An Assessment of ProBono.Org’s Maintenance Project at Four Courts in Gauteng: Methodology Community Agency for Social Enquiry

Outline of presentation Method of inquiry: qualitative approach - used to gain in-depth knowledge about particular issue; enables informed assertions  Documentary review  In-depth interviews with ProBono.Org staff  In-depth interviews with maintenance court officials  Focus group discussions with women using the maintenance courts

Document review  Purpose  To collect information about the functioning of and associated problems at the courts  To inform design of research instruments  Examples of documents reviewed  Research instruments were also informed by instruments used in similar research conducted by C A S E.

In-depth interviews  Interviews with relevant staff: Advancement director Maintenance project manager The interns staffing the helpdesks:  One worked at Alberton and Roodepoort  The other worked at Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark  Interviews with maintenance staff at each court.

Purpose of interviews  Interviews with ProBono.Org staff: Background on how maintenance project came about Implementation of the Maintenance project at courts  In-depth interviews with officials at courts: Information about the implementation of the Act, and To explore factors that prevent efficient access to justice for women  All interviews: Background information about ProBono.Org’s interventions and implementation of the Act

Court-based interviews  Selection of interviewees :  Attempted to interview one official occupying each position in maintenance department of court.  Some courts did not have an official in each position.  One or two officials too “busy” to be interviewed.  Initially planned to interview NGOs working on maintenance in the area of the court.  Did not do this as could not find NGOs.

Distribution of interviewees Officials employed and interviewed at courts Position of official RoodepoortAlbertonVanderbijlparkVereeniging EmployedInterviewedEmployedInterviewedEmployedInterviewedEmployedInterviewed Maintenance clerks Maintenance investigator Maintenance officer *1* Maintenance prosecutor Cash hall official Maintenance supervisor Magistrate Total Cash hall department not specified as part of maintenance department * Clerk acting as maintenance officer was interviewed

Focus group discussions 1 At each court:  One discussion with women assisted by ProBono.Org  One discussion with women selected from the maintenance queue Purpose of the discussions:  Women assisted by ProBono.Org: –How they came to know about organisation –Perceptions about effectiveness of assistance received  Women selected from the maintenance queues: –How the maintenance courts assisted women

Focus group discussions 2 Selection of participants:  Women selected from the maintenance queues: –Recruited at four courts by C A S E fieldworkers –Recruitment took place on different days of the week to include women dealing with different stages and aspects –Recruitment screener used to select participants –General enquiries and women accompanying someone else were excluded from study

Focus group discussions 3 Selection of participants:  Women assisted by ProBono.Org: -ProBono.Org interns keep a record of all women assisted and nature of their issues -Interns contacted possible participants and explained research to them and requested their participation -Interns were asked to select women assisted on various issues related to maintenance  Each focus group discussion consisted of 6-10 women  All participants were women and African

Challenges  Women selected from maintenance queues: -Some did not show up for groups even though they previously agreed to participate. -Women were despondent because of the difficulties in their cases. This made it more challenging to make them see the value in participating in the research.  Court officials: -Prosecutors and magistrates are difficult to pin down for interviews because of their hectic court schedules.  Skilled C A S E (male) moderators were trained to ensure that they were sensitised and non-judgemental. This was important because of the sensitive nature of this project. Methodology concluded, thank you!