ESST actively works to engage with the existing
knowledge base of its end-users. This
requires substantial research in both book
and field. Our campaigns need to speak the
language, both verbally and conceptually of
the community; therefore our pre-planning
research involves sensitive listening to our
beneficiaries as well as expert desktop
research into the subject of study. We invest a lot of our resources into developing
sound theoretical premises for our interventions. Desktop research is extensive and
in-depth; it covers the subject of the intervention whether it be financial literacy, theology,
or the environment, as well as the social, psychological and cognitive aspects of community-
and school-based learning. We draw in experts to give input, and like to share our
findings with the professional and scholarly community. Numerous Masters’ and Doctoral
theses have been written on ESST’s work.
Field research includes conducting open and structured interviews with people in target
areas. We use this information to inform the development of our educational material. In
this way, we represent real-life people in real-life situations. Here is a guide to the research conducted by ESST recently. Please note that all
research is guided towards a particular intervention:
Community-based civic education
There is ongoing research in the field in which we operate in order to remain on the cutting
edge and to learn from our peers at home and abroad. Because of the developmental
rights-based approach of our education, we make sure that our work attains to the UNDP
benchmark.
Ongoing media surveys
Daily surveys of all media (print and electronic) are conducted by our in-house desk and
field researchers.
Research Project:
Statistics South Africa: Behind the Glass Tests
ESST was tasked with pre-testing the questionnaire that Statistics South Africa will use in its national census in 2011 in national behind the glass tests with samples of our population according to LSM level, language group and location. We completed the preparation and training phases of
the project, and had completed behind the glass tests in Afrikaans and English in Cape Town and
Johannesburg. At this point the project was put on hold by Statistics South Africa, upon receipt of
ESST's first interim report to allow for appropriate changes to be made to the questionnaire. It will
be picked up end-2009 and completed in 2010.
Research Reports to establish international benchmark
Know Your Services Rights 2007 and 2008
We were tasked by the department of Public Services and Administration to compile a research report for each phase of the project. The research report interrogates the field of
development communication. It obtains best
practices and benchmarks this campaign against
development communication initiatives that have
been undertaken within and outside the country.
It also reviews the legislative framework(s) for
laws ratifying socio-economic rights and those
pertaining to service delivery. We confine our
review to those services offered by the Social
Cluster of government. Find out more about this project
Situational Analysis:
The Aids Competent Communities Project
In order for a community to become AIDS competent it is vital that it has access to up-to-date and reliable statistical information about HIV prevalence in their community; about the set of behaviours that lead to such prevalence; and about the gaps in that community’s journey towards competence – in terms of services that are or are not provided, and also in terms of awareness of cultural , socio-economic and historical influences on risky behaviour (individual and social) in that particular area. We therefore propose to conduct a situational analysis of both locations prior to implementation.The situational analysis will also enable ESST to more clearly measure the impact of our intervention as well as the efforts of the community itself. The analysis will take place in the first phase, and we will be using a broad range of indicators to fully grasp the epidemiology of HIV prevalence in the local area, set also against the backdrop of the district and province. To Top
Find out more about this project
Find out more about our Pilot Test of the Message of the Gospel Project
