Where we are in terms of documentation of our work with the communities?

[Francien Scholten]

 

We conducted this exercise with about 20 community members, NGO staff and government officers in a meeting in Entebbe, Uganda on 22^nd April 2015. The objective was to capture where we are in terms of documentation of our work so that we can improve and realize our dream of systematic documentation. It will help us to measure our progress effectively and also share and exchange amongst us and with the larger Constellation community.

 

What is documented in your work?

Meetings (minutes) at all levels national and districts, Drama

Field reports, IEC materials, IEC materials, Training and workshop reports, policy briefs, position papers (national level), letters (electronic media), Brochures, plans, budgets, treatment given, Referrals, drugs dispensed and received, client stories

Activities implemented- process of implementation, outcomes and impact, learning from implementation and impact, recommended action

Networking and partnerships- how they contribute to the success of our work, sharing and learning from partners

Attendance lists, check lists

 

In what form is it documented?

Written reports in both hard and soft copies, T-shirts, Drama e.g. radio plays, audios/videos, photos with captions, printing, engraving, braille, orally for e.g. oral review meetings

 

Who documents?

Everyone documents but some do not speak out; implementers, monitoring and evaluation personnel, recipients of the documents, researchers, community members, facilitators, managers, volunteers, external consultants for evaluations,

 

Is the documentation used?

All agreed that information is used to certain extent.

 

How is it used?

Decision making, for evidence, self-assessment/measurement, readjustment and redesigning, reviewing; for communication, further research, case studies, fund raising, policy making, training material , programme development and replication, stakeholder reporting, accountability to community leaders, networks and members, through feedback and review meetings, to donors who provide funds, to organizations, scaling up, learning,

 

Who uses the information?

Decision makers, organization planners, implementing bodies, policy makers, CSOs, researchers, donors, government, community

 

What are the challenges?

Expensive; inadequate resources for website

Unlimited skills and knowledge

Failure of implement the decisions

Lack of feedback from those to whom we submit our reports

Loss of documents

Poor storage

Retrieval of documents

Loss of access codes to documents

Power shortages

Language barrier

Ignorance

Inadequate documentation materials

Limited dissemination

Weak culture of documentation in Uganda

Communication barriers

Inadequate utilization

Quality of documentation

 

What has worked?

Use of different mediums like text, audio and videos

Convincing experiences for donation

For advocacy

Mandatory reports/deadlines/frameworks

Financial reporting

Use of briefs

Use of documentaries before and during stakeholder engagement

Community involvement in the process,

Spot on documentation (activity reporting)

Case studies