Practice Oriented Course
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Post Conflict Areas

 

Frequently asked questions about fieldwork options

Is the field visit not too dangerous and insecure?
Why does this year's course only offer group visits?
Can I find a fieldwork place of my own?
Can I extend my fieldwork to a period longer than a week?
Can I take a holiday in the project country after the fieldwork?
Can I participate in the course and go on fieldwork without following a workshop?

Is the field visit not too dangerous and insecure?
Fieldwork will be done in areas that have been affected by armed conflict. It is in these areas that established organizations implement their activities to assist the population. Though the areas are not in active war situations, they are in post conflict situations. In some of the areas the situation is precarious and we cannot guarantee that the security situation will not deteriorate. We can however assure you that the security of the staff is a key concern.

Why does this year's course only offer group visits?
Last year each individual participant made his or her fieldtrip individually. The matching of individual participants to specific projects proved to be a difficult process. In the evaluation of the fieldwork some participants indicated that had not met their learning objectives due to practical difficulties and suboptimal learning possibilities in the field. The projects that offered to create spaces for participants of the course indicated that the burden on the local staff was disproportional.
Therefore we have decided for this course to offer group visits to some of the more established local partner projects. We hope in this way to be able to create a better learning environment for the participants and to impose less burden on the local projects.

Can I find a fieldwork place by my own?
In principle not.
We do not encourage this because the course directors have the responsibility to ensure the quality and will usually only be able to so with partners and projects they are familiar with. If a participant proposes an option for fieldwork the course directors will come to a decision on each individual proposal.

Can I extend my fieldwork to a period longer than a week?
No, we cannot organize this.

Can I take a holiday in the project country after the fieldwork?
Of course, after the formal fieldwork period the participant is free to do as he or she wishes, e.g. travelling around the country. It goes without saying that this shall be on his/her own responsibility.
 
Can I participate in the course and go on fieldwork without following a workshop?
No. The workshop is an integral part of the course and a particularly essential preparation for the fieldwork. The participant could possibly partake in the workshop and fieldwork in the next version of the course in 2009, in which case there may be extra costs involved for the participant.


Version: October 4th 2009