Motivation

1. Impacts of the economic crisis: experience from rapid, qualitative assessmentsCarrie Turk, World Bank 2010

2. Rapid generation of information on impacts on specific groups Complement to quantitative exercises that were underway Initially conceived as one-off exercises (then changed) Originally intended to provide info ahead of G-20 (now responding to demand from regions) Motivation

3. Implementation so far • Diversity in timing, frequency, scope, scale and cost($5,000-$40,000 per round)‏ • Diversity in internal and external partners • Diversity in funding arrangements • Diversity in audience

4. Similarities in approach • Focus group discussions & in-depth interviews • Participatory techniques • Local research partners • Emphasis on rapid results, not polished product • Returning to same/similar groups • Findings illustrative & indicative, not representative • As such, most useful when supplemented with other data

5. Example of outputs

7. Findings highly context specific, but some general themes

8. A mix of vulnerabilities and resilience is evident in coping strategies, depending on household situation Evidence of Resilience Evidence of Vulnerability Cutting back basic consumption Sale of assets Accumulation of unserviceable debt School dropouts and child labour Forgoing health care Some shifts into high-risk income generating activities Forgoing health expenditures • Return to education/training • Living off savings • Adapting business strategies • Expansion of income generating activities • Constrain consumption of luxuries • Extending working hours

9. Contrary to ex ante hypotheses, the poor have been affected First round impacts Second round impacts

10. Some have been so severely affected that participation in recovery will be difficult Livelihoods are undermined and asset bases diminished by: Sales of land, livestock and housing Accumulation of unsustainable debt Foregone investments in human capital (nutritional intake and health seeking behaviour)

11. In a recovering economy….

12. Price shocks remain dominant sources of stress Both falling prices… … and rising prices

13. Mutual support and social networks extremely important • often the only provider of assistance in the face of severe deprivation • many, many examples: loans, gifts, funeral groups, faith-based groups, phone-pooling, taxi-pooling, communal cooking, security, job search etc etc • Very little evidence of outreach of formal social assistance

14. Range of non-material impacts is evident • Crime and violence: high levels of brutality in some places • Stress and tension in the household • Tension between groups • Drugs and alcohol • Delinquency and gang activity, frustration among the youth

15. Gender impacts: a nuanced story

16. Tailoring to country contexts vs standardised methodology Findings date quickly – repeated rounds analytically easier with certain techniques Hands-on management generally needed for quality control Benefits of working alongside quantitative data collection Focus on crisis may miss the point in some countries – purposive sampling may overstate impacts Reflections on methods