Addressing torture and its consequences in South Africa
RCT welcomes first report from a new comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluating (M&E) system for psychosocial services.
Since 2007 the Trauma and Transition Programme (TTP) of the
CSVR, and RCT have embarked on a project aiming to strengthen the
struggle against torture in South Africa. One of the objectives of
the project is to develop a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluating
(M&E) system for the psychosocial services provided to victims
of torture.
The information produced can be used not only to influence an
individual case but to influence clinical systems and procedures.
By learning more about the clients, for how long and why they
leave, and how clients may or may not be impacted over time, it
will be possible to make interventions and assist clinicians in
improving their services to victims of torture.
This recent report is one of the outputs under the project. It
looks at 2009 and describes the group of torture clients who
received counselling services in 2009; details the characteristics
of clients who completed an Intake Assessment in 2009; provides
baseline data in terms of the impact that our services have had on
clients; provides examples of individual Client Progress Reports
produced in 2009; describes the drop-out rates for the year
including the reason for drop-out; and outlines the compliance
rates achieved in terms of documentation of M&E
instruments.
Download the report from the CSVR homepage
About CSVR and the Trauma and Transition Programme
(TTP)
The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
(CSVR) is a multi-disciplinary institute whose primary goal is to
use its expertise in building reconciliation, democracy and a human
rights culture, and in preventing violence in South Africa and in
other countries in Africa. The Trauma and Transition Programme
(TTP) of the CSVR aims to sustain democracy through addressing the
issues of unresolved trauma, torture, criminal violence and forced
migration through psychosocial support, research and advocacy in
South Africa and the continent.
A shift from political violence to criminal violence
TTP was set up in 1989 to offer a free counselling service
to victims of political violence. Since the mid-1990s we have seen
a shift from political violence to criminal violence within the
country. From the late 1990s, TTP began counselling refugees and
asylum seekers, individuals and groups from various African
countries who had experienced violent conflict in their home
countries and/or xenophobic violence in South Africa.
Setting up a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluating
(M&E) system
The development of all M&E instruments and the system itself
was informed by current theory and achieved through collaboration
between clinical staff, researchers, external consultants, and RCT
staff. The system has changed over time to accommodate challenges
encountered through implementation. A new phase in the project was
initiated in 2009 and will run until 2011.
"Profiling torture II: Addressing torture and its
consequences in South Africa"
A project of the trauma and transition programme of the centre for
the study of violence and reconciliation (CSVR)
Monitoring and evaluation progress report
Produced by: Dominique Dix-Peek and Monica Bandeira with
support from Craig Higson-Smith
Written by Heidi K. Tokle