Project Details.

Doaba Foundation has started a new program titled “Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) in Muzaffargarh district, Punjab, “with the support of CBM (Christoffel-Blinden Mission), which lasted for a period of three years. The program involved activities that addressed the development and resilience issues of persons with disabilities and their families in eight union councils (UC Alurid, UC Budh, UC Ghazi Ghat, UC Mehmood Kot, UC Karam Dad Qureshi, UC Qasba Gujrat, UC Sharif Chajra, and UC Thatta Gurmani) of District Muzaffargarh. 

The program was designed to directly benefit 4,000 households. The project aimed to achieve the following results: Strengthened disability inclusive disaster risk reduction among 4,000 households through promoting the culture of preparedness at the household and community level in 40 villages in eight union councils of district Muzaffargarh. Strengthened and functional inclusive community structures exist to identify problems and have the ability to resolve them, with a focus on issues related to people with disabilities in eight UCs of district Muzaffargarh. Livelihood opportunities are availed of by 290 persons with disabilities in the target communities. Quality and accessible health services are available to the community in the target areas, including persons with and without disabilities. Improved accessibility of public and communal spaces for people with disabilities, especially women, children, and the elderly, in eight UCs of the district Muzaffargarh In this project, HIMAT Consulting played a pivotal role in designing, supervising, and executing the baseline study. 

HCPL initially established the study’s purpose and objectives, which focused on collecting benchmark information for all project indicators to provide a foundation for gauging project success and advancement. A quantitative research approach was chosen by HCPL, who coordinated the collection and analysis of both primary and secondary data. This involved creating a comprehensive questionnaire encompassing various indicators and incorporating queries related to the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of persons with disabilities (PWDs). Collaboration with the Doaba Foundation resulted in the formation of an eight-member data collection team with a deliberate balance in gender representation. These team members underwent an extensive training process in survey tools and interviewing techniques, guided by HCPL. The pilot phase of the survey, conducted in an actual program area, was overseen by HCPL to identify and rectify any shortcomings in the tool. 

To ensure data quality, close cooperation between HCPL and the Doaba Foundation’s program team led to the formulation and execution of a meticulous data collection plan. On-the-job guidance was provided to the data collection team by field supervisors, and the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) officer from the foundation contributed significantly to data quality assurance. HCPL supervised the data entry process, employing measures such as validation rules and password protection in MS Excel to minimize errors. After cleaning and analyzing the data, a draft report was prepared by HCPL, which underwent a feedback phase with the Doaba Foundation prior to finalization.