Matt Baillie Smith
ID:
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Volunteering Together: Blending Knowledge and Skills for Development
REFNo: SS848ES
This research project aims to develop a critical understanding of how different types of volunteers (e.g. community, youth, corporate, national, international and remote volunteers) work together in Uganda. VSO have long carried out their projects using a range of volunteer modalities. They refer to this approach of different types of volunteers working together as “blended volunteeringâ€. The aim of this research is to enhance the understanding of how this “blended approachâ€, where different types of volunteers work together, can contribute value to the work of VSO Uganda. Beyond that, we expect the research will tell us something about how volunteer modalities may be combined to maximise development impact in other contexts and overall. Furthermore, we will examine relationships between volunteers, primary actors and partner organisations in the field, to capture the wider context within which VSO volunteers work, interact, and deliver development outcomes. Based on our analysis of existing preliminary work as building blocks in this analysis, we have identified significant knowledge gaps in the evidence basis of volunteering and development studies to further explore the concept and practice of blended volunteering: although VSO has observed that blended volunteering can lead to better development outcomes, the exact reason for the impacts of this type of development work remains little understood. Having a fuller understanding of what types of combinations work best, how, when, and why, will not only help VSO deliver higher quality projects and programmes; it will also help them communicate the importance of their development work, and the importance of not just volunteering, but of the particular synergies that emerge when volunteer teams consisting of national, international, and local volunteers with different backgrounds, experiences and skill-sets work together. By ‘volunteer knowledge and skills’ then, we refer not only to individual assets, but also to group assets that emerge from the context in which they work together and the relationships with primary actors and other relevant stakeholders.
Therefore, through this study we aim to better understand: team-focused approaches to volunteering; the programming dimensions of blended volunteering; how different volunteers and primary actors experience blended volunteering approaches; and ‘What works and why’ in the ‘blended volunteering’ model. Furthermore, the research will explore the challenges and obstacles that arise when different types of volunteers and other actors work together, as identified by volunteers, VSO staff and primary actors. This will further help VSO navigate some of these challenges in practice and manage these difficulties as early as the design phase for upcoming projects. This research will thus help VSO develop a deeper understanding on what combination of volunteering and implementation models may be most effective in which specific contexts, and how leveraging these contributions can assist VSO to deliver development impact at scale. This includes understanding the respective strengths and weaknesses of different volunteering modalities in diverse contexts. This presents an opportunity to make a significant contribution to knowledge of volunteering and development, as well as to support innovative programming for ‘blended volunteering’.
 
Based on an extensive literature review and on the experience of VSO Uganda in the field, the general objective of this short-term research project is: To understand how blended volunteering can improve development impacts.
To achieve this objective, we need to understand various areas of the planned and unplanned aspects, outcomes, successes and challenges of VSO’s work. In order to gain a better understanding of this, we divide our main research objective into 4 distinct aims:
(1) Strengthen the evidence base about how combining volunteering modalities has potential to improve programme outcomes (relationships and combinations; impacts);
(2) Deepen understanding of the unique contribution of diverse volunteering modalities, and whether when combined these contribute to enhanced programme outcomes (relationships and combinations; impact);
(3) Understand how the knowledge of diverse volunteering modalities can be designed into VSO programmes to improve outcomes and deliver impact for primary actors (programme design);
(4) Support VSO’s thought leadership by using the findings to influence debates around volunteering and development in policy, practice and academic spaces (impact).
In order to achieve these aims and this main objective, the main research question in this study is the following:
How does different types of volunteers working together improve development impacts?
Our research design is informed by participatory and people-centred approaches and methodologies, as will be described in detail in our methodology section. The study will contribute to policy, practice, and academic understandings in this field by exploring existing examples of blended volunteering contributing to improving development outcomes among VSO Uganda’s portfolio of programmes. Moreover, the study will highlight the potential for further exploring blended volunteering both as a practice and a concept beyond the selected case studies.
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UK |
2021-07-01 |
2024-07-01 |
Social Science and Humanities |
Non-Clinical Trial |
Non-degree Award |
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Frank Muhereza Emmanuel
ID:
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Civil Society in Uganda: Emerging Perspectives and New Narratives.
REFNo: SS694ES
1. To examine the full extent and implications of the rapid expansion of the civil society sector in Uganda
2. To explore the successful initiatives to strengthen the sector and how best to enhance such initiatives
3. To comprehensively explore the contemporary dynamics of the civil society sector in Uganda, and how much the sector contributes to national development.
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Uganda |
2021-06-30 |
2024-06-30 |
Social Science and Humanities |
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Non-degree Award |
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Nixon Niyonzima
ID: UNCST-2020-R014577
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Evaluating Tumor Evolution and the Clinical Utility of Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Talazoparib
REFNo: HS1476ES
1. Evaluate mutational changes associated with disease progression in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with Talazoparib2. Analyse circulating tumor DNA in blood samples collected from metastatic breast cancer patients treated with Talazoparib.3. Determine the association between circulating tumor DNA levels, CA-15-3 levels, and clinical response in patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with Talazoparib.4. Determine the blood-based tumor mutation burden (bTMB) based on WES data generated from samples collected before and after the development of treatment resistance in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with Talazoparib.5. Evaluate the utility of circulating tumor DNA genomic profiling from blood samples collected as dried blood spots from patients with metastatic breast cancer patients and normal age-matched healthy controls.
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Uganda |
2021-06-30 |
2024-06-30 |
Medical and Health Sciences |
Non-Clinical Trial |
Non-degree Award |
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EDITH NAKKU-JOLOBA NAKKU
ID: UNCST-2021-R013931
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Sexual Network Based Tracking and Treatment of Gonorrhea and Chlamydial infections to Improve STD Management in Urban and Rural Uganda: A Pilot Study
REFNo: HS1384ES
Specific Objective 1a; To estimate prevalence of Neisseria gonorheae (NG) in persons attending outpatient clinics in Kampala, Uganda.
Specific Objective 1b; To estimate prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in persons attending outpatient clinics in Kampala, Uganda
Specific Objective 2; To describe the sexual networks of persons diagnosed with Neisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis attending clinics in Kampala, Uganda and the factors influencing these networks.
Specific Objective 3; To describe the bacterial genotypes of infecting Neisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria identified in these described sexual networks and the related-ness of the bacteria in the identified sexual networks.
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Uganda |
2021-06-29 |
2024-06-29 |
Medical and Health Sciences |
Non-Clinical Trial |
Non-degree Award |
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