斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所-Social-Cohesion-through-Community_51页_3mb

Summary of the KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Social Cohesion through Community-based Development Project Baseline Survey Report

Core Content

The Social Cohesion through Community-based Development (CDD) project in the Kyrgyz Republic, implemented from 2014 to 2017, aims to enhance social cohesion in selected rural areas through community-driven development initiatives. The project is jointly managed by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the University of Central Asia (UCA), with funding from the World Bank and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). The baseline survey, conducted between August and November 2014, is a critical component of the project's impact evaluation design, offering foundational data for measuring the effectiveness of the intervention.

Main Objectives

• Strengthen social cohesion through CDD micro-projects in both multi- and mono-ethnic communities.
• Measure the impact of the intervention using a randomised control trial (RCT) methodology.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of different CDD approaches in promoting social cohesion and community development.

Key Findings

Randomisation Success

• The randomisation process successfully created comparable pilot and control groups based on population size and ethnic composition.
• The baseline survey included 2,000 households, 6,356 adults, 866 youth, and 795 village leaders.
• The pilot communities demonstrated high levels of social cohesion, which may challenge the project's ability to detect changes in the outcome indicators.

Baseline Characteristics

• Household-level data shows similar consumption, income, and demographic profiles between pilot and control groups.
• However, control communities have better access to durable assets, livestock, land, irrigation, and energy.
• Pilot communities have better access to drinking water, education, and healthcare due to their proximity to service providers.

Individual-Level Data

• Individuals in both groups show similar schooling, age, and ethnic representation.
• Labour force participation is higher in control communities.
• A high level of trust in social groups and institutions is observed across both groups, indicating strong social cohesion.

Youth Engagement

• Youth in both pilot and control communities show similar levels of demographics, education, and attitudes.
• However, youth in pilot areas are more likely to express higher life satisfaction and trust in institutions.

Research Methodology

• The project uses a randomised control trial (RCT) to compare pilot and control communities.
• The theory of change is based on the idea that CDD can improve social cohesion through participatory development and community empowerment.
• Two CDD approaches (Bucket A and Bucket B) are applied, with Bucket B including enhanced social cohesion activities.

Intervention Design

• Intervention areas include 15 pilot communities and 15 control communities across Osh and Naryn oblasts.
• Pilot communities receive $20,000 block grants to implement micro-projects.
• The intervention process involves:
  • Formation of working groups (WGs) by MSDSP KG.
  • Training of WGs in governance, local development planning, project management, and social cohesion.
  • Submission of grant proposals to a committee for co-financing.
  • Implementation of participatory micro-projects that aim to maximise social convergence.

Challenges and Considerations

• The high baseline levels of social cohesion may limit the ability to detect positive changes.
• Researchers must consider social desirability bias in individual responses, which could inflate measured levels of cohesion.
• The project plans to use qualitative methods to address these concerns during the implementation phase.

Conclusion

The baseline survey indicates that the randomisation process was effective, and the initial levels of social cohesion are high. This suggests that the intervention may need to be more targeted to certain demographic or social groups to observe meaningful changes. The project will proceed with endline surveys and intermediate assessments to evaluate the long-term impact of the CDD interventions on social cohesion in Kyrgyzstan.