# Field Research & Discovery

## Purpose

This phase's main goal is **deep, immersive field research and observation to understand the real-world CRVS, not only software related but also the processes in place and the human factor**.\
We must go beyond policy documents to grasp how events are reported, processed, and documented by registrars, health workers, and the public.

The objective is to **document critical gaps** and friction points **between formal policy and actual day-to-day operations**. This practical insight is vital for designing a robust, user-centric digital solution.

## **Objectives**

1. **Rich qualitative and contextual insights:** a detailed narrative and analytical report providing deep context into the human, logistical, and political factors influencing the CRVS system's performance.
2. **Documented current-state process maps:** a complete set of visual process flowcharts (e.g., BPMN) for all critical registration processes, clearly identifying bottlenecks, manual steps, redundant actions, and reliance on paper records.
3. **Initial analysis of key problems and opportunities for improvement:** a structured summary of the top 5-10 most critical challenges and corresponding initial ideas for technological or procedural interventions.

## **Key Outputs**

### Qualitative research findings

**Stakeholder Interviews findings and insights:** conduct structured and semi-structured interviews with a diverse range of individuals, including policy makers, national-level CRVS officials, sub-national administrators, local registrars, health facility staff (who often initiate birth and death reporting), and system end-users (citizens) to understand their perspectives, pain points, and current workarounds.

**As-is process maps (current state) of vital events:** physically trace and document the entire end-to-end lifecycle of key civil registration events (e.g., birth registration, death registration, marriage registration). This involves visual observation, flow-charting, and detailed documentation of the steps, forms used, responsible actors, time taken, and points of hand-off.

**Observation and shadowing findings and initial insights:** spend time in registration offices and relevant facilities (hospitals, community centres) to observe the processes in action, noting practical challenges like infrastructure limitations, form complexity, data quality issues, and resource constraints.

**Existing documents review:** analyse current legal frameworks, procedural manuals, physical forms, and existing IT system documentation (if any) to establish the official baseline against which reality is measured.

### Research synthesis and actionable insights

**Initial maps of "as-is" business processes:** document the "as-is" CRVS process using detailed process maps (flowcharts, swim lanes). The documentation must visually represent the current sequence of registration activities, tasks, actors, and decision points. This effort aims to identify procedural handoffs, systemic bottlenecks, redundant steps, and unofficial workarounds. The final outcome is a complete, validated set of field-derived documentation that accurately shows how CRVS work is actually done.

**Key insights presentation (or summary document):** synthesise and communicate key CRVS findings to stakeholders, prioritising field observations. Clearly articulate insights (what, why it matters, necessary actions) using visuals and data (e.g., research photos, process maps). The summary must advocate for change, highlight pain points, and define the strategic direction for the new or improved CRVS solution.

**Business rules document:** identify and document the organisation's business rules, which include policies, constraints, calculations, and conditional logic that govern operations. These rules are gathered through interviews, existing documents, and process analysis. They should document the system's valid and required actions (e.g., age requirements), which serve as critical non-functional requirements and authoritative references to ensure the final system maintains operational consistency and regulatory compliance.


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