Report on the seminar
“Community research methods
with a specific focus on case study writing”
Erevan, Armenia, 29-30 October 2005
Trainers:
Rubina Ter-Martirosyan (Millennium Association Erevan, Armenia)
Gleb Tyurin (Institute for Social and Humanistic Initiatives, Archangeslk Russia)
First of all we have to own that it was not easy for us to conduct this training as we the
main one (which had to take part in Albania) did not take place and we had to be based on our
own understanding and experiences.
Another problem was that we had very limited possiblities to discuss our mutual work
(Gleb and Roubina) before we met in Erevan (and we had no experience of joint leading of
trainings before).
We have got support from our colleage from Romania, Nicu, who sent us his materials
in English (and we would like to thank him for that help) and they were translated into
Russian. We also tried to attract some other methods and materials but we tried to stay more
or less within the same approach as our Romanian colleage.
We also have got some help from Giorgy Meskidze, who gave us some good advises
in Erevan.
The first day started with:
- introduction,
- ground rules development and
- expectation collection (goals definitions).
We decided not to distribute training materials from the very beginning.
Expectation collection (goals definitions).
First individual goals abd expectations of everone were defined (drawnings of hands), they
priotities were defined.
It was decided to develop together with participants a common understanding of “case study”,
its goal, objectives and target groups.
The role-game “Carambia”
The role-play “Carambia” followed with group discussion came to the understanding of the
differences in approaches of interventors/researchers and community. During the game
particpants had to study and describe another culture in some certain (quite limited)
circumstances, when had to meet problems with understanding.
Group discussed possible ways to better understanding of the context and develop a conflict
sensitive approach to the any intervention/research.
Small presentations of own cases
Participants prepared a small presentation of best practices of their organization (both –
successful and failed/lessons learned).
Task for the group was to hear presentation, make notes, but don’t ask for any clarification.
After the presentations trainers asked what, in the group’s opinion, was missed in the
presentations.
This exercise was conducted on the purpose to understand the difference between story,
success story, best practices and case study.
It was followed by the discussion what is the difference between caase and case study.
Goals to conduct case study
After group work with cards and structural discussion such groups of conducting CS were
defined:
- With educational purposes. (To learn on your own or some others mistakes, learning,
to summ up the experience in order to use it later as educational material)
- I order in think over your experience (to make a focus on something particular? To
understand context, to understand tactic, to define typical problems, to analize
environment of changes)
- Deliver of experience (the biggets part)
- Promotion of your organisation (promotion and attraction of resources)
- Promotion of problems (solutions), render influence on osme actors and their
understanding (f.e. donors, experts), to change priorities, influence n target group
- Development of a network (let network to have mutual “product”/ exhcange of ideas
amd experience, arranging co-operation between different countries.
Target groups of case study
-
Communities and their leaders
Donors
Business community
Local authorities
NGOs and other organisations which work with commuity development
Network members
Experts, expert community
Concept of case study
Then trainers presented and discussed with the group the definition of the case study.
The group discussed and developed the common understanding of following issues:
 who can be the target group of the case study and how the format and context of case
study depend on the target group
 the goals and objectives of case study and how it influent the context and format of
case study
Then the group developed a draft model of the case study format. After that the training
materials were distributed and participants discussed differences and similarities between
provided materials and understanding developed by group.
As a result of discussion, group worked out the following format of a case study.
 Resume/abstract
 Context description/background information
 geography
 political situation – legislative aspects (if applicable)
 economic situation in a global context
 problem description / target group
 history/culture (if applicable)
 About us
 description of organization
 status
 type
 mission
 organizational passport – applicable part
 experience in the field
 key resources of organization
 Idea/goals, concepts
 why the idea came out
 concept – approach, why do we thing that it will work
 goal
 terms
 Capacity, methods
 method selection
 justification
 method description
 resources, asset mapping
 Intervention description
 the process
 causes of redesign / appeared problems
 Results
 description of he situation after the intervention
 outcomes and outputs
 planned and supplementary results
 direct and indirect results
 positive and negative impact
 cost effectiveness
 Conclusions
 lessons learned
 results analysis
 what could be done differently/better
Results (feedback)
Participants expressed their satisfaction with the training
It was interesting
It was rather comprehensive
I have got what I expected.
We acgived our common goal and it was mutual result.
It was very nice to hear from people from different countries.
I was very glad to hear that criterions of development are needed.
I have got clear understanding what is case study.
Valuavle experience.
New contacts.
Growth of the network and its ability to communicate and work together.
I have learned that it is good to have a mirrow. I would like to have someone
who can write yours story.
It was a big pleasure to meet people; I have got an approach how to work with
that. We were working all together. It was very pleasant.
Gratitude to the CEE CN and Armenian hosts, thanks that everything was so
unformal and easycomimg.
It was nice format.
Very interesting, very positive experience.
I have seen the beauty of Armenia
Our network as real value, it has grown up. Our trust has grown. Very nice
feeling that we are together.
At the end of the training participants discussed the possibility to work out indicators for
evaluation of the results/outputs/outcomes. Participants could not rich a common
understanding but decided to suggest to discuses it in CEECN.
We have to say also that all the particapants were eager to contribute and support joint efforts
and this nice and friendly spirit in the group was very helpful.
Rubina
Gleb
Erevan – Archangelsk