orientation to documentation cbos and networks january 9, 2007 chennai, tn

Enhance SAMARTH: Documentation for CBO and Networks: Orientation

ORIENTATION TO DOCUMENTATION

CBOs and NetworksJanuary 9, 2007

Chennai, TN


BACKGROUND

Community-based organizations, including Positive Networks undertake several interventions in the areas of prevention, care and support, and creating and enabling environment.

All the steps, activities, events and outputs have to be documented using text, numbers, and images.

Documentation needed to report activities, monitor trends and show impact


GOALS OF DOCUMENTATION

Immediate Goal: Documentation will help in reviewing project activities, for internal and external monitoring and evaluation.

Long-term Goal: There should be a permanent record of the CBOs and Network activities for research and archival purposes. Other organizations must be able to learn everything about process, output and outcome by reading our documentation.


Documentation also helps all organizations

• Gives a clear picture of the organization’s structure and function

• Allows employees to know roles, activities, accomplishments that took place previously, and that take place in other geographical areas

• Helps ensure transparency of decisions and policies

• Allows program managers to keep track of their timelines, progress and outputs

• Allows funders to gauge the impact of their investment

• Helps in financial management and planning


At the district, state, regional and national levelGood documentation helps the public learn about the

HIV/AIDS status of the particular unit (eg. District, state, etc.) with respect to:

– Prevalence of HIV

– Incidence of HIV

– Reach and Utilization of prevention and awareness services (e.g. communication campaign, TI, VCTC, PPTCT, etc.)

– Reach and Utilization of care/support/treatment services (e.g. ART centers, community care centers, positive living centers, STI clinics, hospices)

Even classification of states/districts/countries as high-medium-low prevalence can depend on the quality of

documentation!


What are some examples of documents?

• Project reports (periodic, final)• Event coverage• Meeting Minutes• Photos and Videos• MS Excel ™ spreadsheets and graphs• MS PowerPoint ™ presentations• Newspaper reports• Advertisements• BCC and IEC materials• Directories• Web pages• Letters and Email


Some examples of documents and documentation needs


Who does the documentation?

• Your project may be fortunate enough to have a documentation specialist, a secretary to take minutes, a project coordinator to produce monthly reports, etc.

• However, everyone in the CBO or Network should possess basic skills in documentation.


What is needed for documentation: Equipment and Tools

• Pen and paper• Computers and electronic data storage (discs,

flash drives, hard-drives etc.)• Cameras (still, video)• Tape recorders• Files for paper• Racks and shelves for storage of files/CDs• Others


What is needed for documentation: Skills and Training

• Good memory, ability to focus, and attention to detail

• Sufficient interest in, and knowledge of program

• Listening and questioning skills for interviews/FGDs

• Word Processing (typing, writing)

• Spreadsheets and databases

• Knowledge of operating equipment (computers, cameras, etc.)

• Presentation skills (text, audio/visual)

• Knowledge of ethical issues (e.g. informed consent)


Ten characteristics of good documents

1. They provide the desired level of detail

Ask yourself what the audience wants to know:

• Summary of an event? • Every point in a meeting written down?• Numerical outputs?• Emotional appeal?



2. They are written in plain, concise, grammatically correct language

You are documenting a HIV/AIDS-related event, not writing a short-story or a novel!

• Avoid flowery language, slang, etc.• Use simple words instead of complex ones:

don’t make the reader rush for a dictionary. • Do not repeat yourself



3. They have a consistent format

All sections within a document should be consistent with each other. All documents of a particular type (e.g. monthly reports) should be consistent with each other. Consistency includes:

• Choice of font for text, heading, sub-heading• Letter size• Spacing (1, 1.5, 2)• Number format• Justification of text• Colors, when used• Logo, header, footer



4. They are accurate and unbiased

Most important! • If you are reporting a speech, only write what

the speaker has said• If you are watching a documentary film, only

give those details that are given in the documentary

• If you are reporting an event, be true to the activities that took place in the event

• Don’t use words like “immoral activities” or “wrong path”


Ten characteristics of good documents5. They provide all necessary context

A person reading a document of an event or meeting should be able to know:

• Where and when it took place• What it was about• Who was present • Why it was being conducted• How it was conducted• What was the outcome/ conclusion• What is the follow up, if any• Whom to contact for more information



6. They give examples where appropriate

• If you are reporting that an event was held in the General Hospital and was attended by VIPs/celebrities, you should name some of them and give their title (e.g. Dr. PQR, the Dean of the Medical College)

• If you are writing that an education program discussed ways to prevent HIV transmission, give examples of some of the ways (e.g. condom use, tested blood obtained from voluntary donors.)



7. They cite sources of information, including photographs

• Notice how newspapers and reports state where their news came from, or who took the photographs they have included. You must do the same thing.

• For e.g. If you are reporting that the HIV prevalence in the general population in Tamil Nadu is < 1%, mention from where you got this information. E.g. According to Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society, the prevalence of HIV in TN is less than 1% in females attending ante-natal clinics.



8. They adhere strictly to ethical protocols

• Respect the confidentiality of PLHA and members of at-risk groups, ask them specifically if you can use their name or photograph

• If you are interviewing them for a case-study, get their informed consent by telling them why you are interviewing them, where the interview will be published/written, and if you have their permission

• If someone asks you to list the name of a PLHA in your document, be polite and firm, and insist that you will only do it if you have the informed consent



9. They are carefully edited and proofed

• The documenter must take interest in what he/she is writing, and take care to go over the document before submitting it.

• Errors of spelling, grammar and sentence construction must be corrected. If necessary, an external editor should review and edit the document before it is submitted.

• Remember that a poorly written document reflects badly on the quality of work.



10. They are submitted on time!

• An otherwise excellent report may be useless to the reader if it reaches one month after the due date. This is especially true of news and other time-sensitive information.

• When you are planning a project, please make sure to factor in the time require to write, edit and proof documents.


To summarize, you have learned…1. Why documentation is needed

2. Examples of documentation

3. Equipment and Tools for documentation

4. Skills and Training needed for documentation

5. Ten characteristics of good documents


END OF SESSION 1

NEXT SESSION: DOCUMENTATION FOR SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT

orientation to documentation cbos and networks january 9, 2007 chennai, tn

Documents

documentation needswho

documentation specialist

quality of documentation

network activities

reviewing project activities

questioning skills

basic skills

project coordinator