Establishing a safe and ethical mechanism for primary service providers to share and access compiled GBV data is an essential cornerstone of good GBV response coordination. In the past, the humanitarian community has not had a system that allowed for the effective and safe collection, storage, analysis and sharing of GBV-related data, and humanitarian aid workers have been unable to put together clear and reliable GBV data to inform program decisions for effective prevention efforts and survivor care. Now in collaboration with several partners the IRC has has worked to develop and refine the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS), a multi-faceted initiative that enables humanitarian actors who are responding to incidents of GBV to effectively and safely collect, store, analyze and share data reported by GBV survivors. Read an overview of the GBVIMS here.
Gender-Based Violence Information Management System
GBVIMS was created to coordinate effective data collection on GBV in humanitarian settings, to provide simple systems for GBV staff to manage data, and to enable the safe and ethical sharing of reported information. The intention of the GBVIMS is both to assist service providers to better understand the specifics and context of GBV cases being reported and enable aid workers to share data internally across project sites and externally with agencies for broader trend analysis and improved GBV response coordination.
Data Compilation & Statistical Analysis
Using standardized classification systems and incident reporting forms, GBV primary service providers can enter data into the Incident Recorder and instantly generate statistical tables and charts for easy analysis. These automatically-generated reports include statistics on the incidents, survivors, and to a lesser extent, perpetrators. They allow providers to identify correlations between data fields, observe trends and document referral pathways and actions taken. Reports include comparative analysis of reported types of GBV, age of survivors, referral sources, and follow-up services.
Data Sharing
Establishing a safe and ethical mechanism for primary service providers to share and access compiled GBV data is an essential cornerstone of good GBV response coordination. At a minimum, staff need to be clear on what data will be shared and for what purpose, who will compile the data, and how and when others will be able to access the compiled statistics. The GBVIMS Incident Recorder anonymizes and standardizes reported GBV data in order to facilitate the sharing of sensitive information between humanitarian actors in a safe manner. Comprehensive guidelines for developing data-sharing protocols and information on all of the ethical and safety issues that must be considered before sharing data are an integral component of the GBVIMS project.
The GBVIMS includes:
GBV CLASSIFICATION TOOL: A set of six types of GBV to standardize GBV definitions and the incident classification process.
INTAKE AND CONSENT FORMS: Two forms used for collecting GBV data. The Intake and Initial Assessment Form is a standard intake form designed to ensure that GBV responders are collecting a common set of data points. The Consent for Release of Information Form requires survivors’ authorization for any of their information to be shared; it is intended to ensure that the rights of the survivors to control their incident data are protected and maintained. There are several versions of the intake form and consent form for psychosocial or health providers, acute emergencies and shortened forms. For more information, visit www.gbvims.com
INCIDENT RECORDER (IR): An Excel database designed to simplify and improve data collection, compilation and analysis.
GBV INFORMATION SHARING PROTOCOL TEMPLATE: A protocol template that outlines guiding principles on the safe and ethical sharing of GBV data and best-practice to follow when developing an inter-agency information-sharing protocol.
Are you interested in learning more about how GBVIMS data is used to inform programming, advocacy efforts or for resource mobilization? Our new series, Linking Data Analysis to Programming, highlights examples of how GBVIMS data is used, in combination with other data sources. Read the first edition in the series on IRC programs in Liberia and Kenya.
To learn more about how the GBVIMS works, visit WWW.GBVIMS.COM
You can also learn more about the GBVIMS, ethical data collection principles and best practices in data management by listening to the GBVIMS podcast available on iTunes, Stitcher or SoundCloud. Users can also access continued learning through the site’s video shorts.
Thanks to Arc North – Lux for the intro music, provided by Free Background Music. Find Arc North on SoundCloud Facebook YouTube Twitter Email
Gender-Based Case Management Outcome Monitoring Toolkit
The GBV Case Management Outcome Monitoring Toolkit aims to measure the impact of GBV case management on women and older adolescent girls’ psychosocial well-being and felt stigma. This toolkit was inspired by IRC’s commitment to measure outcomes as part of its Outcomes and Evidence Framework, specifically the outcome “Women and girls are protected from and treated for the consequences of GBV”.
This toolkit was developed using validated scales measuring changes related to psychosocial wellbeing and stigma experienced by women survivors of GBV in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The IRC has adapted this toolkit for use with women and older adolescent girls receiving GBV case management support from Somali and Syrian populations.
What does the GBV Case Management Outcome Monitoring Toolkit measure?
- The Psychosocial Functionality Scale is a 10-item questionnaire that measures a women and older adolescent girls’ ability to carry out important tasks in their daily lives.
- The Felt Stigma Scale is a 10-item that measures women and older adolescent girls’ both perceived and internalized experiences of stigma.
A one-pager on how to use the KoBo and the KoBo-formatted Excel spreadsheets that we’ve created.
Word version of scales in Somali: Functionality and Felt Stigma
Word version of scales in Arabic: Functionality and Felt Stigma
GBVIMS+/Primero Companion Guide
This guide is meant for practitioners (English, French, Arabic, Spanish)– namely GBV caseworkers, supervisors, program managers and coordinators, GBVIMS focal points and GBV M&E staff using GBVIMS+ — and is intended to accompany the GBVIMS+ user guide. The GBVIMS+ Companion Guide includes three parts:
Part 1: How to use GBVIMS+ to support your GBV case management programming, outlines the GBV Case Management Forms included in GBVIMS+. It guides caseworkers through the full GBV case management process from when a survivor first presents to seek services all the way to when a case is closed. Part 1 aims to:
- Introduce the standard GBV case management forms, developed in line with global guidelines;
- Explain what step of GBV case management each GBVIMS+ form supports, including who should complete it, when it should be completed and the form’s main purpose;
- Strengthen the overall quality of GBV case management by highlighting how GBVIMS+ enables good practices for each step of the GBV case management process.
Part 2: How to use GBVIMS+ for remote supervision, targets supervisors and highlights the features and functionalities available in GBVIMS+ that enable supervisors to communicate and supervise their caseworkers remotely. Part 2 aims to:
- Review the purpose of supervision and practical methods to supervise GBV caseworkers;
- Introduce the features and functionalities in GBVIMS+ that enhance supervision of GBV caseworkers;
- Highlight the system features that enable remote supervision and communication.
Part 3: How to use GBVIMS+ to monitor quality of GBV case management service provision, is most relevant for Program Managers, Program Coordinators or Monitoring & Evaluation staff as it provides guidance on how to utilize three key tools for GBV case management program measurement: GBV case management outcome scales, GBVIMS+ key performance indicators/Pulse, and client feedback surveys. Part 3 aims to:
- Explain how the outcome scales can inform and improve GBV case management programming;
- Introduce the GBVIMS+ key performance indicators/Pulse and provide guidance on how these should be interpreted;
- Introduce the Client Feedback form, including who should administer it, how it should be administered and how it should be interpreted.
Companion Guide Videos for GBV Programmatic Decision Making
Data-Driven Decision Making: https://youtu.be/zDMhRWUsLvw
KPI-Related Videos
- What are Key Performance Indicators: https://youtu.be/zgaWhCy4fWw
- Introducing the Key Performance Indicators in GBVIMS+: https://youtu.be/hgPPHzDAZus
- Contextual Clues: https://youtu.be/t-y_z-GDDRQ
- How to use Key Performance Indicators to Inform GBV Programming: https://youtu.be/7cGEtI0uK-8
GBV Case Management Scales Videos
- What are the GBV Case Management Outcome Scales: https://youtu.be/bgqeF7e3XP8
- How to Administer the GBV Case Management Outcome Scales: https://youtu.be/67glIZLDGVU
- How to Use the GBV Case Management Outcome Scales in Programming: https://youtu.be/SM3y8uFIzQA
- How to Analyze GBV Case Management Outcome Scales: https://youtu.be/6Ric8AAPEnQ
Client Satisfaction Videos
- How to Administer the Client Satisfaction Surveys: https://youtu.be/xofwieeVXQY
- How Client Feedback Surveys work in Primero: https://youtu.be/zMttZgCvaeA
- How to Use Client Feedback Surveys to Inform Programming: https://youtu.be/tDeTaRE5k1Q
Case Management Scales in Action
Want to see the Case Management Scales in Action? Check out this visualization from the Jordan country program: https://gbvresponders.org/irc-gbv /