COVID-19 | Managing Field Research With Social Distancing Under Lockdown

COVID-19 is literally changing everything about us including how we will undertake social and development research involving field research and interactions/interviews with variety of respondents for data collection. A key fallout of COVID-19 has been the sudden and indefinite deferment of all field visits and research for data collection – coupled with growing uncertainty looming large on the prospect of upcoming field research. Embracing the social distancing norm has led to substantially reduced social interaction outside homes, hence, reduced avenues for social and business networking in the marketplace. These are seen to yield lower research outputs, and therefore, require urgent thinking and discussion on the course of research going forward. How will these factors impact the research activities? What kind of research needs to continue under lockdown, and how?

Has your ‘field research’ been interrupted due to COVID-19 pandemic? Do you want to learn from the experience of those who are managing to undertake crucial data collection with limited tools and resources?

In this edition, the panel will look at challenges and practical actions in ‘field research’ in situations of social distancing under lockdown.

Panelists

• Lorisa Canillas, Sr. Investment Manager, Cordaid Investments (Sierra Leone).
• Prerna Saxena, Financial Inclusion Specialist, IFC - The World Bank Group (India).
• Sugandh Saxena, Head, SRO, Microfinance Institutions Network - MFIN (India).
• Amrik Cooper, Director of Customer Success, SurveyCTO @Dobility Inc. (South Africa).
• Dr Shahid Perwez, SVP and Head of Research, M-CRIL (India) - Moderator. 

Webinar Output

M-CRIL will summarize the key discussion points/takeaways in a note to be circulated to all participants and published more widely, within a week of the webinar. The note will provide: 

• Knowledge sharing and guidance for researchers in the development sector.
• Innovate and co-develop best practices.
• Feedback for donors/impact investors/study commissioners to review their research and evaluation plans in the coming months/year in light of continued social distancing and lockdown advisory in various geographies.

Follow up webinars will be organized on emerging issues as the crisis evolves!