by IPIL | Jun 10 2024
The Policy Center for Human Rights and Sustainable Development (PCHRSD) is embarking on a significant research project titled "Assessing the Awareness and Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals: A Study of Alignment from Iligan City's Local Government Unit to Barangay Local Government Units." This study aims to gauge the awareness and understanding of SDG implementation in Iligan City, focusing on the Barangay Local Government Units (BLGUs). As part of this initiative, an orientation session was conducted for the enumerators regarding the protocols for before, during, and after fieldwork. Ten enumerators and members of the research team attended the session.
The orientation commenced with an introduction session where each enumerator introduced themselves, stating their names and addresses in Iligan City. This information is crucial for assigning them to appropriate areas. Thereafter, the head of the policy center and project leader, Prof. Maria Pia Sison, provided an overview of the research project and discussed the study’s background, rationale, and objectives, highlighting its aim to bridge the gap between global sustainability goals and local governance structures. By examining awareness levels and implementation strategies, the findings are expected to inform policy recommendations, enhance collaborative efforts, and contribute significantly to the effectiveness of sustainable development initiatives from the LGU to the grassroots level.
Next, the University Researcher at the policy center and a member of the research team, Ms. Rholaisa Mamailao, detailed the research methodologies, respondent profiles, and the study locale. She further explained that the study employs mixed methods, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, including surveys, in-depth interviews, document analysis, and focus group discussions (FGDs). The respondents include individuals from diverse backgrounds, such as LGU and BLGU officials, community representatives, civil society organizations, local business owners, and other stakeholders involved in SDG initiatives in Iligan City. The study covers all forty-four barangays in Iligan City, emphasizing grassroots realities. Further, she emphasized that the survey will cover BLGU level only.
Ms. Mamailao then covered the protocols for before-fieldwork activities. She emphasized to the enumerators the importance of attending orientation and collaboration meetings with LGUs and BLGUs and being familiar with the respondents. Further, she also emphasized checking dispatch materials before fieldwork, including questionnaires, fieldwork IDs, informed consent forms, and other necessary materials in the fieldwork toolkits.
The head of the Executive Education Unit, Ms. Bainorah Amate, discussed protocols during fieldwork and outlined the steps for conducting surveys, maintaining consistent updates, completing questionnaires, and adhering to timelines. Ms. Amate spent considerable time on the questionnaire content, familiarizing enumerators with the research instrument section by section. The questionnaire covers SDG awareness, implementation, perceived barriers and challenges, and suggested recommendations. She also emphasized the importance of documentation, which includes taking photos and keeping a fieldwork diary.
Ms. Joy Gabion, another University Researcher at the policy center and a member of the research team, addressed after-fieldwork protocols. She focused on data cleaning and encoding of completed questionnaires, providing templates for data entry. Her previous experience with these research components was invaluable to the enumerators.
For the open forum, various key points were raised, including the importance of attending collaboration meetings with BLGU representatives and the appropriate times to visit areas, such as during Barangay Assemblies. The research team reiterated their support in coordinating with BLGUs.
Following the open forum, Ms. Mamailao led the simulation of the questionnaire and feedback session. Enumerators practiced the questionnaire in pairs, which revealed a range of issues, including the need for a standardized translation of the questionnaire and the problem with the questionnaire’s length. Despite efforts to shorten it, the team decided to maintain the original length due to the unique importance of each SDG indicator. The team assured enumerators that familiarity with the questionnaire would reduce completion time.
Lastly, for the final part of the orientation, the financial assistant at the policy center, Ms. Hazel Mae Seville, discussed the enumerators' compensation, contracts, and transportation reimbursement processes. Additionally, enumerators were allowed to choose their assigned barangays, with each covering three non-remote and one remote barangay. The orientation concluded with a photo opportunity.