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APRIL 2005 — Family Health International has released an important new resource for improving the lives of orphans and vulnerable children. The guide, Conducting a Participatory Situation Analysis of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by HIV/AIDS: Guidelines and Tools, is a powerful tool that builds on experiences from FHI's work in the developing world.

Conducting a situation analysis is a complex and delicate process. It gathers and analyzes information to guide planning and action. Done properly, it can help build consensus and among key stakeholders‑‑ essential in a growing epidemic ‑‑ and produce sound recommendations to promote shared understanding among relevant parties. Collecting data that is not directly linked to specific programs helps identify strengths and weaknesses in national and sub-national responses.

Because this resource is focused on children, it features a special emphasis on ethical considerations for information-gathering.

The six-chapter, 210-page guide offers sample consent forms, baseline surveys and interview guides, which can be adapted for local use. It was funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Reliefe through the U.S. Agency for International Development. It was written by Renee DeMarco with FHI's OVC Team.

The accompanying French edition, released in April 2006, was prepared by the nongovernmental organization Plan International.