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Chapter 37. Some Operations in Evaluating Community Intervent... >
Section 2. Information Gathering and Synthesis >
Information Gathering and Synthesis |
Tools & Checklists | Contributed by Steve Fawcett and Phil Rabinowitz |
Here you will find a checklist summarizing the important points of the section.
What do we mean by information gathering and synthesis?
__ Information gathering refers to gathering information about the issue you’re facing and the ways other organizations and communities have addressed it.
__ You can gather information using both existing sources and natural examples.
__ Synthesis here refers to analyzing what you’ve learned from your information gathering, and constructing a coherent program or approach by taking ideas from a number of sources and putting them together to create something that meets the needs of the community and population you’re working with.
__ Synthesis involves extracting the functional elements of both the analysis of the issue and approaches to it.
__ Functional elements are those that are indispensable either to understanding the issue, or to implementing a particular program.
Why gather and synthesize information?
__ It will help you avoid reinventing the wheel.
__ It will help you to gain a deep understanding of the issue so that you can address it properly.
__ You need all the tools possible to create the best program you can.
__ It’s likely that most solutions aren’t one size fits all.
__ It can help ensure your program is culturally sensitive.
__ Knowing what’s been done in a variety of other circumstances and understanding the issue from a number of different viewpoints may give you new insights and new ideas for your program.
When should you gather and synthesize information?
__ Information gathering and synthesis should continue throughout the life of the program.
Who should gather and synthesize information?
__ Information gathering and synthesis is often most effectively conducted by a multi-sectoral participatory group including all stakeholders in the issue.
How do you gather and synthesize information?
__ Decide what you need to know about the issue itself, successful and unsuccessful attempts to address it in various circumstances, and the local context.
__ Determine your likely sources for the various types of information you’re seeking.
- Existing sources include scholarly, mass-market, and statistical/demographic published information.
- Natural sources include some published information about programs, but can best be obtained by direct contact with those involved in planning, implementing, or participating in programs relevant to your issue.
- It’s important to pay attention to both successful and unsuccessful attempts to address the issue, and to step outside your own field in search of solutions that work.
__ Devise a plan for gathering information.
- Decide who will gather what information.
- Decide how information will be gathered.
- Decide what adjustments will be made for gaps in experience or skills.
- Set a timeline for the initial information gathering.
__ Collect information.
__ Begin synthesis by taking it all apart – extract the functional elements of what you’ve learned.
__ Complete synthesis by putting the relevant pieces back together as a coherent program that speaks to your community’s needs.
__ Keep at it by continuing to gather and synthesize information throughout the life of the program.