Reference Sheet V

As you engage and connect (Stage 1) and understand risk and resilience (Stage 2), you will discover some important differences in the community. As you do so, you will need to help the community to capture its different voices in a way that permits comparison. One way to do this is through your choice of sampling. A sample is a subset of a whole population, information from which can enable accurate conclusions to be drawn about the whole population. Sampling (the process of selecting a sample) is necessary whether data employ random (probability) samples for quantitative methods (such as a survey) or purposeful (non‑random) samples for qualitative methods (such as interviews or focus groups). Sampling is a technique that makes it possible to identify a representative subset of a population when you cannot communicate with all its members. While there is no special formula for sampling for a resilience assessment, two common approaches are described below:

• ​Purposive sampling (social groups) is when you knowingly determine and select groups from whom you need data. Purposive sampling involves participants who are selected with a specific purpose in mind, not randomly. One purpose that aligns perfectly with Red Cross Red Crescent values is diversity sampling. This technique aims to capture the widest relevant diversity in a given community, thereby ensuring that all voices are heard. The first step is to establish what diversity exists in the community. To do this, identify groups early in the data collection process that are less visible and more marginalized. These might include women, immigrants, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, or ostracized groups (such as certain castes).
• ​Square sampling (geography): One way to ensure you have a balanced sample is to ask the resilience team or community leaders to invite at least 20 people to the assessment exercise (10 women and 10 men). Ideally, you should take a map of the community and divide it into 10 squares of roughly the same size. Invite one man and one woman from each square. That way, you will avoid selecting only the well‑connected or friends of volunteers. After all, the sample should be as representative of the wider community as possible (see Resilience Dashboard).