Operational Research for Humanitarians

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/research-humanitarian

Introduction

### Course Review: Operational Research for Humanitarians In an era marked by escalating humanitarian crises, the need for robust, evidence-based decision-making is more critical than ever. The "Operational Research for Humanitarians" course on Coursera offers an in-depth exploration of how research can inform effective humanitarian practice, ensuring that interventions are not only efficient but also accountable and responsive to the needs of the affected populations. #### Overview This course is designed for those who work in or are interested in the humanitarian sector. It emphasizes that evidence and research are paramount to understanding complex situations and making decisions that can save lives and provide necessary support to vulnerable communities. The course provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating evidence, designing studies, and understanding the ethical dimensions of research in humanitarian contexts. #### Course Structure and Syllabus The curriculum is organized into five key modules, each addressing essential components of operational research in humanitarian settings: 1. **Why Conduct Research in Humanitarian Settings**: This module establishes the foundation for the course, exploring the rationale behind conducting research in difficult decision-making environments. By examining the interplay between evidence, human biases, and professional judgement, learners will engage with insights from global experts and practitioners, making it clear that the right evidence is crucial for informed humanitarian actions. 2. **Research Questions and Study Designs**: Here, participants gain foundational skills in research methodology, including an exploration of common study designs. Through this module, learners will learn to assess what constitutes 'good' evidence, a necessary skill when navigating the often blurred lines of quality in humanitarian research. 3. **Conducting Research in Humanitarian Settings**: This module dives into the practicalities of implementing research in real-world scenarios, where standard methodologies may need adaptation due to the unique challenges faced in humanitarian contexts. By using case studies and practical examples, learners are provided with a more relevant research toolbox tailored for these environments. 4. **Ethics and Community Engagement**: Ethics is a cornerstone of humanitarian research. This module not only addresses the historical pitfalls of unethical research practices but also emphasizes the importance of integrating ethical considerations into the research process. By discussing the role of community engagement and informed consent, learners will emerge with a stronger grasp of how to conduct research responsibly and respectfully in vulnerable contexts. 5. **Translating Knowledge into Action**: In the final module, participants learn how to transform research findings into actionable strategies. This section focuses on common pitfalls in sharing evidence and offers methods to ensure that research outputs are effectively communicated and utilized. It highlights the importance of considering power dynamics within communities to ensure that recommendations are contextually appropriate. #### Recommendation "Operational Research for Humanitarians" is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in the humanitarian sector, whether you're a seasoned practitioner or a newcomer. The course's emphasis on evidence-based practice provides essential tools for making informed decisions that can significantly impact the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts. This course is particularly suitable for those who wish to enhance their understanding of research methodologies specific to crisis situations. The insights gathered from global experts and practical case studies will intellectually enrich participants and provide real-world applications that can be navigated post-course. #### Conclusion If you're looking to deepen your understanding of how research can enhance humanitarian action, and if you value ethical frameworks and community engagement, I highly recommend enrolling in the "Operational Research for Humanitarians" course on Coursera. It’s not just an academic exercise; it’s a critical investment in your capacity to contribute to the humanitarian field meaningfully and responsibly.

Syllabus

Why conduct research in humanitarian settings

In this first module, we will dive right into the question of why there is a need for research in humanitarian settings. We will explore the difficult decision-making processes in humanitarian settings and how a good decision relies on four different types of inputs. The starting point will be the concept of evidence and how it connects to human biases and professional judgement. By hearing from global experts, implementing practitioners and your fellow learners we will critically explore the value of research by asking why, when and for whom?

In this second module, we will gain a foundational understanding and skills around research and its processes, methods, and core terminology. We also explore ways of answering the key question of "What evidence is good enough?". This will help us to gain the skills to examine common study designs and identify each of their strengths and weaknesses. With this foundation, we will then - in the next module - explore how the concept of quality becomes a little more blurred when implementing research in humanitarian settings.

In this module, you will gain a solid understanding of how the key characteristics of humanitarian settings are affecting how we can (or cannot) apply the study designs that we covered in module two. We will explore how, to overcome these common challenges, we need to adapt and combine our study designs and tools. At the end of this module, you will be equipped with a slightly different research toolbox, one that is more appropriate to be used in humanitarian settings. Throughout this module's journey, we will be heavily guided by practical examples and existing projects.

The fourth module will delve into one of the most critical aspects of good research practice: Ethics. Having explored the potential benefits of research in humanitarian settings earlier, we will focus here on the potential risks and ethical dilemmas when conducting research. We will start with reviewing some infamous historical examples of unethical research, like the Tuskegee study. Together, we will then establish good practices of how we can systematically and genuinely integrate ethical considerations and risk mitigation into our research projects. As part of that, we will specifically look into community engagement as one of the many powerful tools that we have. This module will also help you understand many of the core research ethics processes, such as informed consent and ethical review boards.

With this final module, we will connect all our insights and learnings by returning to our initial questions on the value of research in humanitarian settings. This time, we will focus on the “how”, by seeing how we can ensure that our research is valuable and how to translate the evidence that we have generated into actionable recommendations. We will explore common pitfalls of sharing evidence and learn about approaches and tools that have proven themselves useful over time. Beyond learning a step-by-step process, we will learn to appreciate the importance of contextual approaches that take existing power dynamics into account.