Developing a tool for evaluating community-based rehabilitation in Uganda

Abstract

Purpose. The overall purpose of this study is to use the conceptual criteria of the ‘Joint Position Statement (JPS)’ (see http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/download/jointpaper.pdf)on Community-based rehabilitation (CBR), together with the data collected from a CBR programme in Uganda (Tororo) to generate a prototype CBR evaluation tool.

Method. A case study approach is used to examine the Tororo CBR programme. Project documentation was examined to generate base line data which was used to inform sampling for interviews and focus group discussions. These were conducted with a wide range of stakeholders. The interview and focus group data are recorded, translated, transcribed and imported into a computer-assisted analysis programme, NVivo. The data was analysed in two stages: (i) data led development of themes (ii) allocation of the generated themes to the conceptual structure of the ‘JPS’. A third stage uses the data to generate an outcome measurement tool for evaluating CBR programmes.

Results. Fifty different themes were identified during the analysis and used to construct a questionnaire framed around the concepts of the ‘JPS’. In addition, the questionnaire reflected the words and phrases used by participants. The outcome is a short and feasible tool for evaluating CBR programmes.

Conclusion. The ‘JPS’ has been used as a framework for the analysis of qualitative data to generate the basis of a prototype evaluative questionnaire which can now be piloted, amended and then used for the evaluation of other CBR programmes.

Keywords:

• Community-based rehabilitation
• rehabilitation
• disability
• disability and rehabilitation

Acknowledgements

This research was made possible through funding from the CP Charitable trust and the Community-Based Rehabilitation Africa Network (CAN) office, which provided the vital links for the authors' fieldwork.