After the Interviews

How do you know when you’re done interviewing? SATURATION POINT

Saturation Point Look to monitoring goals and questions to be answered – no major gaps Hear similar information repeated Patterns begin to emerge from interviews Influx of new information slows down or stops Interviewees refer you to people you have already interviewed

Drawing Conclusions

Make a list of all possible themes relevant to the mandate: Systems responders Victims’ stories Problems with the law itself Problems with the implementation Causes of those problems Effects of those problems

Drawing Conclusions Data immersion Read and re-read the findings and information Look for patterns and extremes Tip : Tip : Each time you read through, mix up the order to avoid bias

Drawing Conclusions Code the information 1.Sort the information into categories 2.Create individually coded master documents: –One for police, one for judges, one for prosecutors, and so on… Tip: Using the “search” function in your word processor can help save time— but don’t rely on it! People may use different words to describe the same thing, like “police” or “law enforcement.”

Drawing Conclusions Look for relationships and patterns among within each category and across categories. Visual displays: diagrams, graphs, flow charts, matrices can be a useful tool to understand what is happening

Drawing Conclusions FINDING: Prosecutors do not charge batterer with a crime when they violate OFP DV law: police arrest batterer and tell prosecutors Criminal Code: Obstructing a court judgment is a crime FINDING: Prosecutors unsure if OFP is a “judgment” DV law is silent on what prosecutors should do next Your conclusion: The law needs to explicitly make violation of OFP a crime to promote accountability for perpetrators. Criminal Code and LPADV need amendments to clarify: 1) whether it’s a judgment and 2) what prosecutors should do after an arrest

Drawing Conclusions Verify and check reliability Length of monitoring Peer reviews Audit trail Cross-check conclusions across interviews and against other sources and reports

Developing the Outline Possible sections: Foreword or preface Authors and acknowledgments Executive summary Methodology Introduction Findings Analysis of findings Recommendations

Developing the Outline Appendices Laws, policies and guidelines Template forms, e.g. sample orders for protection for judges Quantitative data List of references or additional sources

Developing the Outline Structuring the Report: By Actor Police Judges Prosecutors Child Protection Social Services Health Care Provides NGOs Media

Developing the Outline Structuring the Report: By issue Administrative court issues Timeframe for submission of application Evidentiary issues Timeframe for issuing an OFP Basis of court-issued OFPs Measures of relief Courtroom safety issues Appeals of OFPs Other complicating factors

Writing the Report Tips Audience Report tone and style Using stories Understand possible consequences Citations to sources Revise and rewrite International human rights framework

Drafting Recommendations Questions to ask yourself: –What do you want to see happen instead of what is occurring? –What changes need to happen to make those outcomes reality? –Would that measure fix the problem and realize the human right? –Whose involvement is needed to make those changes happen?

Drafting Recommendations Amendments to the law Trainings Funding More victim services Creation of special units, systems or protocols Outreach and education Consultation with NGOs

Write the Report Pull together your findings into your outline State your conclusions Use your stories and quotes effectively Cite your sources Make your recommendations

A finished report! You’re ready to do advocacy!