PROJECTS

PaCE: Public Participation, Peacebuilding & Democratization in Rural Kenya

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Nairobi commissioned QMR – basing on two previously conducted fundamental studies on local understanding of democracy – with the conceptualization, implementation and facilitation of a 1-year participatory education program in rural Kenya.

In close cooperation with the citizens’ initiative “Peace from the Soil”, a total of 30 community members in the pilot county of Marafa Ward (Kilifi County in the coastal region of Kenya) were trained in a train-the-trainer system to become so-called Community Resource Persons (CRPs). The core team of the program consisted of QMR staff members and Kenyan experts and trainers.

The content of the workshops covered topics such as democratic rights and the Kenyan constitution, civil and human rights, public budgeting, opportunities and means of public participation, women’s rights, the fight against corruption and electoral bribery, and ecological awareness in the fight against climate change.

In order to address the largely illiterate population living in extreme poverty in the most sustainable way possible, the trainers learned special experiential, illustrative and process-oriented methods and tools: forum theater, group processes, traditional dances and songs with modern lyrics and methods of conflict resolution – for a target group-appropriate approach.

In the PaCE program, which was designed over 3 roll-out waves, a total of 2,500 to 3,000 villagers were reached and informed.

The community resource persons remain in the sub-areas even after the program has ended and, as activists, are important contacts for the population for all concerns relating to democratization, peace-building and climate change.

In the PaCE program, which was designed over 3 roll-out waves, a total of 2,500 to 3,000 villagers could be reached and informed.

The Community Resource Persons will remain in the sub-areas even after the completion of the program and, as activists, are important contacts for the population for all concerns related to democratization, peace building and climate change.

The SDG’s targeted in the program:
• Ensure inclusive education (SDG 4)
• Empower women and girls (SDG 5)
• Reducing inequality (SDG 10)
• Combating climate change and its impacts (SDG 13)
• Promoting peaceful societies (SDG 16)

The framework developed in this project is ideally suited for teaching complex content to rural populations with little formal education.
The teaching content can be adapted depending on the project focus.
Currently, the framework is being adapted for an educational program for coffee farmers in the central region of Kenya: “Education of rural cooperatives and development of joint sales and marketing”.
An educational program on “Conflict Resolution in Rural Congo” is also being planned.

PaCE Program for peacebuilding and public participation in rural Kenya: insights

Video: PaCE Program for peacebuilding and public participation in rural Kenya

Research Project: Statutory Minimum Wage and Seasonal Employment

Together with Prognos AG, the Minimum Wage Commission commissioned QMR to investigate the effects of the statutory minimum wage on seasonal workers and their employers. In this cooperation, Prognos’ extensive expertise in labor market policy ideally combines with QMR’s profound knowledge of qualitative methods and project experience in the implementation of large qualitative-empirical research projects.

In this qualitative research project, interviews were conducted in 20 companies – with company managers and 2-3 seasonal employees each; in addition, 18 inter-company experts were interviewed.

The focus of the study was on adaptation reactions, actions and motives for action – taking into account the respective contextual conditions, e.g. the implementation of the minimum wage in companies and the effects on the working conditions of seasonal employees. In addition, changes in the operational demand for and supply of seasonal employees due to the minimum wage were investigated.

Please read the results in the final reports attached here:

Short Report (12 pages)

Link to the Long Report: www.mindestlohn-kommission.de (180 pages)

Information on current and completed research projects of the Minimum Wage Commission (website of the client): www.mindestlohn-kommission.de

Research Project “Concepts of Democracy in Rural Kenya”

The study “Concepts of Democracy in Rural Kenya” questions the prevailing narrative of insurmountable corruption and resulting political hopelessness in rural Kenya. To this end, the experiences and subjective experience of voters in Marafa Ward, Kilifi County during the 2017 General Elections campaign, the entire electoral process, and the period since that election were analyzed as examples. Subjective beliefs regarding politics and the social roles and structures in the studied community as crucial factors for political change in terms of democratic participation formed the focus of the research, which was conducted for the local grassroots initiative “Peace from the Soil” and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Nairobi.

The results of this study serve as a basis for the further activities of the grassroots initiative and related decisions (e.g. the development of a civic education program): Which communication channels can be used, how are target groups to be addressed, which inner convictions and roles have to be taken into account, what kind of support can be expected from the community and the local administration? The research results form the basis for the current development of meaningful measures within the framework of local democracy promotion.

See article https://www.esomarfoundation.org/concepts-of-democracy-in-rural-kenya/

The research report: Concepts of Democracy in Rural Kenya

Research Project “Refugees in Germany”

Why have refugees left their home countries, what experiences have they made when fleeing to other countries and why have they chosen Germany as their country of destination? What are their characteristics in terms of education, vocational training and other abilities? What are their attitudes, values and expectations regarding a living in Germany? What are their preconditions for their integration into the labour market, the educational system and other areas of the society? What are the hurdles and limitations for integration?

This study provides first insights on these questions. On behalf of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), the Research Centre on Migration, Integration and Asylum of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF-FZ) and the Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP) at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), QMR – Qualitative Mind Research (Munich) has interviewed 123 refugees and 26 experts qualitatively to address these questions.

IAB Research Report: Geflüchtete Menschen in Deutschland – eine qualitative Befragung

IAB Short Report: Geflüchtete Menschen in Deutschland – Warum sie kommen, was sie mitbringen und welche Erfahrungen sie machen

Television Report: EXAKT – The Story – MDR television

“How are you? – A country before the election”

Before the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, election researchers are looked over the shoulder when polling voters and non-voters: what are their needs and desires?

Nominated for the Media Prize Politics 2016 of the German Bundestag

The one-hour reportage broadcast on the television program of the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) on February 17, 2016 is entitled “How are you? – A country before the election” and investigates the question of how “Saxony-Anhalt ticks” and what that would mean for the formation of a government in the country. Nadja Storz and Julian Kanth were nominated with their “Exakt – Die Story” film for the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on March 13, 2016 for the German Bundestag media prize for politics and were shortlisted by the jury.

The reporter team had accompanied citizens in their everyday life for a month. In addition, the two authors sent fictional citizen inquiries to state candidates by email to test how quickly and well-founded they respond. Only every fifth member of the state parliament had responded to the young author duo’s mail requests. “You manage to look at the people’s mouth,” judged Claudia Nothelle.

We are pleased that we as election researchers – together with infratest dimap – were able to support this project through the voter survey and analysis documented in the report!

About the report: A country before the election

Study Report:

Introduction and effects of the statutory minimum wage in Germany – A qualitative study commissioned by the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP)

On behalf of the Socio-Economic Panel at the German Institute for Economic Research, this qualitative study examined the effects directly related to the introduction of the minimum wage in Germany in 2015. For this purpose, a total of 31 people from the low-wage sector in 3 regions of Germany were surveyed in focus groups.

In principle, the majority of those surveyed see the introduction of the minimum wage as a suitable instrument for achieving greater social justice in German society. It is seen as “a first step in the right direction”, which signals a certain degree of appreciation to people in the low-wage sector. “Real” monetary effects are considered to be (still) too low.

The discussion participants named price increases, an increase in undeclared work, systematic prolongation of long-term unemployment and the closure of small businesses as negative effects.

In addition, practices by means of which employers attempted to undermine the minimum wage law often led to a deterioration in the situation of employees.  Stricter controls and an increase in the financial and personnel resources of control bodies to combat the leverage practices described in more detail in the report were explicitly called for by the respondents.

Factual knowledge about the minimum wage law, future adjustment plans and exemptions is very fragmentary and vague in the target group studied. For a higher acceptance of the political measure “minimum wage” among the population, increased and focused communication seems absolutely necessary.

Link to the report: SOEP Survey Papers