Perks of Pivoting: Key Learnings from Data Collection Amid COVID-19 Regulations

Abstract

Sanitation interventions are bountiful, yet concerns prevail regarding their impact and sustainability. Community-led initiatives, such as those facilitated by Outreach Philippines, Incorporated (OPI), prove to ease such concerns. The research team conducted a qualitative study to understand the role of OPI’s sanitation activities and their impact on three communities in the rural Philippines. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the team adapted their data collection strategy by employing Most Significant Change and Photovoice methodologies. The breadth of data collected underscores the vitality that multimedia brings to data collection. Significantly, the pivoting necessary to conduct the study was made possible by OPI staff and community leaders who played integral roles in developing and carrying out the research. The findings point to the advantages of using multiple qualitative methods, the necessity to do so during COVID-19, and community members’ ability to bolster study success.