Zimbabwe
Background
The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS), a respected humanitarian organization, conducted a comprehensive Community Trust Index Survey with the overarching goal of gaining a deep understanding of the community's perception of their work. This crucial assessment was aimed at reinforcing accountability, fostering trust, and improving respective community-centered projects to ensure that they are absolutely in line with the needs and expectations of the community.
Lead: Zimbabwe Red Cross
Support: IFRC, Ground Truth Solution, BHA
Institutional Overall ScoreIndex scoreThe overall score is the average of the competences and values scores. The competency and values scores are the arithmetic mean of the scores for each sub-dimension. The sub-dimension scores are generated from the weighted average of the response rates to the questions relating to each sub-dimension, using the following weightings.
Results
The survey was conducted from the 28th of November to the 3rd of December 2023 in Mashonaland Central Province’s, Shamva district where the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Immunization project is being implemented. The questionnaire gathered data from 501 respondents through.
Respondents were asked questions revolving around several key themes, including Trust, Competency of the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) in projects and program implementation, fairness in aid distribution, and their previous personal encounters with the organization. This information helps to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the organization's operations and public perception.
Understand Trust in Zimbabwe
Explore the following contextual analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the current situation in Zimbabwe.
Learn moreCommunity trust by population profile
The Community Trust Index in Zimbabwe indicates a positive overall score of 7.61 (out of 10). The score for ZRCS service recipients and volunteers are approximately equal with respectively 7.6 and 7.5 as overall score. However, the value score among volunteers (6.28) suggests that there is potential for improvement on engagement and effective communication for volunteers. In the same time, the high score on competency reflects the ZRCS efforts are well-perceived and contribute to maintaining a high level of trust among target populations (volunteers: 8.73; ZRCS service recipients: 8.76; Other: 8.45).
Volunteers
Volunteers are individuals who actively participate in various Zimbabwe Red Cross programs, initiatives, or projects.
People receiving support
Individuals who directly receive benefits or support from Zimbabwe Red Cross programs, such as social welfare, healthcare, or education initiatives.
Others
Individual who do not receive benefits or support from Zimbabwe Red Cross programs or engaged with the Zimbabwe Red Cross in general
Perceptions of community trust
In the context of COVID-19 response, a majority believe ZRCS has competency to respond promptly to challenges that communities are facing (score of 8.74 out of 10). Most respondents feel ZRCS understands and meets needs (9.02) and provides adequate support on time (9.07). However, the study shows a relative lower score in terms of accessibility (how respondent feel easy to contact ZRCS personnel) and trust on information received (8.36). In the opposite, the analysis of value subdimensions presents a lower rate in neutrality (2.8 out of 10), independence (3.3) and transparency (4.0). Overall, while ZRCS is competent in many areas, improving accessibility and information dissemination could enhance its public perception.
Competencies
Values
Geographic analysis
More dataIn this study, data have been only collected in Shavma district without subdivision sampling and limits the geographic analysis.
Competencies
Top 3
Bottom 3
Values
Top 3
Bottom 3
Findings
Trust is a crucial element in any institution, and understanding its drivers is key for improving outcomes. It appears that a large majority have faith in institutions, indicating a well-established base level of trust (7.6 out of 10). However, there is a minority who possess different thoughts, showing that room to improve trust levels certainly exists.
Based on the analysis and statistics provided, it is clear that the ZRCS has room to improve levels of engagement and trust among the people we work with. The following recommendations can be made:
The competencies and values of the ERC are widely trusted by both those who receive support from the National Society and those who do not. When it comes to competencies, respondents perceive the National Society as an organisation with a robust capacity to deliver timely and high-quality humanitarian aid and services. The ERC is recognized as a highly relevant humanitarian actor in the country, actively engaging with its communities and adapting to various contexts. In terms of values, those surveyed perceive ERC as a respectful, inclusive, and community-engaged organization. However, there was a significant decrease in the Transparency category, likely influenced by security and broader contextual conditions during the data collection period (August-October 2023).
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Awareness and Outreach
A massive awareness campaign, with support from government line ministries, is needed to educate the people we work with about the services offered by ZRCS and how they can be of help. Many people do not inquire about services because they may not have enough knowledge about them or aware that ZRCS is present in its area.
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Volunteer Engagement
ZRCS should develop programs to retain and increase volunteer engagement. As only 16% of the audience have volunteered with Red Cross before, there is a large potential to expand the volunteer base.
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Encourage Feedback
ZRCS should ensure people feel comfortable voicing their opinions. This could be achieved through anonymous feedback channels or regular sessions where objections and suggestions can be raised.
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Effective Communication
To ensure advice is followed, ZRCS needs to communicate its reasons and intentions effectively. The advice should be clear, specific, and practical.
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Building Trust
Promote positive experiences of past and current volunteers/donors who have played significant roles in the organization to enhance trust in ZRCS
Sampling
Population
- All Respondents
- Men
- Women
Region
Age Group
Limitations
The data collection focused on areas around three health centers and clinics in the Shamva district, using volunteers from the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS). A simple random sampling approach, specifically a random walk method, was employed. The selection of clinics was based on volunteer availability and logistical considerations. Consequently, the data should be seen as indicative rather than representative of the entire country. Due to the convenience sampling of clinics, generalizations about the population of Zimbabwe cannot be made despite the random sampling around these health centers.
Understanding The Community Trust Index Analytical Framework
The Community Trust Index, developed by the IFRC Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) Unit, is an evidence-based tool to measure and enhance trust between humanitarian organizations and the communities they serve. The Community Trust Index is measured through Competencies and Values.