As a part of DFID’s Security and Justice for the Poor (SJ4P) programme, FDM conducted an RCA study in Achham, Dhanusa, Kapilvastu and Morang. Reality Check Approach (RCA) is a unique research tool that FDM has adopted to collect qualitative data. The concept is based on the principles of ethnography but it unlike ethnographic research, it has been adapted to development projects to make it shorter and more concise. As with any ethnographic research, RCA requires researchers to stay in the natural habitat of the research subject by living with them for certain number of days throughout which they engage in information conversation and observations to gather in-depth finding. RCA helps capture people centric data and has been helpful in capturing unmeasured and dynamic everyday experiences, awareness and aspirations of people. The RCA served as a scoping study for all other component activities. It was particularly useful in developing a baseline survey, as well as for developing an overall monitoring framework for SJ4P. The results of the RCA also assisted the DFID in further decision-making related to the justice and security sectors in Nepal.
Donor: DFID
Study Area: Rolpa, Dang, Rupendehi, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Banke, Sunsari, Lamjung, Morang, Siraha, Saptari, Udhypur, Dhankuta
Sample: Police post management committee
Tools: RCA approach
Duration: Mar – Jun 2014