Page 5 - Research Report 2025.1

QUESTION SEGMENTATION
Key Informant Interview Tool
Overall Theme 1: Rural Context and Local Government Governance
1. Offer a comprehensive overview of rurality in the local government areas this research covers.
2. What distinguishes the rural municipalities within local government frameworks in South Africa?
3. In terms of local government service provisions, which essential services are provided and how are they
accessed?
4. What livelihood strategies are prevalent in this area and what is the role of local government?
5. Considering rural local government frameworks, what are the main challenges and prospects for advancing
rural development and sustainable livelihoods?
Overall Theme 2: Resilience and Sustainability of Rural Livelihoods
1. From a local governance perspective, how have disasters and pandemics influenced livelihoods in rural sectors?
2. What are livelihoods in the area vulnerable to and what institutional factors contribute to their vulnerability or resilience?
3. How are rural communities expanding their income streams to improve the long-term viability of rural livelihoods?
4. How significant is the contribution of social networks and indigenous knowledge in strengthening resilience?
Overall Theme 3: Governance Processes and Policy Implementation
1. What policies are in place for rural livelihoods and development?
2. How are these policies formulated, implemented and monitored?
3. What is the level of participation of rural communities in decision-making processes related to livelihood
support?
4. What challenges exist in implementing rural development policies and how do they impact livelihoods?
5. What is the role of local government institutions and NGOs in implementing development policies?
6. Recommendations for improving resilience and sustainable recovery from pandemics and disasters.
Focus group discussions
Overall Theme 1: Community Context and Experience
1. Please describe rural life in this community/sub-county?
2. What does the word disaster mean to you?
3. Can you please give us an example of a disaster that has happened in your community/sub-county in the last
10 years?
4. How frequent are disasters in your community/sub-county?
5. Has your community experienced any community-wide diseases in the human population in the last 10
years? If so, please describe.
Overall Theme 2: Livelihoods and Economic Impact
1. What does the word livelihood mean to you?
2. Have the livelihoods in your community/sub-county been influenced by disasters or pandemics? If so, please
describe.
Overall Theme 3: Institutional Responses and Support Networks
1. What actors or institutions, formal and informal, do you rely on when a disaster happens?
2. Are there any specific strategies that these actors or institutions have used to support their sources of income
and/or well-being during disasters?
Overall Theme 4: Social Networks and Community Resilience
1. What is a social network?
2. What social networks do you belong to?
3. What impact do these social networks have on the resilience of your community/sub-county?
Overall Theme 5: Rural development, Governance and Policy Implementation
1. What do you think are the big challenges that rural communities/local municipality face in rural development?
2. What do you think are the big opportunities that rural communities/local municipality have in rural
development?
3. What role do you think local government has in supporting rural livelihoods?
4. What role do you think local government has in developing and implementing policy in rural communities/
local municipality?
5. If you could make three recommendations that you think would have the most important and significant
impact to improve your community/sub-county, what would they be and why?
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