these situations. Drawing on 28 FGDs and 144 IDIs conducted in the timespan of 18 months of qualitative fieldwork research with project beneficiaries in Southern Ethiopia, we give fieldwork advice, and provide actionable recommendations for future research, revolving around 1) the importance of pre-testing, 2) verifying age and other personal characteristics of informants, 3) the outsider-insider debate, 4) sampling and communication with NGO staff, 5) expectations, vulnerabilities and behavior of individuals.

Exploring the Role of Women in Attaining Food Security: A Case Study of Mitooma Local District, Uganda

This study investigates the critical role of women in achieving food security within Mitooma Local District, Uganda. Employing a correlational research design, data was gathered from a sample of 60 participants, including local council officials, politicians, civil servants, NGO staff, and members of the community. Findings revealed significant challenges, with the majority of families experiencing food scarcity and some children suffering from malnutrition. Despite engaging in agricultural activities and contributing to food production, women face limitations in accessing resources and services, hindering their effectiveness in ensuring food security. The study emphasizes the need for coordinated efforts among stakeholders, including civil society organizations, administrators, and policymakers, to address food insecurity. Recommendations include mass sensitization campaigns, enhanced scientific research, women's empowerment initiatives, and improved access to credit facilities. Keywords: Administrators, Food production, Food security, Women, Women empowerment.

Assessing Vaccination Delivery Strategies for Zero-Dose and Under-Immunized Children in the Fragile Context of Somalia.

Somalia is one of 20 countries in the world with the highest numbers of zero-dose children. This study aims to identify who and where zero-dose and under-vaccinated children are and what the existing vaccine delivery strategies to reach zero-dose children in Somalia are. This qualitative study was conducted in three geographically diverse regions of Somalia (rural/remote, nomadic/pastoralists, IDPs, and urban poor population), with government officials and NGO staff (n = 17), and with vaccinators and community members (n = 52). The data were analyzed using the GAVI Vaccine Alliance IRMMA framework. Nomadic populations, internally displaced persons, and populations living in remote and Al-shabaab-controlled areas are three vulnerable and neglected populations with a high proportion of zero-dose children. Despite the contextual heterogeneity of these population groups, the lack of targeted, population-specific strategies and meaningful engagement of local communities in the planning and implementation of immunization services is problematic in effectively reaching zero-dose children. This is, to our knowledge, the first study that examines vaccination strategies for zero-dose and under-vaccinated populations in the fragile context of Somalia. Evidence on populations at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases and barriers to vital vaccination services remain critical and urgent, especially in a country like Somalia with complex health system challenges.

The Precarity of Women’s Short-Term Migration: A Case Study from Nepal

This article explores precarity in short-term women’s migration using the case study of Nepal. Women migrate from Nepal for short-term contract work mostly in the domestic care sector. This research has used both focus group discussions and key informant interviews with returned and prospective migrants, as well as NGO staff and others supporting migration. A picture of the precarity of women’s short-term migration from Nepal to the Middle East has emerged, with the motivation for women’s migration being complex, and while it is primarily financial and for some an economic necessity, there are also broader implications, and the argument that migration can expand women’s choices and opportunities, and possibly be empowering. The research found that this applies to relatively few women migrants. Nepalese women face considerable risks, and migration is precarious due to restrictions and controls along each step of the migration pathway.

Community NGO intervention for Alzheimer’s patients rehabilitation

AbstractBackground Alzheimer’s patients Rehabilitation services aren’t well‐developed concept in resource‐Poor nations due to poor economics & lack of expertise. With limited resources we wanted to explore these rehabilitation services in rural villages. Rural/tribal areas of India lung Alzheimer’s patients [Ca] patients lack rehabilitation support available only in city hospitals. Our 12‐year CBO is training youth volunteers & traditional faith halers in marginalized communities to provide rehabilitation.MethodAround 1340 cases of Alzheimer’s will be in rural/tribal of India by 2025, but hospitals lack dedicated Rehabilitation program. patients returning to villages after onco‐therapy in cities urgently need Rehabilitation support to suit their economic, social, cultural background. Since August 2018 Our NGO clinic started free advise on Rehabilitation. [n = 91]. With 6 trained nurses, two physicians, we screened patients. Average age 62 years, M:F ratio 75:25. Our support services devised as‐per need of Patients in consultation with family & stretched over 21 months included conselling, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation. Responses assessed with Quality of life scale by Flanagan Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) & psychological evaluation by Likert psychometric scale. This presentation demonstrates project in developmental stages & basic operational facts. Initially started as practically oriented guidance center & later developed in well‐organized set‐up offering free rehabilitation services in villages. It comprises NGO staff and traditional faith healers.ResultOur program highlights variability of psychological & Socio‐medical aspects in rehabilitation. Patents needed medical interventions in 18%, psychological approaches in 84% while remaining 16% needed combination of both.ConclusionThis is pilot project running on community donation. We plan to document, evaluate this in large sample size, but resource restriction didn’t permit. To overcome this, we plan networking of European NGO’s, advocacy experts at AAIC‐2023 Venue for better study design, technical support & collaborative efforts. I do not claim “I transformed whole community of patients but we had certainly taken initiative by this cost‐effective approach”.

Refugee COVID-19 protocol adherence and NGO staff perceptions: paternalism and power in humanitarian assistance

During the COVID-19 pandemic, humanitarian NGOs have instituted safety protocols intended to reduce the risk of spreading infection during services to refugees. But those protocols are not always followed, and how staff attribute refugee non-adherence reveals underlying power dynamics in humanitarian assistance which can shape how they approach improving adherence in order to enhance effective service provision to the refugees. Using the data from 1466 interviews conducted with 468 different NGO staff in Türkiye, Jordan, and Lebanon, this study exhibits how paternalistic rhetoric operated in humanitarianism during the initial stages of the pandemic. While staff attribute the non-adherence of refugees to essential refugee culture and sometimes “immoral” character, they attribute their own non-adherence to morally neutral situational factors. Some NGO staff even perceived the refugees as incapable of complying with the safety protocols without assistance. While the literature on paternalism focuses on North/South power dynamics between service providers and refugees, our data show that these dynamics also exist in South-South humanitarian interventions where both the service providers and the refugees are from the region and have similar cultural backgrounds.

(Re)Interpreting corruption in local environments: Disputed definitions, contested conservation, and power plays in Northern Madagascar

In the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar, conservation actors increasingly point to “corruption” and “crime” to explain ongoing environmental degradation, and seek to involve local residents in “community-based” efforts to combat or circumvent these problems. In doing so, they often assume that local people share their understandings of “corruption” and “crime.” This paper problematizes such assumptions, interrogating how definitions and accusations of “corruption” are formulated and used by varied actors to contest authority, legitimacy, and resource access. Drawing on evidence from over 250 interviews with NGO staff, local authorities, and community members across northern Madagascar, we find notable divergences in conceptualizations of “corruption.” Conservation actors generally define “corruption” in conventional terms—as the abuse of public authority for private gain—but also conflate all violations of conservation rules with “corruption,” and attribute local residents’ engagement with “criminal” practices and “corrupt” exchanges to poverty and ignorance. Community members acknowledge dynamics of illicit state-commercial exploitation, but offer alternate assessments of “corruption,” as well. Beyond implicating conservation actors themselves in “corrupt” processes, they critique uneven distributions of power and resources as “corrupt.” Moreover, they characterize local transgressions of conservation rules as contestations of “corrupt” inequities and expressions of deep disagreement with associated restrictions and authority structures rather than “criminal” deviance. Our findings thus reveal how (re)interpretations of “corruption” are enrolled in broader struggles. They suggest a need to reconsider how local participation in conservation and anti-“corruption” efforts is sought and viewed, and to further grapple with persistent problematics of power haunting “community-based” conservation in places like Madagascar.

Sustainability in NGO Programming: A Case Study of Working Equid Welfare Organizations

The sustainability of NGO initiatives has become a criterion by which to judge the success of programming. This study explores the conditions needed in order to achieve sustainable change by focusing on a sector that has recently experienced this shift towards more sustainable, interdisciplinary programming: that of working equid (animal welfare) NGOs. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 32 NGO staff working for 8 different animal welfare NGOs across 13 countries were conducted. These interviews covered potential barriers and avenues to success in producing sustainable working animal welfare improvements. Thematic analysis revealed consistent themes across contexts and NGOs. Approaches perceived as creating sustainable outcomes were ones that tailored initiatives to local contexts, focused on changing human behaviour, worked with key community contacts, built capacity in local infrastructure, combined approaches, and had comprehensive exit strategies. Barriers to sustainability included lack of continuity, short funding cycles and unpredictable external factors. Consideration of these conditions for designing effective future initiatives is recommended across the wider not-for-profit sector.

Analysing the potential impacts of three interventions on fruit and vegetable consumption in urban Kenya using participatory systems modelling.

This study uses participatory modelling with stakeholders to assess the potential impacts of three interventions intended to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption in urban Kenya. A participatory process using Group Model Building (GMB) developed a conceptual model of the determinants of vegetable consumption. A subsequent quantitative System Dynamics model using data from primary and secondary sources simulated vegetable consumption from 2020 to 2024 under three proposed interventions suggested by stakeholders: increasing consumer awareness, reducing post-harvest losses and increasing farm yields. Model analyses assumed mean parameter values and assessed uncertainty using 200 simulations with randomised parameter values. The research was implemented in Nairobi, Kenya with simulation analyses of mean per capita consumption in this location. Workshops convened diverse F&V value chain stakeholders (farmers, government officials, NGO staff and technical experts) to develop the conceptual model, data inputs and intervention scenarios. Increasing consumer awareness was simulated to increase vegetable consumption by relatively modest amounts by 2024 (5 g/person/d from a base of 131 g/person/d) under mean assumed value of value chain response parameters. Reducing perishability was simulated to reduce consumption due to the higher costs required to reduce losses. Increasing farm yields was simulated to have the largest impact on consumption at assumed parameter values (about 40 g/person/d) but would have a negative impact on farm profits, which could undermine efforts to implement this intervention. The combination of GMB and simulation modelling informed intervention priorities for an important public health nutrition issue.

Gendered Socio-Economic Integration: Lessons From the Syria Response

Despite increasing awareness, there are gaps in implementers' policy initiatives and ability to effectively deploy programs that incorporate gender mainstreaming in refugee contexts. Challenges impacting the design and implementation of gender sensitive livelihoods programming are identified based on forty-eight interviews with UN and (I)NGO staff in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Problems include a lack of gender expertise, internalized gender stereotypes, lack of donor commitment to gender goals, not being able to measure outcomes, and/or time constraints. We highlight best practices that make programs that help women refugees obtain work more successful. At the same time, interviewees raised important questions concerning the appropriate metrics for measuring the success of ‘livelihoods' initiatives, arguing that social integration, increasing women’s soft skills and self-confidence were just as or more important than economic objectives of many initiatives being rolled out.

Participatory extension for empowerment: Paradoxes unboxed in the fishery sector

The study looked at levels of participation in the extension approach of the NGO tapped to implement coastal resource management under the Fishery Sector Program and the Fisheries Resource Management Project (FSP-FRMP) in Leyte, Philippines and whether participatory extension led to the empowerment of fishers. The Spearman Ranks Correlation Test showed that participation and empowerment were correlated with correlation coefficient rs=0.30125, which represents weak correlation. Respondents’ participation and empowerment levels were low due to several factors that included demoralizing attitude of local government officials, disruption in FSP-FRMP implementation, overassertiveness of NGO staff, squabbling among program implementers, and fisherfolk’s sense of the futility of their efforts. Respondents saw participatory extension as a hollow process that pretended to give small fishers control over management of fishery resources, when in fact the elite continued to dominate. It was concluded that participatory extension may or may not promote empowerment, depending on several factors. Participatory extension was inadequate in bringing about true empowerment, because true empowerment calls for the revamp of socioeconomic-political structure that acts against the interest of poor fishers. With externally-initiated development programs being time-bound, NGOs implementing them are forced by expediency to accomplish fund-provider-set targets on time, thus disregarding time-consuming participatory processes.

Speaking with a ‘soft voice’: professional and pragmatic civilities amongst South Sudanese NGO leaders

ABSTRACT This article examines the forms of ‘civility’ promoted by South Sudanese NGO leaders and staff in their efforts to navigate a context of pervasive political repression. Drawing on in-depth, life-work history interviews, it shows how the careful cultivation of a ‘non-political’ identity was a way of securing space to operate in a highly militarised, politically restricted environment, of working across the divisions created by conflict, and of creating small spaces for change. The article also points to the limitations of these non-political positions, to the struggles of aspirational projects to overcome the inequalities in which they are embedded, and to the risk of reproducing the hierarchies and exclusions of the wider humanitarian industry. For external actors engaged in ‘localisation’ efforts, the discussion is a reminder that decisions about which organisations to fund are inherently political, with implications for dynamics of inequality and marginalisation in South Sudanese (civil) society.

"If I don't take my treatment, I will die and who will take care of my child?": An investigation into an inclusive community-led approach to addressing the barriers to HIV treatment adherence by postpartum women living with HIV.

Initiatives to support adherence to HIV treatment in South Africa are often centred on service delivery thereby avoiding key challenges to adherence: stigma and poverty. In contrast, this study aims to demonstrate the strength of an inclusive research and programme approach to improving the lives of people living with HIV and simultaneously ARV adherence. Participatory Action Research combined with a visual participatory method (Photovoice) was used by postpartum women to share their experience of taking ARVs. The research was analysed from an interpretative and critical paradigm where both the women and a non-governmental organisation collaborated in the data collection, analysis and interpretation of the findings. Together, they then disseminated the findings and used a community-led approach to create a programme addressing these barriers effectively. Two main barriers to ARV adherence emerged: the anticipated stigma associated with issues of disclosure and poverty epitomized by alcohol abuse, gender-based violence and hunger. The women and the NGO staff successfully presented their findings at conferences and collaborated to develop a programme of support for all women living with HIV in the area. The programme addresses each of the issues raised by the co-researchers and is run via a community-led process where the participants lead on design, implementation, and monitoring and ultimately will revise the programme as needed. The inclusive approach of this study enabled these postpartum women to portray the intersectional nature of both HIV stigma and poverty that affects their lives. By working with the local NGO to develop a programme based on these insights, they were able to tailor specific interventions to the issues women living with HIV face in their area. In doing so, they aim to improve the lives of people living with HIV by demonstrating a more sustainable way to impact ARV adherence. Currently, health service insistence on measuring ARV adherence does not address the core barriers to taking ARVs and misses the opportunity to focus on the long term health and well-being of people living with HIV. In contrast, locally targeted participatory research and programme development based on inclusivity, collaboration and ownership do address the fundamental challenges of people living with HIV. In doing so, it can have a greater impact on their long term well-being.

US National Gemini Office in the NOIRLab era

This article presents an overview of the US National Gemini Office (US NGO) and its role within the International Gemini Observatory user community. Throughout the years, the US NGO charter changed considerably to accommodate the evolving needs of astronomers and the observatory. The current landscape of observational astronomy requires effective communication between stakeholders and reliable/accessible data reduction tools and products, which minimize the time between data gathering and publication of scientific results. Because of that, the US NGO heavily invests in producing data reduction tutorials and cookbooks. Recently, the US NGO started engaging with the Gemini user community through social media, and the results have been encouraging, increasing the observatory's visibility. The US NGO staff developed tools to assess whether the support provided to the user community is sufficient and effective, through website analytics and social media engagement numbers. These quantitative metrics serve as the baseline for internal reporting and directing efforts to new or current products. In the era of the NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), the US NGO is well-positioned to be the liaison between the US user base and the Gemini Observatory. Furthermore, collaborations within NOIRLab programs, such as the Astro Data Lab and the Time Allocation Committee, enhance the US NGO outreach to attract users and develop new products. The future landscape laid out by the Astro 2020 report confirms the need to establish such synergies and provide more integrated user support services to the astronomical community at large.

Taliban decree deepens Afghanistan’s health crisis

Ban on female NGO staff hampers critical aid work and jeopardizes polio eradication campaign.

Cooperation affects NGO staff performance patterns

Cooperation affects NGO staff performance patterns