A key dimension of the Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform’s approach to mobilising evidence on the social dimensions of emergency responses is helping to build capacity and regional networks of social scientists and practitioners. The SSHAP Fellowship programme is a key part of SSHAP’s work to encourage emergency responses which are effective, adaptive, contextually informed and based on social and interdisciplinary science and evidence.
Launched in February 2021, the Fellowship programme pairs social scientists with practitioners in the same geographic region to facilitate and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. The online sessions run weekly over a period of 3 months, allowing for sustained contact with the course convenors and colleagues on the programme. SSHAP Fellows benefit from working closely with leading thinkers and practitioners from within the SSHAP partnership, as well as the other Fellows, and a tailored professional training programme.
In addition, SSHAP ran a five-day online regional skills training for 40 social scientists and humanitarian practitioners to build their capabilities for designing, implementing, analysing and using social science research and evidence. Participants were selected through SSHAP’s regional hubs in Central and East Africa and West Africa and from the many people who had previously expressed interest in the Fellowship programme. The training was delivered simultaneously in English and French.
To learn from the experiences of skills building and Fellowship programme participants and to inform the development and expansion of initiatives in the future, SSHAP asked the 71 Fellows and 40 skills building programme participants what they learnt from their participation; how they have shared and applied their learning in their practice, and where they faced challenges; and how the programme could be improved.
What did participants gain from the programme?
Several participants felt strongly that engaging with SSHAP through the Fellowship shaped their perspectives on the relationships between social science research and their own practice. Fellows reflected on how this experience enhanced their understandings of cultural contexts, power dynamics, and community needs, including giving greater consideration to evidence-based, culturally sensitive interventions.
One Fellow highlighted how they had been able to gain:
“…a more nuanced understanding of complex issues like food systems, nutrition security, and how ecological degradation impacts vulnerable populations, such as smallholder farmers affected by natural disasters.”
Other participants appreciated how the programme encouraged interdisciplinary thinking between social science and public health, humanitarian work, and programme design. One participant expressed how the programme helped them in thinking how to integrate humanitarian, disaster risk assessment and management, and development in their work.
Over 96% of participants agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “what I learnt in the SSHAP Fellowship has helped me to integrate social science approaches into my work”. For example, one Fellow described how they utilised a rapid ethnographic assessment tool from the programme in areas of Pakistan where the polio vaccine resistance and non-acceptability was very high. The tool enabled them to generate insights that were used to enhance UNICEF social and behaviour change strategies.
In northeast Nigeria, learning from the SSHAP Fellowship guided programme adaptation to include community engagement and qualitative approaches for more tailored and effective responses to malnutrition. Participatory storytelling techniques centred mothers’ voices in awareness campaigns making them more relatable and impactful with local and wider audiences.
The skills that Fellows developed enabled several to conduct research, including a study on food insecurity in South Sudan whose findings informed the country’s government; analysis of policy documents to assess the inclusion of critical gender and humanitarian dimensions; or preparation of targeted policy briefings, including on HIV and population mobility.
Skills building through the Fellowship programme did not only benefit participants. Some Fellows were also able to cascade their learning in social science methodologies, qualitative analysis, and community-focused strategies within their organisations or through their networks.
“I have been able to train my colleagues, which has encouraged them to take a greater interest in qualitative analysis. They are now more adept at conducting focus groups and interviews with clear objectives…we have also organised training sessions focused on community feedback. This initiative has made our analyses more rigorous and scientific.”
The competencies developed during the SSHAP Fellowship helped several participants to advance into more specialised roles, such as in social policy or communications, where they were able to apply social science methods for strategic decisions or to develop tailored humanitarian responses.
The emphasis of the SSHAP Fellowship model on connecting social scientists to practitioners was borne out by participants’ reflecting on the value of developing relationships through the programme that have been relevant and useful to their work. Participants highlighted networking benefits, collaborations that had been forged, and ongoing peer support. Some felt the connections enabled practical advice, resource sharing, and the development of joint projects between fellows.
One Fellow said:
“The most valuable aspect of the SSHAP Fellowship for me has been the community. Being part of a network of professionals who are equally passionate about integrating social science into humanitarian work has been transformative. This community provides a space to exchange ideas, gain fresh perspectives, and receive support from peers facing similar challenges. The camaraderie and insights I’ve gained from fellow participants have been instrumental in refining my approach, particularly in fostering inclusive and community-centred communication strategies. Having this network to lean on, especially in complex or sensitive projects, has been an invaluable resource.”
What challenges did the Fellows face and how can the programme improve?
Whilst some Fellows were able to employ social science approaches in their work, other faced challenges, including resistance within their own organisations and competing priorities that limited adoption.
Most participants expressed high satisfaction with the Fellowship, including appreciation of the programme’s diverse content, the inclusion of practical tools and examples, mentoring support, and the establishment of a supporting peer network, enabling the sharing of experiences between participants.
At the same time, participants shared very helpful suggestions for improvements to the programme’s format, its delivery and content. Participants would like to deepen their valuable interaction through in-person components and an extended programme duration to provide more time for in-depth exploration of topics. Some cohort members would like to receive more fieldwork training and be supported to co-author journal papers as Fellowship outputs. There was also a desire for more structured follow-up sessions after a cohort completed its formal programme.
Taking this latter suggestion onboard, SSHAP organised a virtual reunion of Fellows to enable them to share experiences of post-fellowship life, to network, and to identify areas for future collaborations and peer learning. The focus of the reunion was shaped by a survey of Fellows to understand what they would like from the convening.
It was important and insightful to hear from the Fellows on their experiences and suggestions of the SSHAP Fellowship programme. It was also interesting to hear from many Fellows about how they have harnessed the learning from the programme to inform change in their work. This learning points to the value of such programmes beyond the scope of the training itself.
These reflections and the shared experience of interacting with participants has helped SSHAP members to deepen their understanding of the challenges associated with integrating social science into practice, roles and organisations with established knowledge systems and, in some cases, knowledge hierarchies.
It also exposed team members to circumstances in a diversity of contexts and the not unfamiliar challenge of juggling development work with humanitarian response. These insights will help SSHAP partners to design and deliver future training and support, whilst also maintaining contact with the many passionate and inspiring individuals.
