Surveys - Completed - Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH)

Background

The Survey Action Center (SAC) conducted a fact finding mission in June of 2000 to study the feasibility of a Landmine Impact Survey (LIS). At the request of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a second advance survey mission took place in March 2002. The Advance Survey Mission (ASM) confirmed the needs of the impact survey and SAC developed a country plan.

Handicap International opened an LIS office in Sarajevo on 1 October. Field data collection began in April 2003 and concluded in October. The office closed in December 2003.

Funding

The survey is funded by the US Department of State (USDOS), the European Community (EC), and Canada through the International Trust Fund (ITF).

Implementing Organization

Three NGOs and one commercial company submitted proposals to implement the survey. The Survey Working Group Nominating Committee selected Handicap International (HI-France) as the implementing partner in August 2002.

Quality Assurance

The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS-UNOPS) provided the Quality Assurance Monitor (QAM).

The Field Survey Team

Operational Status

In September 2002, the team leader and the national operations coordinator from HI-France attended a week of orientation by SAC in Takoma Park. Click here to meet Emmanuel and Almedina.

The HI team then travelled to Sarajevo in October to begin office and administration setup. Preliminary opinion collection began in November to refine the operational plan. Recruitment of senior staff began. Click here to view the completed staff roster.

In early December,a memorandum of understanding was signed between BHMAC and HI to conduct the LIS. SAC Executive Director Bob Eaton visited in early December for integration planning with BHMAC. Alastair McAslan (Director, CMA) began the national strategic planning process. Ted Patterson (Canada), Sara Sekkenes (NPA), and Greg Wickware (GSI) joined Bob and Alastair for the task assessment and planning (TAP) to coordinate this LIS project with pre-existing mine action efforts.

Senior staff training was conducted by the SAC team (Saeed Ahmad and Tom Haythornthwaite) in January 2003 along with pretesting of the survey instruments. Recruitment of the field interviewers then followed in February. The first QAM intervention occurred at this time also with a focus on methods to ensure quality. In March, field interviewer training was conducted and concluded with pilot testing of the survey process.

Field data collection began in April. As part of the second QAM intervention, field visits were made to observe the survey in progress. Also in April, the strategic planning group (CMA, BHMAC, SAC, UNDP) reconvened in Sarajevo. While there, Bob Eaton signed a memorandum of understanding with BHMAC to conduct the TAP pilot project.

In June, several representatives of the donor agencies visited to review the operations. HI delivered the LIS results of 14 highly impacted communities to BHMAC in July to commence the TAP project. The field visits for the TAP project were conducted in August.

LIS data collection concluded in October and was followed by data analysis and report writing in November. In December 2003, both the LIS and TAP final reports were completed. Bob Eaton arrived to review the TAP final report with BHMAC. The LIS offices were then closed.

More Information

To learn more the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) in Bosnia-Herzegovina feel free to contact SAC or Hi-France.