Having carried out an assessment of the needs and resources of people living with HIV/AIDS and the community, the local environment and your organization, it is important to analyse your findings.

This process involves three steps:

1. sorting through the information: to get it in order, and to identify common themes, areas of disagreement and gaps;

2. identifying the key findings: to draw relevant conclusions from the information; and

3. checking the information: to ensure that it correctly represents the views of the participants.

This process can be carried out in a participatory way. For example, sorting the information and identifying the key findings could involve using participatory activities with the staff and volunteers of your organization and representatives of the assessment participants. Checking the information could involve making a presentation of the key findings to a larger group of the assessment participants and asking for their feedback.

Participatory group activity

Aim

To analyse the findings of your assessment of needs and resources for carrying out work in HIV/AIDS-related treatment.

Instructions

1. Explain the aim of the activity.

2. Ask participants to gather together all the information from their assessment. Ask them to divide it into three piles according to the three parts of the assessment, namely people living with HIV/AIDS and the community; the local environment; and your organization.

3. For each pile, ask participants to analyse the information to see if there are:

• common themes emerging from the information;
• areas of disagreement within the information;
• gaps in the information.

4. Based upon their analysis, ask the participants to identify three or four key findings for each part of the assessment.

5. Ask the participants to decide how they will check their analysis and key findings with the participants from the assessment.

6. Discuss what can be concluded about analysing the findings from the assessment of needs and resources for HIV/AIDS-related treatment.

Facilitators' notes

• Ensure that participants' analysis is based on the findings of the assessment rather than their personal opinions.

• Help participants to identify key findings that are as specific as possible and relevant to practical work on HIV/AIDS-related treatment rather than theoretical ideas.

Example