We work with other organisations to: design and implement qualitative and participatory research projects; provide training and support in oral testimony, research and evaluation; and manage the archive of the Panos Oral Testimony Programme.  Current and recent projects include:

RESEARCH

Child Protection and adolescent sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in Bangladesh, South Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines and Tanzania (November 2017 – July 2018)

OTW commissioned to conduct research on the child protection and sexual and reproductive health context for adolescent girls in each country. OTW worked closely with national experts as co-researchers and key informants. In Bangladesh OTW also conducted a gender situational analysis.  Findings are informing the development of Girl Effect’s mobile platforms in each country context.

The People in the Pictures with Save the Children (2014-2017)

OTW designed and led a four-country research project on representation and image-making processes for Save the Children UK (2014-17). Research methods include individual interviews, focus group discussions and workshops with children. The research report authored by Siobhan Warrington and Jess Crombie was published in June 2017 and is available here together with a summary version. OTW also designed and managed the launch event and related thought leadership session – find out more about the launch here.

 

 

Moving Forward: Formative research on Menstrual Hygiene Management in Bangladesh (2016-2017)

OTW and Creative Social Change were commissioned by Plan International UK and Plan International Bangladesh to design and participatory and inclusive research with women, girls, men and boys. The research was informed by Human Centred Design. A learning brief based on the research is available here, and an article based on a presentation at the 2017 WECD Conference is available here. 

 

 

Stand Strong: Women and Politics in Sierra Leone for Christian AID (2015)

OTW and Creative Social Change carried out participatory research in Sierra Leone as part of Christian AID’s assessment of its governance programming.  We designed evaluative research to explore the gender dimensions of voice, politics and power, in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, enabling research participants to record, photograph and video their experiences in their own words, and training staff and participants in a range of research skills.   The final report is available here. A short report on our methods is available here.

Participatory needs assessment for Theatre for a Change and their work with female sex workers and sexually exploited girls. We used a combination of interviews, theatre-based methods, and video to generate inclusive debate and evidence. Read report. Read blog.

TRAINING and SUPPORT

Monitoring evaluation and learning (MEL) with Womankind (2016-2018)

In 2016 OTW was commissioned to conduct a baseline study for a Comic-Relief funded project with Womankind’s partner AWSAD in Ethiopia, along with MEL skills development.  OTW has gone on to provide further direct MEL support to the partner in 2017 and 2018.

 

 

Parent Voice project in Ukraine with Healthprom (January – June 2017)

OTW designed and delivered life stories work with parents of children with disabilities, focusing on Early Intervention. This included design and delivery of two workshops  for parents to develop their research, communication and advocacy skills, resulting in widespread regional media coverage of the need for Early Intervention.

 

Exploring childhood in Camden (January – June 2016): Commissioned by children’s charity http://thewinch.org/ to train and support 10 and 11-year olds to record a series of oral history interviews with elders in their communities. The Winch went on to develop a series of outputs based on the oral histories including a piece of theatre and an exhibition.

OTW is currently working with Newcastle University as a training and advisory partner in a Global Challenges Research Fund bid which will involve participatory oral history work with communities in Vietnam, Bangladesh and India.

ARCHIVE

OTW is in the process of securing the transfer of the 20-year old Panos London Oral Testimony Programme archive to SOAS as part of its NGO, Charity and Campaign Group Archives.

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

Give Stigma the Index Finger: Swaziland, Ethiopia and Mozambique (2011 – 2015)

Oral Testimony Works, together with Panos Eastern Africa and Panos Southern Africa worked with IPPF and its national partners in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Swaziland to complement the Stigma Index work with oral testimony and media activities.  The Give Stigma the Index Finger project (2011-2015) increased understanding of HIV stigma by empowering men and women living with HIV to take an active part in research and resulting advocacy on HIV stigma.

In each country at least 10 PLHIV (men and women) participated in a five-day oral testimony training workshop. Most of those participating had also worked as community researchers on the Stigma Index, and many were adherence counsellors. The practical workshops covered questioning skills, topics for interview, recording equipment, interview relationships, informed consent, and transcription.

Following each workshop the interviewers returned to their home areas and recorded and transcribed a further four interviews with people living with HIV. They generally interviewed people with whom they had an existing relationship through their support associations. Project coordinators supported the interviewers during this process and organised a review meeting halfway through the interview collection. Interviewers also came together at the end of the process to share their analysis of the testimonies and ideas for communication.

In total, 140 people living with HIV in Swaziland, Ethiopia and Mozambique were able to share their experiences, memories and views freely in an open-ended interview, recorded in their own language by a counsellor or activist (whom they already knew), with the assurance of anonymity. Thirty-one of these testimonies were translated into English and a selection were edited for an IPPF publication, and extracts from 21 of these were shared by Oral Testimony Works as part of 21 stories 21 days.

At a national level OTW and IPPF are supporting partners to communicate these testimonies to national audiences through radio and community dialogues.  Through the media workshops and fellowships programmes by Panos Southern Africa and Panos Ethiopia, a total of 30 articles appeared in the national media across the three project countries.