Orientation sessions on using impact assessment tools were recently held with representatives from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Palau, who along with Tonga, have been selected to trial an impact methodology to assess past climate change adaptation interventions.
These efforts are part of the European Union-funded Global Climate Change Alliance Plus - Scaling Up Pacific Adaptation (GCCA+ SUPA) project.
Despite COVID 19 restrictions, the project continues to find innovative ways to connect with member countries and have been providing technical support remotely.
Two recent virtual sessions held with representatives from FSM and Palau sought cooperation and interest from practitioners in-country and gave them an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the KoBo Toolbox, a data collection tool that will contribute to the impact assessment.
The impact assessments will be based on systematic data collection relating to four key result areas of adaptation and gauge the level of social and behavioural changes in the communities where the intervention was implemented. The four key result areas of focus are health; food and water security; ecosystem services provided by the natural environment; infrastructure and built environment.
These sessions were the first of a series of sessions that have been planned for 2021 as part of ongoing refresher training for those using the KoboTool application in the field when conducting impact assessments. A suite of survey tools to develop an impact assessment methodology will be carried out in the three selected countries.
In addition to the tailored community survey, a public poll is being integrated into KoBoTool box which includes questions aimed to gauge public perspectives about climate science with a focus around key areas of community preparedness, awareness and communications. The integration of the KoBo Tool box to the impact analysis suite of tools for field data collection is one way of providing technical support remotely.
The country representatives attending the session noted the challenges that come with communicating remotely but remain committed in trialling the community survey tools on KoBoTool Box application.
The Impacts Analysis Adviser at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Monifa Fiu, noted, “ for this data collection approach using KoBo Tool box to work we will need practitioners’ agreement to utilise the application and continue to provide technical support and resources.
We are currently looking to procure four additional tablets to support the work and enhance the way we are collecting and managing field data.”
The GCCA+ SUPA project, funded by the European Union is delivered collaboratively by SPREP, SPC and USP with the aim to enhance climate change adaptation and resilience within the Pacific region.
For more information please contact Ms Monifa Fiu at [email protected].