Author: BarefootLaw Research Team
Without a doubt, Access to Justice is a fundamental pillar of any equitable society but remains elusive for many. Often assumptions are made regarding what would work to improve access to justice for those in need, the unreached and the vulnerable. A common assumption is that there is a lack of basic information, and the belief that providing this information, for example on rights, responsibilities and legal processes will empower individuals to navigate the law and justice system effectively. While this may hold some truth, the reality is far more complex, many intended still finding challenges in accessing justice.
Many innovations in access to justice fall in this trap. They are largely guided by assumptions and lack in-depth data to support them craft solutions that would be effectively used and beneficial to intended beneficiaries.
For instance, consider the case of – Computers that speak of the Law – a project implemented in Arizona to empower Navajo and Hopi communities through legal kiosks with satellite connections that would provide legal education and guidance. Despite its noble intentions, the target communities rarely used the kiosks (Hagan, 2019). This example underscores the importance of grounding solutions in data informed insights.
To design effective access to justice solutions and interventions, critical questions need to be answered with data. For-example
- What are the most prevalent challenges/problems?
- What is the magnitude and extent of the problem?
- Where is the problem most common?
- Who is most affected (eg age-group, gender, socio-ecomonic status, geographical location etc)
- What is has been done? – What worked, what did not work, what could be scaled up?
- What gap remains?
- Are there hotspots within the larger community where the challenge/problem is predominant?
- What could work as perceived by intended beneficiaries?
When there is no data to answer the questions, Justice actors can use research methodologies that support generation of information in a shorter, quicker but rigorous manner. In this article we focus on rapid research methods. These can be used to rapidly collect, analyze, and report data. They are short but rigorous with emphasis on fast execution and analysis. These approaches mostly use qualitative methods, but mixed-methods are sometimes possible.
Common approaches in rapid research methods include focus group discussions, key informant interviews, coupled with secondary data analysis. With a Focus Group Discussion (FGD), a selected group of people discusses a given issue in-depth facilitated by an external moderator. FDG allows solicitation of both the participants’ shared ideas and narratives as well as their differences in experiences, and opinions.
Key informant interviews, on the other hand are in-depth interviews with people who know what is going on in the community or on the subject matter. Key informant interviews can include community leaders, professionals, or residents—who have firsthand knowledge about the community/subject. These community experts, with their particular knowledge and understanding, can provide insight on the nature of problems and give recommendations for solutions.
Rapid research methods use multiple sources to collect data, with the research process clearly reported, and more than one researcher involved to save time and ensure cross-checking of data (Sandars and Brown, 2024). Operationally, innovative approaches streamline every phase from planning to data collection, management and analysis.
Forexample, daily end-of-day meetings are held during fieldwork to review, analyze and synthesize emerging results. This iterative cycle ensures insights from one day shape the next day’s priorities, creating a dynamic feedback loop.
To ensure successful implementation of the rapid research, there is need for
- formulation of and agreement on research questions – these should be clear and concise
- intensive knowledge of and experience in qualitative research methods,
- identification of right methods to answer the research questions comprehensively,
- availability of teams to conduct various tasks,
- monitoring progress and adjusting strategies quickly
Research methods can address questions beyond “what works” towards “what works for whom when, how and why. They support understanding of observed patterns and complex issues and terrains.
In conclusion, data is critical for design and development of effective access to justice solutions and rapid research methods offer a practical, rigorous and timely way to generate that data. By grounding our efforts in data, we create solutions that are impactful. In the pursuit of access to justice, let us remember that the most effective solutions are those informed by the voices and experiences of the people they aim to serve.
References
Hagan, M. (2019). Participatory design for innovation in access to justice. Daedalus, 148(1), 120-127.
Sandars, J., & Brown, J. (2024). Twelve tips for using rapid research methods in health professions education. Medical Teacher, 1-7.