Ajustes propuestos

There were no identifiable risks for the participants taking part in the interviews except that many took time from their lunch hours at work to attend. This appeared however to be organized in advance and interviews were conducted in close proximity to their places of work (if applicable) and completed within an agreed timeframe. However there was a possibility that participants might have held back information during the Phase II narrative inquiry and therefore it was decided that all participants would remain anonymous.

Serious consideration needed to be taken into account and that is the fact that myself as the research was an involved staff member of NFP. The personal relationships formed could on the one hand be useful to enhance the depth of information obtained, but it could also lead to participants giving the kind of information they might expect a past staff member to hear. Cognizant that participation in and relationship to the participants might have unwanted effects, these were mitigated as far as possible by considering the impact of these factors into the design, analysis and reporting stages. It became very clear that calculated steps needed to be taken to ensure trustworthiness for credibility, transferability, dependability and

conformability so as not to sway the research and the findings. In terms of authenticity, fairness in all aspects of the informants’ viewpoints and awareness of cultural and social differences both between informants’ and between informant and research were observed by being informed. It can be said that South Africans, particularly youth have a culture of talking candidly. Cultural and social differences were brought up if the moment called for it.

Originally the benefit of having a neutral, mother-tongue language assistant present was discussed. This might have allowed for uninhibited information to be captured and add strength to the information. However, as personal bonds had already been formed it might have added an uncomfortable third person interaction, which might have seemed alien to the informants. In addition all participants had completed some form of higher education in

English. However, it became evident that respondents were clearly worried about their competency in English. Having a trusted translator could have positively impacted by raising additional questions and aiding in creating an objective distance between respondents and researcher.

5.7.1 Researcher skills in case studies

Yin (1998) as cited in Berg 2012, identifies five skills that are associated with conducting good case studies. These skills were taken into consideration as much as possible prior to fieldwork and during interview sessions: 1.) An inquiring mind and the willingness to ask questions before, during and after data are collected and to constantly challenge oneself about the why. 2.) The ability to listen, to include observation and sensing in general and to take in information without bias. 3.) Adaptability and flexibility to handle unanticipated events and to change data-collection strategies if they aren’t working and to use alternative sources that may be more fruitful. 4.) Thorough understanding of the issues being studied in order to do more than merely record data, but to interpret and react to the data collected. 5.) Unbiased interpretation of the data. Here Yin suggests that a good test for bias is the degree to which the researcher is open to contradictory findings. (Yin, 1998 as cited in Berg, 2012, p.253) and this has tried to be covered in the literature review.

As a researcher it was important to develop these skills and be consciously aware of their value during all phases of the research. Where some skills lacked, more attention was given increasing good practice. For example with skill 4 above was improved upon by researching additional articles and evaluations of programmes around the world. In addition, as the South African researcher currently resides in Norway it was important to keep up-to-date with the landscape of youth programming in South Africa as well as the unemployment experience of youth. This was done by being in close communication with young South Africans, news sources and literature reviews. This included continuous reading of qualitative research studies and a willingness to change direction. Additional communication with young South Africans from prior work experiences besides NFP has extended to assistance with CV application assistance and informal career advice and to an extent eMentoring. The latter consists of online platforms using Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a way to communicate and share information while cultivating a mentor-mentee relationship.

During the interview process it was important to hone listening skills and make a conscious effort to work against self-constructed biases.

In addition, all participants had English as a second language and it was evident through analysis of the data that many respondents felt that their level of English affected their day to day lives. It was decided upon that the hiring of a translator would might impact the on a relationship level. It is recognized that had the respondents had an opportunity to share their thoughts in their mother tongue, they might have felt more comfortable and thus shared deeper and a more complex understanding of how the programme had impacted them. On a cultural level the researcher might have learnt a lot more by having the assistance of a trusted translator.