Basic Principles of Fact-finding Day 1 Rosalyn Park
Dec 17, 2015
Monitoring Defined
Monitoring:• Collection, verification and use of information
about implementation of DV laws• International human rights norms are the
standard to objectively assess the systems’ response to DV in your legal system
• Systematic and unbiased approach to gather, verify and analyze information to identify whether the government is meeting its human rights obligations when it applies the law to DV situations
Do no harm
Interviewing Victims– Alternative sources
– Participation safe and strictly voluntary
– Appropriate support structures in place
– Always keep this principle in mind: anyone you interview could be a victim
Do no harm
•Your primary duty is to the victim and potential victims:
– Physical safety
– Emotional and mental health
Do no harm
Physical harm
• If risk of physical harm, do not conduct the interview!
• Steps to protect against physical harm– Interviewing men in the same household as
the woman– Disclosures to community– Confidentiality
Researching Violence against Women, WHO, 2005.
Do no harm
Emotional health• Re-traumatization• Incorporate measures to minimize and
address emotional harm– Train interviewers– End interview recognizing interviewee’s
strengths– Provide referrals– Partner with psycho-social counselors
Do no harm
Informed Consent
• Interviewees know and understand: – Why the monitoring is
happening– What their participation
means– That their participation is
voluntary
Do no harm
Informed consent should tell the interviewee: About the project About the interviewer’s role and what she can or
cannot do That sensitive topics may be raised She can end the interview at any time or skip any
questions Potential consequences of her participation Potential re-traumatization What will happen to the information they provide What interviewees can expect
Do no harmProtecting confidentiality
• Private and safe interview location
• Code interviews
• Password protect electronic documents and protect physical documents
• Plan safeguards in case of interruption during the interview
• Restrict access to interview notes to only key staff members involved in the project
Do no harmAdditional guidelines to reduce harm to women
• Interview only 1 woman per household• Do not inform the public that the interview asks about VAW• Do not interview men about VAW in the same households as
women interviewees• Use complete privacy for interviews• Use dummy questionnaires if others enter the room during an
interview• Use candy and games to distract children during interviews• Self-response questionnaires may be appropriate for some parts
of the interview• Train interviewers to recognize and address an interviewee’s
distress• End interview on a positive note emphasizing a woman’s
strengthsFrom : Researching Violence against Women, WHO, 2005.
Respect the mandate
•Understand the mandate
•Keep it in mind at all times
•Respect boundaries
•Know how to apply it to each situation
Tip: Circulate a preliminary memo to all team members so they understand the mandate
Respect the mandate
Case example: Boundaries
You interview a victim. She tells you Child Protection has taken away her son (not a victim of violence) because of the domestic violence. She asks for your help to get her child back. Do you:Offer your services to help her regain custody of the child?Call Child Protection and tell them what they did was wrong? Provide referrals to organizations that can assist her?
Know the standards
Relevant international standards• Right to be free from discrimination
• includes VAW (Gen. Rec. 19, DEVAW)
• Right to life, liberty and security of person• Due process• Equality with men before the law• Right to highest attainable level of physical and mental health• Freedom from discrimination in marriage and family matters• Right to be free from torture• Right to an effective remedy
International Standards on Domestic Violence and Their Implementation in the Western Balkans, Vesna Nikolić-Ristanović and Mirjana Dokmanović, 2006.
Know the standards
• Due diligence– Private acts
• Equal protection– Whether
perpetrator is intimate partner or stranger
Know the standards
Domestic laws and policies• State and local laws
• National plans and policies on VAW and DV
• Police, prosecution, health care protocols
• Child protection policies
• Community policies
• Judicial order for protection forms
• Victim support policies
Bulgaria case example
• Law on Protection against Domestic Violence• Criminal Code• Criminal Procedure Code• Code of Civil Procedure• Child Protection Act• Declaration to Combat VAW• Program for Prevention and Protection from DV• Action Plans on DV by relevant ministries• Police Protocol and Guidelines• Police pocket cards
Use good judgment
Unexpected situations
• Good personal judgment
• Common sense
• Respect the mandate
• DO NO HARM
Use Good JudgmentCase example:
Know when to end interview
• Interviewing women in small town on the street–Tajikistan example
• Conflicts during interview with team members or interviewees
Respect the authorities
• Goal: Encourage systems actors to improve their response to DV when they apply the laws, policies, protocols and procedures–Preserves opportunity for dialogue in
advocacy phase
Credibility
• Steps to ensure credibility– Impartial process– Process to detect potential faults in
monitoring– Corroboration– Test internal consistency during interview– Sufficient interview pool– Audit trail– Compensation for interviewees– Perception vs. fact
Confidentiality
• Steps to safeguarding confidentiality–Private interview space–Protecting recorded information and
interview notes–Anonymity in report
• Exceptions–Public figure
Security
Interviewees• Principles of:
–Do no harm–Protect
confidentiality
Team members• Check-in• Avoid risks• Carry cell
phone• Travel in
pairs/teams
Understand the context
• Community
• Politics and dynamics
• Local government structures
• Micro-communities–Consultation considerations
Accuracy and Precision
During the interview• Detail• Follow-up• Write up notes as soon as possibleDuring report-writing• Hard conclusions• Corroboration mechanisms• Timeliness
Impartiality and Objectivity
• Neutral stance
• Objective evaluation of findingsInternational Standards on Domestic Violence and Their Implementation in the Western Balkans, Vesna Nikolić-Ristanović and Mirjana Dokmanović, 2006.
Sensitivity
• Consequences for interviewees
• Selection of interviewers
• Training of interviewers
Researching Violence against Women, WHO, 2005
Integrity and Professionalism
IntegrityHonestyRespect to interviewers and team
membersProfessional demeanorBe knowledgeable Diligence and competenceAvoid making promises you cannot keep
Visibility
• Benefits– Can garner greater publicity and support
– Can facilitate interviews with high-level officials
• Drawbacks– Placing victims at risk if VAW questions
are known